Highlander’s Beautiful Liar Chapter 1 #2
The vile man grunted his disapproval and handed the letter back. “Fine. But that doesn’t mean that I have to leave. The MacKays will continue to have the Campbells as allies, but donnae expect that loyalty to extend to ye.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Alec muttered as he put the letter safely back in his satchel. “Do as ye will. I’m trying to discern how much damage yer friend has wreaked on his people. Feel free to join me. Perhaps ye can explain just what the hell Seth MacKay was thinking.”
Innes narrowed his eyes in anger, but he urged his horse into step with Alec and his men.
Alec ignored him completely. His first step to win over the clan was with Kane, and that was his only focus.
The water trickled down the walls as it mocked her. Cora’s throat was so dry, and yet, in Alec’s last bout of cruelty, he’d chained her to the middle of the prison so that she couldn’t reach the walls.
It was demeaning to lick the walls like an animal, but she would have done it in a heartbeat.
There were days when she thought that if dying was her only means of escape, she would gladly take it.
Then she thought of her family, her sister, and knew that she couldn’t give up. She needed to protect them.
Seth and Innes were careful. When they came to visit her, they made it very clear what would happen if she made a sound, and they never left a mark that could be seen outside her dress.
She didn’t know why they would take such care unless they were afraid of what would happen if word got out that the two men were regularly beating on a prisoner, and a female one at that.
She didn’t even know what they’d told the guards she’d done.
At the very least, they hadn’t taken her virtue. For all of Innes’s cruelty, it was apparent that he wanted a virgin on his wedding night. A shudder of disgust ran down her spine as she remembered the last thing he’d whispered in her ear.
Soon.
Obviously they’d thought that enough time had passed that no one would suspect her to be Cora Isles. Soon she’d be wedded to Innes. Her torture would continue, but at the very least, she’d be out of the prison.
She could plot her escape. She could make sure that her sister was safe, and they’d live out their lives far away from Scotland. If she’d learned one thing in the past six months, it was that highlanders were never to be trusted.
Rolling her shoulders, she winced. She was quickly losing feeling in her hands and arms as they hung above her head. They stretched the muscles in her back, and she was aware of every bruise and cut on her skin, every crack in her ribs.
Seth had chained her up hours ago. When did he expect to return? Her hands and arms were going numb.
There was a sudden flicker of light around the corner, and she stiffened. As much as she wanted to be released from the chains, she knew that Seth would find some reason to beat her more.
“How many prisoners are currently housed down here?” a strange voice asked.
“Who the bloody hell are you? Where is Laird MacKay?”
The voices lowered, and Cora strained to hear what they had to say. Finally, the light moved around the corner, and Cora’s eyes opened.
Seth wasn’t with them, but Innes Campbell was, and there was a deadly coldness in his eyes. Whatever was happening, Innes was not pleased about it.
The man clearly in charge was a big man, but that was nothing new. It seemed that all highlanders were big men. The better to beat women for.
Long dark hair framed his large rugged face, and there was blood splattered on his shirt and the tartan of his kilt. Even through her pain and exhaustion, she noted that he did not wear the MacKay colors or the Campbell colors.
Had Seth and Innes sent someone new to torture her?
His face was different though. Cora couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something strange in his dark eyes. Perhaps kindness? Pity? Would she even recognize it if she saw it again? He looked over her curiously, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
“She’s a thief you say? What’s her name?” he asked slowly.
Her guard shrugged. “No idea. I’m not to speak to her.”
“What did she steal?”
“I doonae know that either.”
Alec growled angrily. “Do you happen to know how long she’s been strung up like that?”
“Several hours. Laird MacKay is punishing her.”
“How long has she been here?”
“Six months.”
“Then what could she possibly have done to warrant this?” The new man shook his head. “Release her. Now,” he ordered.
The guard hesitated, but the hard look that the new man gave him was enough for him to fumble with the keys. Once the bars were open, all three men stepped into her prison. The guard unlocked the chains around her wrist, and her arms dropped heavily by her side. Immediately, she stumbled and fell.
The new man stepped forward and caught her. “Easy,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ve got ye.”
Cora couldn’t help it. Even though the arms around her were gentle, she still stiffened. He noticed, but he didn’t let her go.
“Seth MacKay is dead,” he said softly.
Relief swept through her, but it was short-lived. Her eyes fell on Innes, and she knew it wasn’t over. Just because one of her captors was dead didn’t mean that the other one was any less deadly.
“My name is Alec Sinclair,” he continued, still speaking as though he were afraid that he’d scare her. “I am current acting laird of the MacKays. Can ye tell me yer name, lass?”
She opened her mouth to tell him the truth, but suddenly, all she could see was Innes. He shook his head slowly and mouthed a single word to her.
Lana.
Her stomach twisted, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Claire,” she said finally. “My name is Claire.”
“Yer English,” Alec said in surprise. “What the bloody hell are ye doing here?”
Wasn’t that a story that he would love to hear? Clamping her mouth shut, she kept silent.
“Can ye tell me what ye stole, lass?” Alec asked as he watched her closely. Cora had never been very good at lying, and she couldn’t risk saying anything in front of Innes.
So she said nothing.
Alec sighed and picked her up. She gasped as he swept her up in his arms, and clenched her teeth against the pain from her bruises.
“She’s a thief!” Innes growled. “What do ye think ye are doing?”
“Can ye tell me what ye stole? Cause if no one can tell me what she’s doing here, then I’m not going to keep her here. The woman is obviously in need of a healer. If I discover later that she is indeed a criminal, I’ll deal with her accordingly,” Alec hissed.
Maybe it was the realization that she was finally getting away from the dungeon, or maybe it was the hope that she had an ally, but Cora felt herself slowly sinking into the man’s embrace. He was strong and warm, and although he wore a hard expression on his face, she found him strangely handsome.
Lord, she wasn’t attractive to him, was she?
Looking over Alec’s shoulder, she saw Innes following them with a grim look on his face. She knew that she could tell everyone what he’d done.
What Seth had done.
But then she’d risk Innes following through on his threat to hurt Lana. The girl was only fourteen, and the Thistles had no idea the danger she was in. They’d never be able to protect her.
Lana was more important than Cora. She was a beautiful girl with a bright future ahead of her. Even if Cora had been able to find a husband who was okay with her mother’s occupation, no one would have her after being held in a highlander prison for six months.
No one would believe that she remained a virgin.
No, her future was ruined. She’d take whatever she could get now, and she’d keep Innes’s secret.
For Lana.
That’s just the beginning of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar.