Chapter 4
“If ye’re thinkin’ about jumpin’, I wouldnae recommend it.”
Piper jerked at the sound of the Laird’s voice so close to her ear. They’d been riding for hours—she thought, at least. Time felt strange, stretched and warped like honey in winter. The forest had given way to rolling hills, and the sun was climbing higher in a sky so blue it hurt to look at.
She hadn’t slept. How could she?
Every time her eyes had started to drift closed during the night, she’d jolted awake with her heart racing, convinced she was back in that cell. Or that the man holding her would finally reveal his true intentions.
Her entire body went rigid. She’d been so careful—hadn’t moved, hadn’t shifted her weight, hadn’t done anything that would give away what she was planning. Yet somehow, this infuriating man had known exactly what was going through her mind.
“I daenae ken what ye’re talkin’ about,” she said, her voice tight.
“Aye, ye do.” The Laird’s arm was loose around her waist, not restraining her, just… there. “Ye’ve been eyein’ that patch of soft grass we passed ten minutes ago. And that stream. And those trees that look easy to climb.”
Damn him.
“Maybe I was just admirin’ the scenery.”
“Were ye now?” She could hear the smirk in his voice. “And here I thought ye were calculatin’ how far ye could run before I caught ye.”
Piper said nothing. Because he was right, and they both knew it.
She’d been awake all night, her mind racing through possibilities. The forest was behind them now, replaced by rolling hills and open countryside. Harder to hide, but also harder for a horse to navigate at speed. If she timed it right, if she caught him off guard…
But even as she thought it, she knew it was pointless. He’d catch her. Probably within minutes. And then what? Would he still claim to be her savior? Or would the mask drop, revealing what he really wanted?
“I’m nae goin’ to hurt ye, lass,” he said, as if reading her thoughts again.
“So ye keep sayin’.”
“Because it’s true.”
“Then why are ye holdin’ me prisoner?”
“I’m nae—” He stopped, and she felt him take a breath. “Ye’re nae me prisoner, Piper. But if ye jump off this horse in the middle of nowhere with nay supplies and nay protection, ye’ll be dead within a week. Is that what ye want?”
“Maybe.”
The word came out before she could stop it, sharp and bitter. She felt Elijah stiffen behind her.
“What did ye just say?”
“Ye heard me.” Piper stared straight ahead, her jaw tight. “Maybe I’d rather take me chances out there than end up in whatever situation ye have planned for me.”
“I already told ye what I have planned. I’m takin’ ye somewhere safe.”
“Aye, to yer castle. To yer chambers, most likely. Where I’ll be expected to…” She couldn’t finish. Couldn’t say aloud what she knew men like him expected from women like her.
“To do what, exactly?” His voice had gone cold. “Tell me, Piper. What do ye think I’m goin’ to do to ye?”
She didn’t answer.
“Because from where I’m sittin’, I saved yer life yesterday. Fought off a man who wanted to do terrible things to ye. Rode through the night to put distance between ye and that hellish place. And all I’ve gotten for it is yer suspicion and accusations.”
“Ye fought for me,” Piper shot back. “Ye claimed me as a prize. What am I supposed to think?”
“That I was playin’ a role! That I had to make it look believable or that bastard wouldnae have backed down!” Elijah’s voice rose, then he visibly controlled himself. “Christ, lass. Ye think I wanted to talk about ye like ye were property? Made me sick to me stomach.”
“Then why did ye do it?”
“Because the alternative was lettin’ ye get taken by someone who really did think of ye that way!”
They fell into tense silence. Piper’s heart was racing, her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to believe him so badly it hurt.
But she’d learned the hard way that wanting something didn’t make it true.
“How do I ken ye’re any different from them?” she asked quietly.
“Ye daenae. Nae yet.”
At least he was honest. That was something.
Elijah could feel every inch of Piper pressed against him, and it was driving him mad.
She was soft. Warm. Her curves fit against his body in ways that made his blood heat and his mind wander to places it had no business going. Every time the horse took a step, she shifted slightly, and he became acutely aware of her arse pressed against his thighs, her back against his chest.
Stop it. She’s terrified, and ye’re thinkin’ about how good she feels.
He tried to focus on the landscape. On the journey ahead. On anything except the woman in his arms and the way his body was responding to her proximity.
It had been years since he’d held a woman like this. Years since he’d felt anything remotely like desire. After Catherine died, he’d shut that part of himself down completely. Told himself it was safer that way. Easier.
But Piper made him feel things he’d thought were dead and buried.
She’s nae for ye. She’s under yer protection, nae yer—
The horse suddenly shied, spooked by something in the grass. Elijah felt it happen—felt the animal’s muscles bunch, felt it start to rear—and his arm was already moving before his mind caught up.
He wrapped it tightly around Piper’s waist and hauled her back against his chest as the horse’s front legs left the ground. She gasped, her hands flying to his arm and gripping hard enough that he felt her nails through his shirt.
“Easy,” Elijah growled at the horse, his other hand firm on the reins. “Easy, ye daft beast.”
The horse came down hard, all four hooves hitting the ground with jarring force. Piper slid backward despite his hold, and Elijah tightened his grip instinctively, pulling her even closer.
Too close.
He could feel every curve of her body now, could feel her trembling, could smell the faint sweetness of her hair. His body reacted immediately, and he cursed himself for it.
Nae now. For God’s sake, nae now.
“Are ye all right?” he asked, his voice rougher than intended.
Piper didn’t answer. She was still gripping his arm, her breathing rapid and shallow.
“Piper. Are ye hurt?”
“Why do ye care?” The words came out flat. Dead. “I’m just to be yer slave after all.”
Elijah went absolutely still.
“What?”
“That’s what I am, isnae it?” Her voice was emotionless now, carefully controlled. “Ye can dress it up with pretty words about protection and safety, but at the end of the day, I belong to ye. Ye bought me, same as the others would have.”
“I dinnae buy ye.”
“Then what am I?” She tried to pull away from his hold, but there was nowhere to go. “Ye keep sayin’ I’m free, but I have nay money. Nay home. Nay family. So tell me, Laird McMahon, if I’m nae yer slave, what exactly am I?”
Elijah forced himself to release his grip on her waist slightly. To give her space, even though his instincts screamed at him to hold on tighter.
“Ye’re someone who needs help,” he said carefully. “And I’m someone who can provide it.”
“Out of the goodness of yer heart?” She let out a bitter laugh. “Men like ye daenae do anythin’ out of goodness. There’s always a price.”
“Nae this time.”
“I daenae believe ye.”
“Then test me.” The words came out before he could think them through. “Right here, right now. I’ll prove ye’re free.”
Piper twisted to look at him over her shoulder, suspicion written across her face. “How?”
“I’m goin’ to make ye a vow, lass. On me clan’s name—and a McMahon’s word is sacred, whether ye believe that or nae.” He held her gaze, willing her to hear him. Really hear him. “Ye are free. Right now. Ye can leave if ye want.”
“Leave?” She said the word like she didn’t understand it.
“Aye. Get off this horse and walk away. I willnae stop ye.”
Her gray eyes searched his face, looking for the trick. The trap. “Ye’re lyin’.”
“I’m nae. But I’m also nae fool enough to send ye off with nothin’.
” Elijah kept his voice steady. “If ye choose to leave, I’ll give ye supplies.
Money. Tell ye which villages are safe and which to avoid.
I’ll point ye toward the nearest town where ye can find work, maybe even write ye a letter of reference. ”
“Why would ye do that?”
“Because ye deserve better than what ye’ve been given so far.” He paused. “But I’m also willin’ to house ye at Castle McMahon until ye’ve recovered from yer ordeal. Feed ye, clothe ye, keep ye safe from anyone else who might come lookin’. And I expect nothin’ in return.”
“Nothin’?” Her voice dripped with disbelief.
“Nothin’. Nae yer body, nae yer servitude, nothin’.” Elijah forced the next words out even though they felt like broken glass in his throat. “Ye’ll have yer own chambers, yer own space. I willnae even speak to ye if ye daenae want me to.”
Piper stared at him for a long moment, and he could see her mind working. Calculating. Trying to figure out where the trap was.
There wasn’t one. But he couldn’t blame her for not believing that.
“And if I stay?” she finally asked. “What then? What exactly would I be doin’ at yer castle?”
“Recoverin’. Eatin’ proper meals. Sleepin’ in a real bed.” He shrugged. “Beyond that? Whatever ye want. Read in the library. Walk the grounds. Sit and stare at the wall if that’s what pleases ye.”
“For how long?”
“As long as ye need.”
“And then I’m just… free to go?”
“Aye.”
She turned back around, facing forward. Her hands had released his arm at some point, and now they twisted together in her lap. Elijah could practically hear her thoughts racing.
“I daenae trust ye,” she said finally.
“I ken that.”
“Ye’re too good to be true. Men like ye daenae exist.”
“Maybe most daenae. But I’m nae most men, lass.”
“That’s exactly what a man who’s lyin’ would say.”
Despite everything, Elijah felt his lips twitch. “Aye, I suppose it is.”
They rode in silence for several minutes. The sun was climbing higher now, warming the air. In the distance, Elijah could see a line of trees that marked a stream—a good place to stop and rest.
“I need to think,” Piper said suddenly.
“About what?”
“About whether to believe ye or nae. About whether stayin’ with ye is better or worse than takin’ me chances alone.” She glanced back at him again. “About whether ye’re a liar or just insane.”
“Fair enough.” Elijah nodded toward the trees ahead. “We’ll stop there. Ye can think while the horse rests.”
“And if I decide to run?”
His jaw tightened. “Then ye’ll run, and I’ll wish ye the best of luck.”
It was a lie. If she ran, he’d follow. Not to drag her back, but to make sure she didn’t get herself killed within the first hour.
But she didn’t need to know that yet.