Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The man in front of Flora, the new one, the one who was currently holding her attacker by the neck, was one of the most intriguing people she’d ever seen. And it wasn’t just because he was protecting her, though she had to admit to herself that it played a part in her interest.
No, he was handsome in a way that she’d never seen before this moment.
His brown hair was windswept, almost as if he’d rushed here, like she was his charge that had been abducted and not a stranger.
Even though his small beard concealed his jaw, she could tell that it was set with anger. And his eyes…
They were gray and stormy, flashing in the sunlight.
It was as if there was a thunderstorm in them.
The depth in them made her breath catch, and something other than fear flared deep in her belly.
If her entire body wasn’t shaking, if she wasn’t bracing herself for that sword in his hand to be pulled on her, she might consider what that feeling really was.
Fear. It must be fear. Me head’s nae workin’ right.
Laird McGowan looked murderous. Flora had heard a sickening crunch when he’d grabbed the other laird’s wrist just moments before, but it seemed as though he wasn’t satisfied with just that injury—not with the way he was squeezing the man’s throat.
The words that he’d said before this fight started seemed even more true now.
Some sort of primal instinct told her that it was only a matter of time before the fight turned on her.
Now, she was certain that it was terror that coursed through her veins.
Laird McGowan released the other laird before he landed a blow with the blunt end of his sword, proving that not only was he a savage, but he was even more dangerous than the first man.
Her hands shook; her eyes were wide. She couldn’t bring herself to look away.
“Is this what ye sick, sorry excuses for humans do for fun, Aaron?” Laird McGowan demanded, stepping forward and getting into the other man’s face.
“Ye paid to be here, did ye nay? Paid to come and hunt women like they were nothin’ more than game?
And then when she fought back, ye intended to kill her. That is unacceptable.”
Does he ken this man? His name is Aaron?
She finally took another step back, the truth of that declaration burrowing into her chest. After she’d hit the other man, Aaron, she’d seen the look in his eye.
He’d brandished his knife at her, flashed it with a crazed expression that she’d accepted would be her last. If Laird McGowan hadn’t shown up, Flora didn’t think that she’d still be breathing.
“Let go of me, ye bastard,” Aaron demanded, spittle flying from his lips.
His feet dug into the dirt, his body winding up as he prepared another attempt to break himself free, the pain in his wrist not enough to stop him.
“This is nay yer fight. Ye’re stickin’ yer nose where it doesnae belong. This is me fight. That is me, lass.”
Laird McGowan’s eyes flashed like lightning cracking across a stormy sky.
Slowly, in a dark and measured tone, he said, “She belongs to nay one that she doesnae want to belong to. And even if she allowed herself to be claimed by ye, I wouldnae let ye to continue on in the way ye are. Nay one deserves to be treated in the way ye’re treatin’ her. Especially nay a woman.”
That statement seemed to be unacceptable to Aaron, reigniting the fight with a sharp snap of urgency.
He yanked himself free, twisting his wrist in a way that must be painful with the injury that Laird McGowan had undoubtedly given him.
With a quickness that surprised Flora, he darted down and scooped up his blade.
Holding it slightly clumsily in his uninjured hand, Aaron put a few steps of distance between himself and Laird McGowan.
He was obviously ready to fight, and the hatred she’d seen directed at her was now directed at Laird McGowan, though she wouldn’t be surprised if it was turned back on her when this fight concluded.
She scrambled back, scared that he’d turn toward her unexpectedly. Her foot caught on a branch, sending her onto her rump. The small bit of wind she had gained back was forced out of her, leaving her mouth with a pathetic wheeze.
As pain radiated up her back, Laird McGowan surged forward, his sword drawn, his sights set on Aaron and his unbalanced stance.
It seemed as though he was steering the fight away from her, pushing Aaron closer to the woods.
Despite the fact that he was occupied with a crazed man wielding a blade, Laird McGowan was still trying to protect her.
Is he really tryin’ to protect me, though? I daenae think he cares for me. Perhaps he has a personal vendetta against Aaron?
She gasped when Laird McGowan swung, backing Aaron up against the boulder that she’d used as cover.
He pushed forward, caging Aaron in. Then, Laird McGowan raised his weapon again.
The sword struck Aaron’s shoulder, and he let out a desperate, sick cry as his bone and sinew stopped it from digging in any further.
She watched in horror as blood soaked through his top.
“Ye bastard!” Aaron roared, sounding like a wounded animal that had been backed into a corner. He ducked, wobbly on his feet, seemingly realizing that he couldn’t win. “Ye’ll pay for this! I swear ye will.”
Laird McGowan let out a savage laugh. He sounded demented, as though being attacked by a man with a knife wasn’t any more dangerous than being chased by a child with a stick. It frightened her, but a strange part of her brain was in awe of the confidence and sheer power he held.
But I daenae want to be alone with him. Nae when this is what he’s capable of.
As Laird McGowan dodged the sloppy strike aimed at his throat, he lashed out with one of his own. Instead of another cut, the Laird slammed his elbow into Aaron’s side, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Her own breath stuttered sympathetically.
The fight continued, and Flora finally found the strength to push herself back to her feet.
Her eyes were locked on them as she clutched her chest, stepping back slowly at first. When it became obvious that they were both completely focused on one another, she knew she had to take the opportunity that she’d been given.
With one final look at the battle, she turned on her heel.
She wouldn’t go back into the woods, not when the other lairds were still there, but she couldn’t stay here.
Even if Laird McGowan was protecting her, he was still dangerous—the way he fought made that obvious.
She needed to get as far away from all of this as she could.
“Where is the fight that ye had when ye were attackin’ that woman?” Lucas demanded, easily stepping out of the way of a lazy swing from Aaron. “Ye’re gettin’ sloppy.”
“Shut yer mouth,” Aaron growled before coming at Lucas again.
Lucas let the other man get close before slamming into his shoulder and knocking him back a few steps. Instead of knocking the man out, he allowed him to right himself. Then, he stepped forward and slammed the blunt end of his sword into the soft tissue of Aaron’s stomach.
“Ye’re fightin’ dirty,” Aaron said, spitting blood into the dirt. “Seems ye stopped fightin’ like a man with honor after yer wife took her life.”
“Nae any dirtier than ye were when ye were fightin’ a woman,” Lucas replied as he moved forward again, delivering a series of blows that were meant to humiliate, putting every bit of anger into the movements.
This was no longer just about the women.
Aaron had made this personal. “Ye should ken how to fight back.”
This is what he deserves. I’m nae doin’ anythin’ to him that he wouldnae do to a woman. And I’m nae goin’ to let him say anythin’ else about me life. If I let him, he’ll bring Leo into this.
That thought guided his next strike. His non-dominant fist connected solidly, sending the other man to the ground. Aaron’s body twitched as he crumpled against the dirt. He wasn’t dead, but he was unconscious and so badly beaten that he wouldn’t pose a threat when or if he stood up.
Lucas stood over the man, his fist flexing at his side. It took all of his strength to keep from killing Aaron right there. The man had been willing to bring up Maggie’s death and was likely on his way to throwing Leo’s at him as well.
“Ye’re lucky that we need information,” Lucas said to Aaron’s crumpled form. “Because me wife’s death—” He cut himself off, his jaw tightening.
I’m protectin’ people that cannae protect themselves. And had I done it back then, she’d still be livin’. So would Leo.
Lucas gave Aaron’s body a final shove with his heel before turning away.
His own men would be here soon and would take care of this bastard when they saw him.
Lucas’ focus now was on making sure the women were safe.
And he’d start with the poor lass that fought her heart out.
He imagined watching this beating had only served to scare her further.
Lucas turned around, breathing hard. His eyes immediately went to where he’d last seen the woman, but she was no longer there. It seemed as if her survival instincts had kicked in during the fight. He couldn’t blame her for that; it wasn’t as if she knew she could trust him.
Ach, but she’ll have to. If she doesnae, I cannae keep her safe nor get her out of here.
Glancing back at his horse, Lucas decided that it would be better to traverse the landscape on foot.
He looked between the woods and the path that he’d taken here.
If she were as smart as he thought she was, that’s the way she’d have fled, not back into the forest that was acting as a human hunting ground.
As he stormed forward, his eyes sweeping the tree line of the path, Lucas dropped his sword.
There was a knife at his waist, and anyone who found their fun in preying on women wouldn’t be able to fend him off in hand-to-hand combat.
The girl with that long, dark hair and shiny obsidian eyes would respond better to him approaching her without a flashy weapon.
“Laird McDonald!”
Lucas’ eyes snapped to the sound. His men were finally arriving in a stampede of hooves and righteous anger. Only one of them, Hector, slowed down enough to speak with Lucas as the rest carried on.
“What have ye found?” Hector asked, watching as the rest of their group advanced.
“I’ve taken care of one,” Lucas replied, nodding toward the direction he had just walked away from. “He’s nae dead yet. I’d like to be the one to carry out that task. He’s in the clearin’.”
“Aye.” Hector’s hands tightened on the horse’s reins, his body poised to carry on. “And ye’re after another now?”
“A woman,” Lucas corrected. “Exhausted and injured. Frightened as well. Saw me fightin’ Aaron.”
“Best ye get goin’,” Hector urged with a sharp nod of his head. “We will take care of every last one of these beasts.”
Hector followed the cavalry without waiting for a response, and Lucas continued.
While his pause had been brief, he knew that the woman could have gained significant ground.
He was a damn good tracker, though. After his niece’s abduction, Lucas has made a point to hone these skills, becoming the most proficient in the Highlands.
It pained him to be unable to find all of the women on his own; his need to keep anyone else from experiencing pain and loss was a burning pyre in his heart, but the men that accompanied him were more than capable.
All of them were deeply dedicated to justice, even if their reasons weren’t as personal as his.
They were the best fighters in the Highlands. He had made damn sure of it.
There’s nay one else that I’d trust with a job as important as this one.
He ducked into the underbrush where the grass was stomped, and the twigs were broken.
The evidence of her exhaustion showed in her movements and the path that she’d unintentionally left for him.
She wasn’t trained to run and hide, and even if she was, she was too tired to hide her route.
Her body must be moving on pure desperation, a deep-seated need to ensure that she survived no matter what.
She’s a wee thing, but she’s a fighter—even if she doesnae ken it or believe it.
As Lucas followed her path, a monstrous thrill ran up his spine.
It was immediately tempered with guilt that was nearly enough to make his knees buckle under the weight.
He was meant to be protecting her. He wanted to protect her, yet the idea of finding her seemed to stimulate something much deeper than the simple satisfaction of keeping her safe.
I need to find her before anyone else finds her first. Silly lass, does she nae want to be rescued?
He pushed the guilt that threatened to dig its claws in aside.
Even if he was satisfied with the chase she was leading him on, that didn’t change his intentions.
His reward would be catching her and helping her, earning her trust. He just needed to find her first.
And he would be taking her back to the castle if it were the last thing he did. There, he could ensure she lived a comfortable life where no one else would touch her unless she invited it. Whether that was at Castle McGowan or with her own family, he would do whatever it took to get her there.