Chapter 20
Breathing heavily, Jennifer”s voice held a husky, intimate quality as she whispered, “Cam, that was... breathtaking. I”ve never felt such a powerful connection with anyone like that.”
Cam”s fingers traced delicate patterns along her bare skin, his voice a whisper in the stillness of the chamber. “Aye, lass. Our love is a force that transcends time and space. I want nothing more than to protect you and to fight alongside you.”
A spark of anticipation flickered in her heart as she sat up and gazed at him, her voice filled with hope. “Are you saying that I can join you in the hunt for the bandits? That I can be by your side, fighting for justice?”
Cam”s lips curled into a tender smile, his eyes filling with adoration. “You were right, my love. You are indeed strong and determined, and you know a great deal about fighting. I am sorry I made you feel as though I didnae trust you to fight by my side. ’Twas only that I wished to protect you. However, I cannae imagine embarking on this perilous quest without you by my side.”
A surge of elation coursed through Jennifer”s veins as she leaned in to kiss him, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
With a soft sigh, Jennifer pulled back slightly, her voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you for saying that, for believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity. I swear to you, I will help protect the clan and you in this fight.”
Cam”s fingers gently brushed against her cheek, his eyes locking with hers. “I have no doubt, my brave lass. Together, we shall face the perils that lie ahead and emerge victorious.”
Jen”s stomach rumbled and she laughed. ”I worked up an appetite.” ”An” you missed your breakfast,” Cam said with a frown. ”Wait here.” He got up from the bed, picked up his kilt from the chair, and slipped it on. ”I”ll be right back.”
Before Jen could say anything, he’d pulled open the door and quickly closed it behind him. Sighing, she waited for him to return. He re-emerged twenty minutes later, carrying a platter of food. She grinned. ”Are you feeding an army?” she asked.
He chuckled. ”Jest want to make sure you keep up your strength, lass. I”m not nearly half done with you.” His grin was wicked as he winked at her.
He picked up a bite of meat and held it to her lips. Jen opened her mouth and let him feed her, but when he did, she used her tongue to lick his finger, her gaze hooded as she met his piercing eyes. ”Mmm, that”s good.”
Cam laughed again and leaned in to kiss her. ”Keep that up, lass, and you willnae be feedin” yourself for a good while.”
”Challenge accepted,” Jen answered cheekily.
They spent the rest of the day and well into the night exploring each other and feeding each other morsels of food. Jennifer had never felt such bliss. She couldn”t believe how lucky she was to be with Cam, and she even found herself feeling grateful to Dub Sith for bringing her to him when she fell asleep with her head on his brawny chest.
As the first rays of the morning sun filtered through the windows, Jen and Cam stirred from their peaceful slumber, their bodies entwined in a loving embrace. A soft smile graced Jennifer”s lips as she looked up at Cam, her voice filled with affection.
“Good morning, my love,” she murmured, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his face. “I adore you, you know.”
Cam”s eyes sparkled with affection as he kissed her forehead. “And I, you, Jen. Today is a day of great importance, and I am grateful to have you by my side.”
Reluctantly, they untangled themselves from each other, to dress for the challenges that awaited them. Cam kissed her and after pulling on his kilt, said he”d return shortly, allowing her to dress as he went to do the same.
Knowing they were headed to a battle, Jen put on the pants and tunic that she”d worn when she trained the men. They were comfortable, and she would blend in better as they went after the highwaymen. She added a plaid that Sally had gifted her, draping it over her shoulder and affixing it to her waist with a belt where she”d added the sheath for the short sword she”d be carrying.
A knock sounded upon the door, and she called, ”Come in.”
Cam entered the room, dressed in battle attire.
“Come to my private offices. We will discuss strategy and have a hearty breakfast before we ride out.”
Jen took his arm and walked downstairs with him. Many of the guardsmen were already there. She nodded at Errol, Murdock, Jamie, and Flynn, the four she”d gotten to know the best. She took the seat next to Cam while Jamie took the one on Cam”s other side. The others all sat around the table, and then food was brought in.
As they ate, they discussed where they would go to find the bandits. Errol thought that they were camped out on the moors, and that might be the best place to find them. Murdock was of the mind that they were in the forest between Fort Donald and Ballygrant.
”Aye, I think it might be best if”n we head for the moors first. ”Twill be easier to see them if they are there. We”ll save the forest between here and Ballygrant for our second route, should the moors prove unfruitful. All agreed, say aye.”
A chorus of “Aye” sounded around the table. Only Murdock held out, but he bowed to the majority. Once breakfast was finished, they headed to the stables to gather the rest of their men and their horses.
Jen walked by Cam”s side, easily keeping his pace. Just as she reached the stables, Sally came rushing toward her, carrying a couple bundles of cloth.
”Jen!” she called.
”What”s up, Sally? We”re about to leave.”
”I know, that”s why I brought you this. It”s food for you and the others. It”s not a lot, just hardtack, some cheese, and meat. Oh, and I snuck in a couple pieces of shortbread for you and Cam.” Sally winked as she handed the last bundle to her.
Jen took them gratefully. ”Thanks, Sally. This will be great if we get stuck out there for a while.” She glanced toward Cam, who was saddling Mist for her. “I’d better go; I don”t want to get left behind.”
”Nae, you donnae. Be careful, Jen.” Sally threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. ”Safe travels.”
”Thanks, I will be careful.” Jen hugged her back and then watched her go. She joined Cam by her horse. Jen loaded the saddlebags with the provisions Sally had given her. Cam, his eyes gleaming with determination, took her hand in his, his touch both reassuring and electrifying.
“Are you ready, lass?” he asked, his voice filled with excitement and concern.
Jennifer met his gaze with a steady smile. ”I”m a bit nervous, but I’m ready. I”ve got your back, and I will not let these bandits harm the clan.”
Cam”s grip tightened as his voice filled with conviction. “We shall face the trials together, Jen. All of us. Remember, you”re not alone. We ride as one, and no challenge shall overcome us.”
Jennifer mounted her horse and tried to tamp down the nerves that zinged through her. She”d trained for this. She knew how to fight, Hamish had taught her to use a sword, and she was good at it. This reminded her of the lead-up to one of her professional fights. The nerves were always there. Of course, the difference was that in those professional fights, the chances of dying were slim. This was a whole new ball game. And it wasn”t just about her anymore, it was about the whole clan. These people she”d come to care for. She would do everything in her power to win against these foes.
Feeling more determined as she merged with the group, Jen set her nerves aside and put on her game face. They rode across the rugged moors, her heart pulsating with apprehension. She glanced at Cam, who rode at her side at the front of the group, and felt her heart swell with love. Her proud warrior. He looked impressive and determined as they rode, keeping watch out for anyone not behaving as they should.
The wind whipped through her hair, pulling strands from her bun. She should have braided it first, she thought. The vast expanse of the moors stretched before them, and she knew that if these men weren”t with her, she could get lost in its wild beauty. She vowed that one day, she would know these lands as well as the rest of them. Of course, they had to get rid of the bandits first.
Jennifer”s palms grew sweaty as she gripped the reins. They”d been riding at a full gallop for twenty minutes, and she wondered how far out Cam planned to go. He turned his head slightly, casting a reassuring glance in Jen”s direction. She gave him a small nod to assure him she was fine. They were moving too fast to carry on a conversation, and besides that, they were focused on watching out for any sign of the gang of thieves.
As they ventured deeper onto the moors, the landscape transformed into a vast tapestry of rolling hills and hidden valleys that surprised Jen at every turn. The land was unquestionably beautiful. She wished she could stop and enjoy it, but they were on a mission.
A short while later, as they neared the edge of the moors, Cam reined in his horse and called for a halt, bringing the group to a standstill. He dismounted Jackal, his eyes sweeping the landscape, for any sign of the bandits. Jen followed suit, her muscles tense as she stood beside him, looking out over the moors and into the nearby copse of trees.
”We”ll rest here and refresh ourselves, give the horses a chance to rest, too,” Cam called.
”We”ll get some logs to sit on,” Errol said, dismounting.
”And gather twigs fer a wee fire,” Jamie added.
Everyone moved efficiently, doing tasks they had probably done a million times, but Jen stood there feeling slightly useless. She had no idea what she was supposed to do until she remembered that Sally had given her the food for just this reason. She turned to Mist and began pulling the food from the saddlebags.
”Here,” she said, handing one of the small bundles to Cam.
He looked at it and frowned. ”Why is this such a wee bundle?”
Jen grinned and leaned closer, looking about to make sure they weren”t going to be overheard. ”Sally got you and me some shortbread; that”s all of it.”
His eyes widened, and he gave her a conspiratorial smile. ”Remind me to thank the lass when we return.”
Jen laughed. Her arms were filled with the bundles of food, and she headed toward the men who were building the fire and placing the logs where they planned to sit. She was trying to decide how best to distribute the food when Robert, a warrior with a scar on his chin, walked up.
”Set yourself down, lass. We”ll come to you. That way you donnae have to lug each bundle round to all of us,” he said.
Giving him a grateful smile, Jen took a seat on one of the logs, opened each bundle, and began to pass out pieces of the hardtack, which turned out to be biscuits, cheese that Cam handed her a knife to cut, and pieces of sliced meat.
Once they each had a portion of the food, they began to eat. The group was relaxed around the fire, sharing stories of other escapades and battles. There was laughter and comradery all around, and they included Jen in the frivolity.
As Errol told a particularly humorous story about a visit to Edinburgh that Jen found fascinating, not because of the story but because of Errol”s description of the town, a group of unkempt men burst from the copse of trees. They brandished swords and screamed as they charged toward Jen, Cam, and the guardsmen.
”On your feet, lads!” Cam called. There was barely enough warning before the first clang of swords sounded.
Jen pulled her sword and ran in to help. She engaged one of the bandits in a close-quarters battle, keeping her swings tight because she didn”t want to hit anyone except her target. Once she had the man disarmed, she sheathed her weapon and did a spin-kick, catching him in the jaw. A moment later, she went into wrestling mode and brought him to the ground, then choked him out, and slit his throat. This was life and death and a battle for survival; she wasn”t going to lose.
There were far more bandits than the six she”d encountered last time. She wondered where they”d all come from. Jen continued to fight, using both her sword and her MMA skills. As she took down another opponent, running him through with her sword, she noticed the other guardsmen using what she”d taught them. It made her proud.
Her eyes skimmed over the skirmish and landed upon Jamie, who was struggling with a bandit twice his size. She hurried over to help him, landing a kick to the back of the bandit”s knee, causing him to buckle. Jamie used that moment to disarm the man and kick away the sword.
”Thank you, lass. I appreciate the assist,” he said as he elbowed the bandit in the face.
”My pleasure,” Jen said before whirling away to attack another bandit.
Several of the thieves lay dead on the ground around them, but others continued to fight as though their lives depended on it. She watched as a few cowards ran back into the trees, trying to escape, and wondered if she should go after them, but then a stocky young guy with blond hair and green eyes zeroed in on her and thought he might try to take her out.
Jen gave him a feral grin and dared him to come at her. ”You wanna go? We can fuckin” go,” she said as he approached.
Before he could raise his arm to swing at her, Jen jabbed him in the face, blacking his eye. She didn”t stop there, grabbing the wrist of the hand holding his sword and using her shoulder to drive into him and flip him over her back to the ground, controlling his hand the whole time so the sword wouldn”t strike her.
The man stared up at her with surprise and a bit of fear as she wrenched the weapon from him and tossed it aside. She was about to pounce on him when Cam called out, ”Jen, watch your back!”
Jen spun and blocked a sword headed for her neck, engaging in battle with the older, much stronger, opponent as her victim scrambled away. She regretted leaving him able to move, but she had more important things to worry about, like the guy who wanted to chop off her head like she was Marie Antoinette. The thought gave her pause. Had Marie even been born yet? Had she been executed? It was enough of a distraction that she lost focus, and the man got a punch in to her shoulder, stealing her breath.
The next thing Jen knew, the man and Errol were flying through the air as Errol tackled him from the side. She gasped in pain, trying to catch her breath. The guy was a beast, and his punches were like being hit by a truck. She needed a second to recover.
She wasn”t sad when Errol slit the guy”s throat. ”Thanks,” she said, patting him on the shoulder.
”Pleasure, lass. Are you well?” he asked.
”Yeah, I”m good. I”ll be sore later. Let”s finish this.”
As the remaining bandits saw their numbers dwindling, their bravado began to crumble. The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the air as the guardsmen closed in, their movements precise and deadly. Their new skills mixed with the swordplay were insurmountable, which filled Jen with joy because those skills were something she”d taught them. It made her feel like she was truly a part of this clan.
“Enough!” the bandit who seemed to be their leader called out a few moments later, his voice strained. “We ask for a parlay!”