Chapter 36
Storm felt her life slipping away. The guard, even though he had suffered a knife wound, had overcome her and now held her up by the neck, braced against the cold stone wall.
Dampness from the stone seeped into her garments, sticking them to her body while she labored for breath and knew that death was near.
Could this be her end? By a simple squeeze of a hand? Her vision blurred, and then she thought of Burke and how he waited just a short distance away. He had promised he would keep her safe. He would come for her. He would save her.
He would be her avenging angel as she had been for so many.
He would not fail her.
She only needed to survive until then.
She found her last ounce of strength and struggled with the man, beating at his neck. His fingers faltered just enough for her to catch a much-needed breath. Then his meaty hand closed around her slender neck once again.
She pummeled him with her small fists and lashed out with her feet, delivering blow after blow to every part of his body she could reach.
She was feeling faint, feeling life slipping away again, and all she could think about was Burke. If she could have spoken, she would have screamed his name.
Instead, she let loose in her head, hoping somehow Burke would hear her.
Burke.
“Not that way,” Burke said, Cullen in the lead.
“Are you sure?” his brother asked, stopping short.
“Absolutely.” Burke charged to his right with a force that propelled him like a battling ram. He could almost hear Storm calling out to him.
Over and over and over in his head, he heard her frantic calls and he was desperate to reach her.
He turned the corner with Cullen on his heels, and what he saw turned his worry to rage. He charged at the man who dared to put his hands on the woman he loved.
His fist connected with the man’s lower back and took him down in one blow. To make certain he stayed there, he delivered several more and then hurried to scoop up Storm.
She coughed and choked. “Out of here.”
“You can barely speak and still you give orders,” Burke said, hurrying along the corridor and up the steps with her in his arms, followed by a chuckling Cullen.
“Now I understand her reputation,” Cullen said.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Burke said with pride and hurried out into the night where Malcolm and Tanin waited for them.
There was no time to stop and discuss the particulars of the escape. Time was of the essence. They needed to get as far away from the prison as possible. Once the escape was discovered, soldiers would cover the land like locusts. There would be no safe place to hide.
Burke refused to put Storm down. He kept her firm in his arms and carried her without difficulty. There was no way he would chance losing her again. It would take nearly a full day to reach the ship, and then under cover of the night, they would sail away and finally—finally be safe.
“I can walk,” Storm argued.
“Your neck is bruised.”
“My feet are fine.”
“Perhaps, but I feel safer with you in my arms,” Burke said adamantly.
“You need to speak with your brother,” she urged.
“It can wait until we reach the ship.”
“No, it can’t. You have waited a long time for this moment. Talk with him. I can walk on my own.”
“I almost lost you,” he growled beneath his breath.
“I, however, had no doubt you would rescue me. I called out for you and you came for me.”
Burke near stumbled over his own feet. “I heard you. In my head I heard you.”
Storm smiled and pressed her cheek to his, her arms wrapped snugly around his neck. “I knew you would. I knew you would not let me die.”
He rubbed his cheek hard against hers. “You frightened the hell out of me.”
“It’s a good way to keep you on your toes.”
Burke laughed. “I see you have adopted my sense of humor.”
“It is a part of you I love. Why wouldn’t I want to emulate it?”
Burke stole a quick kiss. “Damn, but I love you so very much.”
“And I love you just as much, but now you need to see to your brother.”
Burke stopped and lowered Storm to her feet. He didn’t want to let her go but Storm was right. Not only did he need to speak with Cullen, he was eager to speak with him. He had waited many years for this and it was finally here. “Stay in front of me where I can keep an eye on you.”
“Of course,” she said with a smile and took off to catch up with Tanin, who led the group.
Burke shook his head.
“I admire that woman,” Cullen said, coming up beside him.
“So do I,” Burke agreed as they kept pace with each other and the group.
“She says you are my brother and that your ship waits to take Alaina and me to America with you.”
“Storm speaks the truth. We should be meeting up with the others shortly. Alaina is with them.”
He heard his brother gasp and felt and understood his relief.
“I never thought this possible,” Cullen said. “But then I never thought I had a brother.”
“You do,” Burke confirmed. “Shall I tell you the story?”
“Please, I am anxious to hear it.”
Burke started from the beginning when their father left Scotland, leaving his young son behind with his sister-in-law, the child’s only relative since his mother had passed. With no chance of owning land in Scotland, his father had decided to journey to America to build a life for him and his son.
Burke went on to explain how their father had returned, only to discover that his sister-in-law had died, leaving no sign of the child. He spent years searching for Cullen, but was never able to find him.
“Father’s heart broke a little more with each unsuccessful trip,” Burke said. “He’d leave America with such hope of finding you, but he never did.”
“Yet you found me,” Cullen said.
“Luck and Storm. Without either of them, I would have never located you. I also had hired men to track you down and one had given me a good place to start. Storm took it from there.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Cullen admitted with a shake of his head.
“‘Hello, brother’ would be a start.”
Cullen stopped walking and held out his hand. “Thank you, brother. You have saved my life.”
Burke reached out and gave Cullen a huge bear hug. “Damn, I’ve waited a long time to do that.”
They were quick to keep going, both realizing the importance of time and both anxious to reach safe port as soon as possible.
Burke continued to tell him about their father and the wealth that awaited him.
“I’m wealthy?” Cullen asked incredulously.
“Extremely,” Burke said with a satisfied grin.
“The news just keeps getting better.”
Burke explained more about what awaited him in America and then finally asked the question that had haunted him all these years.
“What of your life?”
“Not much to tell,” Cullen said. “I remember being passed from family to family until an old man took me in. He was a bow maker and an excellent archer. I lived with him from the time I was ten and he taught me his skills. His home was high in the Highlands, which is why Father probably had difficulty finding me. It’s a land unto itself. ”
“Lady Alaina had mentioned your skills with a bow.”
Cullen’s face brightened. “How is she?”
“As eager to see you as you are to see her. She really does love you, you know.”
Cullen shook his head. “I’ve wondered time and again how a lady such as herself could love a man like me.”
“Why wouldn’t she?”
Cullen stared at him as if he were daft. “She is a lady. I am but a peasant.”
“Not in America. Besides, you’re probably wealthier than her father.”
“Truly?” Cullen asked in disbelief.
“Without a doubt. I offered the earl one of our gold mines in exchange for your release.”
Cullen shook his head. “One of our gold mines?”
“Yes, and the fool thought he’d get the gold mine, you, and me. Now not only does he lose all three but his daughter as well.”
“That makes me happy,” Cullen said with a grin that turned to a wince.
“That lip looks painful.”
“My heart feels too much joy to acknowledge pain.”
The brothers smiled and continued walking. There’d be time to talk more of their past, but for now they hurried their steps toward the future.
In an hour’s time, they reached the area where Alaina waited along with the others from camp. They would all travel from there to Burke’s ship, and by nightfall tomorrow they’d be on board and setting sail.
The problem was, they wouldn’t be safe until they were on the ship. Soldiers probably were already beginning to prowl the woods in search of them, and being they had a good head start, they had to keep it that way.
Everyone was advised to keep their voices hushed while Burke and Storm saw to organizing the group in sections and placing one of Storm’s men in charge of each section.
“Where’s Alaina?” Cullen asked, anxiously searching the sea of faces.
“Can’t find her?” Burke asked with a grin.
Cullen gave a frustrated shake of his head, while glancing from person to person until…
“That’s my Alaina,” he said softly when what appeared to be a young lad removed a stocking cap and her long red waves fell free.
He rushed to her side, scooping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly to him. Alaina buried her face in his chest and when she lifted her face, tears stained her cheeks. Cullen kissed them away and they held on to each other as if they never intended to part.
Burke watched them, his smile wide.
“It must feel good to have found your brother and to reunite him with the woman he loves,” Storm said, taking Burke’s hand.
He grasped on to her. “I only wish my father could be here. He had searched so long and hard for Cullen.”
“I think he knew that you would not fail him and died with a peaceful heart.”
Burke leaned down and kissed her. “Did I tell you I love you today?”
She nodded. “While you carried me.”
“Well, I’m telling you again. I love you.”
She poked him. “I think the Longton brothers love—”
“For life,” Burke finished, stealing another kiss.
“You mean I’m stuck with you until I die?”
“Longer,” he said. “You’re never getting rid of me.”
She tapped her chin. “Maybe I should reconsider?”
Burke laughed heartily. “The deal is sealed, sweetheart, you’re all mine.”
“Really?” Storm said and moved to step away from him.
Her hand still in his, he yanked her back to him. “You’re mine—” He kissed her forehead. “Mine—” He kissed her nose. “Mine!” He kissed her lips slowly and easily until her arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss turned deep and intoxicating.
“Soldiers have been spotted.”
Tanin’s warning tore them apart.
“How far?” Storm asked.
“An hour or less. We need to get moving,” Tanin advised.
“We’ll move out in groups, dividing and meeting up just outside of St. Andrew,” Burke instructed.
Cullen and Alaina joined them.
“Once my father learns of the escape, he will send men to St. Andrew to make certain your ship doesn’t leave port,” Alaina said.
“The earl knows Burke’s ship is docked at St. Andrew?” Storm asked.
Alaina nodded. “He questioned me about the American and I answered.” She shook her head. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have told him.”
“It isn’t your fault,” Cullen said, holding her close to him. “Your father has his ways of getting information.”
“Our best bet is to get moving and keep moving,” Burke advised. “We have to get to my ship. We’re going to go in groups.”
“Alaina and I will stay with you and Storm,” Cullen said.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, brother,” Burke said and slapped him on the back. “Let’s get going.”
They left, spreading out, and kept a hectic pace. They had to make certain to keep the soldiers a good distance away from them. From what Tanin had told Burke there were more than a few soldiers, and that meant it would be more than a mere skirmish.
They would have a battle on their hands, and Burke wouldn’t take the chance of possibly losing Storm again. Now there were his brother and Alaina to worry about.
It wasn’t difficult for Burke to maneuver in the dark, but he knew the others weren’t finding it easy, especially Lady Alaina.
She had slowed them down considerably.
“Go ahead,” Cullen said at one point. “We’ll catch up.”
“No,” Burke and Storm had said in unison.
As far as they were both concerned, they all would remain together.
“I’ll do better when dawn breaks,” Alaina said. “I’ll be able to see where I walk then.”
Burke smiled. “You’re doing fine, don’t worry.”
His brother, however, sent him a look that he understood. Daybreak brought light, which meant the group would be more visible, making tracking them easier.
Several hours after sunlight, Cullen informed Burke that they needed to rest.
“Alaina cannot keep up this pace,” Cullen said.
“She doesn’t have a choice,” Storm said, sounding harsh.
“She’s not like you,” Cullen argued. “Used to endless treks through the woods day or night.”
“Storm is right” Alaina said, coming up behind Cullen. “I don’t have a choice. Now let’s go.”
Cullen grinned. “That’s my woman.” And hurried after her.
They kept going long into the afternoon and Burke was near ready to breathe a sigh of relief. They were getting closer and closer to St. Andrew and his ship. They were going to make it.
The yell pierced the air like a sharp knife and brought everyone to an abrupt halt.
“Malcolm’s group,” Storm said and drew her sword before charging forward through the woods.
The melee was a clash of swords and fists, and chaos reigned for some time.
Burke had no time to worry about Storm. It seemed he fought off soldier after soldier. Sweat and blood soon tainted the chilled air along with moans of the wounded and dying.
When it finally ended, Burke stood looking around at the carnage, searching and praying that Storm wasn’t among the wounded or dead. Relief flooded him when he saw her bending over a body.
It was with a smile that she helped Malcolm up.
She was all right and so was Malcolm.
Burke headed toward her, and her bright smile registered her own relief that he was all right. He, however, didn’t like how quickly it had faded, and he halted in his tracks, not wanting to turn around and see what had caused Storm to lose her smile and turn pale white.
He feared it was his brother, Cullen, and he silently prayed and swore and damned the powers that be that they had better not have taken Cullen away from him. He would never forgive them, never forgive himself for not having protected his brother after finally having found him.
Burke gathered his strength and swerved around.
He froze and his heart near stilled.
Cullen knelt on the ground, Alaina in his arms, and blood covering her chest.