Chapter 19 #2
"Are ye all right?" Leah asked, her eyes large as the moon.
"Ye're the one they took, and ye're askin' me if I'm all right?" Killian asked, confusion rippling through him like a rock disturbing a pond.
"Are ye?" she asked as she scanned him over.
"Aye," he answered as he stopped her frantic search for non-existent injuries. "Let's get ye back to the inn."
"What about them?" Leah asked as she started for Marcus. Killian grabbed her by the wrist and gave her a warning glare.
"I'll be sure they're taken care of. Right now, me concern is with ye. They willnae be goin' anywhere any time soon. I'll be able to come back for them before anyone wakes them."
"Aye," Leah mumbled as Killian reached for her just before she collapsed. Her limp body was so fragile, but her response was understandable. After all, he was a monster, and now, she finally understood it.
Killian hoisted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. Slowly, he moved through the shadows and side streets, making a beeline for the inn.
Inside the small room, the air was warm and comforting, a stark contrast to the icy tension between them.
Killian set Leah down gently on the bed and turned to the table where there was still half a bottle of whiskey and a loaf of bread.
Quickly, he grabbed the bottle and took a swig before offering it to her.
"Ye need to drink somethin'," he said, nudging the bottle into her hand.
He stood at the edge of the bed, watching her with eyes like a hawk.
He was unable to shake the unease her stare provoked.
A question formed on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to scrape it off.
Leah's blinked as she turned to face him.
He swallowed hard as her eyes bore into him.
"I ken what ye’re thinkin'. I've seen that look a millions times before," Killian said, his voice rough with concern. She met his gaze steadily as a flicker of resolve sparked in her eyes.
"I'm nae scared of ye, Killian. I ken that is what ye’re thinkin'. That I should be dartin' for the door to get away from ye. But to me…" Leah paused as the words lodged in her throat. "It's nae ye I'm scared of, it's of what ye’re capable of."
Her words hung in the air. But she was right; it was a truth he couldn't deny. He nodded slowly, letting her words seep into him. "Aye, tis why me clan fears me. That, and the fact I killed me own faither."
In the corner of his eyes, Killian noticed Leah's expression shift. Her eyebrows crowded the bridge of her nose as she hugged the bedpost.
"What are ye thinkin' about over there?" Killian asked as he watched in utter fascination as Leah chewed on her lower lip.
"I was just thinkin' how the men that attacked us, mentioned there was a price on yer head," Leah said. Killian couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Leah trying to claim the reward. The thought skipped out of his mind just as quickly as it had jumped into it.
"Aye? And ye think ye could be the one to claim it?" Killian teased.
"What if someone from yer clan put a mark on ye?" Leah asked. "Those men seemed certain ye'd be an easy target with me."
"And they were sorely mistaken, were they nae?"
"Aye, they were, but it doesnae change the fact that the village was on edge when they saw ye first thin', do ye remember how wary everyone was?"
"They were a bit uneasy," Killian admitted, still shocked that Leah didn't seem at all affected by his outburst and killing of her attackers.
"Until ye started to drink. I bet they thought ye'd be too tipsy to fight back. Which gave them the courage to—"
"Kidnap ye," Killian answered, his voice cracking at the thought of what they could have done to her.
"Hush," Leah whispered as she rose to her feet and cleared the distance between them swiftly. Her presence soothed him more than he could express. Leah batted her eyes as she moved closer to him and pressed a finger to his lips to silence him.
She leaned forward, capturing his mouth in a kiss that was both fierce and tender. The storm within him calmed, her touch a balm to his troubled soul. And as she eased back from him, her eyes held a warmth that banished the shadows lingering in his heart.
"Killian…"
"Leah, please, daenae," he whimpered as her kisses taunted his deepest desires for her. "Me soul is blacker than charred logs in the fire, and I cannae be redeemed."
"Daenae say such things," she whispered against his lips, her faith in him a lit a spark within the darkest pits of his soul.
"
"How can ye say such things? Ye saw what I did to those men, I killed them without a second thought. And I'd do it again if it meant savin' ye."
Leah leaned back as Killian straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "I've got to get those men out of the street and take Marcus to the jailer. Ye'll be safe in here so long as ye steer clear of the window and daenae answer the door."
"Ye're leavin'?" Leah asked as Killian started for the door.
"Aye, ye daenae need me here. Get some sleep, we'll make for the castle first thin' in the mornin'." With that, Killian pulled open the door and left Leah in the solitude of the room.