Chapter 29
By the time the woman crashed onto the campsite, Liam was ready to uproot every tree in the forest to find Jean.
When one of the guards had the gall to suggest that Jean had gotten scared and deserted her role, Liam had blackened his eye without a thought.
There was no way Jean would have left him, would have left the mission.
Donal had her.
“Liam!” She stumbled onto the campsite and nearly fell into him in her hurry. Grabbing her, he helped her upright.
“Mara? Mara, where have ye been. The guards have been looking everywhere for ye!”
“Jean,” she gasped.
“Jean? Ye know where she is? Ye have seen her?”
“Gibson has her.”
Gibson? That didn’t make any sense. There was no way someone could have gotten her to the Gibson clan already. “Ye mean Donal has her?”
“Nay, I have Donal.” Panting, she straightened. “He may die soon. Ye need to talk to him right away.”
Bloody hell, the woman was addled and not making any sense. “Mara, where is Jean?”
The look she gave him actually made him take a step back. “Are ye deaf, Liam? Ballach Gibson has Jean, but I dinnae know where he took her. Donal does, but I stabbed him, so I dinnae know how much longer he will live. I could only drag him so far, We have to hurry.”
Ballach Gibson was here?
“Ye two, with me. The rest, guard the territory. Those that cannae fight, hide them in the woods with the children. If ye can send a messenger back to my father, do so. Everyone else, prepare for battle. Ballach Gibson has invaded Armstrong land. He will not be leaving alive.”
They had one advantage, and that was that Ballach didn’t know that Liam was here.
He, Andrew, and Greyson were right behind him as they followed Mara through the woods. It didn’t take them long to find his best friend propped up against a tree, sitting in his own pool of blood.
“Donal,” Liam growled. Betrayal. Pain. Fury.
Layers of emotions washed over him. He wanted to ask why.
To discover just how long the man he’d loved like a brother had been betraying him, but Mara was right.
He didn’t have much time. “Ye are vrera close to yer last breath. If ye have ever treasured our friendship, ye will tell me right now how many men Ballach has, where they are hiding, and where he would take Jean.”
Opening his eyes, Donal stared up at him. His eyes were void of emotion, and for a moment, he feared Donal wasn’t going to give him anything.
“Wouldn’t let him bring more than a dozen,” Donal slurred painfully. “Across the river near Dunleigh rock.”
“Why is he here, Donal? He has no rights to this land.”
“No soldiers. Bandits. Trade Jean for the land.” Donal coughed. “Ballach plays hero. Earns the land in the eyes of the King.”
More games. When Ballach couldn’t scare people away, he set up another complicated scenario. Only this time, he had to come himself.
It would be his downfall.
“Consider this death a mercy, Donal. Ye deserve far worse,” Liam said softly. “Yer betrayal willnae be forgotten.”
“Just wanted…” he gasped. “A chance…. to build something.”
“Ye could have. By my side. Goodbye, Donal. Mara, head back home. I want ye to keep as many people safe as ye can.”
With one last look at Donal, she nodded and turned, disappearing into the woods.
“We willnae be able to cross undetected,” Andrew muttered. “Not unless we wade, and I dinnae know if we will make it before we freeze to death.”
Greyson looked over his shoulder. “We match them in manpower. We could take them right now.”
“They have Jean,” Andrew said darkly. “Her safety is a priority.”
In disbelief, Greyson stared at Liam. “Ye would risk this whole land for one woman?”
His warrior would be furious to know just what Liam would do for Jean, but he just clapped Greyson on the shoulder. “He took Jean, Greyson. It willnae be long before he realizes that he has made the biggest mistake of his life.”
Wrists bound. Feet bound. Dagger gone, and one of the Gibson warriors had the gall to try and stick his hands up her skirt when they were searching her for more weapons.
He was still slumped over and groaning. It was the little things that were getting her through this humiliating kidnapping.
She was supposed to be playing the victim, not actually being the victim.
The ropes around her ankles were loose enough, but there was only so much she could do with her legs. Unfortunately, her wrists were still tightly bound.
“Dinnae glare at me like that, little sweet,” Ballach crooned as he sat next to her on the ground. “In a few days, this will all be over.”
Days. That meant he had no idea that Liam was here.
“And ye are planning on keeping me tied up for those days? ‘Tis no way to treat a lady.”
“And here I had heard ye were a warrior.”
Jean lifted an eyebrow. “Ah. Excellent. My hard work has paid off. A laird who is finally scared of me.”
Eyes flashing, Ballach turned and loomed over her. “I fear nothing, Lady Jean.”
“Liar,” Jean said softly. “Ye fear what is going to happen to yer clan if ye dinnae expand.”
That stopped him. “The princess of Sinclair is going to judge me? The moment yer father signed that alliance, he doomed the rest of us. These mountains are more than five clans, and ye would let the rest of us starve.”
“Are yer people starving, Ballach? Or is it jealousy driving ye?” It didn’t surprise her when he lashed out, and pain reverberated across her jaw as her head snapped around.
“Ye know nothing of me,” he hissed.
She just smirked at him. “I know plenty, Laird Gibson. I know a man who sheds his people’s blood for greatness doesnae deserve to be called laird. When ye die here, and ye will die, I hope that whoever takes yer place understands what it means to lead people.”
He struck out again, and this time, she was ready for it. She rolled, and he fell behind the weight of his strike. When he was on the ground, she rolled back on top of him. With all her limbs bound, she didn’t stand much of a chance in a fight, but that wasn’t her aim.
He threw her off him and kicked her swiftly in the stomach.
With a grunt of pain, she curled up in a fetal position, but he didn’t strike her again.
Instead, he stood and laughed. “If yer father could see ye now, he would regret all the leeway he gave ye and wish he’d taught ye to mind that mouth of yers a little better.
Ye two. Get her back up against the tree. ”
Two men lifted her back against the tree, and she was surprised that they did it with gentleness. When she peered up at them, she saw the shame in their eyes.
“Ye follow yer laird’s orders,” she said in a low voice. “Even if ye dinnae approve of them.”
“He’s not our laird,” one of them said gruffly.
These were not Gibson’s people? Then who were they?
Mercenaries? He must have hired them to kidnap her. What else did he hire them to do?
Kill Liam?
“Ballach. A boat is approaching. It looks like Godfrey.”
“The only reason yer man would be returning now is if he failed to deliver the message,” Ballach growled. No one said anything, and he snarled. “Find out!”
After shooting a baleful look at him, the men slunk away, and the laird looked over ather. “‘Tis hard to find good warriors these days. Perhaps I should have hired ye.”
Then, laughing at his own joke, he walked away. Only then did Jean breathe easy. Blood was running down the palms of her hands, but thankfully, no one had noticed.
Nor had Ballach noticed that his dagger was missing from its sheath. Quickly, she got to work.
After a few seconds, she realized that she didn’t need to worry that one of the mercenaries would realize what she was doing. They were plenty busy with whatever was happening on the shore.
“Where is she?”
Liam. Her heart skipped a beat, and she sawed at her ropes faster. “I’m here,” she shouted back.
She listened for more noise from the other guards, but there was nothing.
The scuffle died down, and she watched in horror as Ballach marched back into the clearing. Dressed in mercenary clothing, Liam was behind him.
At sword point.
Where were the rest of the guards? Liam hadn’t really thought to rescue her with just two men, did he?
Donal. He’d gotten his information from Donal, and with his last breath, Donal had lied.
“Stop! If ye kill him, the entire alliance will be after ye.” Desperately, Jean shifted her legs under her and kneeled.
“Please. Keep me and let him go. I will tell my father that I have been working with ye. I will convince him to let ye into the alliance, and Armstrong will give ye this land. Ye dinnae have to hurt him!”
Blood ran down Liam’s nose, and she watched in horror as Ballach, with an evil smirk on his face, punched Liam in the stomach. With a grunt, Liam fell to one knee.
“Do ye want this land or not? Killing him is the quickest way to make sure ye dinnae live ‘til the end of the week.”
“Jean,” Liam coughed. “This is a trade. No one is dying.”
“I havenae agreed to the trade,” Ballach said cheerfully as he hit Liam again. “It seems that now I have two hostages, I should ask for a little bit more land.”
“That would require that he is alive when ye negotiate.”
“He’ll be alive.” Ballach grinned. “As will ye, my little love. Armstrong needs to learn a lesson, and I think his heir watching as I ruin his intended will be just enough to break the bond he and Sinclair have. What do ye think?”
Jean watched as the two men holding Liam stiffened. Ballach was going to go too far.
“Ye can be hunted for the rest of yer lives, or ye can walk away with coin and glory,” she told them evenly, her knife still working behind her back as she sawed at the ropes around her ankles.
“Oh, please,” Ballach scoffed. “They work for me. Even if they dinnae like what I do, they have a reputation to protect. Dinnae waste yer breath, my dear.”
With a lecherous smile, he stepped forward. As soon as she could reach him, she struck. Flying forward, she buried the dagger in Ballach’s arm.
“Jean,” Liam roared. Suddenly, the trees came alive as Armstrong and Sinclair soldiers burst forward. They must have come across while Liam kept them distracted, hiding and biding their time.
None of that helped Jean, though.
Her knife missed the mark, and Ballach’s eyes flashed with fury as he hauled her up and threw her like a rag doll. Her body hit a tree, her head striking the trunk behind her.
The world started to dim. She watched, helpless, as Liam freed himself from the men holding him. He exploded toward Ballach just as the Gibson laird drew his sword.
With a whimper, the world fell dark.