Chapter Eight
"That little bastard." Rage twisted through Jessie, and she started from the chest-deep water toward her youngest brother, Haldane, an outlaw who knew better than to show his face here.
"You're naked." Torrin grabbed her arm just as a wave crashed over their shoulders.
She muttered a curse and slid behind him while looking over his shoulder.
"Haldane!" she yelled over the crashing waves.
"Take your men and go!" She pointed firmly.
Though Haldane was an adult and was by no means small, he was four years her junior.
She'd always ordered him about, but he'd rarely obeyed her, or anyone.
Even at this distance, she saw his satisfied smile. He shook his head, his bright copper hair and short beard gleaming in the sunlight.
"That gray-haired man beside him is McMurdo," Torrin said.
"Aye." Jessie had seen the infamous highwayman only a few times in her life and knew he had killed at least eighteen people, maybe more, including her cousin. Plus, he had come close to killing Dirk.
"We can wait all day," Haldane called, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What do you want?" Torrin demanded.
"My sister is going to gain us entrance at Dunnakeil."
"You're wrong, Haldane!" she yelled.
"What are you going to do about it? I have your clothes and your weapons. There is no escape from Sango Bay except up this bank, unless you have a galley somewhere. Or maybe you can swim for a couple miles in the sea."
"Oh, that bastard," Jessie growled between clenched teeth. "I could choke him." He was right; there was no exit from this bay except behind Haldane and his men. Sheer cliffs enclosed the two sides. "Leave now, Haldane! Or I'll throttle you."
He laughed. "I doubt that, sister. You and your lover are outnumbered. We're armed and you are not."
Her blood ran cold and the chill sea water wasn't helping any. The sun was descending in the western sky, and the wind was growing cooler. How long had she and Torrin been here? Clearly, they should've left an hour ago.
"Leave our clothes at the edge of the water and turn your backs!" she commanded.
Haldane did as she said, leaving their clothes in a pile just beyond the surf, turned his back, then he said something low to McMurdo. Several more of the men faced the bank, but not McMurdo.
"Turn around, McMurdo!" she demanded.
He shook his head. "Are you thinking I've never seen a naked woman afore? Trust me, I've seen a few." His nasty grin revealed several missing teeth.
"Ugh."
"'Slud!" Torrin said. "We need to turn the tables on them."
"Aye. But how? There are a dozen of them and only two of us."
"I'll think of something. Come, let's get dressed. Stay behind me."
How mortifying to have to depend on Torrin to shield her from the view of the outlaws.
Gil, a young archer who was formerly a member of the MacKay clan, stood on the hill with his arrow aimed at her and Torrin.
With her wet hair hanging over her breasts, at least she was partially covered.
Torrin bent and retrieved her smock, then helped her put it on, along with the rest of her clothing, uncaring of his own nudity.
She eyed the outlaws while Torrin dressed.
Most of them faced Jessie and Torrin again, vile grins on their unshaven faces.
Their unkempt hair and dirty clothing told her what sort of men they were—desperate outlaws just like Haldane.
Where had he rounded up such a ragtag group?
'Twas hard to believe her wee brother had turned out so horribly.
Their father would be mightily ashamed of his youngest son.
Haldane held her three knives in his hands. She should've kept one of them strapped to her thigh, but she'd known the salt water would rust it. Truth was it would've done her no good. One knife against twelve was naught. Saints! What could they do?
Wait! She remembered she'd sewn a small knife into the hem of this arisaid. She'd never had to use it and had almost forgotten it. But it would be difficult to retrieve. She couldn't simply grab it. She would have to unravel the hem first.
"Good to see you again, Chief." Haldane smirked. "So, you've seduced my whorish sister, have you?"
Torrin launched himself at Haldane, but the two men flanking him stepped forward, their blades poised to slit Torrin's throat.
He halted and Jessie grabbed the back of his shirt. "Pay him no heed. He's but trying to provoke you."
"I don't need you, MacLeod," Haldane boasted. "We can put you out of your misery right here. I only need my sister to convince the guards to open the portcullis at Dunnakeil. The only reason you're still alive is that, being a chief, you might be worth a lot of ransom money."
The look in Torrin's narrowed eyes turned lethal and Jessie knew he would have his revenge. He'd already decided. Of a certainty, he had always been kind to her, but she'd seen how deadly he was to his enemies. If he'd had a sword in his hands, he would've likely cut them all down.
"Leave him be. We'll both go peacefully," she said to appease her brother.
"Aye, you will. Or I'll kill you both," Haldane said.
She frowned, wondering if Haldane could indeed kill his own sister. If not, he would order McMurdo to do it. And she had no doubt he'd kill Torrin if he caused any trouble. Haldane was just like his mother—soulless and coldblooded.
"Both of you, up the bank," Haldane ordered, motioning with his sword.
Torrin took her hand, leading her up the sandy pathway.
Though she truly didn't need his help, she accepted it because she loved touching him.
He was her only comfort in this treacherous situation.
She prayed that Torrin, being a warrior and chief, would come up with a brilliant plan of escape.
Or maybe she could, if she put her mind to it.
But two against twelve? The odds were overwhelming.
At the top of the bank, Haldane turned to Torrin with a smirk. "By the way, Dirk killed your brother."
Torrin halted, his gaze dark and deadly. "What?" he growled.
Jessie's stomach sank. Was it true?
"Aye, Dirk MacKay, the chief of the MacKay clan, killed Nolan MacLeod. He is your brother, is he not?" Haldane said in a lighthearted tone. How could he enjoy delivering such horrible news to anyone?
Torrin frowned. "Aye."
Jessie tightened her hold on his hand. "He might be lying just to rile you."
Haldane laughed. "I'm not lying, sister."
"Did you witness it?" Torrin asked.
"Nay. But Nolan was with us and then, after a skirmish we had with the rest of the MacKays, he vanished. And good riddance. He was never any help to us."
"He made off with Dirk's woman." McMurdo shook his head, his long gray beard blowing in the wind. "I knew that was a death sentence."
"Lady Isobel?" Jessie asked, her heart leaping into her throat at this news of her best friend. "Nolan attacked Lady Isobel again? Was she hurt?"
"He snatched her from the tent, put her on a horse and rode away with her. Dirk chased after him, and that was the last we saw of Nolan," McMurdo said.
"Was Isobel hurt?" Jessie asked again.
McMurdo shrugged. "We saw her again later with Dirk. She didn't appear hurt, but then Gil shot Dirk in the calf with an arrow." He gave an evil grin.
"I'm hoping he's dead with fever," Haldane said in a hard voice.
"Nay," Jessie said, worry for her older brother clutching at her stomach. He was strong. Surely, he could overcome such an injury. Couldn't he?
"Damn," Torrin muttered. Thinking his younger brother might be dead ripped his heart out.
But with the way Nolan had turned corrupt, Torrin had expected him to meet a bad end.
For Jessie's brother to have killed his brother…
seemed ironic and strange. And he had no doubt Nolan was dead if he'd done what McMurdo said.
Dirk would've had no mercy on him for 'twas clear Dirk loved Isobel beyond all reason.
Jessie watched him warily. "You're not going to seek revenge, are you?"
"Nay. If Nolan kidnapped Lady Isobel or hurt her, he deserved what he got. Dirk wouldn't murder someone outright."
"Nay, he wouldn't."
"Did they bury him?" Torrin asked the outlaws.
Haldane shrugged. "Time to go." He strode forward, joining several of his men.
"I'm sure Dirk would've had him buried if he is indeed dead," Jessie said. "We have no proof of it yet."
Torrin nodded. Aye, without doubt. Still, it didn't stop him from remembering Nolan as a wee lad, being slapped and abused by their father.
But he couldn't think about that now. He had to focus on how to get himself and Jessie free of Haldane and his men.
They were all well-armed and obviously ruthless.
Haldane had hired a bunch of outlaws with no loyalties and no qualms about killing anyone for two pence.
"Move along, you two," McMurdo said behind them, his sword raised.
If Jessie wasn't with him, he'd break McMurdo's neck and grab his sword, then he'd run the rest of them through or cut their throats, one by one.
At least, as many of them as he could. He was outnumbered, aye, but they were all scrawnier and weaker-looking than him.
But he would do naught to put Jessie in danger.
Torrin took her hand and strode forward to catch up to the others. Why the devil hadn't he realized the potential danger of being trapped in that secluded bay? The lure of seducing Jessie had blinded him to everything else. He'd been daft.
When they didn't head toward the castle, Torrin bristled. "Where are you taking us?"
"To a safe place until we get the lay of the land." Haldane gave him a sinister grin.
What did the sneaky bastard have up his sleeve? Mayhap he knew the MacKay guards were likely to shoot him and his cohorts full of arrows before he could make any demands.
Following a roundabout path, over rocky hills and through stands of prickly gorse bushes, Haldane and his men were clearly avoiding the village and the few crofts scattered about the area.