Chapter 8
Eight
“Well, well,” Sin said to Braden, mocking the leader’s words and tone. “What have we here?”
“Looks like a pack of fools wanting to die,” Braden said, a cold, deadly smile on his lips.
Maggie quickly crossed herself as she realized the situation was about to escalate into something she really didn’t want to witness.
She just hoped they all survived it.
Tension sizzled so thick around them that she could nearly smell the raw, pungent odor of it. All the men were stiff and wary, their eyes darting over each other as they evaluated the mettle of their opponent.
Her stomach drew tight in fear.
The outlaw leader returned Braden’s cold smile with one of his own. “Now, friend, there’s no need for us to spill your blood or your guts. Give us your money and we’ll leave you to peacefully go about your way.”
“There’s just one wee problem with that.” Braden’s voice was ominously calm and patient, his greenish brown eyes menacing. “You’re not my friend and I’m quite a bit fonder of my gold than I am of you. Now given that, why would I want to turn my gold over to your clumsy hands?”
Maggie’s panic rose.
The leader’s face turned dour. “In that case...”
The others attacked so quickly, Maggie barely had time to duck the one beefy thief who came after her and hurl herself into the shrubs for protection.
Braden and Sin unsheathed their swords in unison and used them to drive back their attackers.
The big thief she had dodged moved to grab her, but didn’t make it before Braden caught him by the scruff of his shirt and shoved him in the opposite direction, into a rather large oak tree where he rebounded with a resounding thud before he went sprawling atop the peat-covered ground.
Maggie sighed in relief, hoping no one else noticed her.
But an instant after that thought finished in her mind, she saw another thief inching toward Braden’s unguarded back. The thief’s sword raised to strike.
Panic swelled inside her. Braden was so occupied with the man before him, he didn’t even notice the one at his back.
Her only thought to save Braden, Maggie scrambled from the bushes. She grabbed a large, leafy limb from the ground, and used it to whack the thief against his back.
The leaves smacked his spine, neck and head, but didn’t do anything other than make the big man angry. He whirled on her with a vicious curse.
Too late, she realized her attack hadn’t been very well planned or executed.
Awkwardly, she held the limb before her as she struggled to protect herself. The thief laughed cruelly as he whacked the leaves and wood almost playfully with his sword. “Nice sword.”
His taunt irritated her and she wished she had a better weapon. But one used whatever one had. “Mother of saints preserve me!” She bashed him in the head with the limb.
He staggered for only an instant, then his face darkened in rage. “You’ll die for that.”
“The devil you say,” Braden growled as he grabbed the thief and spun him about to face him.
Braden sent him spiraling to the ground with one backhanded blow. She barely had time to thank him before another man attacked.
Maggie watched in awe as the brothers made short work of the robbers without actually killing any of them. But there were wounds aplenty and many a swollen noggin as the thieves fell like rotten apples on the ground, then lay moaning and holding their bruised limbs and aching heads.
Maggie still clutched her limb, too afraid to let it go until the thieves were gone.
Braden cornered the leader against the yew tree, and held his sword just below the man’s chin.
His hand steady, Braden’s fierce look would have quelled the devil himself and it sent a raw shiver over Maggie.
“Now then, friend, do I have to kill you, or will you go on about your business and leave us in peace?”
Sin clucked his tongue as he glanced longingly at the men on the ground around him. “Oh come now, can’t I please kill one of them? How about the large one with only three teeth, or maybe the short one here with bad breath?”
Braden gave a mocking, half laugh at Sin’s pleading tone, but his eyes never left the thief before him. “Should I let him have his fun?”
The leader shook his head. “Nay, we’ll be going if it’s all the same to you.”
Braden took a step back and lowered his sword.
With a speed that amazed her, the highwaymen gathered themselves and vanished into the trees.
Maggie was shaking so badly she could barely stand. That had been just a little too close for her liking. Never had she experienced such an event.
Mo chreach, what would she have done had Braden and Sin not been with her?
Truly, it didn’t bear thinking on.
Even worse was the thought of what might have happened to her had the thieves come upon her the first time she’d made this journey alone, dressed as a woman.
Her stomach shrank three sizes, and a wave of panic whipped through her. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget this terrible feeling inside her, or the uncaring look on the leader’s face when he had first stopped them.
They would have killed them all without a moment’s concern…
Maggie took a minute to thank the Lord and his saints for their mercy and pray that she never again experienced such a thing.
“Are you all right?” Braden asked as he pried the limb loose from her hands, then tossed it aside.
“Thank you,” she breathed weakly. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He held her shaking hand in his own.
Heaven, the man was handsome. And in his hazel eyes, she saw the concern and care, and in her heart, it soothed and warmed her greatly.
Yet in those eyes she also saw a deep compelling light that looked strangely close to humor.
Surely Braden couldn’t find anything about their attack funny.
Nay, she was misreading him.
Braden cupped her cheek in his hand and lightly stroked her cheekbone with his thumb. It was all she could do not to close her eyes and sigh in pleasure. His soothing, quiet touch was pure bliss and it sent wave after wave of desire coursing through her as it melted away her fear and concerns.
Braden had protected her. Again. And she wondered if he even realized just how many times in her life he had been her champion.
“Thanks for protecting my back,” Braden said softly.
Maggie frowned. There was something hidden in his tone. And in an instant she knew what had him amused.
“You knew the man I hit was behind you the whole time, didn’t you?”
“I did.” He let out a short laugh. “But I’m glad you thought enough of me that you distracted him. And even more so that you risked your life to do so.”
Another shiver went over her, but this one had nothing to do with her panic and everything to do with the fierce warrior before her.
Glory, but the man was incredible when he smiled.
How in the world could any woman deny him anything when he looked at her like that, dimples flashing, his gaze warm, his touch hot?
He paused his tender stroking on her cheek and stared intently into her eyes. “‘Twas a very brave thing you did for a scoundrel like me.”
“And you are a scoundrel,” she said, knowing it in her heart and for some reason not caring about the fact at the moment.
“Aye.” He gave her a devilish grin before he dipped his head toward hers. “The absolute worst.”
Without conscious thought, she opened her mouth for him, aching for another kiss.
Braden closed his eyes and started to accept her invitation until Sin cleared his throat.
Sin let out a curse under his breath. “Do I have to separate the two of you again? I swear, but this is getting tedious.”
Maggie jumped in Braden’s embrace.
Braden pulled back instantly and sighed. “Remind me to thank you more properly later,” he whispered to her.
Maggie was too stunned to respond. Her senses reeling, she could do nothing more than nod.
Good heavens! What had she almost done?
You almost kissed him.
Again.
Oh, lass, where’s your head to be letting such a man have his way with you?
Biting her lip, she looked to where he and Sin were standing together.
Why, Braden, why do you have to flit from one woman to the next? And worse, why couldn’t she hate him for it?
Because it would be like hating the wind for blowing or hating the sun for shining. It was his nature. To change it would more than likely change the man, and with the exception of that one bad habit, she liked Braden a great deal.
Nay, she didn’t want him to change. It was his carefree spirit that enticed her. She would just have to guard herself more closely around him and not let herself suffer any more hurt by him.
Maggie rejoined Braden and Sin. “Do you think they’ll return?”
“Aye,” Sin said at the same time Braden said, “Nay.”
Sin looked drolly at his brother as he sheathed his sword. “You honestly think they’ll just be off without retaliating in some way?”
“We got the better of them. Why should they return?”
Sin’s eyes flared with such intense emotion, that Maggie took an involuntary step back from it.
“Vengeance is a strong motivator, little brother,” he said flatly.
It was then she knew Sin harbored a deep hatred. Against whom she could only guess. But she pitied the poor soul who had evoked such an enemy as Sin, and in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but wonder what terrible fate Sin had heaped upon that person’s head.
She didn’t think for a minute that the person still lived. From what she had seen of Sin, he no doubt had taken the person’s life swiftly. And with relish.
Braden met his brother’s gaze with an almost imperceptible nod and some deep understanding passed between them. “You would know that better than I.”
Sin looked away. He rested his hand on his sword hilt and walked past her.
“I want my horse,” he muttered as headed off into the forest.
Braden watched his brother stalk off. He picked his pack up from the ground and started after Sin.
Maggie followed quietly as she looked back and forth between the brothers.