Chapter 14
Merith felt like she couldn’t breathe.
Only a moment earlier, the world had felt wonderfully simple. Locke had been standing before her beside the window as the morning light spilled across the stone floor between them while dawn painted the distant mountains in soft shades of silver.
Relief had filled her when she saw him. Relief that he had returned safely. Relief that he had secured the ledger. Relief that, despite everything looming before them, they still had this moment together.
Now, all of it shattered.
She furrowed her brows as her betrothed stayed in the same spot at the far end of the corridor.
The laird’s dark hair was neatly tied back, and he wore a fitted wool doublet embroidered with subtle silver thread that marked his wealth without appearing ostentatious.
His posture remained perfectly composed, and the look on his face was calm enough that a stranger might have mistaken him for a man observing an amusing scene.
But Merith knew better. The stillness radiating from him felt dangerous. Several guards stood behind him, their hands resting near the hilts of their swords.
No one spoke and the silence grew bigger between them, thick and suffocating.
Beside her, Locke straightened slightly. Merith could feel the tension that suddenly coiled through him. The warmth that had filled his expression moments ago vanished behind the careful mask he wore whenever danger appeared.
Murdoch’s gaze moved between them slowly. It was as if he was curious more than anything.
“What an interestin’ sight tae discover before breakfast.” His voice remained smooth and almost pleasant.
Merith stepped forward immediately. “My laird—”
He lifted one hand as soon as she moved. The simple gesture silenced her. “There isnae much tae explain, my dear bride.”
The endearment made her stomach twist.
Murdoch began walking toward them, his boots striking softly against the ancient stone floor. The sound echoed through the corridor, each step seeming far louder than it should have been.
“This man has been playin’ ye since the day ye met him,” he said, nodding toward Locke.
Merith’s pulse thundered inside her ears. “Nay.”
Murdoch’s eyes settled upon her. “Nay?”
“He hasnae.” The words came faster now. “He saved my life. He helped people ye ignored. He risked himself fer strangers. Ye ken nothin’ about him.”
A faint smile touched Murdoch’s mouth. It was not a pleasant smile. “Oh, I ken a great deal about him.”
Locke moved slightly closer to Merith. “Careful, Carnegie.”
The warning emerged quiet and controlled and Murdoch laughed softly. “Careful?” His gaze slid toward the guards behind him. “I dinnae believe I’m the one who should be careful.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly and every guard stepped forward.
Merith’s heart dropped. “Murdoch.” For the first time, genuine alarm entered her voice. “What are ye doin’?”
His eyes returned to hers, and for a second she caught something ugly beneath the polished exterior he worked so hard to maintain.
She saw the possessiveness and control.
“Protectin’ ye,” he replied.
The words dropped into her like stones.
Murdoch stopped only a few feet away. “This man is a criminal.”
“Ye’re lyin’,” she replied, shaking her head.
“Nay, I’m not.” His expression never changed. “I arrested one o’ his associates yesterday.”
The blood drained from Locke’s face, and it was only just enough for Merith to notice.
Murdoch noticed it too. “There it is.” Satisfaction flickered across his features. “The look o’ recognition.”
Merith stared at Locke. Confusion stirred uneasily within her chest. “What associate?”
Neither man answered immediately. The hesitation frightened her more than any explanation could have.
“A member o’ the Black Ledger Society,” Murdoch replied, folding his arms across his chest.
The name rang a bell and Merith looked sharply toward Locke. His jaw tightened, but still he said nothing.
The silence felt wrong. Terribly wrong.
Murdoch continued. “The poor fool talked after a few hours. Remarkable what men reveal when they realize loyalty isnae worth dyin’ fer.”
At that, Merith’s stomach churned.
The Black Ledger Society.
The name meant little to her beyond rumors that had been stories whispered by merchants and travelers. Tales of thieves who robbed powerful men and vanished into the Highlands before anyone could catch them.
Stories she had never fully believed.
Murdoch’s gaze remained fixed on Locke. “He told me everythin’.”
Merith looked between them, feeling torn. “Locke?”
The silence remained and her stomach dropped. Her chest tightened with worry.
“Tell me he’s wrong,” Merith said without taking her eyes off him.
Something dashed across Locke’s face, and it looked a lot like regret. Suddenly, fear began creeping into places where certainty had once lived.
Murdoch stepped closer. “Shall I tell her or will ye?”
“Murdoch.” Locke’s voice carried unmistakable warning now. “Dinnae do this, she’s been through so much.”
“Oh, I think I shall.” The laird’s eyes never left Merith. “Did ye ever wonder why yer carriage happened tae be attacked upon that particular stretch o’ road?”
Merith froze as a chill spread through her body. “No.”
“Aye,” Murdoch said, smiling. “I thought as much.”
The corridor seemed to narrow around her as the memory returned immediately. Once more, she saw the overturned carriage, the frightened horses, the masked riders, the panic and the terror… and Locke appearing like some storybook hero at precisely the right moment.
Murdoch continued speaking. “Ye believed fate brought him tae ye.”
Quickly, Merith looked toward Locke. His expression had become unreadable.
Her heartbeat accelerated. “Locke.”
His eyes met hers. The sight of pain there frightened her more than anything Murdoch had said.
“Tell me,” she said, frowning. “Tell me he’s wrong.”
He drew a slow breath and the pause felt endless. When he finally spoke, it felt like her heart shattered into a million pieces.
“It was supposed tae be a robbery,” he said.
Merith stopped breathing. The words echoed through her mind.
Supposed tae be a robbery. Nothing more. Nothing less.
She stared at him. The man she had kissed. The man she had trusted. The man she had brought to her bed.
“What… what do you mean?” The words emerged as little more than a whisper.
Locke took a step forward. “Merith—”
Immediately, she stepped backward. It was evident that the movement hurt him. She saw it.
Murdoch watched everything unfold with satisfaction creeping onto his face. In fact, she had never seen him look so pleased.
“He needed access tae the keep,” Murdoch added. Every word felt like another stone added to the weight crushing her chest. “He needed a reason tae remain close tae ye so he could sneak in my keep.”
Her voice trembled. “He wouldnae.”
“He did.” Murdoch’s answer came instantly. “The ambush was planned.”
That was when Merith’s vision blurred.
She remembered Duncan. The driver who had laughed with her. The man who had served her family faithfully. The man who had died. Her stomach twisted violently.
“What about Duncan?” The question escaped before she could stop it.
The corridor fell silent and Locke looked away only for a second. But it was enough to tell her everything.
Pain exploded through her chest. Not because she believed he had wanted Duncan dead. Not because she believed he was cruel.
But because she realized there was truth buried beneath the accusation.
A terrible truth. A truth he had hidden.
Murdoch’s voice softened. It was a calculated kindness she now recognized for what it was. “A good man died because o’ his scheme.”
Merith felt suddenly unsteady. The floor seemed to tilt beneath her feet. She had chosen Locke and defended him. Moreover, she had trusted him… loved him.
And now every memory felt uncertain.
Had any of it been real? Or had she simply been another part of his plan?
“Merith.” Locke stepped toward her again. “This wasnae supposed tae happen.”
The words shattered something inside her. They didn’t sound cruel, but they were honest. And honesty hurt her far more.
Before she could respond, Murdoch raised a hand. “Arrest him.”
With that, the guards surged forward and Locke reacted instantly.
One guard grabbed for his arm. Locke twisted free and drove an elbow into the man’s chest. Another lunged from the side and a third moved behind him.
Steel flashed. Boots pounded against stone. The corridor erupted into chaos.
Merith gasped. “Stop!”
No one listened and she tried to move toward Locke, but Murdoch caught her around the waist before she reached him.
“Let me go!” she screamed, struggling fiercely. “Murdoch, stop this.”
“Dinnae look,” Murdoch replied without loosening his grip.
“I said let me go.” Her voice cracked.
The guards continued advancing as Locke fought like a cornered wolf. He was fast and desperate.
For several moments, he held them back. One guard slammed against the wall. Another stumbled across the corridor. A third doubled over clutching his stomach.
Yet there were too many. Far too many.
More men poured into the hall from adjoining staircases and Merith watched in horror.
No matter how skilled Locke was, he could not defeat all of them.
Murdoch tightened his hold. “Look what he’s done tae ye. He lied tae ye from the beginning.”
Merith squeezed her eyes shut. She did not want to hear him. In fact, she did not want to hear anyone.
The worst part was that she could not entirely dismiss the accusations. Pieces fit together. Too many pieces.
And they were enough to wound, but not enough to destroy what she felt. That contradiction tore her apart.
A crash echoed through the corridor and Merith looked up.
Four guards had finally forced Locke against the wall. Another seized his arm. Then another.
For the first time she saw real fear flash through his eyes. “Merith!”
He shouted her name. Not the title. Not “my lady.” Merith.
The sound struck her like an arrow. It was so raw and urgent, that it made something inside her break.
Despite everything she had learned, despite every lie and every secret, she knew one thing with absolute certainty.
She could not lose him. Even if it had all been a lie.
An idea formed instantly. It was reckless and desperate. The sort of thing she never would have attempted a week ago.
Yet, she found herself doing it anyway. This might have been her only shot.
Without another word, Merith swayed and allowed her knees to buckle. She knew that nothing was guaranteed. Perhaps Murdoch wasn’t going to catch her, but she was ready to risk it all.
Bracing for her fall, Merith squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best. Luckily, she felt a strong arm wrapping around her waist before she hit the ground.
“Merith!” Murdoch shouted, using his other arm to help her up.
Without looking, she knew that Murdoch had released Locke from his attention immediately.
It was exactly as she had hoped.
The distraction lasted only half a second, but that was all that she needed.
A shout erupted behind them, and it was followed by another. Merith opened her eyes just in time to see Locke drive one guard into the next and wrench himself free.
Madness exploded once more.
By the time Murdoch realized what had happened, Locke was already sprinting down the corridor.
“After him!” he yelled.
Guards rushed forward and boots thundered across stone. Voices echoed throughout the keep. Then, he was gone.
Vanished into the maze of towers, staircases, and passages.
Merith remained in Murdoch’s arms, her pulse racing. Relief washed through her. Pain followed immediately afterward because Locke had escaped, but the truth had not.
As the sounds of pursuit faded deeper into Carnegie Keep, Merith realized her heart felt more broken than it ever had before.
She loved him, and yet she no longer knew whether she could trust him.
That was the cruelest wound of all.