Taming the Scotsman (19 page)

“Aye,” Graham said, his lips twisted cruelly as he rode. “We’ve been struggling just to live only to find that none of our family will even admit they know us. ’Tis time for the MacKaids to be re
galed again while the MacAllisters get what they deserve…humiliation.”

Ewan clenched his teeth to keep from telling them who was really to blame for what happened. Reminding them of the fact that their sister was a faithless, lying whore wouldn’t accomplish anything.

They blamed his family, not Isobail.

And he doubted if they would ever listen to reason where she was concerned.

“If it’s vengeance you want, then kill me and let Nora go.”

“Oh nay,” Graham said. His eyes glowed with cruel mischief. “See, here’s where we regain our position. Who better to fall into the king’s good graces than the man who tried to save his cousin and who killed her murderer.”

Nay
! the word screamed through Ewan’s mind.

Ewan was appalled at the man’s plan.

He should have known Graham MacKaid was insane. He should have killed the man in the pub when he had the chance.

Why had he ever allowed Graham to leave the pub without killing him?

Damn!

Nora’s heart pounded as she listened to the men brag to one another what they intended to do to her and Ewan. She was terrified of their insidious plan.

Guilt, horror, and anger warred within her. Over and over she saw Ryan in her mind.

As soon as she saw Graham, she’d known something was wrong, so she’d tried to run.

Rufus had caught her.

And Ryan, God have mercy on his soul, had finally found a moment of bravery. Seeing her threatened, he had reached for his sword.

But it hadn’t even cleared the scabbard before Graham ran him through with his dagger.

Ryan had staggered back, holding his stomach as blood poured from his body.

Nora had tried to help him, only to find Graham in her way.

“Do as I say, or I’ll give you worse than that.”

Ryan had reached out to her with one bloodied hand, then he’d fallen to the ground, dead.

Nora sobbed at the memory.

Ryan was dead because of her, and now Ewan was taken. If she didn’t come up with some way to free him, he, too, would die.

And so would she.

Nay. Nay, she would never submit to these brigands. She was Eleanor’s niece. She was her father’s daughter. Ruffian Alexander Canmore might be, but no man had ever defeated him in battle or practice.

She would get them out of this.

And heaven have mercy on the MacKaids when she did.

They rode for hours until they came to an abandoned keep that appeared to have been burned
down. The skeleton of the building remained, but it looked far from safe. Weeds and vines covered the fallen and charred stones.

It was an evil place. An aura of death and decay clung to it.

Nora had never tasted real fear before, but she tasted it now. The place looked like a crypt. A place that had no purpose except to house dead remains.

The MacKaids dismounted, then carefully pulled Ewan from his horse.

Ewan glared at the men. Though he didn’t know how at the moment, he was determined to get them out of this.

And once he had Nora safe, all three of the brothers would pay for this. He would make sure of it.

Graham kept his dagger at Nora’s throat the entire time.

“One move,” he warned.

It was a threat Ewan heeded.

They led him into the crumbling great hall and roughly forced him to kneel by the hearth. The only thing that made him obey was the knife at Nora’s neck.

Ewan didn’t take his eyes off it or her while Sean and Rufus tied him to an iron ring that was buried deep into the stones by the hearth.

Only then did the dagger come away from her neck. Ewan took a deep breath in relief.

Now the real fun could begin…

Graham smiled evilly at him. “’Tis a pity I can’t kill you now. But I have to make sure you stay alive until her ransom comes to us. Tell me, how would you kill her? Would you choke her? Cut her throat?”

Ewan eyed him with all the hatred he felt for the man. “You harm her, and so help me, I’ll defy death itself to rip your heart out.”

Sean sucked his breath in sharply. “I can almost believe the rumors that say you’ve sold your soul to the devil when you look like that.”

Ewan turned his black stare toward the man. “You can more than believe it, MacKaid. Harm her and I’ll introduce you to the devil myself.”

“Leave them be, Sean, Graham,” Rufus snapped. “Let us write the note to her father and see about putting this into motion. The sooner we get the message off, the closer we’ll be to having us a home again.”

Graham shoved Nora toward Ewan and sheathed his dagger.

Nora fell to her knees by his side. The sight of her there, trembling, made him want their blood all the more.

“Don’t fret, Nora,” he hastened to assure her. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

“They killed Ryan,” she said, her voice shaking as she cuddled up to his side like a child needing comfort.

Ewan winced at the news and wished his arms
free so that he could hold her and soothe her worry and fear. “What happened?”

“After you left, I was talking to him when they came in. Ryan tried to keep them from taking me, and Graham stabbed him dead for it.”

Tears were shining brightly in her eyes, but to her credit, she held them back. “Oh Ewan, what have I done? I only wanted to go to Eleanor’s. I never meant for anyone to be harmed. The saints know I never really wanted Ryan dead. I just didn’t want to marry him, but I never truly meant for evil to befall him. He didn’t deserve to die like that. Not over me. Whatever will I tell his parents? His poor mother lives for him. She’ll never recover from this.”

He nuzzled her head with his cheek, offering her what solace he could while bound to the wall. “Shh, love. None of this is your fault.”

“Aye, it is. All of this is my fault. I never meant for Ryan to die. He was an annoying pest, but still…”

“He loved you.”

“Nay,” she said, holding on to his waist as she buried her head against his chest, “not really. We were childhood enemies in that our parents were always putting us together. We never got along.”

Ewan glanced to Graham and Sean, who were arguing over what the letter to her father should say and over how much money they should ask for.

He had to find some way to get them out of this.

He wrenched at the ring that held him to the wall. It wiggled only enough to make him think that maybe he could work it free. Provided the MacKaids didn’t turn around and see what he was up to.

Nora saw him twisting at his ropes. She pulled back from him. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“I’ll heal.”

She shook her head, then glanced around the overgrown floor where weeds and rocks were scattered. She looked back at the MacKaids, who were still arguing, and motioned for Ewan to be silent.

He watched her go to a small pile of stones. After a few minutes, she returned with one.

But before she could hand it to him, Sean saw her.

“Give me that,” he snapped, rushing over to them and pulling it from her hand.

“What is it?” Graham asked as he joined them.

“The little tart was trying to help him escape.”

Rufus came forward with a snarl. “I say we tie her up with him while we write, the note.”

“Aye,” Graham agreed. He pulled his belt off and handed it to Sean. “Then after we finish with the note, what say we have a bit of fun with her?”

Ewan went cold. “Don’t even think it.”

Graham smiled evilly. “Why not? She’s going to die as soon as we get the money. The only one who’ll ever know we tasted her is you, MacAllis
ter. And you won’t be able to tell anyone after we cut your throat.”

His smile widened as he eyed Ewan with malice. “That bothers you, doesn’t it? The thought of us using her? Aye. You used our sister and cast her off. The least we could do is return the favor.”

“Your sister left him.”

Ewan flinched at Nora’s words.

Graham drew back to hit her.

Ewan slung his leg out, knocking Graham away from her. “You touch her, and by all the powers of hell, I’ll see you pay for it.”

Graham walked over to Ewan. He raked a cold glare over his body, then kicked him hard in the ribs.

“Ewan!” Nora screamed.

Sean held her back.

Ewan grunted at the pain as he tried to shrug it off.

Graham would pay for that. When he got free, he was going to make sure this was the last mistake Graham ever made.

“You’re worthless, MacAllister,” Graham sneered. “There’s nothing you can do to me now.”

Ewan laughed at that, and the sound of it made all three MacKaids back away.

“You’ve no idea what I’m capable of, Graham MacKaid, because if you were, you’d be on your knees praying right now for the Lord to send His angels to protect you from me. I will see you dead.” He looked to each of them. “All of you.”

Sean actually crossed himself at those fiercely uttered words.

Graham spat on the ground and shoved Nora toward Rufus. “Secure the wench and let us finish our business.”

Ewan pulled at the ropes that held him. Somehow he was going to find a way to escape this. God help the MacKaids when he did. They were all going to learn firsthand why no one crossed a MacAllister.

Only death awaited such fools.

Once Rufus had Nora tied up with Graham’s belt, he sat her roughly next to Ewan, then returned to his brothers to help write their note.

Nora licked her lips, but held herself together with a strength of will that amazed him. She was truly spectacular given what she’d been through this day. Brave.

Even so, he could tell just how shaken she was from all this, and he ached to soothe her nerves. But he doubted if anything short of their escape could do that.

“It’s hopeless, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Nothing’s ever hopeless,” he said with conviction. He would get her out of this no matter what it took. .

She sighed and shifted her bound hands in her lap. “I don’t know, Ewan. I’m thinking this is as hopeless as it gets.”

“Look at me, Nora.”

She did.

“If this is as hopeless as it gets, you and I are in good standing. I promise you. This, in the grand scheme of life, isn’t so bad.”

She shook her head at him. “You’re a strange man, Ewan MacAllister. But I love you anyway.”

His heart caught at her words. “What?”

“I love you,” she repeated. Then she leaned forward and laid her head on his chest and snuggled up to him. “I’m so sorry I got you into this.”

Happiness, disbelief and anger tore through him.

How could a woman like her have a single care for him?

And yet he knew she spoke the truth. She wasn’t Isobail to spread her lies and walk away. Nora would never be so cruel.

She loved him.

And he loved her even more now than he had before.

“I will not let them hurt you, Nora. Do you understand?”

Nora offered him a small smile that she didn’t really feel. She appreciated what he was trying to do, but she didn’t hold out any false hopes.

How she loved her big bear. She could almost believe him when he said that. “Aye.”

Ewan nuzzled his face against hers. She could hear his intake of breath as if he were inhaling her. He pulled back ever so slightly and kissed her cheek.

She watched in awe as he moved away from
her. He stood up slowly, turned to, face the wall, and braced one leg against the old stones next to where the ring was embedded.

He took the ropes into his hands and used his leg to pull against the iron ring.

Every muscle in his body tightened as he tried to pull it free.

Nora was aghast at his actions as much for the fact that he might succeed as for the fact that what he was doing had to be excruciating for him.

“Hey!” Rufus shouted as he looked up to see Ewan on his feet.

Ewan didn’t stop.

The wall shook as Ewan panted and strained even more.

Nora pushed herself to her feet and moved away from the wall before her strong bear pulled it down on top of her.

She’d never seen anything like it.

An instant before the brothers reached him, Ewan pulled the ring free.

He turned on them with a vicious snarl.

Nora wanted to help him fight as the brothers attacked Ewan, but as long as she was there tied up, she was a liability to him and she knew it. If one of the brothers caught her, they would again threaten her life to control Ewan.

So she did the only thing she could.

She ran for the horses as the MacKaids ran for Ewan.

Her gamble worked. They were so intent on
subduing Ewan that she was on Ewan’s horse before Graham realized she’d left the area.

Nora wasn’t used to riding bareback, but it didn’t matter. It was up to her to see them safely away from this, and she wouldn’t fail Ewan.

After pulling herself up on the horse’s back, she clamped her legs tight around the horse’s ribs and ran Ewan’s horse straight at the men.

The brothers scrambled away.

With a grunt, Ewan swung himself up behind her.

He brought his bound arms down over her head, placed them around her, and took the reins, then turned the horse about.

He ran it toward the other horses, scattering their mounts before he headed them into the dense forest.

She could hear the brothers cursing angrily as she and Ewan rode away from them while they tried to recapture their own horses.

Nora wanted to turn around and see if they were behind them, but couldn’t. Ewan’s hold on her was far too tight.

So instead she focused on remaining as still as possible so that Ewan could maneuver them.

Her entire body was tense and ready as they sped through the forest. His spirited horse flew through the trees easily, but she was terrified the MacKaid brothers would catch them.

After a time, Ewan reined to a stop and turned to look behind them.

“Did we escape?” she asked, her voice high-pitched from fear and trepidation.

“I think so.” He hugged her close to him. “You were brilliant, Nora.”