Page 94 of Once upon a Summer Night

Seeing his woman lying with her face in the dirt made him feel a rage he’d never before experienced. For a moment, his world narrowed to him, Ellie, and that foot…and Colin vowed to himself that O’Connell would never again be able to use his lower extremities.

O’Connell gave him a smirk and drew his own sword—but he pointed it at Ellie. “One move, and she’s dead. If you’re going to kill me, then I’ll take Claire with me to hell.”

“That’s not my daughter,” Nioclas stated flatly. “She is my cousin by marriage.”

“Whose marriage?” O’Connell sneered.

“Mine,” Colin replied, his voice deep and steady. “Take your foot off Lady O’Rourke before I do it for you.”

He felt rather than saw Ellie freeze, and when O’Connell realized his mistake, he faltered. Colin took that half second of hesitation to swing, but the crafty bastard ducked, stepping off Ellie as he did so.

Colin went after O’Connell, their blades crashing and sparking as they fought. Colin maneuvered them away fromEllie, hoping one of the lads would move her out of harm’s way, but a scan of the chapel showed she was surrounded by fighting.

She was curled into a tiny ball, her beautiful gown torn and dirty. Her eyes were tightly shut, tears tracking through the dirt on her cheeks.

It renewed his wrath, and he pushed O’Connell into a pew. The man jumped up on it to assume a higher vantage point, but he tripped backwards, landing on his backside on the other side of the bench. Colin easily hopped it and disarmed him, then put the point of his blade to the man’s neck.

“Stand,” he ordered.

Slowly, O’Connell stood, defiance still in his eyes.

Colin’s voice was little more than a growl. “Call off your men.Now.”

O’Connell stood mute for a fraction of a second too long, and Colin pricked his skin. Blood dripped from above his Adam’s apple, and he grudgingly halted his men.

Colin jerked his head once, and Reilly bounded over. There was little else he loved more than a good sword fight, and judging by the bodies that littered the floor, Reilly had himself a good one.

Reilly’s bloodstained sword replaced Colin’s, and O’Connell remained still, his eyes following Colin as he leapt over the pews to where Ellie lay, still curled in her ball.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Colin murmured, sheathing his sword as he bent down next to her. “I’m going to carry you out of here. You’re safe now.”

Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she nodded mutely, accepting his words, and Colin easily lifted her into his arms.

He gave a nod to Nioclas as he passed. “Do what you will. I’m going home.”

Ellie kepther eyes closed well after Colin had swung them both onto a horse and galloped away. She hadn’t wanted to see what she’d heard; the groans of the men were horrifying enough, and she didn’t need the mental images to go alongside them.

For long minutes as they rode, all she heard were the sounds of birds, rustling leaves, and multiple horses’ hooves. She breathed deeply, trying to rid her nostrils of the metallic scent of blood. She smelled the earthy, fresh, woodsy scent of the forest, and the clean, crisp night air. The combination was soothing, and, encased in the warmth of Colin’s solid embrace, her shoulders began to relax.

“Did he touch you?”

Though low, Colin’s controlled tone was a sharp reminder that he wasn’t quite the CEO in a suit he’d pretended to be. She stiffened again and shook her head quickly. She opened her eyes; the black of the night was still around her, and she couldn’t see anything in front of them, though the wind pushed her hair from her face. “I want to go home, Colin.”

Colin gathered her even closer. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. It took us far too long to figure out where you were.” He drew a shaky breath. “Seeing you at that altar almost killed me.”

She paused at the feeling behind the words, but her night had been hard enough without delving too deep into that. Realization dawned a second later. “That wasyouin the pew!”

“It was. We had to ensure that no one else was around the chapel before we attacked, and I didn’t get the signal until the service was finished. That was the shortest wedding in all of history, to be sure. But I wouldn’t have let him leave that building with you anyway.”

“I’m not really married, am I?”

He slowed the horse, and the others around them slowedas well. “No. God, no. In Brehon law, the bride must agree, or the marriage must be consummated. Ideally both.”

“He planned on doing that part,” she said, her shaking starting anew. “He was serious, Colin. If you hadn’t been there…”

“Hell, Ellie. It took everything I had not to charge up that aisle.” He pressed his cheek against the back of her head. “Everything. I. Had.”

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she sagged against him, her breath whooshing out of her. “Colin?”

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