Page 15 of Love Beyond Wanting
“Aye, I just wanted to tell ye that if ye ever listen to another one of Laurel’s foolish orders again, I shall break both yer kneecaps.”
Maddock laughed and crossed his arms casually over his chest.
“Ye do know that she saved us all, aye?If we hadna agreed to help her, she wouldna have been able to go through with her plan.And if she hadna gone through with her plan, she’d be dead, and ye’d be dead, and Machara would be free.Thus, we would all be dead.”
“Do ye think ye could’ve used the word ‘dead’ any more times in that sentence, Maddock?”
He shook his head.“I doona think the point can be overemphasized.She saved our necks, Raudrich.Ye ought to be grateful for her.”
Maddock watched as Raudrich grunted and ground his teeth.
“I am grateful to her, but I’m angry at every last one of ye for willingly putting her in danger.”
He’d hated it at the time.He cared for Laurel immensely, but he’d seen sense in her plan, and he wasn’t willing to apologize for his part in it.
“Aye, we know ye are angry.We’ve all heard the same from Marcus.’Twas the right thing to do, and I’d do it again.Ye know that.”
“Knock knock.”
Maddock turned toward the sound of Laurel’s voice in the doorway and smiled at her as she entered.
“Yer fiancé is daft if he thinks any of us regret doing as ye bid us to.”
Laurel walked up next to him, winked at her soon-to-be husband, and answered him.“Yes, well.I don’t regret it either.”
“Not even stabbing me with a sword, lass?”
Maddock laughed as Laurel dismissed him with her hand.
“Not even that.Now, Maddock and I are going to leave you to rest.I need to speak with him about something.”
Before Maddock could say anything else, Laurel latched onto his hand and began to pull him out into the hall.
Once the bedroom door was shut between them and Raudrich, she spoke.“Maddock, you know not onlywhereI’m from butwhen, right?”
The Eight had known for years—ever since Raudrich’s fast friendship with Sydney—that there were out-of-time lassies who often found themselves in Scotland at the hands of a witch none of them had ever met.
“Aye, I do.Why?”
“Well, I was hoping you might be willing to travel to Cagair and help escort my sister, my mother, and Marcus’ dad back here.I trust you completely.”
It pleased him to hear that he had Laurel’s trust, and after his conversation with Harry, he was especially eager to meet Laurel’s sister.
“O’course, I can.I’ll leave at once.”
Laurel raised one brow and crossed her arms in front of her chest.“You agreed to that too quickly.Why?”
He smiled mischievously.“If yer sister is half as pleasant as ye are, her presence will only bring more light to this castle.”
She looked at him knowingly.“She’s taken, Maddock.”
“Married?Harry dinna tell me that.”
Laurel looked surprised as she tilted her head gently to the side.“Harry?How does he know about Kate?”
“He only knows what Marcus told him.”
“Ah.”Laurel nodded, understanding.“Well, she’s not married, but she’s been dating the same man for several years now.”
