Page 6 of The Runaway Bride and the Highlander
Yet, if she was not a nun, who was she? She was clearly no ally of Johnson. Maybe she was someone he was going to use for the war, perhaps to blackmail a man. Maybe she was a wealthy lady, and they needed her fortune.
That cannae be right. It’s the Jacobites that need the financial assistance, nae the English.
Colum circled her like a tiger its prey. “Ye thought we’d never find ye, didnae ye?” he snarled. “Ye forget,wench. Laird Johnson has the English on his side—the winning side, clearly.”
The woman did not back down or drop her gaze. In fact, she stared at Colum with a vehemence that was almost palpable. It was then that Maxwell noticed something strange about her eyes. He squeezed his own to see more clearly, but it was too dark.
“That’s why we’ve come tae get ye,” Colum continued. “Laird Johnson is determined tae make certain he gets what he wants, and with ye as his wife, he’ll do just that. Ye’re going tae marry him and he’s going tae use yer talents tae make sure we win.”
Maxwell’s mouth dropped open, for whatever he had expected to hear, it had not been that.
She has tae marry him?
CHAPTERTHREE
Skylar had been glaring at Colum, the anger and animosity raging within her as he had paced around her, but even in her maddened state, she could not hide her astonishment at his words. Terror replaced the anger, and she suddenly felt faint, her heart thumping against her ribcage at a great speed.
Whoever this man was, it was clear he was the leader, and therefore, his words were likely from Laird Johnson himself. Lana had warned her that Johnson was after her, but Skylar could never have imagined to what end. Johnson taking her for hiswifehad never crossed her mind. With her thoughts racing, she tried to make sense of the reason why. Thoughts of escape lingered in the back of her mind, but the realization that she was being forced to marry such an evil and malicious man trumped all else.
Then it came to her. If Johnson took her, he wouldownher. If he married her, no other would dare try and rescue her. She would be trapped, a prisoner, unable to use her gifts to help the Jacobite rebellion as her mother had done. She would be Johnson’s property—his to do with as he pleased.
There was no way she would agree with it. She would sooner die first. Besides, her father would never allow it.
Father will save me.
“Ye are wrong,” she said confidently, lifting her chin with pride. “My father will never agree tae a union between myself and Laird Johnson.”
The leader threw his head back and bellowed out a hearty laugh. The others around them joined in. Skylar’s confidence suddenly waned, and she frowned with confusion. Watching as the laughter around her continued, a strange sense of dread began to slowly rise within her.
Eventually, Colum calmed himself, and the other soldiers followed his lead like sheep. He looked at her once again with a deathly glare and grinned wickedly.
“Yer father is dead,” he said bluntly. “Yer father has been dead for years. In fact, he was murdered nae a week after ye were sent away tae hide.”
Throwing her hand to her mouth, Skylar yelped in despair. She tried to stop the tears but her eyes welled up as her heart broke into what felt like countless tiny pieces.
Lana had said nothing about it in her letter. Maybe she did not know, or perhaps she had thought it best not to share such dreadful news until they saw each other again. What did it really matter now?
Her mother had been murdered before her very eyes, and now she had lost her father too. He had been dead for four long years, and she had known nothing about it. She ought not to have been surprised—both her parents had played a dangerous game in supporting the Jacobite rebels. Deep in her core, she felt sorrow and grief that she had been given no chance to say goodbye to either of them.
Looking about her, she watched as the men who surrounded her sneered and leered as though she were a juicy piece of meat on a platter. There was no way out of this situation, not if she could not escape before they took her back to the Lowlands. She was on her own. There was no one now who could help her.
“Do ye ken who I am?” the leader said, slowly walking toward her like a prowling animal.
Skylar dropped her gaze and looked down at the ground, shaking her head.
“My name is Colum Brady,” he said, stepping toward her and closing the small gap that had separated them. “I’m Laird Johnson’s war chief and closest confidant. That means he trusts me above all others,” he continued, coming to a stop a foot in front of her. Lifting his hand, he took hold of her chin and forced her face up. Skylar could not help but look at him. His eyes were full of lust, as though he wanted to devour her there and then. Her skin crawled with a mixture of disgust and fear, but somewhere deep within her, a small voice of reason told her that he could not touch her if she was meant for his master.
“I ken what ye’re thinking,” he drawled, a sly smile dancing upon his lips. “Ye think because ye’re going tae be the laird’s wife, that I cannae lay a hand on ye. But ye ken, that’s where ye’d be wrong.”
His thumb slowly caressed her cheek. The sensation made her want to pull sharply away from him, but she dared not move. These men had already shown what they were capable of, and Skylar had the surest feeling that this one was the most dangerous and most violent of them all. His thumb moved slowly to caress her bottom lip, tugging it forward slightly so her lips parted.
“I do envy the laird for taking such a lavishly beautiful bride tae his bed,” he continued, his voice low and husky. He was evidently getting aroused by what he was doing, whereas Skylar only felt repulsed. Yet, so busy had she been, listening to his words and feeling sick to her stomach, she had not been aware of his other hand.
Suddenly, he produced a gleaming dagger and with a swift movement of his wrist tore her dress to her cleavage. Skylar jumped with fright, and a gasp escaped from her lips.
He sneered at her reaction. “Just because I cannae kill ye and be careful nae tae hurt ye,” he said, his eyebrows raised in an expression of mock concern, “doesnae mean I cannae do anything with ye. In fact, I quite like the idea o’ using ye for my pleasure. The laird could never ken if ye were pure ‘afore we were sent tae this godforsaken place tae get ye.” He jerked his head in the general direction of the convent.
The entire time he had been talking, Skylar had been thinking of her best move. There were not very many options, but seeing how his thumb was already so close to her mouth, she took the most opportune choice. Opening her jaws wide, she brought her teeth down with force and bit his hand with the ferocity of a wild dog. He screamed out in pain and, in reaction, slapped her hard across the face.
