Page 3 of The Ruthless Highlander's Hellion
Marcus looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Aye, but what will ye do with her once ye’ve got her, Nicholas?”
Nicholas’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Leo wants to play games with me," he sneered, his eyes darkening with malice. "If he thinks takin’ me son is some jest, then I’ll show him how a real game is played." He paused, the cruel intent settling deeper into his bones. "I’ll enjoy breakin’ his sister, watchin’ her beg me for mercy."
"And if Leo doesnae give ye Charles back?"Marcus asked.
Nicholas’s eyes gleamed with a deadly light as he looked over at Marcus. "Then the lass should pray for a miracle," he replied coldly, his voice flat and final.
The wind blew harder, carrying with it the scent of earth and the promise of what was to come. Nicholas shifted in the saddle, the tension in his body coiling tighter with every passing minute. He could feel the excitement bubbling beneath his skin, and yet, something inside him warned that this wasn’t just about revenge. This was something far more dangerous.
Nicholas’s mind was already on the next step—how he would get Leo to bend to his will. The thought of the power he would wield once he had the lass in his grasp sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine.
Let him come for her, and I will rip him to shreds for what he has done.
"This mission will serve its purpose. It has to," he said, his tone barely above a whisper. "She’ll be the leverage I need to get me son back. And when Leo’s seen what I can do, he’ll have nay choice but to give him up."
"I am at yer side," Marcus said.
The words hung heavy in the air. Nicholas’s hand tightened on the reins as he shifted in his seat, his gaze never leaving the road ahead. He could already picture it—the moment when they would strike, when they would capture the woman and force Leo to submit.
And when it was over, there would be no turning back.
So help me if this ignites a war, then I shall be the victor or die tryin’.
“And the mercenaries?” Nicholas asked.
“Arrivin’ any minute,” Marcus said.
“And ye were silent about it? They shouldnae ken who I am,” Nicholas said.
“I was silent as the grave. They daenae ken who they work for, only that coin is to be had for their work and their silence,” Marcus said.
The sound of hooves approaching brought Nicholas out of his trance, his mind snapping back to the task at hand.
"The raidin’ party's almost here, Nicholas," Marcus informed him, his voice low but clear. "A group of ten mercenaries, as ye asked."
Nicholas nodded, his jaw clenched tightly. This was it. The moment he’d been waiting for, the moment he would begin to claw back what was rightfully his. "Good," he muttered, his voice thick with a dark promise. "Get them in line. I'll handle them."
As the mercenaries gathered before him, Nicholas moved his horse back and forth on the line with cold precision. His eyes swept over the group, taking in their hardened faces, the weapons strapped to their sides. He could smell the stench of sweat and blood on them, but it mattered little; they were tools for his purpose, and that was all.
He addressed them sharply, his voice carrying across the gathering. "Ye’re being paid well for yer silence," he began, his tone firm and unyielding. "This mission is simple: we raid a carriage, take the occupants hostage, and get out without a trace. Ye’ll be paid handsomely for yer work, but ye willnae tell a soul who I am, nor speak of this to anyone. Do ye understand?"
Each man stood still, listening intently. Nicholas's gaze never faltered as he looked them over, waiting for the response he knew would come. He could feel the weight of his words sinking in, could see the understanding in their eyes.
“And how do we ken we will be paid when the job is done?” a mercenary with a patch over his eye said.
“Ye dare question me honor?” Nicholas said.
The patch eye laughed, “There’s nay honor amongst thieves. I say ye pay us half before the job and half after.”
“What are ye called, lad?” Nicholas asked.
“Patch,” the young man answered.
“Of course, what else. Well, Patch, those are nae the terms,” Nicholas said.
“And why nae? Sounds like they be good terms to me,” Patch said.
“Because as ye said, there’s nay honor among thieves and if I pay ye half, what’s to say ye will nae run off with it and nae do the job?” Nicholas said, getting closer to the man.
