Page 121 of A Wife for the Highland Villain
Alasdair’s chest heaved, his voice steady even as their blades locked. “Aye, ye’re right. Ye ken me moves. But ye ken what else ye were right about?”
He swung hard, knocking Nathan’s sword from his hand. It hit the ground with a clatter.
His voice rose sharply. “That I am a pirate.”
He slammed his boot into Nathan’s chest, and he fell to the ground, gasping.
Alasdair loomed over him. “And one thing ye daenae ken about pirates, Nathan, is that they’re unpredictable.” He kicked him again, each word cutting deeper. “Ye tried to kill me wife nae once, nae twice, but thrice!” His boot slammed into Nathan’s ribs. “That, I cannae forgive.”
He pulled out his sword, ready to end it right there and then, but at the very last minute, another thought occurred to him.
He reached down and pulled Nathan by the hair. If he was going to end this, he needed the spectacle. Nathan clawed at his hands and groaned in pain, but Alasdair didn’t budge. His hands remained fisted in Nathan’s hair as he dragged him out of the woods.
Lily followed in silence, her face pale and her eyes still wide with shock.
Alasdair dragged Nathan into the clearing, throwing him to the ground before the cottage. Conall and Brigid stood near, their eyes trained on the sight. Around them, Nathan’s men watched in uneasy silence.
Alasdair’s voice rang clear. “Take heed, all of ye. This man was yer leader. And this is his fate.”
Nathan coughed blood, but his sneer did not fade. “Ye’ll always be a pirate, Alasdair. Nothing but a lowly pirate. That will never change. Ye’ll never be fit to be Laird. And aye, yer friend will never be fit to be a Laird’s man-at-arms.”
Alasdair looked down at him, his voice cold. “I would love to prove ye wrong. ‘Tis only a shame ye willnae be here to see it.”
He raised his sword and drove it straight through Nathan’s chest.
Nathan’s body jerked, blood spilling from his lips. His eyes went wide, then glazed over. Alasdair pulled the blade free and stepped back, letting him fall to the ground.
The men around them recoiled, fear clear on their faces.
Alasdair turned around. “I should kill all of ye right here,” he growled.
Murmurs rippled through them, and their faces dropped.
Alasdair’s eyes flicked to Lily. She shook her head faintly, her lips trembling. He read her meaning.Daenae do it.
He nodded quickly and looked back at the men. “See? Even after what ye’ve done, she still wishes ye nay harm.”
The men’s eyes darted to Lily, shame weighing their shoulders. Their voices rose to thank her, thick with guilt.
Alasdair raised his sword again, his voice sharp. “But hear me well. Ye get this graceonce. Just once. I hear one more rumor of her being a witch, one more plot, one more whisper… and yer deaths will be far more brutal than his.” He pointed to Nathan’s body. “Do ye understand me? There will be nay more bloodshed today. But that can change the moment ye decide to threaten her again.”
The ensuing silence was long and heavy until the men nodded and bowed their heads.
“Dismissed,” Alasdair barked.
When the men dispersed, Alasdair lowered his sword and turned to Lily. He reached for her hand, guiding her a little away from the cottage and the dead.
His voice softened. “Are ye all right?”
She nodded at first, but then her face crumpled, and her tears spilled over. “Aye. I just…I cannae imagine what he would have done if ye hadnae come.”
Her voice shook, and her body trembled as the relief hit her.
Alasdair pulled her close, his arm strong around her. She buried her face in his chest, sobs tearing from her throat. He held her tightly, his chin resting on the crown of her head.
“I promise ye,” he whispered, his voice rough, “I will always be there whenever ye need me.”
He continued to hold her in the silence and let her cry against his chest.
