Page 10 of The Highlander Steals a Virgin
Rhys walked to his horse and retrieved his saddle bag and a rolled blanket. He went to Amara and wrapped the blanket over her shoulders. She stared at him, her mouth gaping open in surprise. She’d not expected him to be so gentlemanly. Grabbing the edges of the blanket, she pulled it tighter around her and held the ends together at her throat.
She stood there uncomfortably, unsure what to do as her eyes traced the movements of the men as they made camp. Had this been her clan, she would have been doing whatever she could tohelp. She didn’t like doing nothing and preferred to keep herself busy. But she was their prisoner, and she was not going to make anything easier on them.
The fire, she realized was just for warmth. There’d be no hot meal this night. William passed out cheese, bread, and some nuts to everyone, herself included, and they all gathered around the fire. Amara stood where she was, not wanting to get any closer to them than she had to. Even though her thighs were starting to shake begging for the relief of sitting down, she remained standing.
The stars were bright, shining like little lights against a black blanket. The moon wasn’t yet full, but a good-sized sliver of it shown down on them, giving a little light to the area. Her gaze shifted to the trees, tall and sinister looking at night.
“Ye could save us a great deal of trouble, lass, if ye were wantin’ to.”
Amara jerked her gaze to William who had addressed her. For answer, she raised an eyebrow and clutched her blanket tighter.
“Tell us where our kinsman, Finn, is bein’ held,” he continued.
The camp went completely quiet except for the crackling of the fire, where Myles stood, stoking it with a long stick, and some night insects calling out to each other.
“Now why would I want to do that?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“To prevent bloodshed.” This from the laird. He didn’t look back at her from where he sat atop his bedroll near the fire.
Amara hesitated, then stepped closer to him. She stood next to him, waiting for him to lift his head to look at her, but he didn’t.
“Yers or ours?” she smirked.
This time, he did look up at her. His expression was cold. Firelight danced in his brown eyes. “Ye need only to remember what happened six years ago to have yer answer.”
He turned back to gaze into the fire. Amara rubbed her arms, trying to rid herself of the chill that took over. Her clan had been massacred, in their own home, andhehad been the harbinger of death for so many of them. She understood all too well what he’d meant. It would be her people who suffered the most.
5
Rhys wasn’t sure what woke him, but he sat up suddenly, his eyes scanning the camp. His dirk was already in his hand, practically before he’d sat up. And then he knew.
Amara.
Rhys cast a disgruntled look in Myles’ direction. He was supposed to be on watch. The bastard was sound asleep, his jaw unhinged as he leaned against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest.
He didn’t panic. He doubted she could have gone too far in the dark. The wood here was thick and dense and she’d likely get lost before she made it more than a few steps.
If anything happened to the lass…
Rhys cut the thought off before he could get himself too worked up. Swinging the blanket off his body, he got to his feet and went in search of Amara. It didn’t take long to find her. As he’d figured, she hadn’t tried to escape. She was too smart for that.
She sat on a patch of moss beneath a leaning pine. She was far enough from the stream that she wasn’t in danger of falling into it, but close enough to hear the rhythm of the water as it gurgled by. She sat very still, her head bowed and resting on her knees. His gut clenched with a twinge of guilt.
The plan to exchange Amara for Finn had been a solid one had it been any other laird apparently,Rhys thought sourly.
He had not planned on keeping her prisoner for more than a few hours. She should be at home, safely tucked into her own bed right now, dreaming of new gowns or whatever lasses dreamed of.
Instead, she was sitting in the dark with three strangers, enemies of her clan, her life uncertain and frightening.
“A bear would be quieter than ye.”
Rhys blinked and stared at her back. She hadn’t moved when she’d made that comment. Her voice had been a little muffled since her face was buried in her knees, but he’d heard her clear enough. The corner of his mouth twitched.
“I wasnae tryin’ to be quiet,” he responded.
She looked up then, turning her head to face him. “’Tis a good thing then.” She sighed and pulled her skirts tighter around her bent legs. “Why are ye here? I told ye I dinnae need to be bound, which meant I wouldnae try to escape.” She paused. “At least for tonight.”
“I wanted to make sure ye were alright,” Rhys admitted.
