Page 62 of Highlander's Runaway Seductress
“Ben,” she tried. “Why nae just go back to the city and back to the castle? Me faither—”
“Needs to give me the silver!” Ben raged. “I will keep ye here until I get it.”
The crunch of boots had Amelie’s head snapping up and Ben whirling in place.
Out of the burgeoning gloom came her father, and Damien.
“Is that all she’s worth to ye, Ben?” Damien asked. “A sack of silver?
Ben’s face darkened—and before she could react, he grabbed her, spun her around and placed a sharp steel knife at her throat.
“This shouldnae have come to this. If only ye would have given me the silver from the first day I asked ye for it. Now, the silver if ye will and get me a carriage out of here,” he snarled.
While they both faced Ben, Amelie spotted Colin’s face and it was drained of blood, but his jaw tightened, and his tone was calm. “And what will ye do if I daenae hand the sack over?”
The icy-cold edge of the knife grazed Amelie’s neck and she went rigid in fear.
Ben hissed, “Then it will cost the life of yer daughter.”
“This clearin’ is surrounded by soldiers and warriors who will kill ye without sparin’ a blink,” her father said. “How do ye think ye’ll make it out?”
“By bringin’ her with me,” Ben said. “I need that money.”
“And ye were ready to kill me for it,” Damien replied, as he stepped further into the clearing. He looked a little worse for wear, with dark circles around his eyes, and his skin was pale, but his eyes were as sharp and focused as ever. “He knocked me unconscious, tied me up and left me for dead. I suspect he drugged ye that night, Amelie, because ye dinnae move in the mornin’ when he came into the room and abducted me.”
“T’was ye fault,” Ben shouted. “Ye defaulted on our agreement! We were to take the lass to Dolberry, we would get the money and share it.”
Damien inched forward, and Amelie could see his eyes shifting, as if he were looking for a way to get Amelie out of Ben’s clutches.
“And I told ye that I dinnae think it right to just trade Amelie in for money as if she were cattle. She had found her faither, Ben. Do ye ken how precious this is? To ken that she has found somethin’ I never had?”
The Laird’s eyes swiveled to Damien and his face showed approval.
“Psh,” Ben snorted. “Ye’re soft, boy! I daenae recognize what ye’ve become. What happened to takin’ all ye can get and givin’ nothin’ back?”
“I changed,” Damien replied. “I’ve grown tired of stealin’, Ben. I daenae ken how long ye thought I could carry this on for. One day I would be caught and killed, that’s nae what I want for me life.”
“And what do ye want for yer life?” Ben sneered. “After all I have done for ye. Trained ye, gave ye the tools to make somethin’ for yerself, and this is how ye repay me? By forfeitin’ the largest payout of our lives?”
Damien edged closer. “And I told ye, how long would that money stay? It would run out and what then?”
“We’ll find another way,” Ben said. “Money will always be there for the takin’.”
“There is nay ‘we’, Ben,” Damien said calmly, “I’m nay goin’ back to Inverness.”
“Very well then,” Ben sneered. “I daenae care what ye do. Stay here and rot for all it will do ye, but I need that sack of silver, Dolberry.”
“Daenae ye hurt me daughter,” Colin said. “And I’ll give ye what ye want.”
“Ye’re comin’ with me,” Ben said in Amelie’s ear. “Damien, I can see ye tryin’ to find a way to rescue her, but if ye dare, she will pay the price for ye.”
Amelie saw her father wince and shift his head away from her—as if he could not bear to see her in perilous danger, as they all knew, one careless shift would spell the end of her life.
Ben inched back with her through the treeline, step by terrifying step away from the clearing.
The chill from the earlier snowfall spread through Amelie’s dress and the ice of the knife against her skin.
“Ben, surely ye wouldnae harm me? Ye saved me life once,” she pleaded. “Ye would really make me another victim? Like poor Rauri?”
