Page 7 of Captured By the Cruel Highlander
“Nay,” he said sternly. “What will it take for ye to realize that ye belong to me now? Ye dinnae have any choice in what ye do from here on out. I make the rules, and I make the decisions. Is that clear?”
“Nae in the slightest,” she retorted. “I willnae do the biddin’ of a man who kidnapped me without a word of explanation on me weddin’ day.”
He scoffed. “Some husband James Stewart would have made.” Then he added, almost to himself, “I didnae ken he had it in him.”
“Let me go.”
“Ye’re injured.”
“I dinnae care.”
“Me castle isnae far.”
She paused, staring up at him in amazement. “Y—yer castle?”
“Aye. Now ye’re less eager to run, I see. Adam Kane, Laird MacNiall, at yer service.”
“At me service, is it? I dinnae care for yerservicesif this is how I am to be treated,” she grumbled.
“Ye have a mouth on ye,” he muttered.
“Aye. It’s as fierce as yer grip.”
“Listen,” he said in exasperation, “ye may want yer betrothed more than any man in the land, but for now, all ye have is me. Yer words, yer body, even yer breaths belong to me.”
“I dinnaebelongto anyone but meself. And I will find a way to escape once there isnae so much bog about me skirts.”
He snorted. “So desperate to marry, are ye?”
“If I dinnae, he would kill me family! That’s ifyedidnae already kill me braither,” she snapped.
With that, she turned to face ahead and didn’t look back at him again.
The Laird had a darkness to him that called to her on a level she didn’t understand. His huge hands and dominant voice made her want to do anything he asked. It was an immediate visceral reaction to being in his presence—and a confusing one. She’d never felt this dizzy, this distracted by a man before.
What would it be like to be commanded by him? To be ordered to do his bidding?
What if he ordered me to touch him?
The idea of placing her hands on all that hard flesh sent a shiver down her spine. Emily pushed away the thought, clenching her fists.
This man just kidnapped me, and now I’m dreamin’ about him as though he is me betrothed.
She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the horizon.
“I only scratched yer braither, ye wild creature. He will be fine,” he said casually. “I dinnae kill people unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
She sat in stony silence, hoping he was right. The sight of Bruce’s hand covered in blood wouldn’t leave her mind.
“Are ye listenin’ to me?” he asked. She made no answer, and he huffed out a breath. “Give me an answer, or I’ll put ye over the saddle like a coney I’m bringin’ to the kitchens.”
“Aye, I’m listenin’,” she muttered.
“I’ll take care of James Stewart, lass, ye hear me? He’ll nae be a threat to ye after I’m finished with him. But in order to be able to do that, I need ye to stay with me for a little while.”
“Ye mean ye have to kidnap me for a few days until he’s stupid enough to try to get me back?”
“I was thinkin’ somethin’ more permanent than that, lass,” he stated.
