Page 63 of Married to the Icy Highlander
Ferguson’s eyes flashed with rage. “I am owed me prize, Ceana, and I willnae let ye keep it from me for a moment longer!”
“Over me dead body.”
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“Over me dead body,” a deep voice echoed through the house.
Ceana looked up to see Neil’s large body filling the front doorway. Relief shot through her instantly as he caught Ferguson’s arm in midair and pushed him back with such force that he stumbled over his feet and fell on his arse.
“Are ye all right?”
Ceana had never been better than she was right now.
Not only was she beyond grateful to her husband for showing up at the exact moment she realized she was in real danger, but she now had the pleasure of witnessing Ferguson falling on his arse.Thatwould be an image she would happily replay in her mind any time she wished to.
“Aye,” she whispered.
The moment she told Neil that she was all right, he rounded on Ferguson. There was something dark in his eyes, something that thrilled and frightened her at the same time.
“Ye’re a dead man for threatenin’ me wife,” he spat.
Ferguson attempted to crawl away from him, wanting to put as much space between them as possible.
Ceana didn’t look away. She didn’t so much as turn her head for a moment. If he was going to die, then she was going to witness every second of it. For everything that he had done to her family, all of the pain that he had caused her parents and, most of all, her mother, it was the very least he deserved.
“M’Laird, have mercy! Wait! Wait a moment. M’Laird—please, please!” Ferguson begged as he scrambled back on his arse in an attempt to flee.
But Neil had already drawn his sword. He pointed the tip of the blade at Ferguson’s chest, and Ceana would be lying if she said that she didn’t enjoy that part just a little bit more than she should. She couldn’t help herself.
Neil turned to look at her over his shoulder. “Does this man deserve mercy despite the pain he’s caused?” he asked, putting Feguson’s life in her hands.
Ceana stood tall, her chin raised as she looked down at the man who had haunted them for years, who had attempted to steal from them everything they held dear. “Nay, he doesnae.”
Neil nodded once as if that was all he needed to know and drove his sword into the man’s chest.
Ferguson wheezed, a look of pure shock on his face that whatever foolish plans he had made had failed him in the end. Ceana only wished she had the courage to finish him off years ago.
Neil pulled back his sword, wiped the blade, and then resheathed it.
A moment later, Ersie burst through the front door, and she gasped at the sight of Neil standing over Ferguson’s dead body.
For a moment, Ceana could have sworn that her friend was going to laugh at the sight.
But Ersie schooled her features and nodded once. “I came to check on Ceana as soon as Jeanie fell asleep, but, uh… I’d better take care of this, M’Laird.”
Neil merely nodded and held out his hand to Ceana, but she didn’t take it. He furrowed his brow.
She wasn’t ready for that, not yet. She had just watched him kill a man. A very bad man, granted, but that didn’t erase the bigger issue between them. Why was he even here?
Ceana walked out the front door, her arms wrapped around herself as if she were trying to hide from the world. Neil followed her, just as she wanted him to.
The two of them walked in silence for a while until she was certain they were alone.
“Why are ye here?”
Seeing the timing, Neil certainly hadn’t come here because of Ferguson or the nonsense he had always pulled. He couldn’t have possibly known that she needed help.
He looked hesitant, but she gave him time to think.
