Page 117 of The Highlander's Christmas Bride

Thatbon motgenerated a round of outraged gasps. But since hewasLogan Kendrick, his warning had the desired effect.

“You are a complete idiot,” she said when he turned back to her.

“Got rid of them, didn’t I?”

She jabbed a finger into his chest. “You are going to ruin what little bit of reputation I have left.”

“You needn’t worry about your reputation. I’ll take care of that.”

“You just did. Now, can we please put an end to this utterly humiliating scene?”

“Not before I’m convinced that this nincompoop didn’t try to abduct you,” Logan shot back.

“I keep tellin’ ye I didn’t,” Roddy indignantly exclaimed. “And I’ll darken yer daylights if ye say it again.”

Donella twisted around. “Roddy, for your own sake, pleaseshut up.”

He grimaced. “But I canna have ye thinkin’ such a thing. Ye must know that I would never hurt ye. Never.”

Whatever his faults, Roddy didn’t have a devious bone in his body. “I know. I believe you.”

“Then what about your father?” Logan asked him. “Or others in the Murray Clan? Is there some reasontheywould want to hurt Donella or Lord Riddick?”

When the shopkeeper banged on the door behind them, poor Roddy almost jumped out of his boots.

“Would ye please stop blocking the door?” the man yelled through the glass. “My customers wish to leave.”

“I’m sorry,” Donella called back. Then she fixed Roddy with a stern look. “Roderick, go home. And do not mention this unfortunate encounter to your father. Understand?”

“But—”

“I mean it.” She turned and planted a hand on Logan’s chest and gave him a shove. “If you do not move, I will be forced to kick you in the shins. Which will definitely hurt me more than it hurts you.”

Logan scrubbed a frustrated hand over his face. “Donella, I need to—”

“What you need to do isstop.”

She took his arm and began dragging him away. Thankfully, this time he let her—but not without directing a scowl over his shoulder at Roddy.

“This isn’t finished, Murray,” Logan barked.

“Stop making a scene or I’ll murder you,” Donella hissed.

Perversely, that made him snort with amusement. “You know, for an almost-nun, you frequently sound quite bloodthirsty.”

Now that she’d finally escaped the scene, the sheer horror hit her full force. Roddy had been only seconds away from blurting out enough of the truth for Logan to guess the rest. And that likely would have resulted inrealmurder, or at least enough bloodshed to cause a dreadful mess.

“No need to fall into a snit, lass,” Logan said. “And you can hardly blame me, since we just ran into a man whose family tried to kidnap you. A man you were apparentlyverraclose to, whatever that means.”

She refused to look at him. “It doesn’t mean anything. He’s not terribly bright, as I’m sure you noticed.”

“Donella, what aren’t you telling me?”

She glanced up at him, exasperated. “Do you never give up?”

His answering smile managed to look both charming and feral. “Not when it comes to you.”

Panic once more began to thread icy tendrils through her brain. “It’s not your business.”

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