Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (20 page)

Gavin knew this
would send her over the edge, which she proved a moment later.

“Alive . . .” Her
sobs of joy outweighed her tremendous fear, at least for the present.

He held her close
while she absorbed the revelation. Aware that Alex impatiently waited to
reunite with his daughter, Gavin lifted her into the cradle of his arms and
carried her away from the battle scene with the joyous blackguard following in
his wake.

When the Macleods
were mounted, Gavin said to Ella, “Tis yer father’s right to explain all to ye,
his beloved daughter.”

“I’m . . .I’m
terrified.”

“I will be with
ye, holding yer hand,” he stated, giving her an affectionate squeeze. “I will
ne’er leave yer side.”

Although she
nodded, the thought of seeing her papa again sent sheer black fright sweeping
through her.

Alex Mackenzie
paced the length of the large tent set a short distance away from his castle,
which at present, Philip of Greystone controlled. However, this temporary
inconvenience  is not why a thrill of frightened eagerness and raw emotion
vibrated through his chest. Nae, his heightened anxiety derived from the
anticipation of seeing his daughter again. 

When word came,
informing Alex of her safety, he had immediately commanded his men to take back
the Mackenzie fortress with explicit instruction to keep Baron Greystone alive.
Once he saw his daughter, and held her in his arms, he would finish off the
bastard who had kept her captive in hell for eight years.

Not a patient man
by nature, Alex continued to pace with his hands fisted behind his back.
Apprehension knifed at his heart, thinking of all he needed to say to his
precious youngest child.

Alex startled,
hearing the sound of approaching horses followed by his men announcing Laird
Macleod’s arrival.  His rigid body ceased to move as he stared at the
entrance of the tent, waiting for her to enter.

Ella tightened her
grip on Gavin’s hand as he led her into an enormous tent. She instantly saw her
father, a man she had not seen in eight long years, standing a few paces away.

He stood tall and
straight like a towering spruce. His blonde hair, now sprinkled with gray,
remained thick and long.  Despite a few creases around his eyes, his
features had changed very little. At two score and five, he looked at least ten
years younger. The ruggedly handsome face she remembered so vividly reflected
pure astonishment. Silence loomed between them for what seemed like eternity,
until something miraculous broke the tension. Ella saw his piercing blue eyes
fill with tenderness and longing.

Her powerful need
for forgiveness replaced fear, guilt, and shame. She released Gavin’s hand, and
then slowly walked over to her father. In a faint whisper, she cried, “Papa,
please . . . please forgive me.”

Alex Mackenzie’s
heart broke, hearing those words. Just before his daughter fell to her knees,
pleading for forgiveness, he enfolded her fragile body in his arms. He held his
baby close, silently thanking God for bringing her back into his life.

“Isabel . . .
Bella, my precious angel. I love ye. I have ne’er stopped loving ye.” He closed
his eyes, savoring the gift the good Lord granted him this day.

He cupped her
dirty, elfin face in his large hands, and then with loving eyes, took in the
features that clearly marked her as Emma’s daughter. Those glade green eyes,
sparkled with gold, were unmistakable and completely breathtaking. “Ye are a
dream come true, my angel. Ye dinna ken how beautiful ye look to me. I have
missed ye so much. The pain of losing ye . . .” He pulled her back into his
arms, unable to continue, and cried for the second time in his adult life. The
first time happened after he lost his wife and daughter. He cried now because
he had a second chance.

“Ye dinna kill yer
mother,” he declared strongly. “I saw her afore. . . Trust me, she dinna die
from an arrow wound.”

“I love ye, Papa.”

He gently rocked
her as he absorbed those powerful words. Once he regained control of his raw
emotions, he explained how and why Baron Greystone deceived them. Alex did not
loosen his hold on her until he saw the man standing beside Gavin at the tent
entrance.

He kissed her
forehead, and then turned her around as he said, “There is another who has
great need to see ye.”

 Ella’s eyes
widened, recognizing her brother at the opening of the tent.

Guy stared,
awestruck by the sight of her.

“Bella . . . my
wee Bella.”

Guy’s eyes kindled
with emotion he rarely displayed. They had an impenetrable bond, formed on the
day of her birth and strengthened throughout her childhood. Although Hamon was
closer in age to their sweet sister, Guy was the one who had shared an
unbreakable connection to her. Family and friends had often remarked on their
similar personalities, and that she was the female version and wee replica of
him. That assessment always filled him with pride, as did the way she trailed
after him. When he taught her to swim and do tricks on horseback, her fearless
nature and unequivocal trust astonished him. In truth, it was her unwavering
trust in him to keep her safe he remembered most. When he learned of her death,
a part of him died with her, his baby sister.

Unabashed by his
eagerness, he rushed over and picked her up so her feet dangled in the air.
Still small and delicate, but slightly taller, he acknowledged. He held her
close, fearing she would disappear, and then said, “I have missed ye so much,
Bella. And I have always, will always love ye, 
my
 wee Bella.”

Her heart burst
with emotion. “I love you. I love you so incredibly much. Remembering the
moments I spent with you, the way you could always make me laugh or smile,
filled my heart with joy. I thought you would hate me.”

He slowly lowered
her to the ground, and then cupped her face. Unleashed rage impaled him as he
absorbed the impact of what she had suffered.  He had never felt such
intense emotion as he did at this moment.

“Nae, sweet Bella.
Ne’er are ye to think . . .We love ye so much and-”

An unexpected
commotion outside the tent halted Guy’s choked admission. Recognizing Keir’s
bellow of outrage, he smiled and whispered, “I believe there is someone here to
see ye, lass.”

Ella bolted from tent,
hearing her eldest brother.

With the unwanted
help of the men standing nearby, Keir dismounted and stumbled toward his
father’s tent. Before reaching his destination, he saw her, and then
prominently fell to his knees. She looked beautiful, captivating, and the
spitting image of her mother.

All the pain Keir
felt instantly vanished when she fell to her knees and wrapped her slender arms
around his neck.  The way she cried in his arms reminded him of a similar
scene from years ago.

The moment Hamon had
left to foster with other clans, his wee sister, blinded by tears, rushed into
his embrace. He held her close then, as he did now.

She continued to
sob in his arms as other memories assailed him. Teaching her how to defend
herself, wrestling with her in the great hall, and listening to her non-stop
chatter came to mind. And her laughter! Dear God, her laughter could make the
hardest warrior smile.

“Bella, are ye
hurt?”

“Nae, but I have
missed you so incredibly much. I love ye. . .so much.”

Keir closed his
eyes.“I love ye too, dear sister. Do ye nae ken how precious ye are to me?”

He continued to
speak, but not to her, “Thank ye, Lord. Thank ye for giving her back to us. I
canna ever repay . . .” His voice broke and he cried his gratitude into her
shoulder.

A short time
later, Ella assisted her eldest brother to stand. After a few steps toward the
tent, they startled, hearing the thunderous sound of an approaching horse.

“Bella! Bella!”

Upon waking at
Doran Castle, Hamon learned the truth about his sister. She had endured hell
for eight years at Greystone as part of Philip’s revenge against their father.
She had kept her identity a secret, even after Gavin kidnapped and married her.
In addition, and only hours ago, she rescued all three of her brothers by
sacrificing herself. After learning this, nothing mattered but seeing his
Bella.

During the ride to
the Mackenzie fortress, he remembered those glorious days of teaching her how
to walk, run, and climb trees. Like him, she loved being outside and possessed
a passion for nature and animals. His heart swelled, remembering how she
reacted when someone scolded her. Bella would instantly cuddle up to their
father’s wolfhounds, but fly into his outstretched arms the moment he entered
the hall. Both mother and daughter were, and would always be, the heart of the
Mackenzie Clan.

Joy radiated from
Hamon as he lifted his baby sister into his arms. He swung the wee spitfire
around and around, and then said, “Bella! Bella, my God . . . I . . .” Like his
father and brothers before him, emotion choked his words and moisture gathered
in his eyes.

“I love you,
Hamon. Thank God you are well. I was so worried about you.”

“I love ye, wee
Bella,” said Hamon as he stared at the blood and tears on her pretty
face. 
She is a mess, a beautiful mess.

“Ye look just like
yer mother.”

Hamon grinned when
she started to sob, knowing that her tears sprung from happiness. He pulled her
in tight, but noticed that his brothers, father, Gavin, as well as many
Highlanders watched the joyous reunion. With an elated smile, he scooped her
body into his arms and carried her into the tent.

He gently set her
down on a stool, which she bolted from an instant later.

“Keir! I must tend
to his feet. Guy, Hamon, are ye hurt? My satchel . . . I must get . . .”

Amusement and
tenderness flickered in Gavin’s eyes as he held out her satchel. Before taking
it, she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him with all the joy she
felt.

“I will get ye
some water, my love.” He cupped her small face in his hands, and then
whispered, “I love ye, and am verra happy for ye. I will be back in a moment.”

“I love ye, too”
she replied lovingly. The tenderness in his voice soothed her frantic state.
After she watched him disappear into the warming rays of the sun, she noticed
the expressions of the men surrounding her. With arched eyebrows and broad
smiles, her father and brothers displayed their approval of her marriage, and
the love they witnessed between her and her husband. Blissfully happy and
thankful to be alive, she let out a shriek of delight.

Gavin returned a
few moments later, and then stood back with Alex to enjoy the spectacular scene
of Ella with her brothers. While she tended to Keir’s injuries, Hamon and Guy
tried desperately to clean her face. Stubbornly, she continued moving her face
to see around their insistent hands.

Both Gavin and
Alex burst out laughing when they heard her next comment.

“Get ye gone! Och,
I canna see what I’m doing!”

Guy laughed along
with his brothers, and then said, “’Tis good to hear yer Highland burr has
returned.”

The siblings
continued to speak and jest the way they did when they were children, keeping
their sister well occupied so their father could slip out of the tent.

Gavin would never
forget the smile on her face as she ministered to their injuries, or the frown
that replaced it a moment later, aware of her father’s absence.

“Papa?”

Gavin walked over
to her and said, “He went to kill the man who hurt ye for eight years.”

“Bella,” Guy
began, “we can stay here or we can-”

“We go,” she
exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

Guy spoke to his
brothers, “Gavin and I will take her to the bailey. Meet us there.”

Facing his wife,
Gavin asked, “Are ye sure ye want to watch this?”

Ella nodded
without hesitation. She then dragged Gavin and Guy from the tent. She stopped
abruptly, and then ran back inside. She kissed and hugged her brothers before
asking, “Ye will come?”

They smiled with
unabashed joy, and then Hamon said, “Aye, Bella.”

After running out
of the tent, she pulled Gavin and Guy by their hands, trying desperately to
speed up their sluggish pace.

Alex felt such
pride, seeing his daughter enter the bailey with her husband and brothers. Most
women would refuse to watch one man kill another, but not his extraordinary
daughter.

Although she did
not relish in the sight of killing, as did some warriors, Ella needed to
witness her father kill Baron Greystone, the man she learned murdered her
mother.

Alex Mackenzie
looked over at his children. Gavin stood behind his daughter with his arm wrapped
around her waist. Hamon stood beside Gavin, tall and proud, with his hand on
his sister’s shoulder. Guy held her one hand, while Keir sat on stool, holding
the hand she laid on his shoulder.

Alex silently
spoke to his wife, feeling her presence with him. 
My beloved, do ye see
our children! They are together again! I promise ye, my love, I will protect
them until death . . . until ye and I are reunited once more. Then we will
watch our children protect each other, as we always knew they would. I love ye,
Emma, and today justice will be served.

Throwing a sword
at Baron Greystone’s feet, Alex roared, “Cut him loose.”

Philip staggered
to the sword, picked it up, and then spat, “The day you took that unfaithful
bitch as wife, I vowed to have my revenge.”

“Ye will die for
killing Emma and inflicting eight years of pain on Isabel,” Alex growled.

Philip decided to
incite the man further. “Did I tell you how much Baron Montgomery and I enjoyed
flaying the skin from your daughter’s back? I beat her often and with relish.
When she tried to crawl away, I kicked her over and-“

Alex bellowed the
Mackenzie battle cry and lunged at Baron Greystone. His claymore repeatedly
sang through the air, attacking his greatest enemy. Baron Greystone met him
halfway, parrying each blow with ruthless precision.

Despite Philip’s
strength and speed, Alex’s one clear advantage was that he fought left-handed,
forcing Baron Greystone to adjust to an unorthodox style of combat.

As the battle
progressed, both men grew more savage in their intent to kill.

 Alex
alternated his fighting stance continuously, keeping Philip on the defense
while ruthlessly hacking away at him. His unpredictability, his greatest weapon
in battle, always gained him the upper hand.

Philip evaded yet
another powerful downward cut, and then struck Mackenzie in the face with the
pommel of his sword. The dishonorable move awarded him nothing.

Alex shook off the
blow, and then unleashed eight years of pent up rage. He felt neither fatigue
nor pain as he wielded the powerful claymore. The sheer velocity and driving
force increased steadily with each blow, sending Philip stumbling in a futile
effort to remain unscathed.

Baron Greystone
suddenly gasped in pain, feeling steel slice through his abdomen. Although he
raised his sword high in the air, preparing to deliver a death blow.

Seeing the opening
his enemy presented, Mackenzie lunged forward, thrusting his blade straight
through Philip’s stomach.

Baron Greystone
lowered his arms, looked up from his mortal wound, with blood gurgling from his
mouth. His expression displayed shocked disbelief when he said “I-”

“Will burn in hell
for eternity,” Alex growled, finishing the dying man’s statement. He then
twisted the blade, still deeply embedded within the body of his wife’s murderer,
putting an end to Philip of Greystone’s life. When he yanked his sword free and
watched the body crumble to the ground, Alex felt surreal gratification.

“Papa!”

Hearing that
beautiful voice call out to him, Alex turned and saw his youngest child sprinting
across the bailey. He caught her as she flew into his arms, and then heard the
zealous cheers of three clans united as one.

Clan Mackenzie,
Macleod, and Fraser stood together and watched the powerful Laird reunite with
his beloved daughter after eight long years. Her brothers, husband, and the
Macleod blackguard watched the tender moment and their heart’s swelled with the
knowledge that Isabel . . .Bella . . . Ella had her family back.