Revenge (Book 3 of Lost Highlander series) (23 page)

He’d known him his whole life. The man had faithfully served his father before him. Redmond deserved a proper burial, his family deserved recompense. And his brother was waiting for him to sort the nonsense that bloody fool Pietro had gotten them into. He couldn’t leave Quinn on the verge of a clan war, and the poor lass Bella at her miserly father’s mercy.

“Ah, bugger.”

He stoppered the vial and strode away from the wretched corpse, unable to be near it anymore. Dropping to his knees, he put his head in his hands, visions of Piper racing through his mind. He longed to hold her, forcing down panic that he may never again. He couldn’t stand thoughts of her sadness. God knew why, but she loved him. She had been bereft during the months he had foolishly left her the first time. He pummeled the ground with his fists.

She was a sweet lass, always putting everyone before herself. She wouldn’t be pleased if he left his brother to handle a problem he’d made, that he could probably end with a few words. He had to trust she had made it home to her own time, and was safe. He swallowed the sour taste of his decision and with one last bitter glance at the witch, set off to where he’d tied his horse.

He found his brother and his men where he’d left them, huddled impatiently waiting for his return. He was relieved to see Pietro had brought Bella from her hiding place and he gave his wife a cold stare. His lip quirked up when she returned his sour look in spades, glad to see her feisty attitude was still firmly in place. She would need all the courage she could muster for what they were about to face.

Pietro tightened his hold about her waist and Lachlan nodded at him, his eyebrows shooting up when he noticed the Glen plaid for the first time. So that was how he had gotten Bella out of the castle. It was clever. And brave. He supposed he owed him a proper apology for the pummeling he’d given him. Piper had let him know in no uncertain terms how much she disapproved of his penchant to hit first and ask questions later. He flexed his fists at his sides now as he looked out at the courtyard, brightly lit with torches and crawling with armed men.

“How many?” he asked his brother.

Quinn shrugged and looked bleak. “More than we have,” he said.

He noticed Lachlan was alone and opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Lachlan held up his hand to stay him. He couldn’t explain Piper’s absence, or speak of Redmond’s death just now. His men needed to be focused on the task at hand. It was likely to be bloody and they would need their wits about them.

His side twinged and he put his hand on the scar there. He almost laughed when he realized he’d been a part of this already. This was most certainly the skirmish he’d landed in when he was trying to get to Piper’s time. He’d asked her if there had been any battles that had taken place on the property, and she hadn’t known. It was because it hadn’t taken place yet. Not in his time or her history. They had set this in motion. How many more things were they going to muck up and change?

He missed Piper already, so much his teeth ached, but could he risk more damage to be with her? It was all he wanted. Just to walk away and do his chant and grind his herbs, find her and rest easy in her arms.

He glanced at his brother, looking out at the Glens. His face was tight, his eyes worried. Only Lachlan, who knew him so well, knew the lad was afraid. Quinn was not yet twenty-two, but had shown himself an admirable leader in Lachlan’s absence. He should not have had to do the things Lachlan had left him to do.

With a rush of shame, he knew he was no better than his father, who had left them to fend for themselves while he gallivanted around the country drinking away his grief and seducing heiresses.

With a resolute breath, he turned to his men. They straightened up and took hold of their horses. They were ready to fight.

“I shall ride ahead and ask to speak to Tavish. We must hope he is hospitable to what I offer, which is only that my wife be allowed to leave with me, and no actions taken against us.”

Bella quietly sobbed and tried to muffle her tears in Pietro’s chest. Lachlan frowned, hoping she could put on a better face for her father. He knew she was frightened, but it would do their cause no good to have her dissolved in tears. He tried to convey this in a look to Pietro, who set about consoling her.

“Our first hope is peace between the clans,” he continued, looking each man in the eye. “But if it comes to it, we fight. We fight for the honor of my wife.” He paused, swallowing down the lie in the words. Then his voice grew stronger. His men needed his strength, even if that too was a lie. “We fight for the honor of our name.”

He mounted his horse and his men followed suit. He reached down and helped Bella to mount in front of him, to show a united front for her father. Everyone was in a frenzy, his first words of peace lost in the promise of a battle. The scar in his side throbbed a warning and he silently begged forgiveness of the wives who would become widows that night, the children who would lose their fathers.

His only thoughts were of Piper as he kicked his horse forward and rode ahead, desolate and hopeless. He prayed she would live a happy life, and that he might catch a glimpse of her again one day.

Thank you for reading Revenge!

Sam and Evie now available!

Also, look for the 4th book in the Lost Highlander series in summer 2014

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