Highland Hellion (Highland Weddings #3)(10)

“Looking back toward MacPherson land?”

Rolfe jumped and growled at Adwin. His captain only flashed him a grin, which the moonlight illuminated.

“That little lassie will no’ be venturing out again.”

“I am no’ so certain of that,” Rolfe declared. “She is brazen by nature.”

Adwin made a low sound under his breath. “Learned so much about her in that wee moment ye were together?”

Rolfe answered him with a shrug. “Perhaps I understand females a wee bit better than ye do.”

“No’ bloody likely,” Adwin scoffed. “I’m still a good eight seasons older than ye, lad.”

“And still,” Rolfe said softly, “ye missed that fine pair of tits.”

Adwin humphed and gripped his belt.

*

It was a moment that seemed frozen.

Katherine had no idea how long she stared at the scene before her. One moment, she was feeling the sting of a blush on her cheeks as she heard Rolfe boldly talking about her breasts, and the next, she blinked, because a conversation was coming up behind her.

“If I catch whoever has been raiding our cattle, I’m going to hang them.”

“Feuding is forbidden by the regent,” another voice said.

There was a grunt and a brushing of leaves as Katherine crouched in a thicket.

“The Earl of Morton can go fuck himself. Ever since he’s been insisting on peace in the Highlands, all I do is watch me inheritance bleed away. One hanging will send a message. MacPhersons, McTavishes, Robertsons… They all need to know the Gordons will nae be trifled with. Now shut yer jaw… Cleo is coming back.”

There was a blur of motion. Katherine watched as a bird glided past and perched on a tree near her. It turned, displaying its large, amber eyes.

An owl.

It could see in the dark and had been trained to hunt men. She shivered as one of the shadows shifted behind her and lifted a gloved hand. The owl took flight, gliding over to the gauntlet and eagerly taking the bit of meat offered to it. But the meager amount of food was consumed quickly, and the bird turned to look for the prey its master would reward it for. As it started to lower its head and raise its wings, Katherine started moving.

Rolfe and his men had no idea how close they were to being discovered.

She bumped into the thicket on purpose, making it shake and fill the air with a rustling sound. The owl turned toward her, flying straight at her as she turned away from Rolfe McTavish.

It was a rash action, and yet so satisfying to know she’d protected them. She turned to run back to where she had left her horse. Rolfe had only a few men with him, and the Gordons were more than twenty strong. Many would label her foolish for interfering in the business of men, but she did not regret doing so.

“After him!”

Katherine ran, digging her feet into the earth as she pushed herself up the hill toward the crest. On the other side, her horse was waiting, and the animal’s strength would carry her away. Her lungs burned as she heard the men behind her. They were closing the distance, but she knew not to look behind her because it would slow her down.

So she ran, demanding more speed from her straining muscles, insisting her lungs draw in enough breath to keep her moving. She made it to the top of the hill and glimpsed her horse on the other side before she was brutally pushed to the ground.

She felt her skin scraping the dirt as someone slammed their fist into the back of her skull. Pain went smashing through her, making her dizzy, but she fought it, using her feet to push herself up as she pulled the dagger free from her belt.

Whoever was on her jumped back as she slashed at him with the weapon.

“Bloody Christ!” he exclaimed. “Ye’ll pay for that!”

He lunged at her, but Katherine had learned to move quickly. She dodged to the side, using the hilt of her dagger to deliver a blow to his temple. There was a dull thud as she struck true, and he fell to the ground in a heap.

“Ye’ll no’ be fighting all of us off, boy.”

Katherine saw that what she had thought were twenty men were in reality more than thirty. They had her surrounded now, their breathing harsh as their leader chuckled at her plight.

*

“Get off me!” Rolfe snarled.

Adwin and his men refused. “Ye can nae help her,” his captain hissed next to his ear. “Let her sacrifice be for something.”

“I’ll be damned if I’ll see a woman protecting me,” Rolfe declared.

He strained against his men, but they held him down.

“I’ll no’ be taking yer body back to yer father,” Adwin informed him.

“Ye’re me captain first.”

“But yer sire is me laird.” Adwin refused to budge.

Rolfe growled, and then his world went black as Adwin thumped him on the back of his skull.

*

“Piss off.” Katherine tucked her chin, trying to mumble to disguise how high her voice was. “I wasn’t on yer land. Ye’re on MacPherson property.”

“Yer fucking balls haven’t dropped yet” was the response she got. “Ye sound like a bleeding whelp crying for a tit.”

“I want his balls.” The man she’d downed was staggering to his feet. “He drew my blood.”

“You got what you deserved,” Katherine answered.