Highland Warrior (Campbell Trilogy #1)(95)

The intensity burning in his gaze told her even before he answered. “The woman I love, but was too damn proud to admit.”

“Oh, Niall, I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around him. He stood there stiffly in her arms, yet she could feel the emotion—the pain and helplessness—surging inside, and her heart went out to him. To a man like Niall, a man who lived to protect, she knew he must be feeling that he’d failed the poor girl.

“It was Auchinbreck and his men,” Niall said. “They left her for dead.” His voice lowered. “She was like a broken bird.” His eyes met hers, and the stark pain there made her chest squeeze. “God, she was scared of me, Caiti.”

Caitrina sickened with sympathy for Annie, knowing how close she’d come to suffering the same fate. Though it was not uncommon in the times of old feuds to dishonor a clan by ravaging their women, an honorable man would never use a woman to fight his wars.

She could understand why Niall had done what he had, but it didn’t make their situation any less precarious. “Give her time, Niall. She’ll see that you would never hurt her in that way, but you’ll be of no use to her if you go to prison.” Or die. But she couldn’t even put those horrific words in her mouth. “I won’t let them harm you.”

“Then you had better hope that your husband and his brother don’t find me.”

The guilt on her face must have given her away. “What is it, Caiti? You look pale.”

“Niall, I . . .”

A noise at the entrance of the cave drew his attention. She could hear the successive cries of surprise as Jamie and his men stormed through the entrance. Niall’s gaze shot back to her, and the look of acute disbelief and betrayal he sent her cut her to the quick.

His hands gripped her shoulders, and he jerked her around to face him. “What have you done?”

Panic rose inside her; she was terrified that she might not be able to make him understand. “You don’t understand; Jamie will help you.”

“He’ll send me to the devil by morning.”

She shook her head furiously. “No. He’s promised to protect you.”

“How? By handing me over to his cousin for some of his Highland justice?”

A sudden wave of unease churned in her stomach. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Niall pushed her out of the way as Jamie’s men swarmed the small space. He slid out his dirk from the scabbard at his waist. “You’re a fool, Caiti Rose.”

“I’m trying to help you.” But he was deaf to her pleas, caught up in the effort to repel the invaders. She wouldn’t let Niall’s certainty erode her trust. Jamie had sworn to protect them, and he’d never given her a reason to doubt him. But the enormity of the trust she’d placed in him hit her hard. Argyll. She shuddered. No, Jamie wouldn’t betray her like that.

Her brothers had only just come back to her, she couldn’t lose them again.

Chaos erupted around her as she sank into the stone wall behind her. It was so hard to see what was happening—with virtually no light and the small space crowded with large, mail-clad bodies. Everywhere she looked, men were fighting. With little room to maneuver, bows and claymores were impossible; it was hand-to-hand combat and dirks. It was the latter that she feared.

Jamie and his men easily overpowered the couple of guardsmen who’d been watching the entrance of the cave and worked their way toward the place where Niall, Seamus, and the other guardsmen would make their stand. She wanted to squeeze her eyes closed and block out the hideous sounds—the grunts of pain, the thump of fists slamming into flesh, the struggle. She just wanted it to be over soon with as little bloodshed as possible.

Thank God Brian was safe in the back chamber, Boru standing guard.

Although Niall and her Lamont clansmen were vastly outnumbered, the tight confines of the cave worked in their favor—at least for a while. There was nowhere for them to go; they were trapped with their backs to the cave, and eventually they would be overtaken.

Jamie was doing everything he could not to kill her brother’s men, but she was terrified that if Niall fought back, Jamie would be unable to prevent something terrible from happening.

There were perhaps only half a dozen of her Lamont guardsmen flanking Niall when he and Jamie met, warrior to warrior, each wielding a dirk.

She held her breath, her worst nightmare about to be realized.

Niall showed no signs of backing down. She stepped out of the shadows, moving toward her brother. She clutched his arm, but he didn’t look at her, his gaze fixed on Jamie. “Please, Niall, don’t do this,” she begged.

“Get out of here, Caiti,” he said at the same time as Jamie.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “But—”

“You gave me your word, Caitrina,” Jamie added. “I want you to leave . . . now.”

I can’t! she wanted to scream. Her feet wouldn’t move. She had the horrible feeling that only if she stayed could disaster be avoided. She looked into Jamie’s eyes, but it was useless—he would not budge. Every instinct clamored to argue, but she’d given her word. She dropped her hand and started to back away, her gaze fixed on Niall, who still refused to look at her. Her throat was thick with emotion. She shot a quick pleading glance at Jamie. “Please, don’t hurt them.”