Never Love a Highlander (McCabe Trilogy #3)(71)

“Then you’ll do it? You’ll leave at once for Neamh Álainn?”

Gannon sighed. “Aye, I’ll do it.”

Rionna threw her arms around him and hugged him, much to his dismay. He disentangled himself from her grasp and scowled.

“ ’Tis my hope you’ll defend me as fiercely as you do Caelen, because when he discovers what I’ve allowed you to do, he’ll take off my head.”

“Go now,” she said. “I’ll gather the men in the courtyard to tell them what must be done.”

Rionna stared nervously at the assembled warriors, their grim faces outlined by the blaze of torches. Gannon had already ridden out and Sarah was preparing Rionna’s bag so that she would be ready to depart as soon as the men were apprised of the situation.

“Will Simon live?”

She didn’t register who called out the question. She was still numb and her thoughts were occupied with the task before her.

“I know not,” she said honestly. “He is being cared for. If God wills it, he’ll live this day and long into the future.”

“Who did this thing, my lady?”

She drew in a deep breath. “ ’Twas my father, your former laird. He has allied himself with Duncan Cameron and seeks to destroy my husband so that he may regain leadership of this clan.”

She held her breath as she waited their response. It was entirely possible that they’d embrace the idea of her father returning as laird. Caelen had gained their respect, aye, but Rionna couldn’t be assured that given the opportunity, they wouldn’t turn away.

“What is to be done?” Seamus demanded as he stepped forward, his beefy arms crossing his chest as he glared his displeasure. “Surely we aren’t going to let such an insult to our laird pass.”

It took all of Rionna’s restraint not to throw her arms around the huge warrior and pepper his face with teary kisses.

“We ride to Duncan Cameron’s land,” she said when she could speak without her throat knotting up. “Gannon has ridden to Neamh Álainn to apprise Ewan McCabe of the situation. When we near Cameron land, you will all fall back and await my command to attack.”

Murmurs rose from the men and Seamus stepped forward. “What then will you be doing, my lady?”

“I’m going in to save my husband,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. She may not be laird of this clan, but in this moment, she’d take down any man who tried to prevent her from going after Caelen.

“It’s going to require the biggest deception of my life. ’Tis possible my husband may despise me before it’s over, but if I’m successful, he’ll be alive and ’tis all that matters. The question I pose to you, is whether you’ll stand with me and risk your lives to save our laird.”

Seamus cleared his throat and then turned to stare over the assembled men. Then he slowly looked back at Rionna. “I’m with you, my lady.”

One by one, the men stepped forward and declared their willingness to back Rionna in her plan.

“Then we must go now and ride hard,” Rionna said. “I must arrive before ’tis too late.”

CHAPTER 30

Caelen barely held back the curse as he hit the ground. Pain speared through his shoulder, spreading agonizing flame until he had to close his eyes and grit his teeth to remain silent.

His hands were tied behind his back, making the wound in his shoulder all the more painful. Gregor McDonald had torn the arrow from Caelen’s shoulder without care and Caelen had steadily bled on the rough journey to Duncan Cameron’s keep.

“I’ve brought you Caelen McCabe, Laird Cameron,” Gregor called.

Caelen opened his eyes to see Cameron standing a short distance away. Hatred was bitter in Caelen’s mouth. That the man was so close and yet Caelen was helpless to do anything but lie there made bile rise in his throat. If he could manage the feat, he’d spit in Cameron’s eye.

“So you have,” Cameron said.

He walked over to where Caelen lay on the ground and kicked at his wounded shoulder. Caelen grimaced but stared up at Cameron, allowing the full breadth of his hatred to show.

“You’d like to kill me, wouldn’t you, Caelen?” Cameron taunted in a low voice. “You hate me more than even your brothers do. ’Twas your foolishness that brought low your clan. My cousin is bonny, is she not? I haven’t seen her in some time. She’s likely spreading her legs for some other poor besotted fool.”

Caelen continued to stare at Cameron until Cameron fidgeted uncomfortably and then booted Caelen in the shoulder again.

“I wonder if given a choice between saving his brother’s life or protecting his lovely wife and daughter, which would Ewan choose? Surely not the brother who once cost him everything. Tell me, Caelen, how would it make you feel to know you destroyed all your brother holds dear a second time?”

Cameron knelt beside Caelen’s head, wrapped his hand in Caelen’s hair, and yanked upward so their faces were just inches apart.

“He won’t have to choose, because I plan to have both. You’re of no consequence to me. I’ll not blink an eye over your death, and then I’ll destroy your clan and the king you’re so loyal to.”

As he stared into Cameron’s eyes, the question that Rionna had posed floated back into his mind.