"No, she isna, and the only reason that ye are not in the stock right now is that ye didna hurt Ava in that barn or threaten her, but if ye do so now, I will exile ye, so choose yer next words carefully, Finn. Admit that ye followed us on Cormac's orders, and tell me what he wanted, and I will show ye mercy."
"Mercy?" Finn snorted and faced Ness head-on. Ava pressed her hand to her mouth. It was clear that Finn was dangerous. What was he going to do? "Ye are weak. If anyone had laid a hand on my woman, even if she was a harlot, I would see him at the end of my sword. Did ye know that she offered herself to me that morning? Told me that she hated the idea of being married to someone like ye and wanted her first time to be with a real man."
"No!" Ava cried out as she tried to run to them again, but Alec held her back. "No, Ness, that isna true!"
He didn't turn back to her, and she couldn't see her face. Her insides trembled, and tears ran down her cheek. He couldn't actually believe those lies, could he? After the way she had acted in the beginning, she feared that she'd laid the groundwork for this, but surely he knew how she felt about him now.
"Alec," Ness called out quietly. "I am going to take my wife home. Ye see to it that Finn packs his belongings and escort him to the border. Let it be known that if he sets foot on Fenton land again, he is to be executed without warning."
The guard released her, and she nearly sank to the ground. Then Ness was walking towards her, and there was fury on his face. "If he gives ye any trouble, ye know what to do, and also pass this along. I will not tolerate anyone spreading malicious rumors about my wife. There will be severe consequences."
Alec nodded, and then Ness's hands were on her arms and gently tugging her away. He didn't say a word as he led her back to the cottage.
"Ness, please," she begged when the door closed behind them. "I know that ye didna approve of my actions in the tavern that day, but I didna offer myself to him. I was terrified of him, and I wouldna say anything of the like about ye!"
"Given what ye thought of me then, I suppose I couldna blame ye if ye had," Ness said calmly. "But I believe ye."
In disbelief, she stared at him. "But ye seemed so angry?"
"Word will soon spread that I have exiled Finn, and I wanted ye safely tucked away before that happened." Gently, he pulled her into his arms and held her close. "What ye did in the past is in the past, and I have no reason to believe ye are lying to me now, Ava. Ye are my wife, and I will defend ye, and yer honor, for as long as I have breath."
This man continued to amaze her. "Please, Ness. Please be careful around Cormac. I know that ye want to be fair, but given this evidence, ye must act. Ness, he had ye followed! Whatever information he was looking for, ye must fear that he will act soon, and I cannae lose ye! I just can't!"
"Ye are not going to lose me, Ava. I am right here," he assured her before he kissed the top of her head. "I cannae act without proof, and Finn didna give Cormac up. Though I suspect him, I willna be my uncle. I willna take a life or condemn a man simply on my gut."
Terrified, she clung to him. He had such a good heart, and she feared that it was going to be his undoing.
18
Ava had spent most of the night awake, holding on to her husband, and wondering what she would have to do to keep him safe. He was so busy looking after everyone else that she worried he would not look after himself.
He was sleeping peacefully, and it was late before she finally closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax. By the time she woke up, Ness was gone.
"No!" Bolting up in bed, she hurried to get dressed and braid her hair. It bothered her more than she could say to start her day without a kiss from him or his reassuring words, but by the time she stumbled out of the bedroom, he was nowhere to be found.
Instead, Nicholas was waiting unhappily by the door. "Please tell me that ye arena planning on traipsing around all over the clan and speaking to people," he complained. "Keeping up with ye takes more energy that training."
"Where is Ness?" she demanded forcefully. "What is he planning on today? Is someone watching him? Protecting him?"
"Whoa!" Nicholas put his hands up in surrender. "What are ye so worried about?"
"I know that Ness doesna want to punish someone based on suspicion, but he shouldna be alone. Cormac is going to hurt him, especially after he hears that Finn is gone! Ye doona need to be guarding me! Ye need to be guarding him!"
"Ava, calm yerself. Ness is no fool. He willna be alone, and we willna allow it. Nothing is going to happen to him today, so breathe."
Of course. His men would keep him safe. Hadn't Alec just assured her yesterday that they all loved him? Breathing in deeply, she tried to calm herself. "Aye, I am sorry. I didna sleep well last night."
"Does that mean it will be an easy day?"
"Day? 'Tis almost noon. Half the day is gone. In any case, I believe I will take a break from meeting people today. I would like to take a look inside the keep, if I can."
Nicholas shook his head. "No. 'Tis not stable."
"Then come with me! I willna go in any room that seems dangerous. I promise!"
"No, Ava. Ness's orders. What else would ye like to do?"
Sighing, she wrinkled her nose. At some point, Ness was going to have to let her see the inside of what will someday be her home.
Be their home.
It was strange to think of the future with Ness by her side, but the more she thought about it, the more her heart warmed to the idea.
"Verra well. Then we will go to the villages along the northern border."
Nicholas groaned, and she smiled prettily at him. He would learn that there were consequences to denying her.
More at ease, she attacked the day with more fervor. Her reception was no less warm, but no one dared to say anything nasty to her, either to her face or behind her back. Whatever Ness had said, it had been effective.
Too bad he couldn't be so defensive of himself.
Taking pity on Nicholas, and on her own sanity, she only spent a few hours introducing herself and trying to help out where she could before she and Nicholas headed back.
She smelled the acrid aroma before they crested the top of the hill along the path, and she saw the way Nicholas tensed.
Something was wrong.
At the top of this hill, she froze. Something was very wrong.
Smoke billowed from the top of the keep, and flames leapt out from the windows along the first floor. Nicholas sprung into action. “Stay here,” he commanded as he took off.
It was then that she saw the face in the window. A young woman looking out in terror. Ava didn’t even think twice as she picked up her skirts and raced behind him. “There is a woman inside,” she screamed as she raced past him. “Ye must help her!”
Someone’s arm wrapped around her waist and hauled her back. “The fire is spreading,” Nicholas growled in her ear. “We cannae do anything until we get the fire under control.”
Wildly, she stared at him. “By then it will be too late. I can get to her another way.”
“Ness will not want ye anywhere near this.”
“And that woman wants to live. I think her desires come first.” Wrenching away from Nicholas, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. “If ye can get me to that ledge, I can climb up to the window and get it open.”
“I can do that as well,” Nicholas pointed out.
“Sure. I will just hoist ye up,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I doona have time to explain how that will never work. Now hurry.”
Muttering something under his breath, Nicholas lifted her easily enough. Catching the edge of one of the decorative walls, Ava easily lifted herself up. All the times of escaping her guard details and wiggling out the window was finally paying off.
“There’s a nook at yer right foot,” he called out. As he guided her, she shimmied up the wall and to the window. The young woman pounded at the window. Why wasn’t she opening it?
“Lift the latch,” she called.
“I cannae,” the woman mouthed with tears streaming down her cheek. “’Tis stuck.”
“Find something heavy. Smash it!”
Nodding her head, the woman disappeared and returned with a heavy standing candle stick. There was no way that Ava could avoid the glass, but she averted her head as best she could. Glass shattered, and the woman’s sobs became audible. “Please! My sister is trapped, and I cannae get to her.”
Grasping the window ledge, Ava slipped inside. The jagged glass caught at her skin and dress, but there was nothing she could do about that now. “Where is she?”
“In the next chamber. We were trying to clean, but something has jammed the door, and I cannae get out.”
If the woman couldn’t get to her sister, how could Ava? Still, she couldn’t leave without trying. “I will try,” she promised. “Ye will have to leave the same way that I came in. There is a guard below, and he will catch ye if ye fall.”
“Molly…”
“I will get Molly. Ye have to go. Now!”
Ava helped the woman crawl through the window and watched with bated breath. Below, Nicholas did her best to guide her down, but the woman slipped. Nicholas caught her easily enough.
One woman rescued. One woman to go. It was a long shot, but she tried the door. Just like the woman had said, but Ava wasn’t ready to give up yet. Castles were notorious for their hiding places. The heat was rising from below, and the smoke was starting to thicken. She still had hope. After years of exploring keeps, she knew all about the hidden passages within the walls, and she knew what to look for to open the doors. Ripping down the tapestries, she ran her hands along the seams of the stone until she found a gap that she was looking for. Pushing hard, she swung the panel open. “Molly?”
“Meg? Meg?” a young brunette raced her way. Ava had been expecting another young woman, but this was little more than a child.
“Meg is safe. Hurry. We need to get ye out before…”
A loud crash interrupted, and her heart dropped. The walls really were crumbling, and now her opening to the window was gone. “I assume that ye have already tried the door?”
“Something is blocking.” Meg coughed and started to weave back and forth, and Ava knew that they didn’t have long. If Meg passed out, she would never be able to get her out. Hurrying to the window, she frantically searched for a latch to open it, but it didn’t open. There was nothing in the room to use to open it. The room was mostly empty except for a rug and a wardrobe.
Opening the wardrobe, she gritted her teeth. Empty. What was this room even used for?
A loud crash sounded, and she jumped. “Ava!” The door swung open, and Ness raced in. “What do ye think that ye are doing?”
Relief swept through her as she stared at him. Ness. Her hero. “Yell at me later.” Her eyes were starting to water from the smoke. “Take Meg.”
There was blood running down his face, but he didn’t break stride as he reached them and effortlessly swept the girl up. “Ye stay close to me. I mean it. I want to feel yer breath on me.”
That would not be a problem. Ava had no idea how he got to her, but she hoped that meant he knew the way out. Following out the door, her eyes widened when she saw the splintered beam that had blocked the path. No wonder Ness was bleeding. It could not have been easy moving it.
“Hold yer breath,” he yelled over the crackle of the fire. “Grab my shirt so ye doona lose me.” As they descended down the steps, she could see why he was scared. The smoke was thickening, making it almost impossible to see. Grabbing his shirt, she held her breath. The flamed roared around her, and in that moment, she didn’t see how they would make it. The acrid aroma invaded her senses and burned her throat and eyes.
Then hands grabbed her and lifted her. “I got her,” Idris yelled as he carried her out. There were several cheers as a crowd had gathered outside the keep. Opening her mouth, Ava breathed in the fresh air. Idris set her down, and relief swept through her. Knees weakening, she nearly crumbled.
“Stay strong,” Idris commanded as he tightened his grip on her. “Ness will lose it if ye collapse, and right now, ye are the hero. Stay strong.”
Forcing a weak smile, Ava tried to keep from weaving, but when Ness whirled around, she could see the anger in his eyes. The force of his unspoken rage was nearly her undoing.
She may have won the support of the Fentons, but her husband was mostly likely going to send her away first thing in the morning.
19
She had literally climbed into a burning building to save a complete stranger. By the time he’d reached her, she was trapped. She could have died yesterday. If he hadn’t come along when he did, she would have died. He knew her passion and courage. How could he have possibly thought that she would be okay here? He couldn’t protect her and still grant her the freedom she so desperately desired.
“What was I thinking?” he muttered to himself as he stared at her. He’d thought that living here would crush her spirit. He thought someone might harm her. He should have known that she’d risk everything, including her own life, for this clan who wouldn't even gift her with a morning smile. She threw herself into everything whether it was trying to run away from him or trying to help him, and now she'd nearly thrown away her life to save them.
She would do it again. No matter what he said or did, she would constantly give her all until she had nothing left to give.
The sun hadn’t risen yet. It was still dark, but he couldn’t sleep. He was reliving the moment that Nicholas had told him that Ava was inside over and over again. The absolute terror.
She had some nicks from the broken window, but her lungs had cleared. Meg and Molly were with the healer, but they were expected to recover. It had been excellent news. For the first time ever, the clan had worked together to put the fire out. There was only damage to one wing of the keep. Suspiciously enough, the damage was most extensive in the vault chamber.
Where he would be keeping Ava’s dowry. Now the most secure place in the keep was nearly destroyed. In a couple of days, the money would be here, and Ness had no place to put it.
Ava started to stir in her bed. Afraid that she might be scared if she woke up and found herself alone in the bed, he joined her and put a hand on her hip. “Go back to sleep, Ava.”
“Ye are awake.” Sleepily, she turned and reached for him. Leaning down, he kissed her gently. “Why are ye awake?”
“Thinking.”
Apparently Ness thinking worried Ava. She shot up and glared at him. “Thinking about what?”
Even angry, she managed to arouse him. Pushing her hair back over her shoulder, he trailed a finger down her chest until he fingered the laces of her shift. Her face softened as she realized his intent, and she didn’t stop him when he pulled at the laces until the loose fabric revealed her gorgeous breasts. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he leaned up and took one of her pert nipples in his mouth.
Sighing, she leaned into him. Body tightening, he had to force himself not to shove her on the bed and ravish her. His control was due to the fact that he was still worried she was just hiding the extent of her pain.
He also knew that this might be the last time he got to touch her like this. Reaching under the blankets, he pushed the fabric of her shift up until he was skimming along the bare skin of her thigh. As Ava fell back, she widened her legs and gave him plenty of access to her.
“Ye have no concern for yerself,” he whispered as he moved up her body to kiss her. “Ye terrify me, Ava. Ye know that?”
Framing his face with her hands, she watched him, and his gut tightened. That was love shining in her eyes. How could it not be? She did everything with love, and she loved him. He knew that just as he knew it was going to get her killed.
“I canna stand idly by. ’Tis not in my nature,” she murmured softly.
Because he loved her, he couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to her. If he told her that, she would never leave, and he needed her to be s
afe. Kissing her again, he moved between her legs and slid down her body.
“Ness.”
He loved it when she said his name, that half moan filled with yearning and promises. He wanted to hear it again and again so he could hold tight the memory when his bed was empty and his body cold. Snaking his tongue along the most intimate part of her, he loved her until she was nearly levitating off the bed, and only then did he slide up her body and enter her.
Slow and easy, stroke by stroke, he reveled in the joining of their bodies. Gasping for breath, he buried his head in her neck. There was something about her that invaded all of his senses and seemed to both ground him and drove him wild.
When she tightened around him and cried out, he exploded and leapt into that chaotic light that surrounded them.
Cormac was waiting for Ness when the sun rose. Ness had spent the rest of the evening wrapped around Ava and listening to the soft sounds that she made while she slept. It had been hard to leave her, but there was business. Luckily, business was waiting for him.
“I am here to thank ye,” he said stiffly. “Molly and Meg mean everything to me.”
They were his younger sisters, and it was the only reason that Ness didn’t suspect Cormac had started the fire. “’Tis not me ye need to thank. My wife is the one who rescued yer sisters.” Ness balled his hands “Ye met my wife the other day. I heard ye had words with her.”
Reddening, Cormac looked away. “She isna who I expected ye to marry,” he muttered. “After what Finn had said, I had no idea why ye would bring such a woman home. Now I know. She is pretty enough but verra innocent. Naive.”
“So innocent that she didna think twice to risk her life to save a stranger.” Ness could still feel the heat from the flames, and all he could think about was what he would have done if he’d lost Ava.
Cormac peered over Ness’s shoulder. “Aye, she has a big heart. I suppose that is just what this clan needs. I need to thank her. Is she up?”
Highlander's Untamed Lass (Highlander's Seductive Lasses Book 3) Page 12