Roderick’s Purpose: The Victorian Highlanders Book 4

by St. Clair, Ellie

  “I need Fin and Adam,” he said, handing the emerald over to his mother, who tucked it away for safekeeping.

  “All right then,” said Finlay. “We best be on our way.”

  Chapter 20

  They were riding faster than she would have liked, and that meant she was losing time to come up with a plan, Gwen realized as the horses cantered down the road. She was mounted in front of Grim, and she did all she could to inch as far forward on the saddle away from him.

  It reminded her of the first time she had ridden a horse with Roderick, though she realized now that despite her best intentions to keep herself away from him, her body had betrayed her then in wanting to shift closer toward him. That was certainly not the case with Grim. Everything within her wanted to put as much distance as possible between them, but she couldn’t make a move until she had taken them well away from the McDougalls. When they reached Doc’s old home, then she would take the opportunity to escape, she decided. By then, they would be well away, and if Roderick opened her letter then there would be hours between them, keeping him safe if he decided to go against her wishes and come after her.

  She knew she could never be with him, but she hoped now he realized that she had never intended to hurt him — well, not since the first time he tackled her to the ground, she thought with a wistful smile on her face. She had shared more with him than she would have ever imagined — not only her body but her mind, her soul, her spirit. She had made herself vulnerable to him, to the pain that could be caused by opening up to someone in such a way. This is why she had never done so before, and would never do so again.

  Though, in a strange way, she was coming to realize that she didn’t regret anything that had happened. Roderick had not only made her a better person, but had also opened up to her the possibilities of the physical pleasures that could be had between a man and woman, and she would keep those memories with her forever.

  They had reached the field now, the one she and Roderick had escaped through just days ago, after fighting off the men who held her now. It seemed like so much time had passed since then, and yet she realized it had not been long at all.

  Her heart sped up as she also realized they were reaching her reckoning, for once they entered the small cottage to discover it empty of any jewels, if she was unable to get away she would be at their mercy. And when Grim got angry, there was no telling what he might do.

  They reached the back of the cottage, and after dismounting Grim took out his dagger, holding it to her throat. “Don’t go trying anything smart,” he muttered in her ear, and she yanked her head back in an attempt to avoid his fetid breath.

  Thurber pushed open the back door of the cottage, which creaked on rusty hinges, and entered. Grim held her outside while the other two searched the interior, and it wasn’t long until Thurber called out, “All clear.” Gwen sighed in relief that no one else would be getting hurt by her decision to bring them here.

  Grim pushed her into the middle of the small room and faced her, his hands on his hips.

  “We’re here,” he said, leaning into her. “I will ask you this only once. Where is it?”

  She paused for but a moment, and it was just long enough for him to realize she was thinking too hard about what he said. He motioned to the other three, and the four of them circled her, leaving her no room to escape.

  Well, she thought, she had gotten herself into this mess, and she would have to accept whatever consequences that came of it. What she would not do, however, was show them any fear whatsoever. She hardened her features and looked Grim right in the eye.

  “It’s not here,” she said, enjoying a moment of satisfaction at the brief glimpse of despair she saw in his eyes. “It never was.”

  She smiled at him then, a true smile, and he bellowed in rage and drew his fist back to hit her with it. She braced for impact, but as she did so, the door crashed open. As the attention of the men left her, she took the opportunity to begin an attack of her own. She lifted her booted foot and caught Grim in the stomach, and he went back with an “oof.”

  Backing away from the outlaws, Gwen looked to the door, and her breath caught in her throat at the three men illuminated by the sun high in the sky behind them.

  As Roderick came into focus, she saw the look of relief on his face and as their eyes locked, she realized at that moment that she hadn’t just shared herself with him — she had given him her heart. For as different as they were, despite the many obstacles that pushed them apart, that tried to tell her there was no point in them being together, she couldn’t help how she felt. She loved him. She loved his sense of humor. She loved the way he put everyone at ease. She loved how he drew his entire family together. She loved his charm. She loved his protective nature. And she loved the serious side to him that he hardly ever showed to anyone else.

  She also realized she could never tell him this. For he had clearly shown what he thought of her, and she could not give him another opportunity to hurt her. She would prefer to be subjected to any punishment Grim and his men could mete out than to be rejected by Roderick again.

  There was no time to say anything, however, as Grim’s men quickly circled the Highlanders. Grim himself was recovering, pushing himself up from his position on the floor. “Get them,” he wheezed out, and his men charged Roderick and his brothers, who began taking them on in hand-to-hand combat that was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Their tanned, powerful muscles were slick from what must have been a race here to catch them so quickly. Their movements were so synchronized, they had no need to speak as they fluidly worked together to disarm knives and daggers from the men, and block any kicks or punches that were directed toward them. Gwen stood by, mouth agape as she watched, but her eyes quickly caught Grim’s movements on the floor.

  He was reaching into his jacket, and she knew he likely kept another weapon there. She had been surprised he hadn’t pulled his gun on her, as she knew he would be carrying one — he always did. Time seemed to slow as she began crossing the room toward him, but he was known for his quick hands. He had the gun out and trained on the McDougall men before she could reach him, and so Gwen did what she had to, launching herself into the air, catching his wrist as her momentum sent them both flying, his arm cracking against the floor and forcing him to drop the weapon.

  He let out a bellow of rage and reached for the gun once more, but she kicked it out of the way as hard as she could. Doc had been adamant that she learn how to defend herself when she was younger, and she was never more grateful to the man than she was in this moment. She sent a thank you up to the heavens to him before turning her attention back toward Grim.

  Fully recovered now, he rolled off the floor to stand in front of her, and she faced him in a crouched position, ready to block whatever attack he threw her way. If she let him by her, it would be four against the three McDougalls. While she knew they would be more than capable, she would do what she could to make this easier for them.

  As Grim swung at her, she ducked, then caught him with a jab to his jaw. Rather than hurt him, however, it only seemed to anger him all the more, and he charged at her with a low growl, catching her around the waist and whooshing the air from her lungs before pinning her against the wall. She tried to bring her knee up, but he anticipated the move and caught her leg with a firm grip. While he was preoccupied, however, she took the butt of her hand and brought it up underneath his nose, and he gave a howl of pain as his head snapped back and blood began to seep from his nostrils.

  Gwen allowed a bleak smile on her lips as she used the momentum that had swung her way and kicked at the back of his knees, taking his legs out from under him. He collapsed to the ground like a felled tree. She stood over top of him, ready to deliver the final blow to knock him out, but he grabbed her ankle, and she went flying down next to him. She kicked out at him, but he managed to glance a blow off her cheek.

  He gave a cry of triumph, but as she sank to the ground, her fingers brushed against someth
ing hard and cold — the gun. She gripped it, and with newfound strength rolled to a sitting position, holding it out in front of her, the barrel pointed directly at Grim’s chest.

  “That’s enough, Grim,” she said. “It’s over.”

  She forced herself to her feet, circling Grim so that she could keep her focus on him while seeing what had happened behind her. The room had gone strangely silent, and when she finally got a look at the McDougalls, her jaw dropped. They were standing over the other three men, all bound and gagged, and were now watching her, taking in the show.

  “You bastards!” she exclaimed. “How long have you been just standing there?”

  “Not long, lass,” said Finlay, and the corners of his mouth seemed to almost tug into a smile. “Just long enough to see that you are entirely too proficient with a gun in your hands.”

  She winced at his words and the fact that he likely didn’t know the full truth to what he said. She risked a glance over to Roderick, normally so affable, standing silent and stoic as he watched her. His eyes met hers but didn’t betray any emotion as they remained hard and serious.

  Her heart dropped.

  Chapter 21

  Roderick couldn’t recall a time in his life that he had ever before been so completely speechless.

  He could feel the eyes of his brothers on him, could sense their amusement with his current predicament. They had already told him on the ride here after he had recounted the full story that he had been too hard on Gwen, particularly after she had left the emerald behind to be returned.

  Now he could also see the admiring looks they were giving her, and despite the fact that both of his brothers were happily married, he now felt like turning his aggression toward the two of them.

  Gwen was magnificent. Aye, true, part of it was the fact that she could fight as well as any man, that she was not afraid and wouldn’t back down from any physical threats. But it was more than that. Whatever came her way in life, she wouldn’t admit defeat. She stood to face it with more courage than he had seen in most men. Ach, he had been such a fool, back at Galbury Castle, when he had hurled unfounded accusations at her, had not allowed her to speak. Now, his entire life hinged on getting her back.

  Once they realized she had truly been taken, he, Finlay, and Adam had pushed their horses as hard as they could giving chase. At first, they had to stop a few times to track their quarry in front of them, but once the path was established, Roderick knew exactly where they were heading — the cottage where Doc had lived at one time, and where he had died a few days ago. But why? What could they want there?

  When they had opened the door to find Gwen surrounded by the four men, he felt fear as he never had before. He tried to block the thoughts of what might have happened to her had they not arrived when they did as they began to flood his mind. True, she could take care of herself, but not against four men — no one could.

  But she had been facing them with her head high and fight and fire in her eyes. She was a warrior, that was for certain — his warrior, if she would have him still.

  They had been taken off guard for a moment when Gwen had attacked the first man, who was seemingly the leader of the group. But they had quickly gathered themselves and had taken on the three who rushed them. The men were clearly experienced fighters, as well as rather ruthless. They were aiming to kill, but Roderick, Adam, and Finlay had fought together enough in their lives to know one another’s battle skills well. The close proximity of their fight meant that none of their opponents had been able to retrieve their guns from their belts, making them fairly quick work for Roderick and his brothers. They had turned around to come to Gwen’s rescue, but by that point, she seemed to have everything well in hand.

  When she had finally turned around to look at them, her hair was flying behind her, her cheeks a crimson red from her exertions, and her eyes were filled with fire. Aye, she seemed to be shooting flames at them as she accused them of just watching her. She was right. And Roderick had never wanted her more. Now it was just making her believe it.

  “Come to collect your whore?” The man on the floor taunted, and before Roderick could take a step toward him, Gwen gave him a bit of a kick. “Shut up, Grim,” she muttered.

  “Friends of yours?” Roderick asked, raising an eyebrow at her, and she stared him down.

  “They were from my father’s gang — the ones that weren’t caught, who gave us chase earlier,” she said. “My father kicked them out months ago.”

  “What are they doing here?” Finlay asked, coming up behind Roderick. He and Adam finished binding Grim before they led all of them outdoors and tied them to a tree.

  “They’re after something I had,” she said softly, her head dropping a bit as she noted Finlay and Adam had returned.

  “The emerald – this is Grim’s gang,” Roderick surmised, inclining his head to his brothers, though he kept his eyes on Gwen. “They know, lass.”

  She nodded, seemingly not altogether surprised.

  “What do we do with them?” she asked, and Finlay replied, “More McDougall men are coming after us. We rode ahead to get here faster. Once they arrive, they will take the bound men to the harbor, where they will board the boat back overseas. There, the North-West Mounted Police will have to meet them and do with them what they see fit. As far as we can prove, they have broken no laws here, but there, they certainly have.”

  “Good,” she said with a resolute nod.

  “Why did you bring them here?” Roderick asked, needing to know, and she looked into the distance, a sign that she was uncomfortable with her answer.

  “I wanted to get them as far from Galbury as possible,” she said in a bit of a rush. “I didn’t want them to hurt any of you. And so I told him the emerald was here – the only other place that seemed logical.”

  “Do ye realize what that could have meant?” Roderick burst out in some anger. “If we hadn’t come when we did, do you know what he could have done to you?”

  “Of course I did,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I could hardly let them stay at Galbury, now could I? I already brought enough turmoil to your home. I was not going to allow a gang of outlaws to invade.”

  “You could have been hurt,” he said, unable to keep the growl from his tone as he thought of it, “or… worse.”

  She shrugged. “And if I was, it would have been my own problem and not yours. What I do no longer concerns you, Roderick, and it shouldn’t have from the time we stepped onto Scottish land. You should have refused me and not come with me any farther.”

  “It seems you have some things to resolve,” Finlay said, jerking a finger at Adam and then his thumb out the door. The two of them walked out of the cottage, leaving Roderick and Gwen well and truly alone.

  * * *

  “You came — here, I mean — to the cottage.” Gwen’s voice broke, and she could have kicked herself for her unintelligent words and her delivery. Clearly, he had come. She didn’t need to state the obvious. And yet, she wasn’t sure what else to say, and she wished she could be stronger, that she could hide the emotion that was building up inside of her, threatening to break over the surface.

  “I did,” he said with a nod, though the fact that he didn’t move toward her, didn’t say anything further, nearly broke her heart.

  “But… why?” She didn’t want to ask nor hear the reason as she knew it wouldn’t be what she wanted to hear. He had likely come because he needed more information on where to send the emerald, or perhaps he wanted his compass back. And yet, she needed to know. Despite everything that had just happened, suddenly it was as if nothing else mattered, that anything important that could ever be said was to come in the next couple of minutes.

  He stepped toward her, and as he did, she could see the turbulence in the depths of his deep blue eyes.

  “I came because…” he said, his lids came down to hood his gaze from her, “because I need you.”

  The words he spoke huskily came out so low,
so quiet, that she almost didn’t hear him. She stood still for a moment, the words circling around her head, though she wouldn’t allow herself to expect anything from them.

  “Wh… what did you need me for?” she asked, her voice hitching, and she tried to swallow the clog in her throat.

  “I just need… you.”

  His gaze flew up to hers then, and his eyes held such an intensity that it nearly made her step back from him. His jaw was set tightly, as if it had pained him to say what he had. Her heart began to beat frantically, like she had just raced across a field, or — well, or robbed a bank. Words failed her as she looked at him, disbelieving that what he had said was true.

  Roderick tentatively reached out a hand and brushed the side of her face with the pad of his thumb.

  “Gwen,” he breathed, and she was astounded at how the feather-light touch of his fingertips could set her whole body aflame, “I… I—”

  As if angry that words failed him, he kicked at the floor and began to pace.

  “I am impulsive, ’tis true. I’ll be the first to admit it,” he finally said. “Everything I do, I do because it seems like the right thing, or something that I want to do — at that moment. Often it comes to pass that the decision I made turns out to be completely wrong.”

  He was silent for a moment and ran what she knew to be a calloused hand over his face.

  “When I saw you with the emerald, with my father’s words ringing in my ears, I just reacted. I should have listened to you. I should have trusted you.”

  She sighed and walked over to him, taking his hands in hers, grasping them in front of her chest.

  “Roderick,” she said, tilting his chin up so he was looking at her. “I understand. My past is not exactly one that would bolster trust, ’tis true. And your father turned out to be right — I did bring danger to your family, to your home. I shouldn’t have come with you. It was selfish. I wanted a place to hide, and to be honest I — I didn’t want to leave you. But that is no excuse. Do I wish you had trusted me? Of course I do. But what’s done is done.”