She whispered his name, just once, and it made his whole body tremble, but he left her there, not trusting what he might do if he did not.
15
Maybe she was glad that the decision had been made for her, or maybe she was so tired that it didn’t even matter anymore, but when she opened the door the next morning and found Andrew standing guard, she wasn’t even surprised. He seemed stiff and upset with her as she handed him her things. Breakfast was tense between her and Creighton, but lucky for her, Grace was ill through breakfast, and all of Hamish’s attentions were on her, so they paid Kylie and Creighton little heed.
After thanking them for their hospitality, they mounted and left. Grace had whispered something in Creighton’s ear, and they’d both glanced at her, but she had no idea what the woman had said, nor did she plan on giving Creighton the satisfaction of asking.
They rode in tense silence, Andrew and Clement too watchful of their surroundings to make light conversation. They all formed a barrier around her, and Kylie couldn’t even begin to relax.
“This is insane,” she muttered. “Ye should have just left me.”
“If ye had told me what I wanted to know, then maybe I would have,” he pointed out through gritted teeth.
Once again, they were at an impasse, and Kylie was the one who couldn’t find a way out.
They broke only briefly at midday to take care of business and rest the horses before they returned. Something must have spooked Creighton, for they picked up their pace until nightfall and made camp.
Kylie made dinner for them, wishing they would say something to her, but Andrew and Clement wouldn’t even look her in the eye. When she finally asked them what was wrong, it was Clement who glared at her angrily.
“Ye dinnae trust us to protect ye.”
“What? I never said that.”
“Ye tried to run, miss. What else are we to think?”
“That I had changed my mind and no longer want to go to Sinclair. That I didnae want to put ye in danger!”
“Kylie,” Creighton growled, “enough. Finish yer dinner and get some sleep. I wish to reach Sinclair by tomorrow evening, even if we have to ride through part of the night. Clement, ye will be taking first shift.”
Just like that, Creighton had tried to silence her, but Kylie just stood. “I am sorry, but this isnae about trust,” she told them. “This is about me realizing that I need to do this alone.”
Moving away from them, she finished up her dinner on the other side of the fire and cleaned up. As she ventured into the forest and took care of business, she paused and looked around. What if Erksine was watching her right now? What if he’d always known where she was, and this was just some kind of game that he was playing with her?
A shudder ran through her, and she couldn’t help the tears that slipped down her cheeks. Was this what Marcus had known? Was this why he didn’t want her answering questions?
“Kylie?” Creighton called out gruffly.
“I am here,” she answered as she hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks. No point in crying now. There was no turning back now. After straightening her clothes, she returned to the camp where all the men were scrutinizing her. A bedroll was out on the ground for her, once again close to Creighton, and she ignored them as she laid down and pulled the blanket up to her ears and closed her eyes.
The night was colder than usual, but it wasn’t long before an arm wrapped around her waist and drew her in close. Lips brushed along her hair, and she fell asleep in Creighton’s arms.
By noon the next day, Kylie felt like she was going out of her mind. The men still weren’t talking to her, and they seemed more on edge than ever. The tension was getting to her and playing tricks on her mind. Were they being followed? Every now and then, she thought she heard horses behind her, and occasionally, one of the men would look back and nod.
They couldn’t get to Sinclair lands soon enough.
The attack came without warning.
One moment, they were riding along the road, and the next, they were swarmed by nearly two dozen men. Creighton, Andrew, and Clement immediately formed a protective barrier around her and drew their swords. “I am the laird of the Armstrong clan. Identify yerself!” he roared.
A single rider trotted in front of the others. He was a brute of a man with a large rusty mane and scars across his cheeks and arms. They rode under no clan colors, and he gave them a sinister smile. “I dinnae care about ye or yer men, but I will have the lass. Look around. There is no reason to fight a battle ye cannae win.”
“Is that what ye think?” Creighton whistled, and Kylie turned with a gasp as riders in the Hamilton colors raced to meet them. Although it was a small group and they were still outnumbered, the mercenaries had a reason to pause.
“I have heard of ye, Creighton Armstrong. I have heard that ye are the last of yer bloodline with no heir. Is the lass worth yer death when there is none who can take yer place?”
“I wilnae be the one dying today.” Creighton looked at her. “Stay back. This wilnae take long.”
“Please,” she whispered, “I dinnae want anyone to be hurt on my account.”
Instead of answering, he let loose a battle cry that curdled her blood, and they raced toward the mercenaries. Her mare turned back, but Kylie wasn’t about to run. She yanked the reins, making the horse buck. With a cry, she was thrown to the ground.
Pain seared up from her hip to her shoulder as she rolled. She would be dead in no time if she just stayed on the ground, so she rolled and stood. Dust rose from the ground, and there were cries of pain. Closing her eyes, Kylie screamed for them to stop and raced forward.
Suddenly, there was a sword at her throat, and everyone froze.
“That’s better,” the burly man breathed. “Now then, ye are going to let us walk away with our wounded, or the lass dies right before yer eyes.”
“Kylie, dinnae let him put his hands on ye,” Creighton commanded. “Walk toward me right now. When she is in my arms, then ye may leave.”
“We arenae leaving without the lass,” the mercenary snarled.
“Tell me who sent ye.” Kylie was scared to even swallow less the sword prick her skin.
The leader paused, narrowing his eyes. “Ye dinnae know?”
Now was the chance to get her answers. Even if it meant her death, she could go with them and finally know the truth. Images of her mother and father flashed in her mind, and tears pricked her eyes. “Did he do it? Did he kill my parents?”
“Kylie!” Creighton barked.
The leader reached for her, but she sidestepped him easily and crouched. If she ran to Creighton, he would never catch her in time, and they both knew it. “Answer me,” she demanded.
“Come with me, and I will tell ye everything that ye want to know. Ye can ask him yerself. I dinnae know why he wants ye, lass, and that is the truth, but Godfrey sent us. We are to bring ye back alive, so if ye want yer answers, come with me.”
“Kylie—”
“I have to know!” she cried out. “I watched them die. I have to know if he killed them.”
“He will kill ye,” Creighton said in a calm voice. In her peripheral vision, she saw him inching toward her with his arm outstretched. “Come with me now. He cannae harm ye if ye are with me.”
Knowing it meant that the leader would grab her, she turned her head to Creighton to look at him one last time. “I dinnae care,” she whispered.
The object flashed in the sun and whizzed by her head. There was a grunt of pain, and she didn’t need to turn around to know that the dagger Creighton had thrown had hit the mark. He glowered at her.
“I do.”
16
She was covered in mud and holding her arm, but that wasn’t why Kylie looked so defeated. She could barely look at him when he’d pulled her on his horse and rode hard and fast for Sinclair lands. No one said a word, but they’d all heard what Kylie had said. They’d all seen it.
She was willing to sacri
fice everything to get her answers.
Creighton had never been so furious in his entire life. All she had to do was turn and run toward him, toward safety, and she had refused. He couldn’t get the image out of his head, the tears and desperation on her face.
The men Hamish and Grace had sent to shadow them stayed close as they crossed over the Sinclair border. It wasn’t long before they met with Laird Connor Sinclair, but it did surprise him to see Alec, his brother and laird of the MacKays, with him. As soon as they saw the wounded, Connor ordered his guards to search the borders for more mercenaries while Alec and his men led them to the keep where they could be tended.
When Creighton dismounted, he started to lift Kylie off, and she cried out and flinched. One of the Sinclair guards offered to carry her, and he glared at her. “She stays with me.”
“Oh, Creighton. I have been so excited to see ye, but this isnae what I had in mind,” Moira said as she hurried over to him. Stopping short, she looked over Kylie and ran a gentle hand over her shoulder. “Ye must be Kylie. Jillian has written and told me all about ye. Ye have hurt yer shoulder, but we can help ye with that. Come with me.”
Creighton growled, and Kylie turned to him and smiled wearily. “Where do ye think I am going to go? I can barely walk,” she told him. “Go do whatever it is ye need to do. I will be here.”
She looked utterly defeated as Moira supported her, and they limped away. He didn’t realize she was that hurt. It wouldn’t have changed the pace of the last leg of their journey, but he might not have held her so tightly.
Andrew and Clement made their way to him. They were both bruised but otherwise unharmed. “The Hamilton warriors will wait here until they can all travel back together. It looks like no one was seriously injured, so they should be able to leave in the morning.”
“The two of ye?”
“We are fine. We can join the others in their search for stragglers if ye wish.”
Creighton looked them over. They were both tired. “Nay. Keep an eye on things here. I will ride out and join Connor.”
“L-Laird Creighton,” Andrew scowled as he stumbled over the term he rarely used. “with yer permission, I would like to wed Kylie. ‘Tis obvious that she requires some protection, and the Armstrong name will help hide her.”
“She wilnae say yes,” Creighton said tiredly. “She has vowed to never wed.”
“There are ways around that. The lass should be protected.”
His friend’s heart was in the right place, but he had a feeling it did not beat for Kylie. “Do ye love her, Andrew?”
“Nay, but it doesnae matter. Clement has a wife at home. That leaves me.”
“Nay, it doesnae.”
Andrew looked at him curiously. “Ye are planning on wedding her?”
“Go,” he ordered. “Keep an eye on things here for me. I suspect we will return empty-handed shortly.”
Unwilling to speak any more about Kylie, he mounted his stallion and turned and raced after Connor. Without realizing it, he prayed that they would find someone.
He needed to vent his rage.
A healer bound her ribs, and tended to her cuts. When she was alone with Moira, Kylie began to dress carefully. They’d offered her some tea to help her sleep, and she had accepted it. When she got to her chambers, she planned to drink it so she could forget how close she’d been to her answers.
And how Creighton had ripped them away from her.
Godfrey Erksine. That was the laird’s son. Why was he leading the charge to find her? Was he hoping to cover up his father’s crimes?
When the door opened, Kylie turned her head sharply, but it was just Cora, Alec’s English bride. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Alec told me that Connor and Laird Armstrong have just crossed the border and will be here shortly. Kylie, if you wish to go and see—”
“I dinnae,” Kylie interrupted. The woman stared at her, and she flushed. “Sorry. Ye must think me rude. After all, men are harmed because of me, and that is why I would rather just go to my chambers, if ye dinnae mind. I dinnae think I could bear to see anyone right now.”
“This isnae yer fault,” Moira told her. “If we all blamed ourselves for the losses at the hands of others, I dinnae think any of us would be standing here.”
“That’s true,” Cora said darkly. “My stepbrother promised me to a horrid man, and there were some casualties in rescuing me.”
“Aye, and one of my friends ordered a raid that killed Connor’s parents because Connor had proposed to me,” Moira told her.
If they were trying to make her feel better, they weren’t succeeding. “I have been searching for the truth of my parents’ deaths for years, and this was the first time I was close to answers. Now I’ve discovered that the Erksine laird wants me dead because he thinks I witnessed him murdering my parents, and Creighton, who hates me, is having to protect me. Perhaps if I had just kept to myself—”
“Stop that!” Moira snapped. “I wouldnae judge ye for wanting answers. I would judge ye for not. This is yer family, Kylie, and everyone here would do the same. There is no use feeling sorry for yerself, and Creighton is a laird. ‘Tis his job to protect, and when he escorted ye, he accepted responsibility for ye.”
The woman was harsh, and Kylie felt more than a little cowed. Ducking her head, she chuckled softly. “All right. I suppose I will stop feeling sorry for myself.”
“That is better. Now then, I saw the way Creighton was with ye, and I dinnae wish to start a war with him, so if ye wilnae go see him, then we will see ye settled into yer chambers so ye can rest. Cora, did Alec say if the men were successful?”
“He said it looked as though there was a man of the cloth with him.” Cora looked perplexed. “But no mercenaries and no wounded.”
Moira let out a slow breath, and Kylie realized that she’d been worried for her husband. Of course, she wasn’t angry at her for her attitude. “Thank ye,” Kylie told her, “for sheltering us and providing the healer. I am grateful, and I am so sorry that trouble has followed me.”
“Think nothing of it. I will show ye to yer chamber and bring ye some tea. I suspect it will make ye sleep through the night, so if ye wish for an early dinner...”
“I couldnae possibly eat.” Just the thought made her shudder. Her body still throbbed, and anxiety knotted in her stomach. Creighton must be furious with her. She could still see the anger on his face after he’d killed the man.
Anger for what she’d laid at his feet.
Hours of sleep did sound wonderful, and it would put off facing him for just a little longer.
17
“Erksine.”
Alec sounded troubled, and Connor and Creighton gave the youngest Sinclair brother their full attention. They were walking to the church where the priest had insisted on resting to recover to speak to him more extensively about what had happened to him.
Alec, of course, was no longer a Sinclair. He’d been sent by the king to arrest the MacKay laird and take over. Instead, he’d ended up killing the MacKay laird and finding his English half-sister in the prisons. After marrying Cora, he’d taken on the MacKay name as laird and never looked back.
“Ye know something?” Creighton prompted.
“I’ve had dealings with Godfrey. He strikes me as a good man. One of his traders fell in love with a MacKay lass, and Godfrey spent a week with us. He didnae want to lose his trader, but he also wanted to make certain that he was happy. The Erksine’s look after their own. I cannae imagine them hiring mercenaries.”
“The MacDougal laird was a bastard and still managed to produce two good sons,” Creighton pointed out. “Simply because the son is a good man doesnae mean the father is.”
“And vice versa,” Alec admitted. Creighton knew that he was thinking of Cora’s father, a good man and an excellent laird, who’d spawned a son who was lazy, greedy, and murderous.
“I meant to tell ye last night that while I didnae expect ye to arrive with mercenaries hot on
yer heels, I am pleased that ye are here, Creighton. We have many lasses here that I think will please ye. ‘Tis good that ye are thinking of a wife and family.”
If there was anyone who understood what Creighton had gone through, it was Connor and Alec. They’d lost their parents in one horrifying night at the hands of what they thought was a traitorous lass.
Both of them had moved on—even Grace. Every single one of them had fought past their fears and anger and found love.
Maybe it was time for him to do the same.
Immediately, his mind flashed to Kylie.
“Creighton?” Connor prompted. “Are ye with us?”
“Aye, sorry. I am pleased to be here as well.” Before he could analyze what was happening to him, they crested the hill and saw the church nestled at the bottom. “I dinnae understand why the mercenaries would attack a priest. ‘Tis not like he has riches to be robbed or had a connection to Kylie. They can be brutal, but they are brutal for pay.”
“I was thinking the same,” Connor said. “Perhaps this morning we will get our answers so we can move on to more pleasant things. Ye have my word that even after ye leave, I will protect Kylie. I think she will do well here.”
The last thing Creighton wanted to think about was leaving Kylie behind, but he didn’t say anything as they entered the church. Father Edward bowed his head in respect. “Lairds.”
“Father Edward.” Connor clasped his hand. “This is the man who married Moira and I, however hesitant he was about it.”
“It was not a normal celebration,” the father said dryly. “Father Benedict awoke a few hours ago and has been in morning prayer, but he should be finishing breaking his fast soon. You gentlemen are welcome to join us.”
“In morning prayers?” Creighton asked with an arched eyebrow. He was a believer but hardly devout. The brothers, he suspected, were the same.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Edward chuckled. “No, I have already finished. I meant breakfast.”
Highlander’s Elusive Bride: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance Page 9