Alec: A Scottish Outlaw (Highland Outlaws Book 4)

by Lily Baldwin

  “Still, how did the Stone know that Joanie and Matthew were connected.”

  “So many questions, but Alec, where is yer faith? Did ye ever think that maybe, it was just destiny?”

  Alec paused, then wrapped his arm around Joanie’s waist and clasped Matthew close. “That I can believe.”

  The abbot swept the fabric back in place. “The Stone’s journey is not yet done, for it cannot stay here. It must be hidden away again.” Then he turned back and looked at Alec. “Ye too must be hidden away. Yer a wanted man now. So, ye ken what that means.”

  Alec smiled. “We journey to Colonsay to join my outlaw brothers.”

  ~ * ~

  Spring’s full warmth caressed Joanie’s face as she looked up at the crisp blue sky crowded with gulls soaring high. She watched as one broke away, diving headlong into the water, emerging a second later, victorious with a small fish in its beak.

  Mathew stirred. She looked down where he slept, his head rested in her lap.

  “It does my old heart good to see that lad so happy,” Margaret said from where she sat at the bow. “He needed a family of his own.”

  Alec smiled as he adjusted the sail. “His family is about to grow significantly.” Then he pointed toward a wide, crescent shaped shore. “Colonsay!”

  Alec’s father first hailed from Colonsay before he journeyed to the once bustling city of Berwick to work the docks. When his brother, Jack, had to go on the run, escaping the wrath of King Edward with English lady, Bella Ravensworth, and her father at his side, he chose to hideaway at Colonsay, knowing the MacVies would always be welcome.

  Alec knew in his heart that Jack had made it, outrunning Edward’s men. His youngest brother, Ian, followed after to Colonsay, escorting their sister, Rose, and Jack’s lassies — wee orphans Jack had adopted after their parents were slaughtered during the massacre. Whether Quinn or Rory had made it to Colonsay, he did not know, but that would soon change.

  The keel of their small boat carved into the golden sand. Alec leapt into the crashing waves and pulled the boat free from the consuming force of the sea. Then he reached up and aided first Matthew, then Margaret, and finally, Joanie down to the shore, although he held Joanie close and breathed in the salty scent of her hair before he set her toes on the soft sand.

  He scanned the shore. There was a long pier with two moorings that jutted out into the waves. Small sailboats hugged the pier, rhythmically bumping into the wood with every wave that lapped toward shore. A shift in the direction of the wind, sparked a feeling in his heart.

  “Wait for me here,” he said, to Joanie. Then he set out down the curved shore.

  Beyond a tall jetty of rocks, he spotted a woman, tall and slim, with wild red curls that tumbled to her waist. His sister, Rose, stood with a shawl loosely draped about her shoulders as she gazed out at the choppy waves.

  When Rose was a little girl, she dreamt that love would come to her from the sea, and she used to stand for hours at the docks, watching, waiting.

  “Just as I always remember ye, staring out to sea.”

  Rose gasped when she turned and locked eyes with Alec. Instantly, she started toward him, but then she froze. “Ye’re nothing like how I remembered ye.”

  She walked up to him tentatively, curiously studying his face. When he smiled, she jumped a little, and her hand flew to cover her mouth. “Alec MacVie, what has come over ye?”

  Still smiling, he shrugged. “I’m happy.”

  Her brow’s pinched together. “Yer happy?”

  He laughed and seized her by the waist, lifting her and swirling her about. “Aye, my dear, big sister, I’m happy.”

  Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. When she pulled away, her blue eyes shone bright, brimming with tears.

  She swiped the few drops that had escaped. “Well, all right, then, Alec, don’t make me wait any longer. I would like to thank the woman who has made my little brother so very happy.”

  Alec took Rose by the hand and led her back around to the sandy beach and introduced Rose to his new family.

  Rose gently cupped Joanie’s cheeks, her lips pressed in a thin line, forcing back her tears. “Oh, aye, ye and Alec are one and the same. I can tell.” Then she turned back to Alec. “Wait until the lads see ye.”

  “Where have they built their homes?” Alec asked.

  “Just beyond that ridge,” Rose said.

  The shore rose up from the grabbing waves. Then golden sand gave way to tall sea grass, which hugged the base of some short cliffs.

  Alec turned to Matthew. “Do ye want to run ahead and announce our arrival?”

  Matthew smiled and nodded. “How will I know them?”

  “Ye’ll know. MacVie men are hard to miss.”

  Matthew darted across the sea grass and scrambled up the cliffs.

  “Don’t think for a moment that I can make it up those cliffs,” Margaret said.

  Rose laughed. “Not to worry. There’s some stairs carved into the stone, over on the left side.”

  Joanie took Margaret’s hand and helped her into the tall grasses while Alec encircled Joanie’s waist with his arm.

  “And there they are,” Rose said, pointing.

  A large, powerful looking man with broad shoulders and curly black hair appeared. Even from the distance, Joanie could appreciate his raw masculinity with his chiseled jaw and deep-set eyes. On his arm was a woman with long sable brown hair and beautiful olive skin.

  “That is Jack, the eldest of my brothers with his Bella on his arm,” Alec said.

  Then another couple appeared. The man had long wavy black hair. He was tall and broad, although less so than Jack but still brawnier than Alec and ruggedly handsome. Joanie could see that there were, indeed, common traits enjoyed by the MacVie men. Ebony hair, full lips, deep-set eyes. She guessed their eyes were every bit as dark as Alec’s. Joanie had to tear her gaze away from the man to consider the woman at his side. Like Bella, she had rich olive skin, but her hair was every bit as black as the men’s.

  “That is Quinn. He was born just after Jack. As for the lovely woman on his arm, I have no idea who she is,” Alec said.

  Rose smiled. “She is Catarina, Bella’s sister.”

  “Bella’s sister?” Alec exclaimed. “That’s a story I can’t wait to hear. Och, there’s Rory!”

  Joanie gasped as she watched Alec’s younger brother jump the height of two men from the ridge of the cliff to the sand below.

  “Aye, that’s Rory, all right, the second most reckless person ye are likely to meet,” Rose said. “And here comes his Alex, the most reckless of all.”

  Joanie gasped as a woman with long blond hair, not unlike Diana’s, jumped the same height, landing in Rory’s arms. Then Rory put her on her feet, and they both started racing toward them.

  Rose laughed. “They just wanted to be the first to greet ye.”

  But no sooner did Rory start his sprint, then the other MacVie men joined the race. But all three stopped short when they drew close enough to see into Alec’s eyes. Joanie watched as all three brothers stared, expressions of curious wonderment etched on their handsome faces. Then, in two strides, Jack closed the distance between them and pulled Alec into a fierce hug. Joanie’s heart flooded with warmth when Alec returned Jack’s hug with the same force. Then in a flash of black hair, Quinn and Rory joined the embrace in a tangle of strong arms and the same fierce affection.

  “Wait for me,” a deep baritone voice shouted.

  Joanie whirled around and saw a giant fireball disguised as a man hurtling toward them with Matthew bouncing impossibly high up on his massive shoulders. Ian was exactly as Helena had described, right down to the long, flaming red hair. He smiled at Joanie when he passed by, his blue eyes as bright as the summer sky and his face so warm and kind that she felt like she was looking at the sun — but a gentle, steadfast sun that would never go away and leave someone in the dark.

  “Hold tight, my wee man,” he said to Matthew. Then he stretched his
arms wide. “Here I come,” Ian bellowed to his brothers.

  “Oh, go on then,” Rose laughed and joined her brothers with arms spread wide.

  ~ * ~

  Later that evening, Alec stood on the cliffs with Joanie at his side. The last sliver of sunlight shimmered on the horizon, casting jewel colored light across the sky and waves.

  “I never could have imagined a place as beautiful as Colonsay or a family as big and full of love. I only wish…” her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted beyond the shore to the jetty where Rose stood, gazing out at sea. “I know she is quick to laugh, and her smile never falters, but…” She turned and looked up at Alec. “Her heart is so very sad, isn’t it?”

  A soft smiled curved Alec’s lips. “Aye, she is, but fear not.” A twinkle glinted in his eye, like a lone star in the night sky. “One day, her true love will wash up on shore.”

  Joanie smiled and threw her arms around his neck. “I believe you, and I love you.” Then she looked into his seer’s eyes. “Thank you for saving my life.”

  He crushed her against him and kissed her just as the sun dipped from sight and twilight encircled them in soft hues of gray and violet. Then he pulled away slightly and whispered. “Thank ye for saving mine.”

  About Lily Baldwin

  Historical romance author, Lily Baldwin, loves writing, Scotland, her wonderful husband and beautiful young daughter — though not necessarily in that order. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of New Hampshire, and an MA in International Studies from Birmingham University in the UK. She daydreams constantly, and gets her best story ideas while running; she is even training for a half-marathon. She also finds inspiration in Nature, a quality revealed through the powerful description and drama in her books.

  Lily lives in New England with her cherished husband and daughter.

  To find more books by Lily Baldwin visit her website:

  http://www.lilybaldwinromance.com

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  If you enjoyed Alec’s story, you won’t want to miss the other outlaws!

  Jack: A Scottish Outlaw

  Freedom is not won … it is stolen

  Jack MacVie and his brother are thieves, robbing English nobles on the road north into Scotland. They’re about to attack the Redesdale carriage when another band of villains, after more than Lady Redesdale’s coin, sweeps down and steals their prize. Despite his hatred for the English, Jack’s conscience forces him to kidnap the lady to save her life.

  In the aftermath of the Berwick massacre, Lady Isabella Redesdale’s world is shattered. Her mother is dead, her father lost to grief, and she’s risking it all, journeying north into war-torn Scotland to be with her sister.

  Although they come from different worlds, Jack and Isabella are more alike than they first realize. They both crave freedom from war and despair, but in a world where kings reign and birth dictates one’s station, freedom is not won, it is stolen.

  Rory: A Scottish Outlaw

  Lady Alexandria MacKenzie is one of Abbot Matthew's network of rebels, fighting for Scottish independence. When her father dies, leaving their clan without a laird, she asks the abbot for aid in finding a husband. He sends her a selection of three noblemen from which to choose. Accompanying them is secret agent and reputed rake, Rory MacVie, who must assist Alexandria with a perilous mission for Scotland. But the abbot makes one point very clear — Rory is not a potential suitor.

  This is a passionate story of honor, rebellion, and forbidden love.

  Quinn: A Scottish Outlaw

  He is an outlaw and the only man she can trust.

  Quinn is a Scottish rebel and outlaw to the crown — not the sort of man for a proper English lady. But when Lady Catarina is accused of a horrific crime and is forced to flee Ravensworth castle for her life, the only man she can trust is the one man who believes she is innocent, Quinn MacVie.

  Join Quinn and Catarina as they disappear into the wilds of the Scottish Highlands where danger follows at their heels and desire burns in their hearts.

  More by Lily Baldwin

  The Isle of Mull Series

  To Bewitch a Highlander (Book 1)

  Isle of Mull, Scotland 1263

  She will protect her identity with her very life if necessary. Who will protect her from herself?

  Shoney's lightning speed with a bow captures Ronan by surprise, and their chance meeting ends with him lying unconscious at the bottom of a ravine.

  When he awakens, he cannot rid his mind of her startling beauty, her valor, or the secret fear he glimpsed in her steel eyes. He vows to find her, but as the mysteries of her identity unfold, his courage and heart are tested as never before.

  Excerpt:

  Shoney gripped a large rock with one hand to keep from rising to the surface and was hurriedly scooping handfuls of Dulse with the other, putting the slimy clusters into the sack hanging about her neck. Dulse was her favorite seaweed. Its translucent pink color was hard to spot, but it grew in bushels at the bottom of her pool. If infused in a bath, it soothed sore limbs, and its oil cleansed the skin, clearing away unsightly dry patches. Satisfied she had gathered enough, she released the stone and swooshed her arms, swirling in a circle. Her hair fanned out, covering her face and wrapping around her waist.

  The sting from the icy water subsided so that she could truly enjoy the feel of being submersed. The bottom of the deep pool gleamed with smooth white rocks, which seemed to light the murky water. She was enclosed inside rocks directly below her home where she knew none of the clansfolk would ever dare to venture, allowing her to leave behind the Witch’s cloak and every other stitch of clothing for that matter. Nothing delighted her more than to feel the rush of cold water over her bare limbs. Nothing made her feel more alive, but she was running out of breath and knew she had to surface.

  Her feet touched down on the bottom, and she bent her knees, pushing against the white stones to hasten her swim to the surface, but she did not surge through the water as expected. Large hands grabbed her from above, blocking her momentum. She seized with panic as she flailed against her captor’s grip. The water churned, bubbling from her efforts, but she was powerless against the strong arms that wrapped around her from behind and pulled her against the unyielding hardness of a man’s chest. Every corded ridge of muscle pressing against her naked back shifted as he pushed off the bottom, propelling them both toward the surface.

  They emerged from the depths, and he pulled them to the edge of the pool. Shoney sucked air into her lungs. Too long had she been submersed and now felt dizzy. Despite her reeling head, she lunged to escape the hands still grasping her shoulders, but his hold only tightened. Then, for the first time, she tilted her head back to look upon her captor.

  “You,” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” he said. “This is my island. What are you doing here?”

  “Taking a bath,” she gritted.

  She could not believe the giant, the one called Ronan, was in her pool. How dare he invade her rightful territory? Fury consumed her but also terror. Not only was she unarmed, but he was even larger than she first realized.

  “I am finished now,” she said. “So release your grip, and I will be on my way.”

  “A bath she says.”

  He turned her around in his arms so she faced him. Then he wrenched the sack from around her neck and threw it into the water. Shoney watched as it sunk beneath the surface. “I have been searching the whole island for you for a fortnight only to find you nigh drowning, leaving me no choice but to dive in to save you.”

  “Save me? Is that what you thought? That I was drowning.” She could not help laughi
ng, but stopped when his hand slid down the curve of back.

  Shoney was suddenly very aware of her state of undress. Her curves were concealed from his eyes by the water, but what he could not see surely he could feel as his arms pressed her close. She gasped as she felt the contours of his muscles shift against her skin. The heat of his body provided warmth against the frigid water, and his arms seemed to touch more than just her waist. They reached beyond her physical form, satisfying a craving for contact, which solitude had entrenched deep within her heart. He was powerful and intoxicating, and her response to him was shocking. She never imagined a man would feel so good, so strong, but she knew it had to be wrong. Shouldn’t she be outraged? She had to escape his hold. Her hands pressed against his wide chest as she thrust away from him, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Let me go, this is indecent,” she snapped.

  “No more indecent than leaving me to die, lass. I was only trying to save you.”

  “The only saving I need is from you,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “Release me. You have no claim over me or my body as I am neither your wife nor your whore.” She renewed her struggles and shrieked, “Let go of me.”

  His grip loosened slightly, and she felt the warmth of his breath as his head dipped close to hers. His hand swept the length of her torso and then gently caressed her cheek.

  “I know I need to let go of you,” he whispered. “I know that I am disgracing you as well as myself, but I cannot bring myself to do so.”

  She met his smoldering gaze. His lips were but a whisper away from hers. Try as she might, she could not take a deep breath. Her quick, shallow breathing was unnerving. And then as he pressed her body into his, her breathing was forgotten completely as was the cold water that encircled them, the crash of the waves, and the call of the birds. All she was aware of was his eyes, the closeness of his mouth, and the racing of her heart. He slowly lowered his lips, taking possession of the soft skin just below her ear. She closed her eyes, feeling a strange heat at the place where his lips had been. His hot kisses trailed down the length of her neck. The heat spread like languid fire throughout her body.