Highland Vengeance

by Saydee Bennett

  “Aaron, Paul, it is so good to see you both. It has been so long,” Olivia said kindly as she entered the room and saw the two soldiers that she had known for years.

  Garrison introduced his first and second in command to the Sinclair men and Camden could not help but notice the smile on his wife’s face. The way she stared at the handsome English soldiers irritated the laird.

  “I trained with these men for several years my laird, they are some of the finest opponents I have ever had, besides you of course,” Olivia added.

  Camden relaxed a bit and pictured his wife at battle with the English soldiers. He was sure the men had not stood a chance against Olivia. The duke began to inform his men on what had happened in the Highlands to his sister. Camden noticed his wife seemed embarrassed when she heard herself described as brave and courageous. She was a modest woman and humble warrior.

  The late night gathering did not last too long and soon the Scottish and English men all vowed to protect Olivia once again before they departed. Garrison grabbed his sister and hugged her tightly before she left the library.

  “Livy, I thought you might want to know that Brent is in France on a secret assignment for the king. He heard you had married and gone to Scotland but he wanted me to wish you well for him,” the duke said quietly to his sister.

  “When you see Brent, will you please tell him that he was right all along? I did find someone that matches my fire and I do know what love is. I have done great things and will continue to do so,” Olivia smiled.

  “Of course little sister, I will tell him that I have never seen you happier.”

  Olivia left the library and took Camden’s hand before going up the stone staircase. She thought for a moment of her childhood love Brenton and then glanced at her perfect husband by her side. Olivia was more than happy with her life and the love she shared with Camden. Laird Sinclair heard every word that was said between the brother and sister and he wondered just who Brent was. It was obvious the man was someone special in Olivia’s past but from the passionate words she spoke about her marriage, Camden knew he had nothing to worry about. Looking at Olivia, there was pure love sparkling in her emerald eyes only for him.

  They panted for breath after their heated lovemaking and Olivia could not help but begin to laugh out loud. Camden wondered if his wife had lost her mind because their passionate display was anything but humorous and he barely could think, let alone laugh.

  “Olivia, would you mind telling me what you find so amusing?”

  “It is just that, when I was a little girl, I always wondered what our royal visitors were doing in this room. I, of course, would sneak around to spy on them but I never understood why they were making so much noise if they were sleeping. Now, I know exactly what they were doing,” she smiled.

  Camden pulled his wife close and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He doubted any of the scrawny English royals had ever made love in a wild and intense frenzy as they had just done. With Olivia and Camden’s muscular bodies and great endurance, the couple certainly did not share the average marriage bed. The exhausted lovers had just fallen into a deep and relaxing sleep when someone started banging on their chamber door.

  “M’laird, come quickly,” Liam yelled through the thick wooden door.

  The Highland laird was up with his plaid on before Olivia even knew what was happening. Camden opened the door with his sword drawn and prepared for anything.

  “What is it?’

  “A message m’laird, the duke waits for you downstairs,” Liam explained.

  “Stay outside this door and do not let my wife leave this room under any circumstances. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, m’laird.”

  “Camden wait,” Olivia cried out.

  “Do not move,” the laird ordered his wife.

  Travis stayed with Liam to guard Olivia’s door and she decided to obey her husband out of sheer fear from his wrath. He was frazzled, she could tell and whatever was happening must have been serious. Calum, Keith and Stephan followed their laird down the stairs and into the library to find Garrison with his first in command, Aaron. Camden could see by the look on the duke’s face that something was wrong.

  “What has happened?”

  “A messenger delivered this letter,” Garrison said as he handed the rolled parchment to Camden.

  Laird Sinclair,

  It is greatly arrogant of you to think that a man of my ability would not be three steps ahead of you. I have certain acquaintances everywhere and word travels fast when a group of Highland giants comes through England. You destroyed all that belonged to me, did you not think that I would do the same to you? Yes, I am nearby and being overconfident in your strength and skill will be your downfall. There are others with your superior abilities and I am one of them. I am ready for this bloody war.

  Laird MacKay

  Camden stood there emotionless as he read the message and the others in the room were silent. It only took the laird a few seconds to comprehend the words that Malcolm had written but time seemed to stand still as Camden contemplated on his next move. Every action he took had a consequence and the Highland laird would not risk the life of his wife again.

  “Where is the man that delivered this message?” Camden said with a controlled voice.

  Aaron took a step forward. “He has left already but he must still be on the Lansington property for he could not have reached the border yet.”

  Laird Sinclair did not say another word before he raced out of the library and out the main door of the castle. His guards followed him, along with the duke and his men. He went into the stables that were newly built, after a fire had destroyed the old stalls and prepared his horse to leave.

  “My men come with me, Garrison please stay with Olivia and protect her with your life,” Camden ordered.

  “You do not need to ask, be safe,” the duke replied.

  The Highland men left with urgency across the stone bridge and followed the trail that Aaron showed them. It did not take the warriors long to find the lone messenger as he came into sight on the path. When the small English man heard the thunderous sound of horses pounding, the poor man cowered with fear as he saw the massive Scottish men coming towards him. The scrawny man jumped from his horse and tried to hide in the forest from the brute men but Camden had the man by his shoulders within moments.

  “Who gave you that message and where the hell is he?” Laird Sinclair yelled with outrage.

  “Please do not hurt me m’lord, I did not see the man,” he whimpered.

  “How did you get it?”

  “The tavern owner paid me to take it to the Duke of Lansington. That is all I know, I swear.”

  “What tavern? Where?” The laird asked impatiently.

  “In Newcastle m’lord,” the messenger said in fear.

  Laird Sinclair did not know his way around England but he remembered they had come through Newcastle on their way to Lansington. Camden tried to contain his fury but the faster he rode, the more upset he became. He knew he had to control his temper or Malcolm would have an edge on the laird. Camden’s weakness was Olivia and he could not afford to go into this battle being vulnerable. After two hours of riding frantically through England, the Sinclair laird reached the small town of Newcastle and burst through the wooden door of the tavern. Camden ducked to fit through the frame and then looked around the empty room. Within moments of his arrival, a small portly man who was balding on top, came down from his room above the pub.

  “Are you the owner?”

  “I am,” the frightened man replied with a shaky voice.

  “Where’s the bastard that gave you the message for the Duke of Lansington?” Camden asked calmly.

  “I do not know m’lord, I never saw the man. The letter was brought to me by a messenger and I was to send it on.”

  Camden moved toward the man and then towered over the quaking owner who had turned pale white. The laird was sure the fear in the cowering man below him had
caused the man to tell the truth. Lying to the giant Scottish warrior would have been completely foolish. Laird Sinclair retreated back to the door and wondered why Malcolm had gone to so much trouble to have the letter delivered from place to place. Camden wished he knew what the blackheart was planning. The Highland men found a secluded area to rest for what was left of the night. Sleep eluded the laird as he tried to decipher Malcolm’s plans.

  The sun began to rise slowly and the morning light started moving through the sky, warming everything it touched. Camden and his men watered their horses and prepared to track the MacKay man from the little knowledge they had. As he listened to his each of his men stating their own theory about Malcolm, fear raced through Camden’s body as he realized what Malcolm’s sinister motive was. The laird was enraged with himself for falling for the lunatic’s game. All of this worthless time trying to track Malcolm through his letter was a ploy to get Camden and his men away from Olivia.

  “Damn it.”

  “What is it m’laird?” Stephan asked.

  “We have to get back to Lansington. This is what he wanted, us away from my wife!”

  Keith and Calum were already mounted and the others hurried quickly to follow their laird. The five men rode the path in a rapid pace back to the home where Olivia had spent her early childhood. Their traveling was much easier in the morning light and with the panic that Lady Sinclair was in danger. Camden had trust in Garrison but he worried Olivia might be out of the castle alone. She was stubborn enough to talk anyone into letting her do what she wanted, including her husband.

  Within moments of arriving back at the castle, Laird Sinclair was yelling to the English soldiers to help his men find Olivia. Camden raced through the large wooden door at the entrance of the holding and began shouting his wife’s name. Garrison came out of the library and saw Camden as he headed up the stairs.

  “Camden, what is wrong?” The duke yelled.

  “Where is my wife?”

  “She is in my bedchamber with Ella. My wife was having some pain this morning and Livy has been with her since.”

  “I need to see her, now,” Camden demanded as he headed towards the duke’s chamber.

  “You can’t go in there, my wife may not be decent,” Garrison said as he raced after Camden.

  “The hell I can’t.”

  That statement was said just as the giant Highland man opened the door to Garrison’s chamber and the duke had no time to stop him. Camden saw his beautiful wife placing a wet cloth on Ella’s head and it was obvious that the petite woman was laboring to have her baby. He was overwhelmed with relief that Malcolm had not harmed Olivia and that she was still safe in the castle walls. Camden suddenly felt uneasy as Olivia stared blankly at her husband and brother as they stood in the doorway while Ella was enduring the pain.

  “My laird, do you think you could stop gawking at Ella and give her some privacy?” Olivia insisted.

  “Forgive me Ella,” the laird mumbled.

  “Do not worry Camden, it is hard to control one’s actions when they are in love,” Ella said sweetly as she winked at her husband.

  “Garrison, I need to speak with you in private,” Camden said as he turned to leave.

  “My love, I will be back in a few moments. I love you,” the duke promised.

  Olivia was instantly curious as to what was happening but there was no way she was going to leave Ella, especially since the midwife had not arrived yet. She could hear her brother and husband’s deep voices talking just outside the door and she was dying to know why her husband was so upset.

  “Go. See what is happening Olivia. I am fine here for the time being,” Ella smiled.

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Margaret is here and she can stay until you come back.”

  Olivia grinned. “I will only be a moment, I promise.”

  When she opened the chamber door, Lady Sinclair found her husband, brother and a mass of soldiers, both English and Scottish, flooding the hallway.

  “My laird, may I speak with you in private?” Olivia asked.

  Camden nodded briefly and then followed his wife to the library and closed the doors behind him. As soon as they were alone, the bronzed laird grabbed his wife and kissed her mouth thoroughly. Olivia was not sure what was happening but she welcomed his passionate kiss and matched his heat with her own. He held her tightly and he could not seem to get her body close enough to his. Olivia began to whisper between their kisses and she finally pulled away to seek answers to her questions.

  “Is everything alright my laird?”

  “It is now,” he said huskily.

  “Where did you go last night?”

  The couple sat down on a leather settee and Camden explained to his wife, everything that had happened. He knew it would be no use in keeping anything from her, so Camden let Olivia know what he and her brother had planned. Garrison had already sent out a sentry of soldiers to scout the perimeter of the castle to find any tracks that Camden and his men might use to look for Malcolm. The laird was sure the villain was close by and he was not going to get away with anything. Lansington Castle, Olivia, Ella and the children, would all be heavily guarded until the MacKay man was found.

  The door opened after a slight knock and the duke looked at Olivia. “The midwife is here,” he said.

  “Go and stay with Ella, we are taking care of everything else,” Camden said to his wife.

  “Be safe my love,” Olivia said as she kissed his lips softly before hurrying to be by Ella’s side.

  The midwife checked on the laboring duchess and she thought that perhaps with the excitement of the Highlanders coming the night before, that it may have started her birthing process. Olivia had helped with other women that had given birth but suddenly the fear of something going wrong with her sister, made her extremely nervous. She did everything possible to hide her apprehension from her brother’s wife because Olivia had seen other births go terribly wrong. Lady Sinclair knelt by Ella’s side and prayed quietly with her to the Lord that both Ella and the babe would be healthy.

  Laird Sinclair was grateful to God that his wife would be completely occupied with taking care of Ella. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about her climbing trees and sticking her arrows through someone. Camden could see that Garrison was uneasy about the birth and the duke would be useless to the soldiers looking for Malcolm. The Highland laird was unsure of how to comfort the man about the impending birth and the silence between the two was awkward. Camden watched Garrison pace outside the door with worry for his wife and he wished could help the man.

  “My men and I will handle the problem that we seem to have brought with us from Scotland. Keep your guards here to protect my wife and your family. I pray for your wife’s health,” Camden said.

  “Thank you and I promise to keep my sister safe. God be with you and your men,” the duke replied.

  “Laird Sinclair,” Aaron blurted out from the entry, “we have found where the man has been sleeping. Not too far from here in the wooded area.”

  He raced out of the holding and Camden mounted his horse in the courtyard to follow Aaron to where they thought Malcolm may have been. The Highland warriors needed no instructions from their laird as the brute giants with their massive stallions hurried behind Camden. Within minutes of finding the matted down brush where it was obvious someone had been sleeping, Lard Sinclair could feel the presence of the evil man nearby. He motioned his men to be still while he jumped to the ground and searched for evidence of where Malcolm went.

  Liam watched his laird do what he did best and that was tracking his prey. Camden held his hand up to his men to stay put while he drew his massive sword from its sheath. The laird followed a rocky path down into a gully and then listened for the bastard to make a sound. He was close and Camden waited for the villain to make a mistake. The air was chilly and all the animals were still hiding which made it easier for Camden to hear the movement behind him.

  Without turning around, Laird Sinc
lair thrust his sword towards his back and the blade caught Malcolm clean through the gut. Camden spun to see the look on the MacKay man’s face. The bloody man was stunned and had a crazed and wild look. The Highland laird put his boot to the man’s chest and then pulled his blade from the rogue criminal, letting Malcolm stagger backwards and fall to the ground.

  “You have no superior skills as you claimed, for killing you was far too easy. The only reason you were able to complete all the sinister things you have done so far is because I underestimated the sum of your wickedness. Your reign of terror on my wife, my family and my clan is over,” Camden vowed.

  With that, he left the man on the ground bleeding with a giant hole through his stomach and went up the hill to where his men waited. They could see their laird’s sword was bloody but it did not look as if Camden had even broken a sweat.

  “He is just down this gully, finish him off and get rid of the body.”

  “Aye, m’laird,” Liam said with a grin before he and the others did as they were ordered.

  As Camden rode back to Lansington Castle, he felt the burden of all the torment from the MacKay clan being lifted from his shoulders. He was free now to enjoy his life with Olivia and live in peace with his clan. His beautiful wife had given him hope and love when the Sinclair laird had nothing left. Camden hurried to be with her and feel complete with Olivia in his arms.

  Epilogue

  “Laird Sinclair, may I have permission to dance with your beautiful wife?” Broderick asked as he bowed to the couple.

  “I will cut your hands off if they move anywhere they should not be Laird Kincaid,” Camden replied seriously.

  Olivia laughed out loud as she followed her friend Broderick to where everyone else was dancing merrily. She turned back to wink at her husband and with that, Camden could not hold back his smile. The Highland laird could not believe the good fortune he had come into after the devastating loss of his father. As he stood there at the wedding celebration of his sister Maggie, to his own warrior Stephan, Camden recalled the last time there had been a gala like this one. It ended tragically but it also brought the brute warrior his own joyous fulfillment, Olivia.