Highland Brawn (The Band of Cousins Book 8)

by Keira Montclair

  “Go, please,” she said, her voice hitching. “Get her away from here. Now.”

  Connor watched as his parents did just that. He expected Sela to come back to him then.

  “Come here, Sela,” Hord bellowed. “Or our men will start killing Highlanders.”

  Connor wanted to tell her it was an empty threat. The Channel bastards did not have the numbers to defeat them. But he didn’t get the chance to speak.

  “Nay, please,” Sela said.

  The wicked man grinned, his eyes sparkling with malice. “Come with me willingly, and I’ll never go after your daughter again. If you fight, I’ll kill your friends and see that Claray is thrown into a chamber full of spiders.”

  Still, Connor thought Sela would come to him. The threat was weak, they all knew it. So he felt equal parts surprise and horror when she glanced at him and mouthed the words, “Remember me.”

  Connor bellowed, his horse rearing, sending the other horses in different directions, as she raced back to the castle. Hord grabbed her in an instant and started dragging her back into the castle while Dee and Guy backed off, yelling, “Seal the gates.”

  The portcullis nearly caught Connor as he charged toward Sela. The heavy gate would have cut his neck off, but someone pulled him back.

  The last thing he heard her say was, “I’m sorry, Connor.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Connor was wild with fury, but his cousins pulled their horses in front of him. “Calm down, Connor,” someone said, although he was too agitated to register who’d spoken.

  “You bastard, Hord,” he bellowed. “If you touch her again, I’ll kill you and put your head on a pike.”

  Uncle Logan and Aunt Gwyneth rounded on him next. “This is not the way,” Logan said. “She can handle herself for two days. We’ll get her back.”

  “He’s right,” Gregor said. “We have the lass, we’ll get Sela later.” He brought his horse even closer, then said in a lowered voice. “She’s agreed to help us from the inside.”

  “What? You bastards went behind my back?” Connor thought he’d choke his cousin, but he said the words in a seething undertone. He would not do anything to endanger her. It would be best to ride a distance away before they spoke strategy.

  He followed his parents and their guards out of Berwick until they reached a clearing at a safe distance. Connor dismounted and immediately went after Gregor. “You set this up? You told her to go back to spy?”

  “Cease,” Uncle Logan bellowed. “Sela made the suggestion herself, but she came to us, knowing you’d not support this. If you stop and use that mind of yours, you’ll realize ’tis a brilliant plan she came up with. With Sela inside, we have a better chance of saving a hundred lads and lasses. When you can reason again, you’ll understand why it needed to be done. We want them to think they stole her back, not that she went willingly. She played it beautifully, and so did you.”

  Connor stopped, pausing to process all he’d just heard.

  “If it were anyone but Sela, you’d agree with the arrangement,” Braden said from the group of cousins, all on their feet now. “Take your emotion out of this.”

  He stared at his cousin, not wanting to admit he was right. The sound of humming caught his ears. His mother’s humming. He averted his gaze to the edge of the clearing, where his mama was holding a sweet lassie who was still asking for her mother.

  He strode over to the bairn with the copper-colored hair and knelt down in front of her. “Claray, my name is Connor. I know you miss your mama right now, but I promise I’ll bring her back to you. A couple of days from now, you’ll see her again.”

  Her breath hitched twice and she leaned in closer to his mother. “Where are we going? I don’t want to go back there. I don’t like those men.”

  Connor’s mother held her close, and the wee lassie’s head rested on her shoulder. “We’ll see your mama again, but first we’re going to a magical castle full of lots of wee lassies for you to play with. You will love it there.”

  “Truly? Other lassies I can play with?”

  “Aye,” his mother said.

  “Are there any spiders there? Please, no more spiders. They bite me.” Fresh tears started rolling down her cheeks, and Connor wasn’t surprised to see his sire walk in the opposite direction, clenching his fists like he wished to kill someone. He felt the same way.

  His mother wiped Claray’s tears away. “We’ll protect you from the spiders,” she said. “You’ll get to sleep in a big fluffy bed filled with furs and pillows with two other wee lassies named Lise and Liliana. We could even put a netting around your bed to keep the spiders away.” Her voice cracked, but she took a deep breath and continued, “There are even puppies for you to play with.”

  Connor had forgotten that Torrian’s dog had just had a new litter of puppies. Lise and Liliana played with the wee pups so much they were exhausted by the attention come nightfall.

  “What is a puppy? I’ve never seen one,” Claray said, rubbing her eyes.

  His mother said, “Wee furry animals who will kiss you and lay at your feet. And Cook makes the best fruit pies of anyone. You’ll see.”

  “What is a fruit pie?”

  Connor stared at the innocent lass, also noticing how everyone had quieted around him. Uncle Logan looked as if he were about to burst, but he, too, walked away, following his sire out of the clearing. Aunt Gwyneth swiped at her cheeks, doing everything she could to get rid of the evidence of her tears.

  Hord and his partners were not going to die an easy death.

  ***

  Sela tore over to the stairs to the parapets, wanting to watch the Grants as they left. Wanting to see Claray...and also him. Connor looked furious enough to tear down the portcullis with his bare hands, but his family ushered him away. Her gaze quickly shifted to the wee lassie cradled on Madeline Grant’s lap.

  Claray had sobbed and tried to wriggle away as she handed her over to Maddie, but now she had her arms wrapped around the women’s middle, and the dear woman held her close as they galloped away.

  Hord’s bellowing voice reached her, but she ignored him. What could he do to hurt her now? Claray was far away from his reach.

  Dee’s voice carried over the din. “Now, Sela. In the great hall.”

  Still, Sela followed the Grants with her gaze until she could no longer distinguish Maddie’s horse from the others. Her daughter was safe.

  If Sela did not survive this venture, Claray would be loved by Madeline Grant. What more could she hope for?

  Connor Grant. The one man she was capable of loving.

  That thought frightened her, but it comforted her, too. For years, she’d seen only greed and ugliness from the men in her life. Connor had reminded her that men could be honorable, too. They could be gentle and kind. That reminder had reawakened her goodness.

  She feared Hord would never let her go, but at least she had her memories of the dark-haired Highlander’s kisses.

  “Sela, now!”

  Guy’s voice carried up to the parapets, so she made her way down the stairs to speak with him. She knew what he and Dee wanted. The first shipment was to arrive today from London, so they needed her right away.

  But now she had another job. When she’d approached Connor’s cousins secretly about returning to the Channel to find out where the lasses and lads would be held prior to the shipment, they’d been more than happy to go along with her suggestion.

  Atonement. It was the sole reason she’d agreed to return. If she could save these young ones, maybe the Lord would consider forgiving her for her sins.

  Maybe she could forgive herself.

  She followed Dee and Guy across the hall, keeping her gaze far away from Hord. Guy grabbed her arm and shoved her ahead of him, forcing her into one of the small chambers off the hall. Hord stayed outside.

  She used that point to her advantage, pleading with Dee, “If you keep him away from me, I’ll do anything you ask of me. He nearly killed me.”

  �
�You don’t give orders here, we do,” Dee said. “It’s convenient you’re back. The shipment is here from London. These are the older lasses, so they’ll not need much care. Hord will not be anywhere near them.”

  “On the morrow, you’ll change locations because there are two groups arriving. One holds younger lasses. Hord will not be allowed near the others either, so you will be safe until we get these shipments off.” Dee and Guy both stared at her, waiting for her response.

  “Where will I need to be on the morrow?” she asked. This was the information she would get to the Grants and Ramsays, if possible. Connor’s cousins had sworn they’d send a young lad to her.

  Guy grabbed her arms and pulled her close. “If you are considering getting information for your new friends, I suggest you forget it. Hord has been working on a new form of punishment. Just give us a reason to try it on you.” He gave her a twisted smile and it took all of her will to turn her head away rather than cry out. “Your things have been moved to an inn. We no longer trust you to stay in the castle. Guards will escort you there later. We will watch your every move, Sela. I wouldn’t try anything.”

  “Though if you sell us out,” Dee added, “we’ll kill you before Hord gets a hold of you. You can count on it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Connor paced in a small area outside the clearing that the guards had made their temporary home until all was settled, about two hours from Berwick. He hadn’t had one moment’s rest since leaving Castle Berwick.

  Maggie and Will joined him, Uncle Logan not far behind them. Once they’d all settled, Maggie said, “I’ve indicated the others should join us. Connor, you’ve been pacing since we arrived. Why not sit on that log? I know this is difficult for you, but we thought Sela’s assistance would be the best way to ensure we save every single lass and lad. Her suggestion was perfect.”

  “I understand the reasoning behind it, Maggie. I sincerely do, but Sela barely had time to heal from the spider attack. If that bastard puts her in danger again, I don’t think she’ll hold up. Had it been a sennight from now, she’d be better prepared.”

  “This couldn’t wait,” Maggie whispered.

  Seething, Connor picked up a boulder and heaved it off as far as he could throw it.

  Uncle Logan crossed his arms. “Or maybe she’d prefer that group. She had a child with Guy or Dee. Is that not what you said? Mayhap her loyalty is elsewhere.”

  Connor had heard enough. “The hell it is. She’s not in love with any of those bastards, and she will help us. Uncle Logan, you’ve lost your ability to reason. You must have taken too many hits when they beat you.”

  No one said a word for a moment, though Braden and Roddy joined them quietly. Maggie and Will were watching her father closely, likely to see how he would react. Uncle Logan surprised them all by bursting into laughter. “I had to know. ’Tis as I suspected, aye, nephew? You’re taken with the lass?”

  Connor cursed under his breath. His uncle had caught him good. He wished to answer him, to deny what he was suggesting, but he could not. He stood and paced in a circle again, looking at the ground in front of him. “Aye, I suppose I am.”

  His uncle stopped his repetitive movement by clasping his shoulder. “Lad, love is the one thing a man cannot plan. When I met Gwynie, she threatened to cut my bollocks off, yet here I am.”

  “And you still have them both, aye, uncle?” Braden said.

  Uncle Logan snorted and the rest of them chuckled. “When this is over, you should tell her exactly how you feel.”

  Connor scuffed the dirt with his boot. “She bears a great amount of guilt for all she’s done. If she manages to put all of this behind her, do you think she would be accepted as part of our clan? We have some elderly curmudgeons who only get worse the older they get.”

  Maggie didn’t hesitate to answer. “Not once has the Channel ever demonstrated any kindness toward a female. She was used as much as the others. There isn’t anyone here who cannot attest to their cruelty.” She motioned to herself and the other cousins. “We’ll forgive her from her past, aye, but can you? If you doubt your ability to do so, then stay out of her life. She needs to heal and move on once this is over.”

  Connor ran his hand through his long locks, doing his best to untangle the mess the wind had made of them. “Do you truly believe we can put an end to the Channel?”

  “Absolutely,” Will said. “We’re so close, it could be less than a sennight before we see the end.”

  Uncle Logan clapped him on the back. “Your lass will be safe soon enough. We have close to one hundred warriors with us, another one hundred an hour away, and another three hundred gathering outside Ramsay land. They’ll join us when we’re ready, but I don’t want these bastards knowing aught about our numbers. When the English knights move in, so will our reinforcements. We will win this one, especially now that we have your lass on the inside.”

  “I can do this,” Connor said, rubbing his palms together, finally accepting what everyone else already had. Sela could be the key to putting an end to the Channel and stopping that shipment. “Tell me what to do.”

  “You’re to take Thorn with you this night and see if you can get in touch with Sela. He and Nari have just arrived with the most recent small group of warriors. I don’t know if they’ve freed Sela yet, but we advised her to watch for Thorn or Nari and tell them aught she’s learned. She said to look for her near the Buck’s Inn.”

  “Consider it done. Thorn and I will find her.”

  ***

  Sela followed the men that evening into a large manor home north of the port of Berwick. Her insides tossed about, the same they always did when she was about to head into a situation that was totally unknown to her. Guy and Dee led the way, and just as she’d been promised, Hord was nowhere to be seen. When she entered the building, she was surprised to see a small group of ten lasses.

  Why had she expected fifty?

  Guy turned to her and whispered, “This is our most valuable group. Treat them kindly.”

  She wondered why they were considered more valuable than others. Perhaps Guy and Dee had simply secured a higher price to send them across the water.

  They entered a small gathering hall furnished much like a whorehouse, but she doubted any of the girls gathered by the hearth would make that connection. Odd tapestries hung on the wall, depicting some questionable activities, but she ignored them. The lasses sat around on large floor pillows, combing each other’s hair and giggling, a most unusual activity considering they’d all been kidnapped.

  “Greetings to you,” Sela said, uncertain even what language they spoke.

  “Greetings. Are you the maid? We’ve been waiting for our maid. We were promised one,” the tallest lass asked.

  “That will be at your new home,” Dee said. “You’ll be on your ship within two days. A short journey later and you’ll be with your auntie in her castle in France.”

  “We’ve waited so long for this,” the tall one said, turning to look at the others. “We had no idea it would be so easy to get there. Papa has promised us for many moons. Auntie will arrange all of our marriages. We’ll be living with the wealthy men of France. You’ll see, girls.”

  Sela was stunned. The girls were certainly in for a surprise when they reached the coast of France. True, they would possibly find themselves married, but not to any princes.

  She lowered her gaze, embarrassed by their innocent excitement.

  Guy said to her, “Come with me and I’ll find food for them. They’ll be treated better than the others, so do be wary of them. All you need to do is keep them here for a night, report to us every two hours across the street, and then you’ll move along to the other building on the morrow. Understood?”

  She nodded, following him back out for the food he’d promised the lasses.

  This was to be a very long night.

  ***

  Connor rode his horse into Berwick that eve. This was day three. Three more days to stop the Channel�
�s plan. And yet, all of his thoughts were on Sela. Ever since he’d first set eyes upon the lass in Inverness, his heart had been floundering like a fish tossed onto shore. He couldn’t make up his mind whether he loved her or not.

  “What’ll we do if she’s not there?” Thorn asked. The wee lad sat in front of him on the saddle as he rode toward town.

  “We must be patient, lad,” Connor said. “If she doesn’t come, we will need to find her. Somehow.”

  “Shouldn’t be too hard. Sela’s so pretty, people are bound to notice. Everyone’s afraid of her, too.”

  “That may have been the way in Edinburgh, but I don’t think it holds in Berwick.”

  “Her beauty would be legendary anywhere.”

  Connor wiped the sweat from his brow, the same sweat that materialized whenever he thought of the Norse beauty. He found he couldn’t argue with the lad. Hadn’t he acted like a lovesick fool over Sela these last weeks?

  The pain that had ripped through him as he watched the portcullis drop between them still felt raw—not lessened by the knowledge that she’d agreed to spy for them. Or that it had been her idea.

  She’d kept her decision from him, and that hurt, too.

  One thing that he knew without question—he sure as hell wanted her. At first he’d felt naught but lust whenever he looked at her lips, those deep blue eyes, and the silky strands that fell down to her hips. That feeling had changed into a burning need to claim her. To protect her.

  Mine.

  He wanted to scream to the world that she belonged to him, that he wasn’t afraid of having a powerful woman walk beside him. Together, they would be unstoppable.

  Thoughts of Sela kept rolling through his head, persistent as the tide, as he dismounted on the edges of Berwick. He and Thorn tied Midnight Moon to a tree and made their way down the dark streets of the town. No moon showed behind the rolling clouds. The streets were bustling despite the hour.

  Thorn whispered, “You could buy us each a meat pie, my lord.”