Highland Brawn (The Band of Cousins Book 8)

by Keira Montclair

  Connor turned to Thorn, who was hopping up and down as he listened, unable to stay still in his excitement. “This will be the big battle. Would you and Nari like to stay to watch the Highlanders take the English knights down?”

  Thorn grabbed a hold of Nari’s hand. “We may?”

  “Aye, but you’re to keep on eye on each other. No separating. We’ll be back later.”

  Alex Grant looked at the two lads, fearsome enough that Thorn nearly pished himself, then crooked a finger at them. He tossed them both onto the back of his destrier, the biggest animal Thorn had ever seen. Although he could hardly think for excitement, he glanced back at his friend.

  Connor was looking at his cousins, all of whom were gathered before him. Connor said, “Head for the coastline and the port. Will, Maggie, and I will take the south end. Gavin, Gregor, and Roddy, you take the middle. Braden, Daniel, and David take the north end. This is our one chance. We mustn’t waste it.”

  And the cousins, all eight of them, were off.

  ***

  Sela’s mind was barely functioning because her fear had overtaken everything. Her actions were rote as she helped herd the lasses onto the ship.

  Her mind was busy planning her escape. She had to get away from Hord. She had to let the cousins know the location of the ship. But there was one problem—a big problem.

  She couldn’t swim.

  Every thought she had of escaping involved jumping over the side of the ship. Jumping over or waiting until they were far out before she crept down the rope ladder on the side and swam back. Both plans had merit. It would probably be dark before they sailed away, and she wouldn’t be seen in the murky waters.

  But she couldn’t swim.

  What the hell was she to do now?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Connor had been starting to think they’d never find the lasses in time, but they heard sounds of activity as they approached a small turn in the coastline. From behind a copse of trees, they watched the activity in the small cove. Screaming, crying, wailing lasses were being loaded into a ship.

  They’d found them.

  He scanned the area for a lass with white-blonde hair, and there she was on the deck, though she shouldn’t be able to see them yet. His first instinct was to bellow with joy because the bastards hadn’t gotten away with their ruse. They hadn’t spirited off Sela and the other lasses. Then he saw two bastards he recognized—the leaders of the Channel.

  When he pointed them out to the others, Maggie’s jaw went slack and the color leached from her face. Will put his hand on her back. “Maggie? What is it?”

  “I recognize those two men.”

  “You do? Where have you seen them before?” Connor asked, shocked that she knew them.

  “They worked for Randall Baines, the Earl of Wingate. One is Gerold deVere and the other is Lawrence Granville. One was his marshal and the other his seneschal.”

  Randall Baines was the one who’d begun it all. Maggie and her sister Molly had lived with him and his mother as servants when they were lassies. His cruelty had left marks on both of them. Maggie had gone off in search of him, wanting to face her past, and in so doing she’d discovered he was involved in shipping lasses across the sea. Baines was dead, but his work had deeper roots. They’d discovered the Channel after he died.

  Connor nodded. “Dee would be deVere. Guy is probably Granville.”

  Maggie dropped her head into her hands. “Why did I not think of this before? His men continued it. Of course. They’ve been in charge this whole time.”

  “Do not fault yourself, lass,” Will said, rubbing the small of her back. “We had no way of knowing his men would continue the horrific venture.”

  Connor patted her shoulder. “My guess is they waited a while before they started the group up again, waiting to see if there were any repercussions coming their way. Had you gone after them back then, you’d have found naught.”

  Maggie’s eyes teared up. “They fooled me completely.”

  “And what does my wife plan to do about it?” Will asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Is this not your chance to pay them back?”

  “You’re right,” she said, her tone fierce. “I want that bastard deVere myself. I remember him well.”

  Connor said, “He’s all yours. I’d like to twist Hord’s thick neck, but first we must ensure that boat doesn’t leave.”

  Gavin, Gregor, and Roddy rode up, their horses huffing from exertion. “We found naught in the middle of the port, but I see why,” said Gavin. “How shall we do this?”

  “I wish we had our horses, but they’d be of no help in this landscape. The terrain is rocky coming down the slope, part of the reason the lasses are screaming. They keep losing their footing.”

  Maggie looked to Gavin and Gregor. “Are the men clear enough targets for your bows? We cannot risk hitting the lasses.”

  “Aye,” Gregor said without hesitation. “With your help, we can take out half of them while the rest of the cousins charge them with hand-to-hand combat.”

  Gavin’s gaze scanned the area. “One of us up here, two of us above the beach in those trees halfway down the hill. Give us one moment to place ourselves and then the rest is in your hands, Grants and Drummonds.”

  Maggie stayed while Gavin and Gregor descended to find perches above the beach. “Godspeed,” she said to the others. “Finishing this group will end the Channel. I’m certain of it.”

  After giving Gavin and Gregor time to find their positions, Connor, Braden, and Roddy let out their Grant war whoop and went after the Dubh men.

  Connor’s gaze searched the area, finally settling on Sela down near the ship. He only allowed himself to look at her for a moment before he charged at Guy. Better known as Granville. The man was so surprised he couldn’t even get his sword out of its sheath. Connor drove his sword into his black heart and said, “Give my greetings to Baines in hell, you bastard.”

  He turned to search for others to fight, pleased to see many men dropping from his cousins’ arrows. The lasses’ screams filled the air as they ran to the boat for shelter. They didn’t know the cousins had come to save them, not hurt them.

  Much to Connor’s shock, Dee dragged Maggie down from the hill. He must have caught sight of her in the trees or followed the path of her arrows, most of which had made their mark, to her hiding spot. Yanking on her hair, he pulled her along, slapping and beating her like a man turned daft.

  “You bitch! This is all your fault.” He swung his fist and hit her square in the jaw. “You should have died in that crate in Inverness.”

  Maggie kicked him and pulled out a dagger tucked inside her boot. She swung it at him but only left a shallow slice across his belly. It bled profusely but was not a mortal wound.

  “I’ll teach you to touch me,” he growled, grabbing her weapon and twisting her arm behind her back.

  Connor raced toward her and bellowed, “Will!” Her husband hadn’t noticed the attack yet, but as soon as he heard Connor shouting his name, he took off at a dead run straight for Maggie, whistling for his falcons.

  Although Will was closer, Connor fell in behind him, cursing when Dee slapped his cousin again. The falcons swooped down to peck him just as Will reached the two. From the way the bastard shrieked, Connor was pleased to see the birds were doing their best to frighten him. Will allowed the show to go on for a short time, but as soon as Dee—DeVere—let go of Maggie, he grabbed the man’s tunic and nailed him with two punches. When Dee fell to the ground, Will put his foot on the bastard’s chest and nodded to his wife. Maggie grasped her dagger with tears in her eyes then swung it over her head with a growl, stabbing him through the heart. Will assisted her, using enough force that he made sure the bastard took his last breath.

  Guy was dead. Dee was dead. Most of the Channel appeared to be dead on the ground, though there were still some near the shoreline. Enough so they could question one of them about the final shipment. Or mayhap Sela would know where the lads and
lasses were being kept.

  Was it almost over?

  Will picked Maggie up and held her close.

  Connor turned around to check on the ship, and shock raced through him, nearly buckling his knees. Sela was aboard the boat—and Hord was releasing the final ties holding them to the posts.

  “Get off the ship!” Connor yelled at the top of his lungs. “Sela, get the hell off the ship. He’s pulling the ropes.”

  But moments after the words left his mouth, the ship started drifting away from shore. Connor killed another five men trying to get to the ship, but there was suddenly an endless supply of guards. The more he fought, the farther the ship moved.

  “Sela, jump!”

  ***

  Sela had watched all in shock. Connor killing Guy. Dee attacking Maggie. Maggie killing Dee.

  She couldn’t believe they were both dead.

  “Get off the ship!” Connor yelled. “Sela, get the hell off the ship. He’s pulling the ropes.”

  The words jolted her out of her passive state. When she turned to see what he meant, she saw Hord untying the ropes on the posts, setting them out to sea.

  The confused lasses kept climbing onto the ship, thinking they were climbing to safety.

  “Nay, nay! Go back. These men are evil!”

  Many of them ignored her, some shoving and pushing to get aboard the ship while others ran back to the shore. This was probably her last chance to jump and land in the water shallow enough for her to walk to safety, but she’d have to leave the lasses. When she looked at their innocent faces, she knew she couldn’t do it.

  Every one of them looked like her daughter.

  She went to the ladder, knocking the girls climbing up back into the water. “Go back. Those men in black won’t hurt you. They’re here to save you.”

  She pulled the ladder up into the boat so no one else could get in. Then she did what she had to do.

  She grabbed the two closest to her and pushed them back over the side of the boat, one by one. The other girls who’d climbed aboard looked at her questioningly. She said, “Go, they’re planning to sell you. Get off now.” Many of the lasses jumped overboard, but a few stayed.

  Hord screamed at her, threatening to hurt her again, but she ignored him, shoving one more lass into the waist-deep water. When words wouldn’t sway her, he grabbed her by her long plait, yanking her backward toward the end of the boat. “Leave them be. I must have a few to sell. And you are coming with me!” he bellowed, yanking even harder. He tugged her up against him until she heard the crunch of the spider bag, which caused her throat to fill with an awful liquid and her heartbeat to speed up uncontrollably.

  Swinging her arms, she did what she could to fight the bastard, but he wouldn’t let go. She watched the shoreline grow more and more distant. After witnessing her attack, all but one of the remaining girls jumped overboard. The one who stayed stared at her with a sick look she couldn’t interpret.

  Hord held her close and started to fumble with his bag. He said, “I’ll stuff them in your mouth if I must, but you’ll do as I say.”

  Sela jutted both of her elbows into his mid-section, hitting him with a big “oof,” much to her delight. Then she stomped on his foot with all her strength.

  “Bitch!” he shouted, but he didn’t release her. She stomped on his feet two more times until he finally let go. She raced to the other end of the ship, grabbing the last girl by the hand and shouting, “Come. We must go now.”

  Maggie and Will waited at the shoreline, helping the girls out of the water and over to a place where they could huddle together.

  Sela stood on the edge of the ship, the lass fighting her a bit, which puzzled her, but she refused to leave her behind. “Come, we must go now.”

  She looked down into the churning sea, wondering how deep it was. Why did the girl continue to fight her? Then she knew. She turned her head to her and said, “Now.”

  The poor girl looked at her, eyes full of desperation, and said, “I can’t swim.”

  “I can’t either, so we’ll go together.”

  Even if they died, it would be a better fate than what Hord would give them.

  Hord said, “Sela, if you climb up there, I’ll set the spiders lose on you, I swear.”

  She glanced back over her shoulder, taking the girl’s hand in hers, preparing to jump.

  Just before she leaped over the side of the boat, she saw Connor wading out toward them. She caught his gaze and yelled, “I can’t swim.”

  And then she jumped over the lip of the boat, taking the squealing lass with her.

  The last thing she heard before she hit the water was Connor. “Kick your feet!”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Connor had thought all would be well. Guy and Dee were both dead. Many of the guards were dead, others had run off, and Sela had wisely begun to push the lasses over the side of the ship. They landed safely in water that wasn’t over their heads—or at least they did until the boat was nearly empty. The remaining girls were jumping into deep water. Sela would have to jump into deep water. He swam out, Gavin and Gregor joining him to assist the lasses who were being dragged down by their heavy skirts.

  Then Sela yelled something that nearly stopped his heart.

  She couldn’t swim.

  Hellfire, how could anyone not learn to swim?

  “Kick your feet when you land,” he yelled, swimming as hard as he could for her.

  Gavin had also heard her declaration so he headed to the same area.

  Sela and the lass whose hand she held went under together, and they were under for so long that Connor felt sure he would vomit.

  “Gavin, where are they? Look for air bubbles. Do you see anything?”

  He ducked underwater to see what he could find, but all the lasses had stirred up the bottom enough to keep him from seeing. He came up just in time to see Sela’s head come above water, her one hand reaching for him.

  He grabbed her, pulling her close, just as she pulled on her other hand. Her companion sputtered above water. Gavin grabbed the lass, who latched on to him eagerly, almost taking him underwater, but Connor yelled, “Stay calm or we’ll go back under.”

  Only then did he let himself focus on the lass in his arms. It felt impossibly right to hold her. “You’re hale, love?”

  She nodded, choking up a bit of water.

  “Why did you stay on the boat so long? Have you a death wish?”

  Sela shook her head, tears flooding her cheeks. “I couldn’t leave any of them with Hord. And the other men ignored us. They were just there to work the oars.”

  “Don’t look back,” Connor said, “He’s still on board, staring over, but something tells me he won’t be back for a while.”

  They’d finally reached a spot in the water where he could touch the bottom and stand up. As soon as she could, she threw her arms around him and said, “Connor Grant, take me far, far away from here.”

  He stopped briefly to confer with his cousins. Maggie and Will had three men tied up. They planned to bring them back to her sire and his father for questioning.

  “Sela, what know you of the other boats and shipments?” Maggie asked.

  She said, “There are about twenty lasses being held in the manor home at the end of the main street in the village. If you don’t know it, I can take you there. The other shipment will be arriving at the same home in two hours.”

  Will said, “I know exactly where she’s talking about. We’ll go there, free the lasses they have, and await the third shipment. Anything else you can tell us?”

  She shook her head, but then she thought for a moment. “Just that they supposedly have English knights here to keep the Highlanders from entering the village. Clearly, you managed to get past them.”

  “We need confirmation that this ends the Channel.”

  Sela nodded. “If Guy and Dee are dead, the Channel is dead. They didn’t wish to share their power with anyone else. I’ve heard them arguing about it with Hord a
nd others. The rest of their workers only collected small coin.”

  Maggie smiled. “I can only hope you’re right. We’ll check out our sources and free the lasses in the manor home.”

  “I’m taking Sela to get her things, then we’ll see you back at camp.” As he walked away, he glanced back over his shoulder. “Tell Thorn I’ll be there by this eve.”

  Connor led Sela back up the hill into the town, surprised it was so quiet. He stopped at a food vendor along the way and said, “What goes on this day?” Sela had a death grip on his hand as if she feared she’d be discovered and whisked away, so when the man turned to prepare their food, Connor leaned over and kissed her cheek. “All is well. I’ll protect you.”

  She smiled. It didn’t quite meet her eyes, but he understood. She’d been under the Channel’s control for so long that she likely struggled to believe her ordeal was over.

  She was free.

  The vendor whistled. “Big news today. English knights went after a group of Highlanders, but the Scots were well over two hundred strong and made easy work of them. Those of us loyal to the Scots are pleased, though some of King Edward’s loyal supporters are both shocked and disappointed. It will be a task to bury their dead. I’ve heard they’re to be returned to English soil, though I’ve not heard who will come forward to do this.”

  “All is quiet in Berwick?”

  “Many are in hiding. All will return to normal this eve, I’m sure, once the ale is flowing again.”

  The man passed over the meat pies Connor had ordered, and he broke one in two and handed half to Sela. As they walked away, he said, “Where are your things?”

  She pointed. “In that inn. When I returned from Grant land, they said they’d not trust me to stay at the keep anymore. The inn was where I slept alone, although they kept guards posted outside day and night, not because of me but because of the wagering going on. Their coin was heavily guarded. All the men who watched me were at that beach, so there’ll be no guards.” She pointed at a door. “We’ll not be noticed if we use the back entrance.”