A Highlander's Destiny (Digital Boxed Edition)

by Willa Blair

  “I applaud his taste, but then he always had exquisite taste in wives. The beautiful Briene, although not much of a fighter, was a most rewarding rape.” Angus looked as if he wanted her to applaud what he’d done.

  “Well, I suppose rape is the only way you can get a woman of your own. Although, I would think that would become old after a few centuries.” Abby spit out with a drop of blood.

  His snarl preceded the change in his pupils. Yep, they were glowing a bright red. Abby guessed she shouldn’t tweak his chain, but if it would buy her time to hopefully escape on her own, then Darach could remain safe. She didn’t give a rat’s ass if he ever got the dagger and destroyed it. She just wanted him to stay alive.

  “You take your life in your hands, woman. If I didn’t need you to draw Darach to me, I’d kill you right now after I tortured you.”

  “Oh pooh, that goes to show just what a poor excuse of a demon you really are. How it must grate to have to use a woman to do your job.”

  The blow rocked her head back against the concrete wall. Stars exploded behind her closed eyelids. She wondered if she would get a chance to tweak him again. When the second fist connected with her face, she decided she didn’t care.

  “Now since you have first hand knowledge of what I can do, I will be taking this.” Angus grabbed her left hand and began to twist off her wedding ring.

  “No, leave it alone. You can’t have it.” Abby knew it was a lost cause but she didn’t want the demon touching the bond of her and Darach’s love.

  He ignored her protests and wrenched the ring off. She bit back the cry of pain his action caused. She just prayed he hadn’t broken her finger. Abby wanted to have all of her fingers intact to claw his eyes out if she ever got the chance.

  ****

  Darach ran shaky hands through his hair. It’d been exactly four hours and thirty-one minutes since his world exploded. No word on Abby at all. God only knew what was happening to his wife. Why didn’t Angus get in touch with him? How long could he endure this torture before slowly going out of his mind?

  “Darach, try to settle down. I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.” Arianna’s voice wasn’t as calm as he was sure she wanted it to sound. She and Sean had stayed with him during the grueling hours of torment, while Conner went back to the club he and Darach had busted in hopes he could get a location on Angus.

  “I just wish I could be sure.” Darach had even tried to call Michael but got no answer. What kind of archangel didn’t answer his phone?

  Sean walked back into the living room and closed his cell. His face was grim. Darach jumped up. “Is there any news?”

  “No. I just got off the phone with Michael. He says he can’t help. Something about interfering with the order of events that need to take place. I told him that was bullshit. Guess that’s why he hung up on me.”

  “Thanks, Sean. At least we now know not to expect help from that quarter.” Darach began to pace, his steps short and furious as he thought about all the times he’d obeyed the edicts of Heaven. Now when he needed help the most it was withheld.

  “Why don’t I order us something to eat? We’re going to need our strength whenever Angus does contact you.”

  “I dinnae think—” His words were interrupted by the doorbell.

  He couldn’t say who made it to the foyer first but when he opened the door, Sean and Arianna stood beside him.

  “Special delivery for a Mr. MacRath.”

  Darach grabbed the package and left Sean to sign for it. He ran back to the living room and tore the envelope open. A single white sheet of paper fell out followed by the pinging sound of metal.

  He bent over and picked up the flash of silver. Abby’s wedding ring glowed back at him. Oh God. Oh God. All his hopes, although he knew were ridiculous, that maybe Angus didn’t have her were destroyed.

  “What is it?” Sean’s terse tone only made matters worse. The halfling was almost as upset as he was over Abby’s abduction

  “Angus does have her. He sent me her wedding band.”

  Arianna moved up beside him and rubbed his arm. “What does the note say?”

  His hands shook like he’d had too much to drink as he unfolded the paper.

  Meet me at the warehouse where you found the pictures. Midnight. Come alone or you will find your wife’s body in pieces. Angus

  Darach’s vision grew dark as spots danced before his eyes.

  “Here sit down.” Sean guided his body backward until his legs touched the sofa. “Get him some water, Arianna.”

  Darach took the glass she offered and welcomed the grip aiding his hand as he tried to drink. The water tasted like bile to him, but it did help to still some of his dizziness.

  Sean picked up the paper he’d dropped, read it, and handed it off to Arianna.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get her back.”

  “Nay! Ye read the note, he will kill her as soon as he sees ye.”

  “Be reasonable, Darach, Angus will kill her anyway.” Conner’s appearance into the room had gone unnoticed by Darach, but his words scared the hell out of him.

  “I willna let him. I will bargain with him. He can have me, not Abby.”

  “And just how do you expect to pull that off? If he does kill you, he’s not going to let her go. You need backup.”

  “Sean’s right, Darach. You can’t do it alone.” Arianna inserted.

  Darach stood to his feet and prayed his earlier weakness would not return. It was almost midnight now. Angus must have paid a pretty penny to have the package delivered after hours.

  “I dinnae know what to do.” His hair stood on end as he raked his hands through it several more times.

  “Why not trust us? Arianna or Conner can teleport me to the warehouse after you’ve had time to arrive. We’ll stay back and wait.”

  Darach tried to think. Should he allow it? If they were there then maybe between them they could get Abby out alive. It was worth a chance. He would not lose another loved one to Angus.

  “Verra well. Just make sure ye get Abby away. I dinnae care what happens to me. She must live.” Darach saw but did not decipher the looks exchanged between the halfling and the immortals.

  “Good, then this is what I think we should do.” Sean began to spell out his plan.

  A half an hour later Darach prepared to teleport to the warehouse. His backup stood ready to do the same.

  “If this dinnae go as planned, then I want ye all to know how I value your friendship. Please take care of Abby for me.”

  Sean snarled, “Shut up and transport, Highlander. You can take care of Abby yourself when we get her back.”

  Michael felt the weight of Darach’s pain on his shoulders. It threatened to break his resolve not to interfere. He hated this part of his job. He didn’t like standing still and allowing someone else to fight evil, but alas, his boss had been adamant again about certain events having to occur. He just prayed those proceedings did not result in the loss of Darach and Abby.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  A slap brought Abby back to consciousness. She opened her eyes and stared into the face of evil. Angus grinned as he motioned for two of his demon buddies to unlock her chains. Her arms felt like dead weights when they dropped. The only thing holding her up now was a chain around her waist.

  She shuddered as one of the fanged creatures leaned in way too close to unlock that barrier also. She shook her hands and tried rotating her arms—grimacing against the pins and needles attacking her limbs.

  “Well, it seems we will see in a few moments whether or not Darach loves you as much as he did Briene. Will he fight for you, Abby? Or will he leave you to me?”

  Abby reacted without thinking. Her leg shot out and she kicked Angus in the balls. “Well, at least he’s willing to fight, and not let others do it for him. You coward.”

  Angus recovered far more quickly from her blow than she would have liked. His hand grabbed her hair and pulled her neck back at a painful angle.

  �
�I can hardly wait to have you under me, my dear. I will revel in breaking your spirit and then bathed in your blood.”

  A glob of spit hit him in the face and then he struck her with his fist. “Let’s see if your Darach will want you after he sees your face. You’re not so pretty anymore.”

  Abby fought the pain threatening to pull her under. “Darach loves me for me, not my looks, and because I love him.”

  His laughter caused the hair to rise on her arms. “Well, that remains to be seen. Bring her!”

  Angus’s henchmen grabbed her by the arms and tugged her out of her small prison. The moonlight almost blinded her as she was hurriedly marched to a waiting car. Their shove into the trunk was not gentle, and the last view she had was of Angus’s snarling face as he slammed the lid shut.

  Great, if he didn’t kill her beforehand, she could die from lack of oxygen. Abby rooted around in the dark and tried to find anything she could to jiggle the trunk open as the car started up and moved off. After several minutes of searching, her uninjured hand clutched a screwdriver. Her thank God turned into a prayer when the car began to slow.

  Lord, she needed to hurry!

  The screwdriver slipped with the rough pavement they rode on, but then she found the latch. She wiggled the flathead into the slight opening and turned it. Abby tried again and was rewarded with a faint click. She reached out to push the trunk open and the car stopped.

  She was too late.

  Several crunches of gravel heralded the arrival of her kidnapper. She held her breath and the screwdriver close as the trunk was flung open. Abby waited only a second before stabbing the screwdriver into one of the demon’s eye and then swung her legs over the back of the car, praying she could get away before Angus caught her.

  So much for hope.

  Again her scalp was assaulted as Angus wound his fingers through her hair. Damn, she was tired of this.

  “Going somewhere, my dear?” At her nod, he backhanded her. “I think not. We have an appointment with Darach.”

  She struggled but succeeded in only tearing out several strands of her hair. Angus and the two remaining red-eyes, one with blood streaming down his face, flanked her as she was pushed toward the warehouse.

  Once through the door, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimness. Angus dragged her to a steel beam, and his two goons wrapped her in chains once more. The building seemed eerily familiar. Then her vision about Darach raised its head and her fear. This was the place where Darach would die. And if he did, she would surely die with him.

  She reached out to claw their eyes but Angus only grinned maniacally as he grabbed her hands and squeezed so hard she just knew he’d broken another bone. “It’s midnight. And if I’m not mistaken, your husband has arrived.

  ****

  The Darach that arrived at the warehouse was a far cry from the shaking, terrified immortal of before. Abby could be saved, but it would take him calling upon all his skills and concentration to do so. Not to mention the help of his friends.

  His stride was sure, his form straight, as his gaze found and identified Angus and two other demons. Darach sought Abby, and when he found her he almost lost it. Her beautiful face was swollen, bruised, and one eye almost closed. The other blue orb looked toward him, and he swore he saw a glimmer of a smile on her abused lips.

  The rest of her body, except for a ring of bruises around each wrist, looked untouched. He prayed Angus’s habits had not changed and that he would want an audience before raping her.

  “Darach.” His name was a croak of sound from Abby. He bowed to her and then stiffened his shoulders against Angus’s laughter. His cousin walked to Abby and touched her face. As Darach watched he ran his clawed finger down the side of her cheek, opening a furrow of blood.

  He steeled himself not to react. It would do Abby no good if he allowed his rage to take control. Only calm would win the night against Angus and a lot of luck.

  Angus left his torture of Abby and moved closer to the center of the warehouse floor. A position Darach had taken when Angus touched Abby.

  “So it seems we meet again, cousin. I hope you plan to die without sniveling this time.”

  “How I die and where I die is none of your concern. I be not a trusting soul any longer, Angus. It will take more than ye to kill me.”

  Angus’s lips pulled back to reveal his fangs. Thank God he had not used those on Abby. “Well, we shall see about that. And since you did come alone, I will allow your wife to live so she can watch you die.”

  Abby’s whimper hurt Darach, but he could not look at her or calm her fears. His attention must stay on Angus at all times. The demon had been tricky as a mortal and would be more so now.

  “And will ye be brave enough to do your own fighting this time?” Taunting Angus could backfire on Darach but he wanted him as far away from Abby as possible.

  The demon did move closer to Darach. “I don’t need anyone to fight my battles now. I am one of the strongest demons around.”

  Darach kept his tone derisive. “Oh, so that’s why ye were kept as a lackey in hell for so long.”

  “Why you miserable…” Angus stopped and motioned for one of the demons to come forward. He took the proffered wooden box, lifted the lid, and pull out the cursed dagger. Well, at least Darach knew where it was now. Not that it would help any. If Angus struck him with it, there was no telling what it would do to his fighting skills.

  “Let’s see what you have to say when this dagger cuts you from throat to ass.”

  “I say ’tis time ye quit stalling and fight me, Angus.” Darach withdrew his sword. “My blade has not tasted the flesh of demons for several days. It will welcome a chance to feed its hunger.”

  While he baited Angus he watched three shadows take shape behind the demon’s henchman, as well as Abby. A quick thrust through their hearts and they turned to slime. Sean made eye contact with Darach and then moved to stand next to Abby. Arianna did the same. Conner held her up as the others released her bonds. At least if he met his death this night, Abby’s freedom would be guaranteed.

  “Kill him!” Angus’s cry roared through the warehouse echoing off the metal beams.

  “Who are ye talking to, cousin?

  Angus looked behind him. The rage his flesh gave off sent sparks dancing in the air. Oh yeah, he was pissed, but so was Darach. With Abby no longer in danger he could do what he did best: kill a demon.

  “As ye see, the fight is now between us only. Prepare to die and meet your judgment.” Darach waited as Angus seemed to hesitate, then the demon rushed forth, the dagger held high.

  Darach blocked the blade before it connected with his heart. He spun and brought his sword down to cut a hole in his opponent’s chest. The ooze stank like a nest of maggots before it began to slowly close up. Not a good sign. Someone had doctored Angus’s demon makeup. He would not be easy to kill, but Darach was determined to do his damnest to send him back to hell—regardless of Michael’s orders to turn him over to him. As far as he was concerned, even if he’d changed his mind about killing Angus, Michael’s refusal to save Abby rent him of any promise he’d made to the archangel.

  Again and again Angus lashed out, and each time Darach sidestepped him. Every blow he dealt the demon danced away and each time Angus laughed. There had to be a way to win this match. Perhaps…

  He needed something to slow Angus down, to get him to drop the dagger, and then he would chop his head off. Hopefully that would do the trick. If not, then it would take himself, Sean, Conner, and Arianna to bring the demon down.

  Darach started a frontal assault, slashing at Angus like a madman. His cousin began to back up. Good. The closer they moved toward the group waiting all the better. Sean stood poised, as did Conner. Arianna would make sure Abby stayed out of harm’s way.

  Angus cast a glance sideways. Sean cursed. “You son of a goat. That’s my mother’s medallion.”

  “Really? Then she must be the slut I raped centuries ago. I have to tell you, s
on, she was a tasty bit of flesh. I wondered what happened to her. She left before I was finished with her.”

  Sean moved toward Angus. “Because of you my mother was an outcast. She worked her fingers to the bone to take care of me. I will kill you for that.”

  The halfling’s hands fisted. Darach knew what would happen next. He could allow Sean to kill him. Dead was dead, and the man had a good reason to want Angus dead also, but the demon had struck Abby, hurt her, and would kill her if possible. No, Darach wanted the pleasure of taking Angus out. Then he’d answer to the consequences of his actions if he was still alive.

  “You would kill your own father?” Angus looked a bit proud at that thought, but Sean’s words vanquished the smile on the demon’s lips.

  “You may have sired me, demon, but you are not my father.”

  Sean’s fingers extended, and it looked as if the halfling had taken the choice out of Darach’s hands. He moved to get out of the line of fire, and slipped in a combination of blood and ooze on the concrete floor. He went down on one knee. Angus turned his back on Sean, grinned, revealing his fangs, and slashed out with the dagger. The hot feel of copper raked Darach’s face, blinding him.

  He swiped his coat sleeve across his eyes in a desperate attempt to clear his vision. Angus cut him again, his arm this time, and against the fiery blaze of pain, Darach tried to lift his sword to block what would be a deathblow.

  “No!” Abby’s voice rang out a second before her protector’s cries.

  “Stop!” Sean’s command ripped through the building.

  “Abby, stop.” Arianna’s plea was an anguished cry.

  “Abby, wait.” Conner’s desperation caused Darach to turn his head. Abby ran the distance between them, her arms out in front of her, her mouth open again to scream.

  Darach tried to pull himself to his feet, to place his body between Abby and Angus, but his body would not cooperate.

  Angus’s blade completed its downward arc just as Abby threw herself in Darach’s arms. He felt her body shudder as the blade cut through flesh to bone. He heard her breath catch as pain lanced her bloodied form.