Women dropped what they were doing, grabbed their children and ran for the keep, following the protocol that Cree had set down when he had spoken to the village one day. The village men gathered weapons and took their defined positions ready to defend their families and homes.
Dawn spotted Lila, Thomas cradled protectively against her chest, in the middle of a group of women heading for the keep. Lila waved for her to join them and she was about to when she saw Cree astride his horse, his eyes searching the crowd. She didn’t know if he searched for her but in case he did, she waved his way to get his attention.
He nodded at her with what she thought was relief in his eyes and pointed to the keep. She nodded in return and then he took off, a large group of his warriors following behind him. She turned, anxious to join Lila when she spotted Elsa arguing with one of the warriors. She shook her finger at him and turned to enter her cottage. The large warrior grabbed her by the arm and forcibly dragged her away, ignoring her adamant protests.
Dawn recalled that the prisoner she had saved from having his tongue cut out had been moved to the room that had been added to Elsa’s cottage, his illness having worsened. She didn’t know why she felt compelled to see the man, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Did she hope that he would have something more to tell her that could help her solve this riddle? A moment that is all she would dare take and then she would join the other women in the keep.
She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head concealing her face so that none of the warriors would spot her and force her to the keep. She made her way around the crowd and hurried up the short path to Elsa’s cottage. She entered the room to find the man sitting on the edge of the bed. He was pale and took several heavy breaths. She threw back her hood and hurried over to the bucket of water near the bed to fill the ladle and hold it out to him. He reached for it but his hand shook too badly for him to hold it so Dawn held it to his mouth for him to drink.
When he finished he struggled for more breathes and said, “What’s happening?”
Dawn did her best to gesture an attack and was relieved that he understood.
“You must go and keep safe, but first... I’m sorry.”
She shrugged and knitted her brow, hoping he would understand that she asked why.
“I did bad things most all my life,” —he shook his head — “then I fell in love with a good woman and she bore me a beautiful daughter.” He stopped again, though this time tears filled his eyes. “Someone I wronged badly sought revenge and took from me what I had taken from him.” Tears spilled down his face. “God heard me when I told him that I didn’t want to live any longer. Though he did not believe that I had suffered enough and so he gave me an illness that would slowly torture me to death,” —he drew a few more breathes— “I thought to fool him and shorten my suffering but instead he sends an angel to protect me from losing my tongue and now she sees to my care when she should see to her own.”
“You are pathetic, old man.”
Dawn turned to see Seth standing in the open doorway.
“And you are more the fool if you think Cree trusts you,” Rem said.
Seth shook his head. “Of course he doesn’t trust me but that doesn’t matter since my plan worked. Goddard freed me while that ignoramus Colum charges head first to his death thinking to regain Dowell and save face with Roland Gerwan. In the meantime I will succeed in carrying out my mission and be paid handsomely for it.”
“You are an idiot,” Rem said and started coughing.
Dawn sat on the bed beside Rem patting him on the back. Her helpful gesture wasn’t for Rem alone. She wanted to be sitting. It gave her closer access to the dirk in her boot she had taken to carrying. Never wanting to be caught without protection again.
“I will finish what Cree failed to do... cut out your tongue, though I will not give you the satisfaction of killing you.”
“Do what you will; you’re still a dead man.”
“Cree will never find me. I will be long gone before he realizes I’m missing.”
“You idiot, it isn’t Cree who will kill you, it is the person who hired us. He wants no one left alive who can speak of this. We were dead men as soon as we agreed to kill this woman.”
“Not me,” Seth sneered. “I will let no one take my life. I will get what I deserve.”
“That you will,” Rem said and began coughing so badly that he doubled over.
“I have no time for this,” Seth raised his sword and charged toward Dawn.
Dawn was suddenly slammed back on the bed, and she watched wide-eyed as Rem jumped up, her dirk in his hand and as Seth’s sword pierced his chest, Rem drove the dirk into his neck.
Seth stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock and collapsed to the ground. It took only seconds for him to take his last breath.
Dawn jumped off the bed grabbing Rem and going down with him as he crumpled to the floor.
He grabbed her hand. “I have no right... but... please... I’m afraid to die alone.”
She patted his shoulder and gently lifted his head to rest in her lap, then took hold of his hand.
He squeezed it tightly. “I hope God forgives me and lets me see my wife and daughter again.”
Dawn nodded vigorously patting her chest and pointing to Seth.
“You believe... I redeemed... myself... by saving... your life.”
She nodded again.
“You are... an angel... and I am grateful to you... for forgiving me. Be careful... someone... wants you dead.” He squeezed her hand even harder. “And be... even more careful... the devil... loves you... and will never... let you go.”
Rem coughed, smiled at Dawn as if he had found peace and died clutching her hand.
She sat there frozen, too numb to move, too numb to barely think, though Rem’s last words echoed loudly in her head... the devil loves you and will never let you go.
What would make him think such a thing?
Elsa appeared in the doorway, though Dawn had no way of telling if it was minutes or hours later that she did. The woman took in the scene in one glance then stepped back out shouting. The next thing Dawn knew, Cree was there filling the doorway.
She hadn’t known she was crying until Cree knelt beside her and gently wiped away her tears with his finger.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
She shook her head, patted Rem’s head, pointed to Seth and then tapped her chest.
“Rem took the sword meant for you?”
She nodded and the next thing she knew she was lifted into Cree’s strong arms. She pointed to Rem.
“He will be given a decent burial.”
Dawn nodded and rested her head on Cree’s chest as he carried her out of the cottage. Her head popped up once outside. She was surprised to see that no damage had been done to the village. And there looked to be no wounded. Men walked laughing toward the keep no doubt to collect their wives and children. Another rule Cree had laid down; no women or children were allowed to leave the keep after an attack until their husbands or fathers came for them.
She looked to Cree and shrugged.
“Curious as usual.”
She nodded.
“It was no fight at all. Why the fool Colum thought he could retake the village with such few men bewilders me.”
Dawn shrugged again wondering over Colum’s fate.
“Colum got what he so richly deserved and what I had wanted to do to him ever since he laid a hand on you. He will never hurt anyone again.”
Dawn now understood why the men laughed and appeared so joyous. Colum was dead. There was no fear that he would one day return. He was gone forever.
Once in her cottage, Cree lowered her to stand, though his hands went to clasp at her waist. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
She smiled and patted her chest.
He grinned and gave her a quick kiss. “You are a courageous woman.”
He sounded as if he admired her and the thought caused her breath to c
atch.
“The warrior guarding Seth was knocked on the head from behind and never saw his assailant. Did Seth say who freed him?”
Dawn gestured as she did once before when she wanted to identify Goddard to Cree and he remembered.
“Goddard, I thought as much. He was nowhere to be found.”
Dawn tensed.
His hands tightened at her waist. “Do not worry. I will find him and put an end to him. Then he will trouble us no more.”
Us. It thrilled Dawn to hear him refer to them as us. Could Rem have been right? Did the devil love her?
“I’ll return later,” he said and lowered his lips to hers to savor for a moment.
It was far too many minutes before they broke apart and reluctantly, then quickly joined again. She knew he had to go, though she wished he wouldn’t. She wished he would stay and...
The thought that perhaps she could make him stay if only for a short...
Dawn didn’t think on it, she daringly acted, slipping her hand over the bugle between his legs and teasing it. He groaned and his kiss deepened as his mouth grew hungrier against hers. She felt empowered by his eager response and she continued tormenting him into submission.
“Damn it, Dawn,” he all but moaned as he tore his mouth away from hers. “I have no time—”
She hurried to the table, hopped up on it to lie on her back and spread her legs and stretch her arms out to him.
Cree grinned and didn’t hesitate to accept her invitation. He planted himself inside her quickly, an easy plunge since she was so wet and ready for him, which excited him even more. It wouldn’t take long for either one of them, another thought that had him thrusting in her even harder.
Damn if he didn’t enjoy her more and more each time they coupled. And damn if he wasn’t building to an explosive climax as always. And one final damn if he didn’t lov—
He burst in a blinding climax as she wrapped her legs more tightly around him forcing him to plunge even deeper as she tightened around him. He shuddered as his climax ended and he pulled out of her so quickly that her body startled and her eyes grew wide.
He didn’t say a word to her. He adjusted his leggings and stormed out of the cottage leaving her staring after him.
Chapter Thirty-four
Dawn was bewildered. What had she done wrong? Cree had been as eager as she had been to make love. So why had he stormed out of the cottage so quickly when they had barely finished. If he had remained inside her just a moment longer she would have reached a second climax.
She grew annoyed at what she didn’t know. What she did know was that she didn’t intend to remain in the cottage and sulk or linger on having watched two men die today. She quickly adjusted her garments and was out the door expecting to see Neil or another guard stationed there. When she saw none; she smiled. She was on her own for how long she didn’t know but she intended to relish her freedom.
It didn’t take long for her to decide where she was going. First, she would retrieve the basket she had left by Elsa’s cottage and then she would go and see how Lila and Thomas had faired through this all.
A few injured warriors lingered around Elsa’s cottage waiting their turn to be tended. There seemed to be only minor wounds that needed attention. Dawn did not want to be in the way and so she grabbed her basket and walked around to the back of the cottage and headed to Lila’s.
She had taken only a few steps when she was grabbed by her hair and around the waist. She fought her assailant twisting and throwing punches that caused him to lose his grip and stumble. When she saw that it was Goddard she fought even harder. He had caused her immeasurable suffering and there was no way she’d let him hurt her again.
She couldn’t scream, but she might be able to...
She twisted quickly in his arms and when he went to hit her, she grabbed his arm and snuck her teeth into it hard. He did exactly what she hoped he’d do and what she couldn’t do... scream.
Cree had joined Sloan at the top step of the keep when he heard the scream. Both men turned to see where it had come from and saw the warriors at Elsa’s cottage run around back. Cree and Sloan flew off the steps.
Cree couldn’t help it; his first thought was of Dawn. He had left angry, not at her but himself. He could not let love interfere with commitments he had made. He wasn’t even capable of loving. He had turned his heart cold long ago and had no intentions of ever warming it to anyone.
The sheer idea that Dawn could have possibly cracked the ice and slipped in filled him with dread. She would be the one to suffer if he allowed himself to love her and he would not allow that.
Cree ran ahead of Sloan following around the back of Elsa’s cottage where all the commotion could be heard.
“I’ll kill you, you bitch!”
Rage hot and furious raced through Cree when he saw that Goddard had pinned Dawn to the ground, his hands tight around her neck and his men fighting to get him off her. Cree let out a vicious roar and raced at Goddard, slamming into him with such force that the blow knocked Goddard off Dawn and sent the two men tumbling. Cree scrambled to his feet and was on Goddard before he could stand. In one swift twist he broke Goddard’s neck and let his body crumple to the ground.
“Put him where the animals can feast on him,” Cree ordered and two warriors did as he bid, carrying the body off into the woods. He walked over to drop down next to Dawn. “What the hell are you doing going anywhere without a guard?”
Dawn barely had regained her breath, barely had time to register what had just happened when Cree turned his temper on her. She had had enough. She had witnessed death too many times today to dismiss it so easily. And then there was the issue of Cree having made a hasty exit after what had been to her a mutually enjoyable joining. Now he was insinuating that it was her fault that she’d been choked because she had gone without a guard.
She was furious and she tapped his chest hard and shook her head and then tapped her chest.
He scowled. “Are you telling me that I can’t tell you what to do?”
Dawn struggled to her feet pushing his hands away as he tried to help her up. He would have none of her protests. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her to her feet.
“Answer me,” he demanded.
Dawn caught the way his men looked at him as if he was crazy for thinking that a voiceless woman could answer him. But Cree hadn’t thought that. He had spoken to her as if she was no different than anyone else and damn if that didn’t warm her heart... a little.
She gave a curt nod.
“Leave us!” Cree shouted and his men scurried off. “Haven’t you gotten yourself into enough trouble today?”
Dawn turned her eyes wide and slapped her chest.
“Yes, you.”
She gritted her teeth, scowled at him, and turned and walked over to pick up the spilled contents of her basket.
“I am speaking to you,” Cree said sternly.
Dawn turned patted her chest, tapped her lips, shook her head, and pointed at him.
“You’re not speaking to me?”
She smiled, nodded, and resumed her task.
His strong grip on her arm stopped her. “I would not advise that.”
She questioned why with her usual shrug.
He let go of her arm to stroke her neck, angry with the light bruising he saw there. “Because I want no silence between us.”
His words stunned her. Did he truly feel as if she actually spoke to him? Did he hear her voice as silent as it was? Her anger melted and she pressed her finger to his lips and then to hers and shook her head.
“I’m glad you feel the same. I would miss speaking with you.”
He stunned her again and her reaction was instinctive, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. And all she could think about as she did was how very much she loved this man... not the devil... not the infamous Cree... but this man who would miss talking with her.
When the kiss ended Cree was quick to say, “You’ll
come to the keep with me and enjoy the warmth of the fire while I tend to some matters.”
Dawn did not relish the idea of sitting in the Great Hall while Cree was busy. She wanted nothing more than the solitude of her cottage. She shook her head and pointed to her basket and the contents lying scattered about.
“The wreath,” he said with a nod. “You wish to return to the cottage and work on the wreath?”
She smiled and nodded.
“You promise me that you will stay there?”
She crossed her heart with her finger.
“I will join you for supper.”
Her smile grew and she nodded vigorously.
Cree smiled as well and teased, “That hungry are you?”
Dawn felt playful and a bit wicked and so she licked her lips ever so slowly as she nodded.
Cree watched the play of her tongue along her lips leaving them moist in its path and he couldn’t help but wonder how her tongue would feel licking his—
“Enough,” he said with a low growl, the image it evoked growing him hard. He shouted and a warrior appeared. Cree instructed him to help Dawn gather her twigs and pine cones and see her to her cottage. He then turned to her. “I will see you later and make sure to stay put this time.”
With that he was gone, Dawn disappointed that he would not walk her back to the cottage. She had hoped to coax him inside and...
She turned away dropping down to refill her basket and hide the blush that surfaced. She had turned into a sinful woman and if she was not mindful of her thoughts she would surely suffer for it.
It didn’t take long for her to collect the spilled contents and return to her cottage. She was grateful for the solitude and for the chore that not only kept her hands busy but her mind as well.
The knock interrupted her peace, though when Old Mary entered, she smiled greeting the old woman.
Old Mary shut the door behind her and rubbed her gnarled fingers. “Snow’s coming for sure.”
Dawn pointed to a chair and poured her a tankard of cider from the pitcher being kept hot by the hearth.
Old Mary accepted it with a grateful nod. “I used to make wreaths, and oh how I loved to weave baskets, but these old hands won’t let me do that anymore.”
Highlander Unchained (Highlander Trilogy 1) Page 27
