“Aye, even your blood tastes sweet,” Ian whispered.
“This will never happen, Ian. Your wife’s body is not even cold and yet you think to have mine? I will kill you before I let that happen, that is if Camden doesn’t get to you before I can,” she taunted.
Ian let a low throaty laugh. “Camden is on his way to Malcolm and I will guarantee that the bastard will have a long painful death.”
“You did this! I should have known it was you. From the time of your arrival, I sensed your evil nature.”
Ian swung her around and pushed Olivia back onto a large rock. He moved her legs apart and pressed his hard arousal against her body.
“What ye felt was a burning in yer loins for me wench and I will satisfy that for ya now,” he laughed.
“You are a disgusting pig,” she said spitting in his face.
Ian’s anger took control and he punched Olivia hard in the belly for her actions.
“You will obey me now English chit!” Ian yelled.
“Did you beat your wife also? Is that why she truly lost the baby and bled to death? Did she never do this?” Olivia said spitting at him again.
That had done it. Olivia knew she had pushed Ian far enough and now she would be able to free herself of this vile man. Ian’s face was red with fury and he let go of his grasp, using his fist to punch Olivia hard in the face. He got off a few more good hits to her face while she tried to maneuver from Ian’s hold. Olivia felt a searing pain through her side right before she kicked Ian hard between the legs and when he slumped over, Olivia slammed her fist into the back of his head.
The laird’s wife started to run but Ian grabbed at her skirt and it tore clear up her leg, making her fall to the ground. Olivia kicked again and got Ian’s face hard with her boot. As she crawled further from her attacker, Olivia looked up and saw Broderick standing in front of her with his bow drawn and his arrow pointed directly over her head. In an instant, the countess felt the slight breeze made from the arrow as it flew over her head and into Ian’s chest.
Olivia ran to Broderick and then turned to see Ian standing, trying to pull the arrow out of his torso. The fearless woman grabbed the weapon from Broderick and drew back the arrow with her aim at Ian.
“Ian, it was the worst way I have ever received information but I thank you for it anyway,” Olivia shouted.
Her finger released the arrow and it pierced cleanly into the forehead of the man who had been disloyal and betrayed Camden.
She turned to Broderick and found an astonished look on his face. The warrior was unsure of all that had happened but when he came through the trees and saw Ian grabbing at her skirts, he knew something was wrong. Broderick had noticed the blood on her neck and that was when he let his arrow pierce Ian’s chest.
“Come Broderick, we must hurry. I know where Camden is,” she said breathlessly.
“M’lady, are you alright?” Broderick said as he grabbed her arm to stop her from running away.
“I am fine but we need to hurry and help my husband.”
Broderick was furious with himself that he let anything happen to the laird’s wife. He could see her face swelling and starting to bruise. It was obvious that Ian had hit her and Broderick was grateful that the man was lying on the cold ground with Olivia’s arrow through his head. The two ran back to the village but Olivia started to slow her pace before Broderick did. The giant warrior knew something was amiss because Olivia had outrun him many times before. When Broderick turned, he saw the laird’s wife holding her side and when she moved her hands, blood was soaking through the dress.
“My God, you are wounded m’lady,” Broderick gasped.
“It is only a minor cut so do not get all worked up over nothing. Just help me back to the cottage so I can stitch it up,” she demanded.
“You think to do it yourself?”
“Broderick I swear if you tell a soul about this wound, I will cut your tongue out and eat it for dinner,” she threatened.
From the look on her face, the warrior believed every word she said. Olivia was furious that Ian had gotten his blade through her. She quickly removed her gown and stitched the cut without flinching. Olivia had more important things on her mind than a silly flesh wound.
Broderick had called everyone together for Olivia to explain what had happened. She told the clan and Camden’s warriors that Laird Sinclair had been deceived Ian. She explained that his men had taken her husband to Malcolm.
“Lady Sinclair put an arrow clean through Ian’s head,” Broderick announced.
Everyone was silent as they watched Olivia to see how she would respond to the charge.
“Damn right I did! The bastard was a traitor and had my husband taken. God only knows what they are doing to him. Ian tried to force himself on me and any man like that shouldn’t continue to live,” she insisted.
Everyone cheered at Olivia’s statement and her show of valor for their laird. Her feelings were certainly correct about Ian and now that he was dead, she would no longer need to worry about him. Olivia called Camden’s men to gain their opinions on what they should do next.
“Tell me what you believe our laird would do now if he were here,” she demanded.
“We need to save him first. We should go to Malcolm,” Broderick replied.
“Yes, our laird needs us now,” Liam added.
“I know Camden needs our help but that is not what I asked. What would Camden do if he were here? Stephan?” She asked the soldier.
“He would continue with the plan to rescue the Sinclairs,” he said sadly.
“Aye, he would Lady Sinclair,” Keith responded.
“I want to help Camden more than any of you but ask yourselves what good it would do to save him before the others. Camden would only become laird of a graveyard by the time we reached the Sinclair holding. We will ready everyone now and leave to the Sutherlands. We can leave Travis there to recover and then we will head to the Sinclair land. Broderick, you will have to lead for us. I am afraid I do not know my way around the Highlands yet,” she said honestly.
“You are not thinking to come with us, are you m’lady?” Keith said in shock.
“Damn it! I already fought your laird about this and now he is gone so I am charge,” she demanded.
“M’lady you are the laird’s wife but I am first in command now,” Liam said.
“Alright Liam, I dare you to tell me that I cannot go with you. Do so and see what happens. Go on…tell me a woman cannot battle as well as a man,” she threatened.
“Lady Sinclair is now first in command,” Liam said with a smile.
Olivia smiled broadly at his statement and then she knelt to the men and placed her hand over her heart.
“I made this pledge to you before but now I believe you understand why. I will honor and protect my laird and his elite guard in life and in death,” she said softly.
Olivia stood and each man quickly knelt to her.
“In life and in death,” they all replied to the English warrior woman.
“M’lady just promise us that you will explain yourself to Laird Sinclair when he sees you. You are already black and blue. If you aren’t harmed anymore then I am sure he will be strangling you himself,” Broderick laughed.
“I promise I will take the beating from our laird. Broderick, can we reach the Sutherlands before sundown?”
“Yes m’lady, if we hurry,” he answered.
“Then go! Have everyone ready. We leave immediately,” she yelled.
It did not take long for the clan to gather their supplies and ready themselves for they already had been planning to leave early the next day. Olivia went to her cottage and as soon as the door closed behind her, she fell to her knees and began to sob. Olivia was never the crying type of woman and she had prided herself on that. In fact, the last time the countess shed a tear seemed like an eternity ago. Now, Olivia poured her emotions out in a way she was not familiar with. The young woman prayed to God with faith and with fury.<
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“Lord you cannot do this to me. I will not allow it. You can’t give me the greatest blessing of my life and then snatch it away from me. You will keep him safe until I can reach him. Please Lord, please, I need him. I love him,” she said with her heart pounding in her chest.
Olivia heard a knock at her door and she quickly stood to compose herself before answering it. She opened the door to see Agnes standing there with Broderick’s plaid that Camden had given her.
“They are here m’lady. The plaids are in the wagon that arrived not too long ago from the weaver. They are beautiful m’lady,” the old woman said.
The laird’s wife rushed to see the plaids that had been replicated after Broderick’s family colors and when she saw them, Olivia thought Agnes had understated their beauty. The plaids were much more than that and the meaning behind them made Olivia weepy again. The countess had to tell herself not to cry. Now everyone would remove their different plaids and they would truly be united as Broderick’s clan.
She hurried to find Broderick and showed him the new plaids. He was just as astonished and Olivia could have sworn the giant man was about to cry. Broderick went into Olivia’s cottage and came back out with the Sinclair plaid folded to give to Olivia. Broderick wore his family’s plaid and then called everyone together. The new laird officially dubbed them the Kincaid clan and gave everyone a new plaid. The men bowed to Broderick after they donned his colors.
“Together we are united as a family and together we will fight for Laird Sinclair. We will right this injustice and defeat the McKay clan!” He yelled.
The crowd cheered for the new laird before them and they all vowed to help Laird Sinclair and his people. They left the village and headed north towards the Sutherlands border. Broderick led the way with Olivia to his right. Travis was carefully placed in a wagon with blankets for the journey. Olivia insisted he rest until all the stab wounds that she had stitched up were healed. Travis’s escort of men would have to take a longer route through the terrain that would allow a wagon to pass through.
Just after nightfall, the group of newly trained warriors had reached the Sutherlands territory. Broderick rode to the holding to speak with their laird and explain what happened. The new laird also sent men to the Drummond clan and the Macleod clan so that they were aware of all that had transpired. These clans would join together in this fight and with their help, they would greatly outnumber the McKay men.
It was a cold windy night and Olivia had a hard time trying to fall asleep. Everyone else was tired and she could hear the heavy breathing as the men in the clan slept on the ground not too far from her. Thoughts of Camden raced through Olivia’s mind and she prayed again to God that he would survive. The countess shivered as the cold reached her bones and Olivia knew she would not be able to sleep without having her husband’s arms around her.
Broderick could hear Olivia’s teeth chattering in the chilly night. The warrior decided dealing with the wrath of Camden was worth keeping her warm. Broderick moved next to her and wrapped his large arms around Olivia. She instantly welcomed his warmth and curled to chest. He rested his chin against her head and sighed noisily.
“M’lady, Laird Sinclair will surely kill me for this but your trembling is keeping me awake,” he teased.
“Broderick I assure you that Camden will be more than grateful to you for keeping me alive with your warmth. But, just in case, maybe we shouldn’t tell him about this,” she laughed softly.
“Thank you kindly m’lady, and may ask how your wound is healing?”
“It is fine Broderick, thank you for your concern but remember if you tell anyone, I will keep my promise,” she said with a smile.
The countess would never admit that the deep cut in her side burned like hell and riding on her horse had only made the pain worse. With the winter frost covering the land, Olivia was able to sleep comfortably in the arms of the large soldier. She dreamed of Camden and the children they would have together in the future. As the morning sun began to warm the chilly air, Broderick moved himself away from Olivia to make sure that no one would speculate any transgressions.
Laird Sutherland had come to where everyone was camped for the night. His men brought warm bread and drinks for Broderick’s new clan. Olivia introduced herself to the laird and she immediately liked the man. He was Travis’s uncle and she could easily see the resemblance.
“Lady Sinclair, Broderick tells me that ye plan to lead this army into battle. It is not common for a woman to do such a thing ye know,” Laird Sutherland said in a thick brogue.
“I hear that a lot Laird Sutherland. It may not be common anywhere but I promise you that I would not endanger my husband’s life and the lives of these honorable men just to fulfill a fantasy of mine. I am more than capable to go to battle and I am grateful for your help to fight alongside of us,” she insisted.
Laird Sutherland chuckled deeply. “My nephew was correct. Ye have fire in ye blood for sure m’lady. I thank ye for savin’ his life.”
“Travis has made it here then? I would like to see him before we leave. Would that be possible?” She said anxiously.
“Aye, he is here and he wants to see ye too,” the laird replied.
Olivia smiled hearing the news that Travis had arrived safely to his family’s clan. She would not need to worry about him now as they left for the Sinclair holding. Laird Sutherland held his breath as the beautiful woman entranced him with her smile. My God, he thought, Laird Sinclair had to be the luckiest bastard alive to have exquisiteness like that for his wife.
After seeing to Travis and demanding that he stay behind, Olivia called her men to gather round. Her men consisted of Liam, Stephan, Keith and Calum because they were the only ones that wore the Sinclair plaid now. Broderick gathered his clan and Olivia smiled at him as he took authority over the Kincaid clan. With everyone prepared, the massive group led by Olivia and her guard, headed to the Sinclair holding.
As they rode, Liam gave Olivia more details about the Sinclair clan and he told her in further detail what happened after the wedding night. He explained how Camden carried the guilt of not being there to protect his clan.
“It was not his fault. Will the Sinclairs hold him responsible?” She wondered.
“Nay m’lady. He protested the marriage to the McKay woman from the beginning. He was so grateful that Maggie was not there to be harmed that night but now he must be devastated knowing she is gone,” Stephan replied.
“Oh no, Maggie!” Olivia cried out.
Chapter Eight
“What is it m’lady?” Liam asked.
“Her body. Ian was supposed to send his men to bring her body home but they were the ones that took Camden. We have to get her body back to the Sinclair land. We have too!” She said frantically.
“It may be too late for that m’lady,” Liam answered.
“No! Stephan you know where she was, correct?” She asked.
“Yes m’lady.”
“Then go. Bring her body to the Sinclair holding. Please, she is all our laird has left,” Olivia begged.
“I won’t leave your side m’lady. Not with you going into battle,” Stephan vowed.
“Stephan, don’t make me curse at you. Just obey my orders please. Tell Broderick where you are going and take a few of his men with you. Now go and not another word from you,” she said with power.
“Yes, m’lady,” Stephan answered sounding defeated.
Olivia smiled at Liam and he returned her smirk knowing that she was truly in charge. The laird’s wife felt the rush of control flowing through her body and it strengthened her being deep inside. Olivia knew she needed to lead these men to victory and she had to save her husband.
Last night, as she dreamed of her future with Camden, she had a brief flash of Brenton in her mind. The words he had spoken to her replayed in her mind repeatedly. The baron told Olivia that her fire and spirit were supreme to any other woman. Brenton also said that she was born to do great things. Now, as Ol
ivia rode into unfamiliar territory without knowing what lay ahead of her, the proud woman knew this was what she had been born to do.
Olivia continued to pray to God above for wisdom and insight as they rode higher into the steep terrain. The closer they got to the Sinclair border the colder the air seemed to be. The countess wondered just how high Camden’s land was and if they were getting close. The sky was beginning to darken and Olivia noticed the clouds were heavy above them.
“Liam, are we getting close to the Sinclair border?” She asked.
“M’lady we have been on the Sinclair land for quite some time now. We need to join with the Drummond and Macleod clans before we go into the Sinclair Castle. We will have set camp soon for it looks to snow tonight,” the first in command answered.
“Let Broderick and Laird Sutherland know to prepare a camp for the night. Are we very close to the holding? I am getting impatient and I anxious to find my husband,” she worried.
Keith answered her. “M’lady word has been sent to the other clans and we will meet them in the morning. By noon, we will be killing MacKay men and saving the Sinclairs,” he said with enthusiasm.
“How far is it from Camden’s land to where Malcolm is? I am sure Malcolm is waiting for my husband’s guard to try to rescue him. The longer we wait, I fear the worse off he will be,” Olivia asked with worry.
“It is another day’s ride m’lady. We will secure the Sinclair clan and then we will leave as soon as possible to help our laird,” Calum replied.
The men quickly began to set up makeshift tents to protect them from the coming snowfall. Broderick set a small tent up for Olivia near the fire to help keep her warm. She quickly climbed in and buried herself in her husband’s plaid for warmth. Olivia would not confess to anyone that she was growing weary and feared that she was becoming ill. Her stomach and face were severely bruised from the blows she had received from Ian and her body ached all over. Olivia worried most about the wound in her side. The countess had rubbed the stitched up gash with a salve of medical herbs and prayed to God that it would heal soon.
Highland Vengeance Page 11
