Argyle had blood dripping from his nose. He was nervous and trapped, a bad combination. He wiped at his nose with his free hand, smearing blood on his face, before daring to look at Annaleigh in his brother’s grasp.
The woman had blood all over the left side of her face.
“Nay,” he said, wiping at the blood coming out of his nose again. “She’s going back with us tae Langton. We came for her and we’re going tae take her. Get out of the way.”
“I will not.”
“Get out of the way or I’ll kill her!”
Kieran didn’t move. “If you kill her, then I will make sure you are executed in the most painful way possible,” he said, his dark eyes glittering. “Make no mistake; you will not leave here alive. I will filet the flesh from your body. I will cut the meat from your ribs and break each rib in turn. You will feel every cut, every stab, every broken bone. And then I will start on your brother. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
Argyle did. He was terrified of the massive English knight and he knew the man meant every word. Men like Kieran Hage had shaped a nation. He’d been present at battles between Scots and English, killing Scots, having no regard for their lives or safety. He’d married a Scotswoman, but that had been long ago. Jemma Hage was English now. Though she was Argyle’s aunt, he never considered her Scots.
Like her husband, she was the enemy.
Argyle’s grip on the dirk tightened.
“If yer threat is sincere, then I’ll cut the lass right now,” he said. “I’ll cut her in front of ye. I’ll make her suffer if ye dunna get out of my way.”
Still, Kieran didn’t move. “Tell me why you want her.”
“What’s that?”
“You heard me. Tell me why you want her. What are you going to do with her?”
Argyle snorted. “If ye must know, we’re going tae use her,” he said. “The sons of Matthew Scott lead Clan Scott, but Ian has grown soft and weak.”
“What does Annie have to do with that?”
“How else are we tae convince the man he needs tae stand down?”
“You mean you would use her to coerce Ian to surrender as clan chief?”
“If he wants his daughter tae live, he’ll do as we wish.”
“So your father is behind this?”
“My da has cunning sons. He’ll appreciate us when he’s chief. We’ll rule alongside him.”
Kieran stared at him as the plan, in its entirety, was revealed. After a moment, he shook his head. “Isthisyour plan?” he asked. “All of this chaos with convincing your clan that Annie was responsible for the deaths of their loved ones at Etal was meant to undermine her father?”
“She served a purpose. She will continue to do so.”
Kieran sighed sharply. “This is stupid, even for you, Argyle,” he said. “Ian has the support of William and other English allies. He is the rightful chief.”
“His time is over.”
“So you have tried to turn the clan against him? Against his daughter?”
“He’s weak!” Argyle shouted.
As he said so, he jerked the blade in his hand and it nicked Annaleigh on her white shoulder. A thin stream of red blood appeared. Kieran was coming to think that Argyle could very well nick her to pieces right in front of him. It might not kill her, but it would be torturous and painful. She was unconscious now but, at some point, she wouldn’t be. And she’d be cut up from Argyle’s wicked blade.
Kieran needed help.
He’d sent his son back to the keep where Christian would be searching every nook and alcove for his errant Scottish cousins. He didn’t expect to see Christian anytime soon. Therefore, he needed help from the walls. The sentries were on the walls, goingabout their rounds, but he hadn’t seen a soldier pass his way and the ones he could see in his periphery were too far away to notice what was transpiring in the stable yard.
Kieran was going to have to do some fast talking to free Annaleigh from her captors.
