Chapter 19
Niall’s knuckles hurt. He could still feel the impact of his fist against the bones of MacAllister’s face, hear the crack as they made contact, feel the flush of satisfaction and the release of pent-up rage.
The rage that had roared to life as he’d seen MacAllister lay his hands on Charlotte had not abated. It was muted now, the banked embers of a fire rather than a roaring blaze, but it was still there, ready to burst into life if anyone—anyone—should threaten her.
He forced himself to concentrate on guiding the horse as they thundered away from MacAllister’s estate. Beneath him, the horse moved at a smooth gallop but he put one arm around Charlotte’s waist to steady her anyway. Not because she looked like she needed steadying but because he wanted to touch her.Neededto touch her. Needed to reassure himself that she was whole and unharmed.
If anything had happened to her...
Niall tightened his grip as the wind rushed past them, his heart still hammering from the fight, from the fear of losing her, from the raw fury still simmering in his blood. He focused on the steady rhythm of the horse’s hooves, the way Charlotte fit so perfectly against him, the rise and fall of her breath as she clung to him. She was all right. She was unharmed. She was all right. She was unharmed. It was a prayer he kept telling himself over and over.
They rode hard—but not back towards the estate. Too many questions would face them when they returned there and Niall needed to think. So instead, he headed to the one place that might provide the solace they both needed.
Up ahead, the looming shape of a small, tear-shaped loch came into view, its dark, glassy surface reflecting the lowering sunlight. The place was exactly as he remembered it—a quiet, hidden sanctuary where the trees stood sentinel around the water’s edge, shielding it from prying eyes. It sat right on the edge of his estate and was rarely visited. Good. Right now, that was exactly what he needed.
He slowed the horse, guiding it carefully down the gentle slope to the loch’s edge, where the ground was soft but firm enough to hold them. When they finally came to a stop, the only sound was the rhythmic rush of the horse’s heavy breaths, matching the rapid beat of his own heart.
Niall dismounted first, his muscles still taut with tension. He turned to help Charlotte down, his hands settling at her waist. When her feet touched the ground, he didn’t let go. He couldn’t.
“Are ye hurt?” he asked roughly.
Charlotte shook her head, her face flushed. “No,” she said, breathless. “But I—” Her words caught, and she closed her eyes, sucking in a shaky breath.
Niall cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “Dinna lie to me, lass.” His thumb brushed along her wrist, and his gut twisted at the sight of the faint red mark there—MacAllister’s doing. The fire in him flared hot again.
“I’m not lying,” she said, quieter this time. “I just—I need a second to catch up with what just happened.”
He understood that. Lord, he wasn’t sure he’d caught up with it himself. He clenched his jaw, his hands shifting to her shoulders. “I should’ve killed him.”
Charlotte barked a short, breathless laugh. “I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have helped.”
“It would’ve helpedme,” Niall muttered darkly.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she reached up and laid her palm flat against his chest. Right over his pounding heart. The touch was light, but it sent a shiver through him.
“Niall,” she said, her voice softer now. “You came for me.”
“As if there was ever another choice.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “This is all my fault. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”
His eyes searched hers. “Then why were ye there, Charlotte? After ye promised me ye would stay away? Do ye have any idea of what might have happened if I hadnae arrived in time?”
“I...I...didn’t think he’d be there. He was supposed to be in Edinburgh. And after all he’s done—Albie, your brother, those pamphlets, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”
“And I canna stand by while ye put yourself in danger.” He sounded angrier than he meant to, but damn it, she didn’t understand what it had done to him—to see her in that bastard’s grip, to hear MacAllister call for the sheriff as if her life was nothing. He took another breath, steadying himself. “Ye’re staying at my side from now on, Charlotte.”
She blinked, some of the defiance returning to her gaze. “Oh, am I?”
