“I am,” he insisted, but there was no heat in it. Only resignation. “And I’m done discussin' it.” He moved toward the door, putting physical distance between them to match the emotional gulf. “We should go down. Before Skye actually does make herself sick.”
Leona wanted to argue, to push harder, to make him see that he was wrong about himself. But she could see the exhaustion in the set of his shoulders, in the way he held himself like a man barely keeping his defenses intact.
So she let it go. For now.
“Aye,” she said quietly. “Let’s go down.”
A sharp knock at the entrance made them both turn.
Hamish appeared, his expression tight with tension that made every muscle in Murdock’s body go taut. “Me Laird? Forgive the interruption, but we have visitors.”
Murdock went still. Leona saw it, the way his stance shifted from vulnerable to warrior in a heartbeat.
“Visitors?” His voice had gone cold and emotionless.
The Beast of Ainsley had returned.
“Aye, me Laird. They’re at the gates now. Armed men. Many of them.”
Leona’s heart plummeted into her stomach. Her mouth went dry as she forced out the question she already knew the answer to.
“Me cousin?”
There was a pause. Then Hamish’s grim confirmation. “Aye, me Lady. Ragnall Gilmore is here, and he’s demanding to speak with ye both.”
Murdock was already moving toward the door, his expression shuttering completely. All the vulnerability, all the raw emotion from moments ago, disappeared behind the mask of the Beast of Ainsley.
He reached for the door handle, then paused. Without looking back at her, he said quietly, “Stay behind me. Whatever happens, ye stay behind me. Understand?”
“Murdock…”
“Promise me, Leona.” Now he did turn, and the intensity in his eyes stole her breath. “Promise me ye’ll nae do anythin' foolish. Nae for me, nae for anyone.”
She wanted to argue. Wanted to tell him that she’d do whatever was necessary to protect the people she loved. They had that in common, it seemed. But the plea in his gaze, the barely concealed fear beneath his warrior’s mask, stopped her.
“I promise,” she whispered, even though they both knew it was a lie.
Murdock held her gaze for one more heartbeat, then turned and strode out of the room without a backward glance.
Leona stood frozen for a moment, her heart pounding against her ribs. Then she followed, lifting her skirts and hurrying after him through the corridors.
Ragnall had come.
26
The courtyard was filled with armed men.
Leona’s breath caught in her throat as she emerged from the keep behind Murdock. At least two dozen warriors stood in formation, their weapons drawn and their expressions hard. They wore the Gilmore colors, and at their center stood Ragnall.
He looked different from how she remembered him from that terrible night when she’d fled. Harder somehow. More dangerous. His grief over Keith’s death had carved deep lines into his face, aging him beyond his years. But his eyes, those green eyes, burned with a fury that made her blood run cold.
“Laird Ainsley,” he called out, his voice carrying across the courtyard with false pleasantry. “I hadnae expected to meet ye again under such circumstances.”
Murdock descended the steps slowly. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and every line of his body screamed predator.
Leona had seen him fight, had watched him kill Keith without hesitation, but this was different. This was controlled violence, coiled and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
“Kerr.” His voice was cold. “Ye’re trespassing on Ainsley lands. I suggest ye state yer business and leave. Quickly.”
