"Aye, that it was Laird MacMillan, and I suggest ye take a step back for yer sake. He's nae called the Mad Laird for nothin'."
"Me sake? Ha!" The man threw his head back as his laughter drifted over the music. "That'll be the day. The laird doesnae scare me. He's all smoke and nay flames. But trust me when I say, I could put a fire in yer belly the likes of which ye've never felt before."
Insulted, Leah reacted. Her hand flew through the air, crashing against the man's face with a resounding slap. Leah didn't pay any mind to the sting in her palm; her mind was locked on the stranger and his next move. The man's eyes narrowed as his lip curled into a snarl.
"Oh, there's a fire in yer gut I'm goin' to love to extinguish."
"Ye'll nae touch one hair on her head."
Leah gasped as she craned her neck to spy around the man. Killian towered over them, the anger in his eyes turning to rage. Turning back to the man, she waited for him to release her wrist.
"I didnae stutter," Killian hissed, his voice so low and steady that it caused an icy finger to trail up Leah's spine. She swallowed hard. "Now move."
Leah watched as the stranger's cocky smile faltered. For a moment, Leah could see the challenge burning in his eyes like a distant torch of a lighthouse on a stormy sea. But she felt the strength radiating from Killian, and it emboldened her.
"Best time to move along," she said, jerking her hand out of the man's grip.
"I daenae take orders from a woman," the man snapped.
"Then ye'll take it from me," Killian chimed in as he grabbed the man by the shoulder and spun him around so fast it made Leah's head dizzy. "Ye'll leave, now or yer friends will be pickin' ye up in a ditch outside of the village."
"That a threat?" the man said as if there was even a glimmer of hope he had a chance against Killian.
"If that's what it takes for ye to leave, then aye, it was a threat," Killian answered as his hand balled into a tight fist.
"Ye think because ye're the laird ye can—" the man started, but Killian's left hook finished it. The man stumbled back, his hand reaching for the place where Killian's knuckles made contact before his eyes rolled back, and he dropped.
"Killian," Leah scolded as she rushed to the man's aid. "Did ye have to hit him so hard?"
"Ye heard him with yer own ears. He wasnae goin' to back down. Problem solved."
"And ye wonder why people think of ye as the Mad Laird," Leah mumbled under her breath as she double-checked the man to ensure he was still alive.
"I daenae have to wonder," Killian said as Leah rose. She scanned the crowd. The music and soft murmurs had been silenced, and it was clear by the scowls on their faces that it was time to go.
"Let's go for a walk and see what else we can, what do ye say?" Leah asked as she hooked her arm into his and pulled him from the small square. As they disappeared around the corner, Leah let out a heavy sigh. She glanced once more over her shoulder before turning her attention to Killian. "That was… uncomfortable."
"Are ye alright?" he asked, his voice softer now, concern etched across his features.
"Aye, that I am," she replied as Killian handed her one of the drinks he held. She didn't hesitate to take a gulp. The liquor burned as it went down and soothed her frantic nerves. "Thanks to ye."
"Do ye ken who that man was?" Killian asked. All Leah could do was shake her head as she let the liquor calm her further.
"Nay, he came up just as soon as ye left."
"Then he was waitin'," Killian growled as he flexed his hand into a fist once again.
"Or," Leah interjected, hoping to find some way to calm the tension. "He saw me standin' alone and thought he had a chance."
"Daenae try to find salvation in him," Killian said. "Ye'll nae find any."
"Is that what ye believe? That ye’re nae worthy of salvation?" Leah asked, her heart breaking just a bit from his revelation.
"I ken who I am and what I'm capable of doin'."
Leah's heart skipped a beat as she realized the implications of his words. Heat rushed to her cheeks as they continued their stroll. Killian's tension eased the further from the music they got. She glanced at the diamond-filled sky.
"Have ye ever seen anythin' so lovely?" she whispered with her gaze fixed on the full face of the moon.
