"Aye, maybe a time or two," Killian answered, his voice heavy with want. She reached out, her hand brushing against his chest. He turned to her; his eyes burned with a fierce intensity she couldn't deny.
Without a word, he pulled her into a private nook between the baker's and the tailor's shops. The air was thick with the scent of freshly baked bread and the soft hum of the music floating on the breeze. Killian's lips brushed against her neck, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine as he began to kiss her passionately.
"Killian…" his name caught in her throat as his greedy fingers ensnared the hair at the nape of her neck.
"There ye are," a strangely familiar voice pricked Leah's ear as Killian was jerked away from her. "Remember me?"
"Nay, what are ye doin'? Killian!" Leah's hands flew to her mouth as she watched Killian's attacker throw another blow, landing directly on Killian's cheek.
"Let's see how ye handle me and me boys," the man said. Under the pale light of the moon, Leah realized their attacker was from the dance floor.
Killian rose, his eyes steely and his voice as smooth as silk. "Ye should have brought more men."
19
Killian staggered back, the sharp taste of copper filling his mouth as his vision clouded with a constellation of bright stars. The punch had been unexpected, but it served as a brutal wake-up call that only sharpened his senses. The world around him narrowed to a single focus. Killian didn't hear Leah pleading for him to cease. He didn't feel the impact of his fists connecting with flesh or bone.
Adrenaline surged through his veins as he glared at the men surrounding him, anticipating which one would lunge first. Refusing to play the waiting game, Killian made his move. With a primal growl, he launched himself at the leanest man there, his muscles coiled and released like a spring, shooting him faster than an arrow. The satisfying crunch of his fist meeting flesh resonated through his arm as the man staggered back and careened into the back of the tailor's shop.
"What's the matter? Daenae tell me ye’re already tryin' to leave the party?" Killian asked as the man to his left took a swing athim. Without missing a beat, Killian ducked and landed a right hook to the man's ribs.
"I think that broke," Killian hissed as the man crumbled to the ground in utter agony.
Before he could press his advantage, two figures loomed at the edges of his vision, intent on bringing him down. Killian spun about, his movements fluid and fierce. It took him no time at all to evade their clumsy attempts to restrain him. It soon became clear the men were not professionals. This wasn't a fight for lairdship, but pride and ego. Killian wasn't having it. He lashed out with precision, his fists a blur of motion, driving the two men back with a fierce determination.
"Let me go! Killian!"
Leah's shrill plea pricked his ear. Her muffled screams cut through the chaos, distracting him from his immediate threat. His heart seized as he caught sight of the backside of Leah over the shoulder of one of the brutes.
Rage and desperation sparked like flint to a rock and the spark to kindling. An all-consuming inferno scorched all rational thought. With a roar, Killian plowed through the first man, his body a battering ram fueled by sheer strength and will. The man crumbled to the ground.
"Killian!" Leah's screams pierced his hardened heart that thundered in his ears. Fueled by fury and a fierce protectiveness for Leah, Killian pushed himself to go harder. He was absolutelydetermined to rescue Leah from the clutches of her captors—or die trying.
Moving with lethal precision, Killian followed his gut as he moved through the village, scouring every corner and alleyway for Leah. Her cries for help drifted over the music just enough for Killian to pick up on them. Holding his breath, he tried to pinpoint where exactly she was.
"So help me, if ye harm her, I'll kill ye," Killian shouted, his veins bulging as the words scraped against his raw throat. Flexing his jaw, Killian tried to tame the tempest of his mind, but fury and determination brewed and boiled as his resolve to save her intensified.
Darting and dashing around the corner, Killian stopped short as a blade crashed into the post next to his head.
"That will be yer last mistake," Killian growled as he pulled the knife from the post and took aim. The blade whistled through the air. Killian waited for his aim to hit its mark. The man dropped and crashed into the stone wall, tossing Leah off his shoulder. The second she was free, Killian marched on the kidnapper only to find he'd been led into a trap. Three men stepped out from the shadows. Killian quickly took stock of the situation. Only three things were flickering through his mind.
Was Leah all right?
How bloody was this about to be?
What body parts did he want to bring home for souvenirs?
"I think maybe it is ye who have underestimated the situation," the man who captured Leah said as he spun the tip of his dirk on the bed of his finger. "Ye see, there's a price for yer head."
"A very handsome one at that," a second chimed in. Killian glanced at the man. Sizing up the man, Killian could tell he wouldn't be the problem. He was far too small to be any threat to Killian.
"One, that we decided we could all use a share of," a third said with a sinister grin. In the corner of Killian's eye, he spotted Leah scooting back to the shadows. He wished she wasn't there, but he had used her for this very moment and wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
"That so? And what makes ye think I'm goin' to roll over?" Killian asked as he watched the third man inch closer to Leah. The plan was set, the stakes raised, and Killian's muscles coiled as he prepared his next move.
"I was sort of hopin' ye wouldnae," the first kidnapper said as he pulled his sword from its sheath. "After all, tis nae every day ye get to claim to be the man who killed the Mad Laird."
"So, ye’re lookin' to build a name for yerself, is that it? Well then, what are we doin' talkin' about it? Go on then," Killian challenged as he beat his fist against his chest. "Let us see what sort of stuff ye’re made of. Because I promise ye, we're nae made the same."
