Chapter Fifteen
“Kate, go and find Rory. The meal is being served.”
“What? Why me?”
Beautiful in a velvet gown of deep ruby, Rose looked tired but happy. “Everyone else is busy, and we don’t want to start until he is here with us.”
Looking around the table, she saw they were all chatting or discussing their gifts.
“Please, I worry that he will leave.” Rose’s sniff had Kate quickly getting to her feet.
“Don’t cry, I’ll find him.” Kate hurried from the room.
She couldn’t believe Rory had selected her gift, and after she’d all but declared her feelings for him. No wonder he’d looked panicked and run from the hall.
After checking the floor she was on, something made her go down the stairs. She felt suddenly uneasy. Something wasn’t right, Kate could feel it and believed it involved Rory. Had he fallen? Even now, was he lying unconscious on the cold floor? The man was a fool for coming into such a place. The air was frigid down here.
Reaching the dungeon, she peered into each cell. They were empty. The door at the end stood open. Slipping through, she found another set of stairs. Reaching the bottom, she heard voices beyond the wall and huddled against it.
“It’s handy when you stay the night with someone who knows the castle, worked here for a few years. Told us about this entrance out of the dungeons. He said it was put here years ago so they could smuggle goods in and out and hold prisoners for the village, and the occupants of the castle need not be disturbed.”
“Plus, it was an escape route should they be invaded,” another voice Kate did not recognize said.
“We need to hurry.”
That was Rory talking. What was he doing with those men?
“This’ll fetch us a tidy sum, may even get us a new boat.”
“You’ll get nothing it they find us, now hurry.”
Kate sagged against the stone wall. Rory was stealing from James. She couldn’t believe it… couldn’t believe she’d been so wrong about him. Rage had her feet moving. In seconds, she’d confronted him.
“You are betraying your family, Rory! How could you after everything they’ve done for you!” He stood between two men holding treasures from the castle, his guilt obvious for her to see.
“Run, Kate!”
“I won’t—”
“Run, you little fool!” He dropped the chalice, the sound loud in the enclosed space, and ran toward her. Turning, she started to retreat, but the bullet hit her, slamming her into the wall, then she knew nothing.
“No!”Rory watched Kate fall.
“Move any closer and I’ll shoot you again, Huntington.”
Anger so fierce it took his breath had him turning. With a roar, he ran at Manton, punching him before he could react, knocking him backward. His head hit the wall, and he crumpled to the floor. Ignoring Berger, he ran to Kate. Blood poured from the wound in her side.
“Kate, dear God, no.” He turned her gently onto her back and then lifted her into his arms. Her blood soon covered his hands, draining the life from her body.
The sound of footsteps was followed by the arrival of her family. Wolf was first.
“Help her!”
“What happened?”
“She’s been shot, no time to explain, just help her! Hurry, we must hurry!” Rory started back up the stairs before anyone could speak, Wolf, Dev, and James at his side. Cam was in the lead. He knew others were there but could only focus on Kate.
“Kate.” There was so much agony in her brother’s voice.
