Her head shot up. She laughed through hertears as she hugged him. She could feel Lachlan’s big, reassuringhand on her shoulder. “I thought I’d killed you!”
“Not yet.” He hissed as he turned on hisside in the snow. “Please get that fucking bullet out of me!”
“At least you weren’t bitten!” Veronica toldhim, still laughing.
“He’s got an injury to his arse?” Lachlanmurmured.
Veronica finally looked up at her husband.He was so big and strong and powerful. And he loved her—really andgenuinely risked his life for her. She had been the closest toDouglass after all. Had Lachlan not intervened…
“Umm, yeah,” she admitted. “I kinda shot mybrother.”
“In. My. Ass.” Victor gritted out. “How am Isupposed to sit down now?”
Lachlan tried not to laugh. “Verra carefullyI’m thinking.”
The group shared a chuckle before Veronicaset to work removing the bullet. Finn handed Veronica her satchelwhen she asked for it. Lachlan and Ramsay held Victor down,pressing his stomach into the snowy mud. She rummaged around insidethe satchel until she found her first aid kit.
She poured alcohol over her hands and hiswound—Victor moaned. She removed the bullet with tweezers—Victorbellowed. She poured more alcohol onto the wound—Victor whimpered.She stitched the wound closed with a needle and thread—Victor triedto thrash around like a fish on a boat so Finn joined the others inholding him down. Veronica cleaned up the remaining blood with aclean piece of her cloak then poured more alcohol on thewound—Victor finally shouted, “Enough!”
The group helped him to his feet, causinghis kilt to fall back into place and brush against his wound. “Oh.My. GOD,” her brother ground out. Veronica tried not to smile, butLachlan, Finn, and Ramsay didn’t even attempt to hide theirs. Shepicked up her guns from the snow covered ground and turned on theirsafeties. She shoved both weapons into her belt. “Let her shoot oneof you in the ass and see if you’re still smiling then!” Victorgrowled. He grumbled a bit more before stating rather dramatically,“Just get me to the keep.”
As their group neared The Campbell’sstronghold, exhausted, freezing, and with Victor slung overLachlan’s shoulder, the portcullis was raised. Euan stepped outsideit with James. Veronica could see all the uninfected villagerspacked into the courtyard, vying to get a glimpse of theirparty.
“We didna ken what should be done once theicy fever spread and the biting began,” Euan explained. He splayedhis hands. “Praise the saints you did.”
“’Twas a nightmare,” James added. “We had toleave the bitten to fend for themselves. I will never forget thesounds of them begging to be let inside. Leastways the criesstopped once they turned.” He shook his head mournfully. “’Twas anightmare in truth.”
“We need food and rest,” Lachlan said,getting to the point.
Veronica mumbled her agreement. Theirdisheveled, tired party had fought hard and suffered the loss oftwo Gunns.
“Of course,” James said. “Come inside.”
Their group did just that, Victor stillhanging over Lachlan’s shoulder. “Lower the portcullis,” Lachlaninstructed Euan. “To be safe.”
One of Euan’s white eyebrows shot up. “Youken there are more?”
“Nay. But until we’ve the energy to burn thebodies, check for rogue eaters, and round up my horses, ‘tisbest.”
The old laird nodded. “Lower theportcullis!” Euan shouted up to his men on the wall. “Keep itlowered until I say otherwise. No exceptions!” He turned to Lachlanand inclined his head in a definite, if begrudging, show of thanks.“Let us get you warmed and fed, aye?”
“’Twould be a welcomed boon.”
“Yes,” Veronica added. “Thank you verymuch.”
“’Tis I who thanks you, Laird and LadyGunn,” Euan uncharacteristically praised. “I canna ken what ourfate would be had you not intervened. The unholy dead were tryingtheir bedamnedest to breach the portcullis. My men killed severalfrom the battlements, yet there were many left as you saw.”
“’Tis o’er now,” Lachlan announced. “Wehope.”
“Indeed we do,” Euan agreed.
“We don’t need to hope. It’s really over,”Veronica predicted. She’d been down this proverbial road a hundredtimes before. “They are drawn by sound and scent. If any more wereout there they would have come after us by now.”
“Praise the saints,” the old lairdmuttered.
“Aye, praise the saints,” Lachlanseconded.
“Are you certain we shouldn’t round up thehorses now?” Veronica inquired.
