Page 2 of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar

“Not my carriage,” Duncan growled. He moved to protect her from the entrance. Filled with fear, Cora crumpled the letter in her hand and waited. Nothing happened. “Wait here.”

“No, don’t!” she cried out, but he was already exiting the carriage.

“Father,” another voice said cheerfully. “So good of ye to join us.”

“Seth? What the bloody hell are ye doing? What have ye done to my men?”

“Did ye really think ye could replace me? I’m wounded. Have I not been a good son?” There was a hollow laugh. “Yer desperate actions were for naught. All ye’ve done is secure the execution of my dear half-sister.”

“Seth, please.”

“Ye have never loved me. Ye think me cruel and reckless, but ye are just too weak to appreciate my ambition. Ye wanted to take my inheritance away from me, and now ye will pay the price. Goodbye, Father.” There was a horrible sound of a blade sinking into flesh followed by a guttural moan. Cora pressed her hand against her lips and stifled a cry.

It didn’t matter. The door flew open, and rough hands grabbed her and dragged her from the carriage. “Unhand me,” she demanded, but her bravery left her when she saw Duncan MacKay’s body.

The father that she’d only known for two days was dead. Slain by his own son. She was next.

Meeting the cold stare of Seth MacKay, she swallowed hard. Duncan had called him cruel, but that didn’t even come close to explaining the maniacal glee she saw in his eyes.

“So yer my English sister? Tell me, my dear sister, are ye a whore like yer mother?” he demanded.

She straightened her back. His friend was openly staring at her with lust in his eyes. “Go to hell,” she hissed.

“My, my, my,” Seth mocked. “Such a dirty mouth for a dainty English lady.”

“You just murdered your father! How dare you judge me?” she yelled.

Seth shrugged. “I don’t see ye shedding tears for our dearly departed father. Besides, I have my clan to think about.”

“You don’t care about your clan. You care about power. Don’t mistake the two, and don’t think that anyone else does.”

“Ye think that I care of yer opinion?” he sneered. “Time to join our father.”

He raised his sword, and Cora closed her eyes. She refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming.

“Wait!” his companion said suddenly. “I rather like her.”

She opened her eyes, and the other man stepped forward and grinned. He was handsome with thick locks of blond hair and dark eyes, but he wore the same cruel expression as Seth. She knew that whatever he said next would not be in her best interest. “She’s supposed to be mine, and I want her. Let me have her.”

“And lose my clan?” Seth snapped. “Must I kill you too, Innes?”

“Innes?” Cora gasped. Her stomach turned, and she felt ill. “God.”

“Yer clan has no idea who she is. We’ll imprison her, and when we’ve taken care of my brother and I’m laird, ye’ll give her to me.”

Seth snorted. “Ye want to marry her? Ye just met her.”

“Look at her,” Innes urged. “Ye’ll not find anyone more bonnie in either of our clans. I want her.”

“Ye can have her right now. Ye don’t have to marry her to slake yer lust. Have at it. We have time.”

Swallowing hard, she jutted out her chin and met his gaze. She would not whimper or beg for mercy. She would not show fear. Innes sneered and reached down to stroke her cheek. “I want more than to bed her for the night. She isn’t just a beauty. She has the potential to be a wild ride. I want to break her. I want her to carry my name, to wither under my control.”

Cora felt like a piece of meat between two wolves. It took all her strength not to be sick right then and there. “She’s a witness. I can’t let her live,” Seth argued.

“I’m sure we can keep her in line. There must be something she cares about.”

Cora’s eyes widened as she thought of the Thistles. Lana. Dear God, she had to protect them! Seth watched her reaction and grinned.