Page 43 of A Rogue and a Noble Lass

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Logan was on his knees, no longer part of the personal guard, no longer an esteemed warrior. His sword had been taken. His hands were empty. His heart had been crushed. Wounds ached and pain throbbed.

The Knox family stood around him in a circle, staring at him with shame and anger. Ryan’s was barely controlled. The man loomed above Logan, peering at him with barely restrained fury. His stance was wide, his hands were curled into fists. Logan expected a beating before too long.

He would meet every strike because it was no less than he deserved. The armor had been stripped from his back too. Everything was laid bare.

“She was taken because of ye?” Ryan asked in a brittle voice.

Logan closed his eyes, offering the barest hint of a nod. He could have lied, but what use would that have been? It wouldn’t have helped Beitris.

“I tried tae trade myself for her safety, but they were nae interested in a deal. Warnock wants her,” Logan said.

Ryan pressed his lips together. “I thought ye were honorable. Instead I find that ye are just a mercenary.”

“Worse than that. I am yer enemy. My last name is Warnock. I’m his son, his blood,” he said.

Swords were drawn. Allan had a smug look on his face, although there was no joy that accompanied it. Logan didn’t flinch as the blades pointed at him. Caroline bowed her head. A woman he didn’t know put her arm around Caroline. Ryan drew his hand back, but the blow never came.

“His son?” Ryan hissed.

Logan pursed his lips and nodded.

“And what are ye daeing here, sae far from home?”

“I came here tae kill ye,” Logan said, looking Ryan Knox straight in the eye.

Allan, Elliot, and Nessa drew closer.

“Let’s hang him now before he can cause any more trouble or ransom him off tae Warnock. Perhaps we can exchange him for Beitris,” Allan said.

“He will nae be interested in a trade,” Logan muttered.

“We can deal with him and we’ll accelerate our assault on his Keep. I will bring Beitris home,” Allan said.

Ryan considered the matter, and then he spoke softly. “A daughter for a daughter,” he whispered. He raised his hand, stilling Allan’s enthusiasm. His gaze was focused on Logan.

“And why did ye want tae kill me, lad? Ye could hae let me die on the battlefield,” as he said this, realization came upon his face, he scoffed. “Ye were nae protecting me, ye were making sure that ye would hae the kill. Abigail was yer sister.”

When he spoke her name, some strange sensation passed beneath Logan’s skin. He bowed his head and clenched his jaw. For a moment he forgot about all the other people in the Great Hall and only focused on the man standing before him, the man who at one time would have stood beside Abigail.

“Aye. And she killed herself because of ye. Because ye chose someone else.” Logan angled his glare towards Caroline. Ryan paused for a moment, running his tongue along his lower lip.

“Lad, I dinnae think ye understand things. The truth is that Abigail dinnae even like me all that much. She was polite, aye, but the only thing she desired was tae get away from yer Da. That’s why she wanted tae get married, and she knew that if she dinnae marry me then he would arrange for a worse match. She was a canny lass, I’ll give her that. I did want tae help her, even though at the time I was nae aware of how cruel yer father could be, but I never got the chance. I got word that she died soon after she returned home tae ye. I’m sorry, lad, she was a good woman, and she deserved better.”

“Dinnae say that!” Logan was yelling now.

All sense of reason retreated from Logan’s mind. He was not the warrior who had been forged through battles across the Highlands but the boy who was forced to sit in a pit all night, staring at the stars. The boy who could only watch on as his sister was berated and used as a puppet, who had been too small to help her when she needed it most. Raw emotions uncoiled inside him like a thousand serpents. Angry tears streamed down his cheeks and he burst forward, slamming his fists against Ryan’s chest.

Allan, Elliot, and Nessa immediately charged forward. Ryan endured the blows and then caught Logan’s arms in his hands. Logan was shuddering now, his arms deprived of their usual strength. He leaned against Ryan’s legs, and Ryan shook his head to ward the others off.

“Lad, killing me will nae bring her back. Ye must ken that.”

Logan nodded weakly. He had known this all along, but he had never wanted to admit it because he needed to believe that something he did could make a difference.

“I loved her. She always watched over me, but I could nae dae the same for her,” Logan whimpered, feeling so ashamed to be a puddle at his sworn enemy’s feet.

However, something had been unlocked within him and he couldn’t hold it back anymore. It was strange, he had always imagined plunging his dagger into Ryan’s heart, not exposing his own heart to the man.