Page 19 of Highlander’s Vengeful Seduction

“Do ye not hear me? I winnae feel safe, not ever!” she repeated. “Besides, he attacked the future lady of the clan…of yer clan, Angus. He attacked yer future wife. Ye always say that ye love me, and Donal tried to force himself on me. He tried tae sully me, and ye’ll simply allow him tae live? What will the rest of the clan think when ye marry me?”

Angus seemed to consider that for a few moments, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed as he was deep in thought. Vika had always hated that look. It seemed as though thought didn’t come naturally to Angus, and that he always had to strain to think any harder than usual.

He looked terribly constipated, Vika thought.

“Yer right,” Angus said, after several moments of silence. “He hurt ye badly, I can see that, and no man who hurts my wife shall be allowed tae live his life. Yer always right, Vika…I’ll do as ye ask. I promise ye that ye will never feel unsafe again, not as long as I live and breathe, and I am here to protect ye from anyone who wishes ye harm.”

Once Vika had Angus’ promise, she flung herself back into his arms and held him tightly, though not as tightly as he was holding her, as though he was scared of losing her forever.

“There is one more thing…”

Angus looked at Vika with a questioning expression, and she looked up at him as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

“What is it?” Angus asked.

“Donal is the future laird of the Cameron clan,” Vika reminded Angus. “Ye canna have him executed, not without seeking out trouble from his clansmen.”

“But he hurt ye,” Angus pointed out, frowning at Vika. “He was the one who did ye wrong. He should be made to pay for what he did. If I have him hanged, then everyone will ken tae not hurt my wife again.”

“Future wife,” Vika reminded him. “I am not yer wife yet, and that may complicate things even more. Dinnae ye think that once the Cameron clan hears about all this, they will want revenge for their future laird? Those men dinnae care about what is right and what is wrong…ye can see that wi’ Donal. They think they can have anything they want, and they will hurt and kill others to get it. Besides, they are good allies tae the MacMillan clan. Yer father would never allow ye tae have Donal’s head, not as long as he lives, and even if ye did, then ye would be losing strong allies. Have him killed quietly, my love. With poison, perhaps, or make it seem like an accident. No one must ken that we killed him, no one that ye dinnae trust with yer own life, and even then, not more than one or two other men.”

Vika could see the hesitation in Angus, and he rubbed a hand over his face, trying to pull his thoughts together.

“I dinnae ken if this is a good idea, Vika,” Angus admitted truthfully. “I want ye tae feel safe, of course, and I wanttae make sure that no other man ever harms ye, but all this sounds dangerous. What if my father finds out? What if the Cameron clan finds out? Ye said it yerself, they will seek revenge.”

“Aye,” Vika said. “That is why ye canna let others find out. Please, Angus…please do it for me. I dinnae ken how I can sleep with that monster down in the cell.”

With a sigh, Angus nodded, finally relenting. Vika leaned closer and rewarded him with a kiss, though once again, it was little more than a peck on the lips. Still, Angus beamed at her after she pulled back from him, and he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

“I would do anything for ye, Vika,” he said. “And I suppose yer right…Donal deserves to die for what he did to ye. If no one else will bring him tae justice, then I will.”

Vika smiled. She had chosen her husband well after all.

Chapter Ten

That vile, wretched woman. Vanora could hardly believe that the creature who stood there, clinging onto poor, unsuspecting Angus as though her life depended on it, was her sister.

Vanora had decided to seek Angus after their supper, as she knew, just like her sister did, that he enjoyed taking a walk around the grounds every evening, and so had followed him to that hallway. She was eager to speak to him about Donal and attempt to explain the situation to him, knowing that he was a good man. No matter what lies Vika had told him and everyone about Donal, he would be willing to listen, especially since it was about a friend who had always been dear to him.

She had put all her faith in that conversation with Angus, as she thought he was the only man in the entire castle who would give her a chance to speak and listen to her. Even her own father would not listen, that much Vanora knew; he never listened, neither to his wife nor to his daughters.

Besides, Vanora knew that there was a blossoming romance between Angus and Vika, as her sister had often waxed poetically about the future laird of the MacMillan clan. Now Vanora had realized it was all a façade, a plot to sway any suspicion away from her.

Vanora considered it her duty to warn Angus before he fell into her sister’s claws.

Yet when Vanora reached the hallway and saw Vika already there, talking to Angus, she immediately realized that she was too late. She hid behind the corner, keeping in the shadows so that the other two would not spot her, quietly listening to their conversation.

It took all of Vanora’s willpower and patience to not jump out of her hiding spot and attack Vika right then and there when she heard her convince Angus to kill Donal. Her honey-sweet words and her sugary smile were more than enough to convince Angus to do her bidding, but they made Vanora sick to her stomach.

Her sister was the real monster, not Donal. How could she explain that to Angus, though, when he was so smitten with her? Love had made him blind to Vika’s schemes and her evil nature. If Vanora tried to talk to him and force him to see reason, she risked ending up in the cell next to Donal’s, facing the same fate as he did.

She had no doubts that Vika would try and get rid of anyone who got in her way, Vanora included.

No, she could not speak to Angus, no matter what. She could not speak to anyone, but at least she knew the truth, and she also knew what Vika was planning for Donal. Since no one would listen to her, then she would have to take matters in her own hands. She would have to free Donal herself.

Luckily for Vanora, Donal’s cell was guarded by Auley and Edan, two of the guards that had a soft spot for her. Vanora had always been kind to them, often bringing them food when they were ordered to do a tedious and time-consuming task. In return, they had been very kind to her.

Still, she would not rely on their kindness. Since they were used to her feeding them whenever she had the chance, surely, they wouldn’t turn down a meal, especially since they had missed supper after guarding Donal for the entire evening.