Page 26 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

Her thoughts instantly drifted back to her recent kiss, making Ava touch her lips once more. Boyd Cameron was her first kiss. The thought felt foreign and somewhat intrusive to her.

“I have tae be on my way now. But I hope we will bump intae each other soon enough,” Bram said as he lifted his satchel strap over his shoulder. It seemed as though he was far too preoccupied with the recent events to ensure that all his belongings were in order. “I hope yer friend disnae think I was rude for leaving ‘afore she gets back. Please thank her for being so kind and inviting us over.”

“Nae, Ava will understand. She’s like a sister tae me. She willnae even mind if I say I took a nap in her spare room,” Skye laughed lightly before kissing his cheek again. “Be on yer way, Bram Thomson.”

Ava breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the door close behind him

Skye tiptoed on her bare feet to the hearth and lit the fire once Bram had left. “Ye can come out now, Ava,” she called after filling the kettle with water from the bucket.

Opening her bedroom door, Ava walked into the kitchen.

“What in the heavens!?” Skye yelled and came rushing forward, nearly spilling the kettle water over the fire. “Are ye hurt? What happened?” her eyes were frantic as she waited for a response and searching Ava for any kind of wound.

Ava suddenly remembered what she must look like. “I’m fine, Skye, honestly,” she smiled reassuringly. “There was an incident. But luckily someone was there tae come tae me aid. He knocked me assailant out and saved me ‘afore he could take advantage.”

“Thank heavens,” Skye let out a shaky breath while looking as though she was going to faint. “I dinnae ken what I would have done if ye were hurt.”

Ava gave her a hug after she pulled the leaves and twigs from her hair. “I will just go and change while ye get the tea on the go and then I’ll tell ye everything that happened,” she promised reassuringly.

Skye seemed appeased and allowed Ava to go while she carried on preparing the tea.

Ava thought of Boyd Cameron and the kiss they shared in the forest as she pulled a clean dress over her head and fastened it in place. There was something about the man that completely captivated her. Even in a drunken state, he was handsome and charming. She felt her heart quicken again at the thought of Boyd, at how his hand felt around her waist when he guided her out of sight behind the tree. She wondered how it would feel to have him place his hand on other parts of her body. She took in a breath and tried to steady her nerves.

Ava wondered what the man could have done to someone that would make them want to end his life. If rescuing damsels in distress was something he did on a regular basis, it couldn’t have been that bad. But then again, it wasn’t her place to speculate and judge. She didn’t know the man. Anyone could be a hero during the day and then a thief at night.

Or a healer by day and a paid assassin by night.

She shook off her thoughts and fixed her appearance once more before leaving the room. It was never helpful when the guilt of her profession kept her up at night.

Ava came out of her room wearing a simple brown dress. She sat at the table and took the cup of tea that Skye had waiting for her. The rich aroma wafted into her nose and calmed her nerves. It was likely that Skye had put something in the tea to calm her down. Ava had taught her more than enough over the past few years. Skye was acquainted with all the basic herbs and tonics, not as well as Ava was, but more than sufficiently.

“Go on then,” Skye said. “What happened? Were ye successful with the letter writing? I assume that’s why ye took so long. I had tae keep going with Bram until I was sure ye had at least achieved something. I damn near fell asleep right ‘afore ye came.”

Ava smiled at her friend. “Ye didnae seem tae complain much when he left,” she teased. “Ye looked like a cat that got at the cream.”

Skye blushed despite herself with a bashful look on her face. “I’ll admit that I didnae have a bad time. Bram is a dear lad. It’s nice tae get some affection once in a while. Some men will just up and leave after. Bram is truly caring in that way that he pays a lass due attention. I appreciate that in a man,” she sipped her tea thoughtfully.

“Says the lassie who never wants tae get married.”

“That’s beside the point,” Skye waved her off. “Please continue with the story. How did ye end up in such a state?”

Ava took a big sip of her tea and told Skye what had happened. Starting from her encounter with Sophie in the tavern and ending with her ordeal in the forest.

Skye nearly choked on her tea when Ava mentioned that it was Boyd who had saved her. Her expression totally changed when she was overcome with excitement as Ava mentioned the kiss. “That’s great news, Ava! He will fall in love with ye faster than we thought possible if he’s attracted tae ye! It will be a sinch tae get his attention at the gathering!” she watched as her friend’s face beamed with excitement. Skye loved making plans when it came to men.

“Ye will probably nae even have tae seduce him at this rate. Ye can get his attention simply by using yer body and flirting with him. Men may be simple creatures, but it makes life so much easier that they are. We dinnae have tae work too hard tae get their attention.”

Ava sat thoughtfully for a moment. It had been her first kiss with a man. Looking after her brother and struggling to pay their debts had left little time for her to experience life, like being kissed. Her twenty-two years had passed without her even thinking of it. But now that it had happened, it was all that occupied her mind.

The kiss had been passionate and tender, igniting a spark within her. If only it hadn’t been with a man that she now had to kill.

“He saved me life, Skye,” she said quietly after a moment. “He saved me life and I will repay him by taking his. He’s a good man that disnae deserve that. He’s the kind of man that rescues women from being raped in a forest.”

The excitement drained from her face. “Aye, he saved yer life and stopped ye from having a terrible experience,” she said and stared into her tea, most likely thinking of her own experience on the night that Ava had saved her. “That’s nae an experience that any woman should ever have tae endure.”

“Aye, I am a monster for having tae kill him.”

Skye smiled half-heartedly and reached across the table to hold her hand. “Ye are nae a monster, Ava. Life has left ye with few other choices. If I were in yer shoes, I would dae the same thing. Just remember that ye are doing this tae try and save yer brother. And nae person in the same situation would judge ye.”