Page 59 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

The crowd suddenly gasped and took a step back.

“It cannae be!” someone shouted.

Ava felt a wave of confusion wash over her body. The surrounding crowd, including Boyd, who stared at the man as his breathing quickened, obviously knew something that Ava didn’t.

“It’s Laird Tavish Cameron!” another person screamed. “We thought ye be dead!”

Ava frowned as she looked from the man to the bewildered crowd.

“It’s nae that easy tae kill Tavish Cameron,” he raised his voice and addressed the people before turning back to Boyd. “I bet ye are just as surprised tae see me, son?” he laughed. But his eyes did not reflect mirth. “I be hoping ye found the letters I left for ye?”

Boyd looked as if he was about to say something but nodded instead. His skin had paled noticeably since Tavish had revealed who he was.

He hunkered down beside Boyd but raised his voice so that everyone could hear. “Ye see, ye wee bastard, I thought it was time that everyone in the village kent who their laird really was… Naething more than a bastard from a traitorous whore!”

Ava felt sick to her stomach when the weight of the situation dawned on her. The man who had hired her to kill Boyd, was his father… Yet, something was off. He was implying that Boyd was not his son. All of this was part of some petty revenge the man meant to carry out. Boyd had told her about the letters he’d found. But she was certain that he didn’t know any of the rest. Her heart ached for him as he lay on the ground.

“But before I continue,” Tavish pushed himself up from his knees and gestured to the back of the crowd. “We are nae all here… bring our special guests forward!” he shouted.

There was a struggle at the back of the crowd as men dragged Rory to the front. He fought as hard as he could, but the men held their grip on his arms.

Ava’s heart stopped for a second when Neil was brought to the front and placed beside Rory. His skin was ashy grey with dark circles around his eyes. He looked as if he hadn’t had a wink of slept in weeks.

“Just in case ye get any funny ideas,” Tavish growled at Ava.

Neil’s eyes pleaded with her as the men gripped his arms. Ava wanted nothing more than to cut them down where they stood.

“Ye see,” Tavish continued. “Boyd Cameron isnae the rightful heir tae the Cameron clan. His mother was having an affair with Malcolm Steward, none other than Cora Steward’s father...”

Ava watched as Boyd shut his eyes and clenched his jaw. The pain of Tavish’s words was clearly visible on his face. “Why mak’ Boyd pay for something his mother did?” Ava asked angrily. She was beginning to realize that she was in this situation because of circumstances that were far beyond Boyd’s control.

He whipped around and glared at her. “Because the bastard will pay! His mother paid with her life. But Boyd had the happiness tae fall in love! None of them had the right tae be happy after what they did tae me! Boyd will pay with his life just as she did, only then will I be avenged! When he looks intae yer eyes as ye take his life! He will feel the pain that I had tae endure!” His chest heaved with anger as he spat the words bitterly over the crowd.

“It was ye that took Cora…” Boyd spoke from his inebriated state on the ground.

“Nae only did I take her, lad… I killed her along with the rest of her traitorous family. I wanted tae cause everyone as much pain as they caused me!”

“Ye’re the only bastard around here!” Rory suddenly spat as he glared at Tavish. “Boyd had naething tae do with his mother’s affair!”

“Nae…” Tavish nodded in agreement. “He may nae have asked tae be born. But he went and fell in love. He has nae right tae be happy… his very existence is a mockery…” Tavish looked at the clouds and clenched his fists. “I’ve come back for what’s rightfully mine. He disnae deserve tae be Laird. Enough of this, let’s get on with it,” his gaze went back to Ava. “I need him tae suffer, stab him in the hand…” he commanded icily.

“I cannae…” she began. But Tavish marched over to Neil and gripped him by the back of his head, forcing him forward as he pulled a dagger and held it against the boy’s neck. “Do it!” he yelled; his yellowing teeth laid bare as he snarled.

Ava sucked in her breath as the blade scraped against her brother’s neck. She looked to Boyd who was staring at her with a bewildered look in his eyes. Walking forward, she leaned in and whispered. “I’m so sorry, Boyd…”

He shut his eyes and braced himself before crying out in pain as the cold steel of her dagger pierced the skin and bones of his hand, causing blood to gush onto the mud.

Tavish licked his lips and stared at the scene with a hungry look in his eyes. He resembled a wolf that had finally cornered its prey. Rory struggled as hard as he could while Tavish dragged Neil toward the scene and looked down at the blood oozing from Boyd’s hand.

Ava took a step back as tears flowed freely down her cheeks, while Boyd’s blood dripped from the tip of the dagger.

Tavish laughed as he lowered the dagger from Neil’s throat but held him close with his thick arm across the boy’s chest. “Do ye see what ye did?!” he yelled at the clouds in a manic voice. “Ye thought ye had ended things when ye took yer own life! But yer son will suffer!”

People stared wide-eyed at Tavish. Some of the women stepped in front of their children, and others quickly ushered them into houses and shut the doors. Tavish Cameron was clearly not in a right frame of mind. Some people gathered he was talking to the dead beyond. Some just thought he was insane. Only a few knew both were true.

“I’m sorry she hurt ye…” Boyd gasped, wincing from the pain in his hand. “Things dinnae have tae be like this, we can talk…”

Tavish snapped his head toward him. “Dinnae ye dare talk tae me!”