Page 62 of Confessions of a Highland Assassin

“I’m guessing ye have all this knowledge of herbs from working with yer brother’s healers?”

“Aye,” she said in surprise as he continued.

Boyd nodded thoughtfully feeling the urge to kiss away the tears on her cheeks. He didn’t. “I say ye give me a potion that will knock me unconscious long enough tae mak’ it seem as though ye are following his plan. But ye only give me enough so that I’m lucid by the time the man appears.”

“Then what?”

“Ye will have a choice tae mak’, Ava Rose,” he leaned forward and stared at her earnestly. “Ye can either follow through and kill me,” he looked deeply into her eyes to make her understand how serious he was being. “Or ye can kill the man that hired ye tae kill me.”

“But how can ye trust that I’m nae lying tae ye now? And that I willnae kill ye just as he wants?”

“I may nae have kent that ye were lying ‘afore now, Ava. But if there is one thing I believe right now, it’s that ye will dae anything tae save yer brother. I promise ye, that if ye let me live, I will ensure that yer brother gets returned tae ye, safe and sound.”

Ava’s breath caught in her chest as she stared at him in disbelief. “Why would ye help me like this after everything I’ve put ye through?”

“I never lied about my feelings,” Boyd shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “And perhaps I would have done the same thing if I were ye…” he said quietly. “I dinnae have a brother. But if it were someone I loved and cared for, I would probably have made the same decisions that ye have made.”

“Boyd…” Ava whispered his name softly as she reached out a hand to touch him.

He quickly stood and moved away from her. He couldnae bear her touch without taking her into his embrace, and God knows what else. “I cannae, nae... Nae after everything that’s happened.”

Ava’s eyes went to the ground, unable to look him in the eyes.

“I dinnae deny that my feelings for ye… But things are different now. Ye should keep the ring,” he quickly added when he saw that she was about to take the ring from her finger. “If the person who hired ye really wants me tae fall in love with ye, ‘afore…” his words trailed off, “’…afore ye finish the job. He should see the symbol of my love right there on yer finger.”

Ava pushed herself up and stared at his back as he began to dress slowly putting his garments one by one.

“I’m assuming that everything was going tae take place this evening?” Boyd asked with his back still turned to her, despising the weakness he felt while looking into her eyes.

“Aye. Skye and I were going tae tak’ ye tae the village as soon as the servants were settled.”

“Will the man still be expecting ye? The sun is almost up.”

“I’m sure he will be ready whatever time it is. He seemed tae ken whatever I was doing.”

Boyd turned to look at her with a puzzled expression on his face. “How would he kent what ye were doing inside the castle if ye nae had contact with him?”

“I promise I was nae talking tae him, Boyd. He seemed tae ken exactly what was going on inside the castle,” she added quickly.

Callum would ken what was going on inside the castle if he had a spy… he thought as he pulled on his boots. There was a chance that Callum Steward wanted revenge in a far bigger way. “Ye will fetch yer maid,” he said as he stood. “I trust ye have enough potion tae knock me unconscious?”

Ava nodded.

“Good, I’ll walk with ye tae the stables once ye have fetched yer maid and enough potion. Once we’re out of sight, I’ll drink yer concoction, ye can tak’ the rest from there,” Boyd instructed as he pushed past her on his way to the door.

* * *

Ava wrung her hands in front of her as she walked into the study. The previous day had been a complete blur once she’d stabbed Tavish in the chest. Boyd had held her then, whispering to her until Skye and Rory came to pull them apart, bringing them back to the castle. Ava was so shocked that she didn’t remember anything afterward.

She hadn’t seen Boyd again that evening. She was taken to her room and given a hot bath along with a meal. When she asked Skye, she told her that Boyd was seen by the healer. Then he was addressing the council about Tavish. There would be a question as to whether Boyd remained Laird of the Cameron clan.

“Good morning,” Boyd greeted her as Ava entered the study the next morning even before the first sun rays.

“Good morning, Boyd,” she looked up at him in panic. Was she still supposed to call him Boyd? His face was stern as he sorted the papers on the desk, but he didn’t correct her.

“I trust ye slept well last night?”

“Aye, I did,” “nae” she added to her mind, “thank ye very much,” Ava finished said hesitantly. “How is yer wound?”