Page 42 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

“Shh.” Scarlett couldn’t catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she fell against the shrubs. Noah took her arm and pulled her behind a bush as he too dropped to his knees.

What is happening? I dinnae understand. Who on earth are these men?

She had never known such fear in her life. In the tavern, she’d only known the threat of one man at a time. They were generally drunk and always wanted something very specific. This was a different type of threat altogether. These men weren’t looking for something so illicit; they were looking for death. The purely merciless idea of bloodshed made her heart pound in her chest and echo in her ears.

“The more we run, the more they’ll see our path. Our best bet now is tae hide. Aye?”

“Nae, they’ll find us for certain,” Scarlett muttered.

“Ye said ye trusted me,” he reminded her, his lips quirking into the smallest of smiles.

I always take care of myself, always. I dinnae need a man, least of all a laird tae take care of me.

“Stay quiet,” Noah whispered, raising a finger to his lips. Scarlett held her breath as leaves crunched nearby. Silently, she turned her head to the side, trying to see exactly where Noah had them hiding.

They were far from the forest path now, deep in a thicket of trees. There were boulders to the left, giant grey stones banked high on one side, masking their location. On the other, there was a line of yew bushes they were crouched behind. From this vantage point, they could see the path below them where three of their attackers ran down the path with crossbows outstretched before them. Little did they know they were observed from above.

“Where did she go? Where?”

“That way. I think,” the second man trailed off, his crossbow lowered a little as they regrouped.

“Did ye hit her?” the third man asked.

“Nae enough. I only skinned her.”

“That is nae good enough.”

“I ken that!” The three men began to argue.

Scarlett felt hot fear overtaking her. She knew they were after her. He’d clearly heard the words too, and his head jerked toward her, everything in him poised for action.

I wish he wouldnae look at me like that. The kiss they shared in the mudflats seemed a world away now. Releasing the breath she held, Scarlett realized that she would go a long way just to have that moment back and to be very far away from here.

“They are gone!” a fourth man shouted, chasing after the others. Scarlett peered through the bush, straining to see what he was doing. A cloak was covered over his face, hiding his features completely. “They arenae behind us.”

“They arenae ahead of us either.”

“Then they outran us.” The fifth and final man appeared. He was wider set than the others and trailed at the back of the group. Judging by the depth of voice and his ponderous movements, he may have been the oldest, but he was also the superior as the others bowed their heads to him. “Move faster, ye fools. Run, go!” he barked.

The four men ran off, but the fifth stilled and raised his head. Scarlett only saw the cloth over his face, nothing of his features. Fearful of being seen, she bent further down behind the bush, and Noah did, too.

A few moments later, they heard the fifth man leave, following the others.

For a minute or more, neither Scarlett nor Noah moved.

Scarlett swallowed nervously when she thought of the way Noah shielded her in the water. He threw himself over me. He could have been pierced by an arrow, instead of me.

Feeling pain moving up her arm, she examined the wound on her arm. The blood was coming faster now, dripping off her skin to the ground. “Oh,” she murmured thinly.

“Dinnae ye go faint on me now.” Noah reached for her good arm and slowly pulled her to her feet.

“Aye, and I suppose this is an everyday occurrence for ye, is it nae?” she said derisively. “Are such wounds like bruises tae ye? They arenae such tae me!”

“Ye will be fine. Trust me.”

“Stop telling me about trust!”

“I’ll keep asking ye until ye dae it,” he snapped. As they stood, he maintained his hold on her. He leaned against the nearest tree to peer down the path, hoping to see where their chasers had gone. “They took the main path through the forest. They will think we have returned to the castle. Aye, they’ll watch that road. So…”