Page 72 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

Michael Gregor. That is who he is.

“Dinnae say a word tae me.”

“But –”

“Nay.” She jerked her head up and sniffed, trying her best to stop her tears, though she couldn’t. Her vision still blurred, and she was thankful for it, for that way, she didn’t have to look at Gilchrist’s face. “We need tae think of a way out of this. I am nae going tae waste time thinking about who ye are or what we did now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“Hey!” Gilchrist called across the flames to the two figures trying their best to sleep on the other side of the fire. “If ye still want tae marry her someday, then ye better come and check on her. Something is wrong, Shay.”

Shay sat up at once. He threw off the cloak he had been using as a blanket and darted about the fire. Larry followed, but at a much more reluctant pace.

“Look,” Gilchrist barked, nodding his head best as he could at Kyven.

We’ll deal with this later. I’ll explain all tae her later.

It had been agony to watch Kyven’s heart shattering into pieces as she realized he was a Gregor. He had much to put right, much to say to her, but for now, he couldn’t say any of it. He would concentrate all his efforts on getting the two of them out of there instead.

Kyven wailed quietly, as if in pain, hanging her head back. Her eyes rolled up, into her head, and she fell still.

“What is this?” Shay snapped the dirk from his belt and reached for her ropes. He cut through them easily and then dropped the dirk to the floor.

Gilchrist eyed it carefully. It was a short distance from his boot.

Shay threw Kyven over his knees as Larry stopped behind him.

“What’s wrong with her?” Larry asked.

Kyven started having a fit, shaking over Shay’s lap.

“Nay. Nay!” Shay barked. “I must have hit her too hard. Larry, get some water. Anything. Do something!”

Larry backed up as quickly as he could, running to the fire and their camp of supplies. The moment his back was turned, Gilchrist reached for the discarded dirk with his boot. He dragged it, as quietly as he could, toward his body, then he shifted his tied hands around the tree trunk, moving his body so far that he could reach down with his right hand and take hold of the hilt of the dirk.

“Kyven. Kyven!” Shay shouted at her. He tapped her face, trying to bring her out of the fit, but to her credit, she maintained the act, shaking in his lap with her eyes rolled upward. “Nay, nay. Ye cannae die. It all goes wrong if ye die.”

“The money…?” Larry called from across the camp.

“Be quiet, Larry. Get me some water,” Shay waved an errant hand at him again.

Gilchrist sawed through his ropes fast. Once he was free, he stood and approached Shay’s back.

“Shay!” Larry shouted, but he was too late.

Gilchrist struck Shay in the back of the head with the dagger. He stilled, then fell to the side, Kyven’s eyes going back to normal and all her shaking halting. She looked up at him, and he nodded. It was time.

Kyven hurried to her feet as Gilchrist rounded on Larry. The small man screamed and dived around the fire. He reached for one log that was flaming at one end and waved it around like a burning sword. Gilchrist pushed Kyven behind him, urging her to stay there as they rounded the fire, at all times staying on the opposite side to Larry. The fool was so busy trying to protect himself, thinking of what would happen if Gilchrist hurt him, that he had not noticed Gilchrist’s true aim was to get the pair of them close to the horses tucked beneath a bank of trees.

“Go,” Gilchrist whispered to Kyven. She darted off toward the horses, fast.

Larry realized, his feet falling still.

“Nay.” He ran around the fire, launching himself at Gilchrist, but Gilchrist was too fast for him. He kicked out, knocking the burning log from his grasp then struck out with the dirk. It landed cleanly in the palm of Larry’s hand. Such a guffaw of pain pierced the air that Gilchrist thought all the animals from the forest would flee. He turned the dirk for good measure, making the wound a nasty one indeed. Larry was too busy screaming in pain to notice that Gilchrist pulled up his other hand and struck Larry across the face.

Larry fell back, falling onto a rock. His head hit it hard, and he was knocked out instantly.

Gilchrist didn’t bother to stay and check if Larry would live. He ran toward the horses. Kyven had freed them from the branches they’d been tied to. Gilchrist launched himself into the saddle and flicked the reins.