Page 87 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

Michael didn’t need telling twice. With the help of his brother, he picked up and they stumbled together into the castle, into the great hall entrance, both panting, out of breath from the fighting.

Betsy was with them a second later, reaching for Tynan, and Kyven was there too. Michael didn’t release his brother until Kyven prized his hands off him.

“We can save him,” Kyven assured him.

Michael nodded, distractedly, feeling his other brother grasp his shoulders.

“Michael?”

As if through a haze, Michael heard Brayden’s voice as he stood again. In the distance, he was aware of someone working on Tynan, but he couldn’t even make out their faces now.

“We need tae end this,” Brayden said, shaking him a little. “I need tae get word tae more of me men, tae the scouts. We’ll need tae barricade ourselves in until they arrive.”

“Shay brought too many men. His alliances from when he married Elisa’s clan certainly helped.”

“Aye, I believe it…” Then Brayden trailed off. Such a look of petrified horror came over his face that Michael felt insides quell and grow small.

“What is it?” Michael whispered. Brayden gripped his shoulder. It was enough to make him flick his head around.

The entirety of the great hall had fallen still. There was an invader in their midst. Somehow, Shay and Larry had followed them into the great hall when they were distracted with Tynan. Larry stood off to the side, warily gripping the pistol he had found.

Shay had a hand on Kyven. He clung to her tightly and in his other palm he held a knife to her neck.

“Nay!” the word erupted from Michael in the most volcanic of ways. Men and women quaked as if the earth had shaken beneath their feet. “Release her,” Michael demanded.

“Ye want her back? Aye, very well, on a condition.” Shay spoke fast, his breathing stuttered, his eyes darting like bees back and forth between Michael and Brayden. “An alliance.”

“What?” Brayden said, much cooler and calmer than Michael felt.

“An alliance between us. Yer clan reports tae mine.”

“Nay – hmm!” Kyven tried to object, but he moved a hand to her mouth, clamping it shut, then placed the blade closer to her throat.

Michael reached a hand toward her, pleading with his eyes for her not to move.

I willnae lose ye, Kyven. I cannae.

“Say it,” Shay ordered Brayden. “Or she dies.”

“It’s what ye always wanted, wasnae it, Shay?” Michael said coldly. “Power and money. Any way that ye can get it.”

Shay didn’t answer. He just waited, with full expectation, that blade now cutting into Kyven’s neck until a thin bead of blood ran down.

“Ye have yer wish.” Brayden nodded. “Just let her go.”

“Hmm!” Kyven tried once again to object against her hand, as did Michael, but Brayden had hold of Michael’s shoulder again, holding him back.

“Listen,” he hissed in Michael’s ear.

There were battle cries from somewhere out in the courtyard.

“Fer our Captain and the Lady of the McDowells!” a voice hollered, a voice that Michael knew.

Aaden?

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The door burst open for a second time, and at the front of a group of men was Aaden, and beside him, was a face that Michael was not sure he’d ever have the good fortune of seeing again.