just jumping at shadows, it seems.”
“L assie?” His gaze searched hers for a moment then returned to scrutinize the blackness behind her. “Are ye certain?”
“I am.”
“Very well, but ye need only call my name.”
“I thank you , Connell. See to William, please.”
“Aye.” He shot a glare at Lachlan and then at Ian and Seamus—all of them retreated. Connell nodded once then slammed his dagger back into its sheath.
She turned back around. “MacGrigor?” she whispered.
Silence.
The giant form had vanished. She searched the shadows but did not see him. Her shoulders slumped. Her one chance to reach him had been forfeited.
“I am still here,” a deep voice rumbled through the darkness.
She sucked in her breath and snapped her head up but forced herself to keep her feet firmly planted.
“Ye control my people better than I.” His voice sounded strangely tight and forced.
“Control them?” Her voice rose and she forced herself to calm. “Nay, I only help them.”
“Ye brought this plague with ye,” he snapped.
“Ask Connell or Robert if they agree with that.”
“Nay, Connell is devoted to ye.”
“Let me guess, I’ve ensorcelled him somehow.”
The voice remained silent for a long moment. Lia struggled to rein in her emotions before she truly lost him; she was weary and had not slept in three days.
“I was going to say that is an extraordinary feat,” the voice said. “Connell does not give his faith easily.”
“Will you please step from the shadows?”
“Will my own men run me through?”
Lia’s hand covered her face and she rubbed her eyes. She didn’t have the wherewithal to deal with this right now.
“I try your patience,” the voice said , suddenly next to her.
Lia nearly vaulted sideways, but then she realized she didn’t have the energy. She simply looked up at him and her breath fled her lungs.
The striking rogue stood before her, his massive body only inches from hers. His steel-gray eyes locked on hers. Saints be merciful, he was beautiful. A part of her was angry that he’d toy with her like this, but she found her lips curving upward.
“Your mother must have had the patience of Job.”
For the barest instant, she saw his gray eyes spark and a ghost of a smile on his lips. But in a blink it was gone, and she saw only aloof calm in its wake. Yet her heart rejoiced. There was a sense of humor under the façade.
Then she understood. That’s all it was, a façade, a way to protect himself from the pain he had suffered. She had seen something similar in others she had treated but not to this degree. Finding the man under the armor would be like prying a crab from its shell. But she knew she could do it, she just needed the right tools. She grinned up at him as she realized he was not something to fear… he was a challenge.
“I always worry when a female smiles like that.”
Her grin grew.
“Holy hell, Aidan, what have ye gotten me into ?” he muttered.
S he heard the rustle of vellum and looked down. Her eyes widened as she spotted the sheet clutched in his fingers.
“My notes,” she cried and snatched them away. Then she looked up, realization dawning. “I did not lose these. You took them. Why?”
MacGrigor’s body bowed and his fists clenched. He took a breath as if to rebuke her, but then he lowered his head. “Ye write in cypher. I thought the English sent ye to spy on us.”
She blinked at him once, twice. Then humiliation rose within her as she realized why he thought she wrote in cypher. In a sense, that’s exactly what it was, but it was one only she and Sueta knew. “I can’t read,” she whispered, her face burning in embarrassment, and turned away from him.
“What?” he growled.
She pretended as if she had not heard him and returned the vellum to her small stack.
“If ye canna read,” he snarled , “what is all this?” His hand shot out and he sent the precious pages of her journal flying across the table and onto
“L assie?” His gaze searched hers for a moment then returned to scrutinize the blackness behind her. “Are ye certain?”
“I am.”
“Very well, but ye need only call my name.”
“I thank you , Connell. See to William, please.”
“Aye.” He shot a glare at Lachlan and then at Ian and Seamus—all of them retreated. Connell nodded once then slammed his dagger back into its sheath.
She turned back around. “MacGrigor?” she whispered.
Silence.
The giant form had vanished. She searched the shadows but did not see him. Her shoulders slumped. Her one chance to reach him had been forfeited.
“I am still here,” a deep voice rumbled through the darkness.
She sucked in her breath and snapped her head up but forced herself to keep her feet firmly planted.
“Ye control my people better than I.” His voice sounded strangely tight and forced.
“Control them?” Her voice rose and she forced herself to calm. “Nay, I only help them.”
“Ye brought this plague with ye,” he snapped.
“Ask Connell or Robert if they agree with that.”
“Nay, Connell is devoted to ye.”
“Let me guess, I’ve ensorcelled him somehow.”
The voice remained silent for a long moment. Lia struggled to rein in her emotions before she truly lost him; she was weary and had not slept in three days.
“I was going to say that is an extraordinary feat,” the voice said. “Connell does not give his faith easily.”
“Will you please step from the shadows?”
“Will my own men run me through?”
Lia’s hand covered her face and she rubbed her eyes. She didn’t have the wherewithal to deal with this right now.
“I try your patience,” the voice said , suddenly next to her.
Lia nearly vaulted sideways, but then she realized she didn’t have the energy. She simply looked up at him and her breath fled her lungs.
The striking rogue stood before her, his massive body only inches from hers. His steel-gray eyes locked on hers. Saints be merciful, he was beautiful. A part of her was angry that he’d toy with her like this, but she found her lips curving upward.
“Your mother must have had the patience of Job.”
For the barest instant, she saw his gray eyes spark and a ghost of a smile on his lips. But in a blink it was gone, and she saw only aloof calm in its wake. Yet her heart rejoiced. There was a sense of humor under the façade.
Then she understood. That’s all it was, a façade, a way to protect himself from the pain he had suffered. She had seen something similar in others she had treated but not to this degree. Finding the man under the armor would be like prying a crab from its shell. But she knew she could do it, she just needed the right tools. She grinned up at him as she realized he was not something to fear… he was a challenge.
“I always worry when a female smiles like that.”
Her grin grew.
“Holy hell, Aidan, what have ye gotten me into ?” he muttered.
S he heard the rustle of vellum and looked down. Her eyes widened as she spotted the sheet clutched in his fingers.
“My notes,” she cried and snatched them away. Then she looked up, realization dawning. “I did not lose these. You took them. Why?”
MacGrigor’s body bowed and his fists clenched. He took a breath as if to rebuke her, but then he lowered his head. “Ye write in cypher. I thought the English sent ye to spy on us.”
She blinked at him once, twice. Then humiliation rose within her as she realized why he thought she wrote in cypher. In a sense, that’s exactly what it was, but it was one only she and Sueta knew. “I can’t read,” she whispered, her face burning in embarrassment, and turned away from him.
“What?” he growled.
She pretended as if she had not heard him and returned the vellum to her small stack.
“If ye canna read,” he snarled , “what is all this?” His hand shot out and he sent the precious pages of her journal flying across the table and onto
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