I knocked him out cold. Bloody well thought I’d killed him. I had to toss him over my shoulder like a sack of grain. The poor lad didn’t come to until it was all over, and he’s always blamed me for how our lives turned out.”
Darach pointed at a bend in the river just ahead. “We’ll cross up there where it’s shallow and walk the horses in the riverbed for a mile or so to cover our tracks. Beyond that, I know a good place to stop for the rest of the night.”
His broad shoulders rose and fell as he inhaled the cool night air. Larena watched his profile in the moon shadows and noted that his brow was creased with concern.
“Are you worried about how Logan is faring?” she asked.
“I think of nothing else.” He squinted across the river, always keeping an eye out for something.
“It’s obvious that you care for him,” Larena said. “Even though you don’t agree with his choices, he’s still your brother. You want to keep him safe.”
The penetrating expression in Darach’s eyes answered her question with a clear yes , though he never actually spoke the word.
In the seconds that followed, Larena couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from the dark, elusive beauty of his face—the heavy lashes and arched brows, the exquisite sculpted jawline. Now that she knew the whole story about this rugged and reticent Highlander, she couldn’t deny that he stirred all the quiet places in her soul. The truth, at last, had aroused a feeling of compassion in her, mixed with fascination and admiration.
“You’re observant,” he said.
The silky timbre of his voice sent a small shudder across her flesh. “It was obvious to me before,” she replied, “when you told Logan to return to Kinloch. You promised to keep what happened a secret. You still want to protect him.”
Darach glanced away. “Maybe he no longer needs my protection. He’s a man now—quick-witted, a master swordsman. I’ve no doubt he can take care of himself, but the fact remains, he’ll always be my baby brother, and he has a foolish temper sometimes. I don’t know what he thinks he can accomplish by returning to Leathan Castle now. He can never bring our father back. He can’t win back his approval, no matter what he does to yours. Our father is gone now and we left the clan a lifetime ago. If it’s vengeance he wants, it’s coming from a dark place in his soul, and I wish he could let go of it.”
“And you feel badly because you broke his arm,” she said.
Darach looked down at the pommel. “Even that, I did for his protection—so he wouldn’t go raging about the Highlands stirring up trouble. I want him to survive.”
“And you believe he will die if he carries out this plan, whatever it may be.”
“I do.” Darach clicked his tongue and urged his horse into a trot.
Larena followed him down onto the riverbed where the horses’ hooves splashed through the shallow water. She felt slightly beguiled, riding beside Darach.
“Thank you,” she said after a time, “for pursuing Logan and me, and for coming to my rescue. Where would I be now if you hadn’t come?”
“Don’t thank me until we reach Leathan and deliver the King’s pardon,” he said. “Until then, nothing is certain.” He nodded his head at another bend in the river. “We’ll make camp just ahead.”
They broke into a gallop and climbed the riverbank toward a clearing.
Chapter Fourteen
It was going to be a long night, Darach thought irritably as he lay down on the bedroll across the fire from Larena. She was a bonnie lass to be sure and he couldn’t believe he’d just told her everything about his past when he had never confessed his true identity to anyone. Not once, in fifteen years.
He was taken with her, plain and simple, enough to cause physical harm to the brother he’d always sought to protect. But when Darach found Logan on top of Larena in the moonlit glade, a violent madness had flooded his brain. It was so intense, his hand had
Darach pointed at a bend in the river just ahead. “We’ll cross up there where it’s shallow and walk the horses in the riverbed for a mile or so to cover our tracks. Beyond that, I know a good place to stop for the rest of the night.”
His broad shoulders rose and fell as he inhaled the cool night air. Larena watched his profile in the moon shadows and noted that his brow was creased with concern.
“Are you worried about how Logan is faring?” she asked.
“I think of nothing else.” He squinted across the river, always keeping an eye out for something.
“It’s obvious that you care for him,” Larena said. “Even though you don’t agree with his choices, he’s still your brother. You want to keep him safe.”
The penetrating expression in Darach’s eyes answered her question with a clear yes , though he never actually spoke the word.
In the seconds that followed, Larena couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from the dark, elusive beauty of his face—the heavy lashes and arched brows, the exquisite sculpted jawline. Now that she knew the whole story about this rugged and reticent Highlander, she couldn’t deny that he stirred all the quiet places in her soul. The truth, at last, had aroused a feeling of compassion in her, mixed with fascination and admiration.
“You’re observant,” he said.
The silky timbre of his voice sent a small shudder across her flesh. “It was obvious to me before,” she replied, “when you told Logan to return to Kinloch. You promised to keep what happened a secret. You still want to protect him.”
Darach glanced away. “Maybe he no longer needs my protection. He’s a man now—quick-witted, a master swordsman. I’ve no doubt he can take care of himself, but the fact remains, he’ll always be my baby brother, and he has a foolish temper sometimes. I don’t know what he thinks he can accomplish by returning to Leathan Castle now. He can never bring our father back. He can’t win back his approval, no matter what he does to yours. Our father is gone now and we left the clan a lifetime ago. If it’s vengeance he wants, it’s coming from a dark place in his soul, and I wish he could let go of it.”
“And you feel badly because you broke his arm,” she said.
Darach looked down at the pommel. “Even that, I did for his protection—so he wouldn’t go raging about the Highlands stirring up trouble. I want him to survive.”
“And you believe he will die if he carries out this plan, whatever it may be.”
“I do.” Darach clicked his tongue and urged his horse into a trot.
Larena followed him down onto the riverbed where the horses’ hooves splashed through the shallow water. She felt slightly beguiled, riding beside Darach.
“Thank you,” she said after a time, “for pursuing Logan and me, and for coming to my rescue. Where would I be now if you hadn’t come?”
“Don’t thank me until we reach Leathan and deliver the King’s pardon,” he said. “Until then, nothing is certain.” He nodded his head at another bend in the river. “We’ll make camp just ahead.”
They broke into a gallop and climbed the riverbank toward a clearing.
Chapter Fourteen
It was going to be a long night, Darach thought irritably as he lay down on the bedroll across the fire from Larena. She was a bonnie lass to be sure and he couldn’t believe he’d just told her everything about his past when he had never confessed his true identity to anyone. Not once, in fifteen years.
He was taken with her, plain and simple, enough to cause physical harm to the brother he’d always sought to protect. But when Darach found Logan on top of Larena in the moonlit glade, a violent madness had flooded his brain. It was so intense, his hand had
Similar Books
