The Highlander's Woman (The Reckless Rockwoods #3) by Monica Burns

battled its way past the excruciating pain threatening to render her unconscious. Julian was right. A Rockwood never backed away from a challenge. Her gaze met his, and she saw a flash of emotion sweep across his face. She didn’t try to identify it because she knew it would be her undoing.
    Slowly, she turned and walked as far back along the hallway as she could. Just as she’d reached the furthest spot in the hallway a roar split the air over her head. Fire erupted out of the ceiling, and a piece of flaming lumber crashed down on top of her left side. She screamed with pain as the wood drove her down to the floor and the flames ate away at her skin. With a loud cry, this one of panic and fear, she gathered her strength to push the burning lumber off her.
    Free of the wood’s weight, she fell backward on the floor and remained still. In the distance, she heard people calling her name. It would be so much easier to ignore them and simply remain here until the fire took her. It was then that she heard Julian’s voice piercing the roar of the flames as he called her name several times in the brogue that had seduced her when they first met.
    “ Well, Patience ?” Julian’s shout of derision punched its way through her pain and despair. “Are ye going tae just lie down and die or are ye going to show us what a true Rockwood will do to survive?”
    She slowly sat up and looked over her shoulder at him. She saw Sebastian say something to Julian, but her husband waved her brother away without his gaze straying from hers. With a casual, deliberate motion, he folded his arms across his chest. The arrogance of his stance enraged her. For the first time since she’d laid eyes on Julian, she hated him. Hated him for mocking her when she was in pain. Hated him for lying to her. And hated him for being here to watch her die. But worst of all, she hated herself for not telling him one last time how much she loved him.
    “ Do no’ make me come for ye, Patience MacTavish .” His angry shout was filled with a fury that made her stagger to her feet.
    His words filled her with a fear greater than anything she’d felt tonight. If Julian were to come after her, he’d die just like her. That was something she refused to let happen. She would not let him die because of her. Patience turned around to meet Julian’s gaze across the distance. If she were to die tonight, it would be running toward the man she loved. A sudden bolt of energy zipped through her, and with a primal scream she leaped forward into a fast run. Patience’s gaze didn’t leave Julian’s face as she raced forward. Her feet pounded against the hot floor as she sped toward the wall of fire and the gaping hole where the staircase had once been. The moment she reached the edge of the flames and the opening between her and safety, she closed her eyes and flung herself into the air toward Julian.
    Hands outstretched, she prayed he would catch her. What seemed like an eternity, but was only a brief second, strong hands latched onto her wrists and pulled her to safety. The pressure on her burned wrist pulled a screech of agony out of her throat, and she fell into a deep hole free of the pain.
    A cacophony of sound assaulted her ears as she emerged from the darkness. Her entire left side felt as if she were still in the burning house. Through the pain, she realized someone had carried her outside. The noise here was as loud as the roar of the fire had been only moments before. Bells clanging, shouts, the sound of Louisa screaming wildly with grief, and the men of the family trying to bring order to the chaos echoed madly in her ears.
    The fresh scent of grass mixed with the stench of wet wood and smoke. It made her gag as it filled her nose. The cool night air brushed over her burns like icy cold water and she shivered. A blanket was thrown over her, and she shrieked as the wool scraped across her blistering skin. It was immediately jerked off her as through a blur of tears