She glanced around at Talia to see if she’d noticed the knife. Her sharp gaze told her she had, plus she had shifted her bound feet to cover the weapon.

“Come,” Haldane told Seona, taking hold of her upper arm and leading her forward.

“We’re not leaving her, surely,” one of his men said, leering back at Talia.

“Aye, we’re leaving her. Go get the horses,” Haldane commanded.

“Hmm, nice,” another of the scraggly outlaws said as he strode by, eying Seona. “I want her after you, MacKay.”

Haldane withdrew his dirk and spun. In less than a second, he had the tip of the blade at the man’s throat. “This woman is going to be my wife, you whoreson. No one is touching her but me. Anyone who does will get his throat slit. Do you ken what I’m saying?”

The man blanched, his eyes wild. “Aye, m’laird.”

Laird? Haldane wasn’t a laird. His older brother Dirk was, and obviously Haldane still held onto the fantasy that he would one day take Dirk’s place.

“Watch him,” Haldane said to McMurdo. “Anyone so much as looks at Seona with lust in his eyes, kill the whoreson.”

“Will do,” McMurdo answered and followed the others.

Haldane gripped her upper arm again and guided her deeper into the forest behind the other ruffians. She glanced back, seeing that Talia was alone. She prayed no other outlaws would find her before she cut the ropes and freed herself.

Once they were far enough away from Talia, Seona would have to figure out how to escape Haldane and his men. She might grab Haldane’s dirk and stab him with it. But he was the one protecting her from the rest of the brutish men. If she killed Haldane, any of his men might rape or kill her. No telling what McMurdo would do… most likely kill her without a second thought.

Chapter Thirty-One

Earlier, in the field in front of the tavern, Keegan had snatched one of the Murray guard’s swords, then bested Graybeard, leaving him with several cuts, but spared his life. He’d sent the next one who’d challenged him running away with a deep slice to his sword arm. And now, another of the men who’d invaded their room over the tavern charged him with a sword. He parried and thrust, then drove the other man back several feet.

Keegan darted a quick glance around the field at the crowd of onlookers and noticed Chief Murray a hundred feet away, scowling this way and that, murder in his eyes.

Where was Seona? He must not have found her in the room.

Rebbie stood not far from Murray, looking pale and dazed, his forehead and doublet bloody, but he held a sword in his hand. Keegan was glad he’d awakened.

Fraser, on horseback, rode in behind him, leading Curry. He motioned Keegan forward.

He landed one final blow and sent his opponent’s sword flying, then he hastened toward Fraser.

“Haldane took Seona,” Fraser said in a low tone.

“What?” A sharp blade of fear and outrage sliced through Keegan. “When?”

“A short time ago. Her sister showed up and told us. Haldane kidnapped her first, then released her when he lured Seona out.”

“Which way did they ride?”

“East.”

Dermott approached on his horse, tossed Keegan’s boots to the ground in front of him, then handed him his sporran and sheathed dirk. “I found these behind the tavern.”

Last time Keegan had seen them, they’d been in the chamber. “Seona must have dropped them there.” Fear for her life making his hands unsteady, Keegan pulled on his boots then swung into the saddle. “Let’s go.”

“Lady Talia said they went this way.” Fraser took the lead, kicking his mount into a gallop; Keegan and Dermott followed. Hunched low in their saddles, they rode past boulders and into the forest.

Keegan would kill Haldane. To imagine someone harming Seona was like a dagger to the gut. The roughed-up tracks through the leaves and pine needles were easy to see, but when they came onto a muddy road, thick with tracks which forked in two directions, they drew up.

Hoof beats pounded behind them. Keegan glanced back. Rebbie? Surely, he was not up to this.

When he halted beside them, Keegan asked, “What in blazes are you doing here? You’re injured.” Indeed the earl still looked pale, blood matting his hair.

“’Tis naught. When I saw you lads riding like the devil, I knew something had to be wrong.”

“Aye, Haldane abducted Seona.”

“Saints!” He glanced along the two roads. “North or east?”

Keegan examined the tracks on the muddy ground. “Fresh tracks go both ways. Two of us take one road, and two the other.”

Rebbie nodded and rode off toward the east, Dermott following.

Keegan and Fraser traveled north, their mounts charging at full speed. A pistol shot fired somewhere in front of them.

“Who the hell is shooting?” Keegan said between clenched teeth. He prayed Seona was not in the line of fire.

Two horses waited beside the road up ahead, one shifting about anxiously. Behind a stand of bushes, swords clanged.

Keegan pulled back on the reins, leapt to the ground, and drew his sword. He was aware of Fraser following on foot, but he kept his attention focused forward.

Sticking his head through the bushes, he found McMurdo fighting a younger man with a bushy brown beard. Another man lay on the ground, blood pooling around him. What the devil was going on? Where was Seona?

A scream sounded in the distance, ahead but to the left. A female. It had to be her. He raced forward, the prickly gorse bushes snagging his clothes and scratching his skin.

Up ahead, a red-headed man had someone wearing black thrown over his shoulder. Haldane. Rushing closer, Keegan saw ’twas indeed Seona he carried. She kicked, elbowed him in the back, and fought to free herself. Even though her hands were tied, she yanked his hair.

“Ow! Damn you, lass!” Haldane bent forward, attempting to dump her to the ground, but Seona held onto his long hair.

Haldane glanced his way just before Keegan reached him. He shoved Seona away and lifted his sword.

She did not appear to be injured, thank the saints.

“Let me have her, Haldane.” Keegan forced himself to use a reasonable tone.

“Nay!” He sliced the blade through the air. “Back away.”

Seona’s ankles were bound as well, but she tried to roll away from Haldane.

“Don’t force my hand, cousin.” Although Keegan could not say he and Haldane had ever truly been close, they had trained together since they were lads and eaten many a meal together at Dunnakeil.

“You are not my cousin since you are loyal to that imposter you call a chief,” Haldane snarled.

Haldane knew good and well Dirk was no imposter, but Keegan wasn’t going to argue the point.

“Why did you kidnap Seona?” Keegan knew why, but he wanted to distract Haldane.

“That is none of your concern.”

“Aye, ’tis, considering she is my wife.”

“Your wife? Ha!” Haldane’s pale green eyes glinted with feral energy and he bared his teeth. “Well, if that is true, I can easily make her a widow. She was to marry the MacKay chief, which I will be since Dirk is dead.”

Icy cold slithered through Keegan. To imagine Dirk dying was like enduring a strike to his vitals. The man was like a brother to him.

“Dirk is not dead,” Keegan assured him.

“How do you know?” Haldane smirked. “You haven’t seen him in several days, have you?”

“He’s recovering in a safe place.”

“You hope. But what if he got a grave fever from that arrow wound?”

Dirk had endured a minor fever, but seemed improved last time he’d seen him. Keegan was not going to worry over him now. Seona was his main concern.

“Release Seona before you injure her.”

“Nay.” Haldane advanced, sword in guard position. “Back off or you will cause me to hurt her. If she dies, ’twill be your fault.”