Chapter 18

“Enough.” The word erupted from Tad as he took a step forward. Cillian threateningly shifted the dagger on Catreena’s throat, making Tad fall still again. Just to see that dirk pressed into her pale skin was torture in itself. Tad would have gladly laid down his life if it meant just seeing Cillian release her. “I’ll dae whatever ye ask, Cillian. Have yer revenge on me, if ye need it, but just release Catreena. Dinnae lay another hand on her.”

“Would ye beg me?” Cillian asked with an abrupt and malevolent laugh. “Would ye beg for her life?”

“Aye.”

“So me suspicions were correct. Ye are in love with her. Then dae it,” Cillian said with pleasure. “Beg, Laird MacBean. Beg me.”

“I beg of ye, nae tae hurt her,” Tad said with feeling. He took another tiny step toward the pair of them, a step that this time didn’t seem to be noticed by Cillian at all. “Hurt me, I beg ye, but nae her.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the surprise on Bran’s face.

I cannae blame him. I am nae sure I have ever begged fer anything in me life before.

“Would ye give up yer land and clan fer her? Would ye?” Cillian asked sharply.

“Take them,” Tad said. Taking another small step forward.

He saw a tear sliding out of Catreena’s eye. He had a feeling she would have begged him not to give into this man, but he couldn’t help it. He would give Cillian anything he asked for.

“I’ll be yer slave, if that’s what ye want.” Tad went on. “Ye can have everything from me, just let Catreena and Bran leave. Let them go home. Ye would like that, wouldnae ye Cillian? Dae we have a deal?” Tentatively, Tad took another step forward. The distance between him and Cillian was much smaller now. He offered his hand to Cillian, as if they were purely making a business deal, and that no dirk was between them.

“Pathetic!” Cillian suddenly roared. He threw Catreena aside.

“Nay,” Bran’s voice broke out as Catreena was flung against the stone hearth. She fell in a twisted way, her hands bound to a metal loop in the wall. Tad couldn’t get to her though. Cillian had marched toward him. He took hold of Tad’s collar and pressed that dirk close to Tad’s neck, threateningly, ready to slit his throat.

Tad stared him down, looking at the empty eyes of Cillian.

“This is what love daes tae a man,” Cillian muttered, his voice wild. “Pathetic, weak, willing tae dae anything –”

“Tae save her life? Aye, anything,” Tad said, matching Cillian’s venomous tone.

“I’m going tae enjoy this,” Cillian said, starting to turn the dirk. “I’m going tae enjoy watching as ye –” Yet Cillian had broken off sharply. He halted, his eyes going wide.

Tad couldn’t resist the small smile that spread across his lips as he looked over Cillian’s shoulder at Bran. Standing close behind Cillian’s back was Bran, with another dirk pressed against his back.

“Something ye should ken, Cillian, when ye ask a soldier tae search a man,” Tad said with relish. “A warrior kens tae always hide at least one weapon well.”

Cillian shook, his eyes no longer fixing on Tad as the fear settled in.

“I told ye that ye’d die if ye laid a hand on her,” Bran warned Cillian as he snapped the other blade out of Cillian’s grasp. “Dae it,” he told Tad, handing him that same blade.

“Cover her eyes and ears,” Tad pleaded with Bran. He didn’t need Catreena to hear what he was about to do, to make sure this man could never lay a finger on her again. Wordlessly, Bran nodded.

Tad waited, the dirk outstretched toward Cillian, until he saw Catreena’s eyes and ears covered.

“Trust us,” Bran whispered to his sister. She nodded, then buried her head in her chest, hiding from what was about to happen.

“Goodbye Cillian,” Tad said through gritted teeth. “Something more ye should ken about men in love before ye leave us. They’ll dae anything tae get their woman back.” With these final words, he buried the knife in Cillian’s neck.

“Away!” Bran ordered the soldiers as they strode out of the croft. “Unless ye all want tae end up like yer master.”

Catreena followed her brother out, one hand still clutched in his. The small crowd of soldiers that had gathered all paled at the sign of their dead laird in the doorway. It started slowly at first. One man reached for his horse and bolted, then the rest followed in clamorous cries. No one wanted to be the next man left for dead.

With their horses kicking up dust around them, Bran turned to face Catreena.

“Ye all right?” he asked her in a whisper, kissing her forehead.

“Aye, dizzy, but fine.”

“I ken what ye mean.” He rubbed a similar wound across the back of his neck. “We’ll get ye back tae the castle. We can rest there.”

Catreena nodded. She was shaking all over. She wasn’t ready to admit how afraid she’d been, how terrified she had been of never seeing either of them ever again. That confession could wait for another time. At this moment, she was just trying to hold herself together.

“Well, I suppose ye two need a minute alone now, dae ye nae?” Bran said with a heavy sigh, releasing her and turning to look at Tad. “I’ll get the horses.” He stepped away, calling back at them over his shoulder. “Just dinnae be too long. Ilyssa will kill me herself if we arenae back soon.”

Breathless, Catreena looked at Tad. He stood a short distance away from her, no mark upon him of the man he had just killed to keep her safe.

“Ye could be dead,” she whispered in horror. “Tad, he would have murdered ye. Ye shouldnae have come.”

“Like hell I wasnae going tae come,” Tad declared with vigor and moved toward her. He took hold of her cheeks, turning her face up toward his. “In case ye hadnae noticed, I dinnae want tae live me life without ye in it, little Cat. Nae now.”

“Little Cat, eh?” she repeated, a smile reaching her lips. It was refreshing, to smile and feel free, after all that had just happened in that croft. “I’ve always been that tae ye.”

“Me little Catreena,” he corrected himself, bending down toward her, his own smile appearing. “Mine tae protect.”

“Possessive,” she teased him.

“Very.” He openly admitted with a nod. “I’ll beg yer braithers if I have tae, throw meself at their feet fer their blessings, but after this…” he paused, just long enough to sigh and brush his lips against hers. “I cannae see ye leave me again. Marry me, Cat. Please.”

“I –” Catreena was on the verge of saying yes when Bran’s voice bellowed from the nearest trees.

“Hurry up ye two! Ye may have me blessing, but ye have a lot of other braithers tae ask first.

Catreena duly ignored her brother and reached up to kiss Tad. He stumbled back in surprise at the vigor with which she threw herself at him, then kissed her back.