Chapter 36

COAST OF SKYE - SEPTEMBER 28, 1385

M isting rain fell fine upon the Hebridean Sea as Calum navigated the merchant vessel over the tossing waves. They'd been sailing for two hours and Cràdh was still six hours away. The fast-moving water didn't bode well for the attack later that morning, and he prayed the psalm over Aileen again. Getting her back was all he wanted, the rest of it didn't matter.

Hector looped his plaid over himself to keep the mist off his head. The distinctive sea-blue garment made by his wife during the time Léo had tried courting her made him smile, despite his desperation.

"It's good tae see a smile on your face. What are you thinking of?"

"Cara."

Hector frowned, and for the barest second, jealousy passed over his face.

Léo rubbed his temple. "Not like that. I was thinking that even before I tried to court her she was in love with you." He lifted the corner of the unique plaid. "I don't know why I bothered. It was so obvious; it matches your eyes. And Aileen's."

Hector chuckled and rested his forearms on the rail, watching the waves race past. "Were we obvious?"

Léo chuckled. "The night she gave that to you I thought you were about to kill me when you saw me holding her hand to dance with her. You tore into the tavern like the berserker you are ."

Hector touched the soft wool keeping the mist from his eyes. "For her. Yes. I was. Still am."

Léo blew out a breath. "I am three times as bad around your sister."

Hector cringed. "You're in love with my sister. I liked the idea of Moira and you together, you suited well. But Aileen and Léo? I don't know how I feel about that."

Incredulity rushed over Léo. "What's wrong with me and Aileen?"

"Well for a start, you're a terrible flirt."

"I…" Léo was at a genuine loss for words. "I used to be."

Hector scoffed. "You were flirting with Eilidh MacLeod two weeks ago at Dunvegan."

He rolled his eyes. "Because Eoghan rebuffed her, and she looked hurt."

A hand as large as Samson's came to his shoulder and gave him a shake. "I'm teasing. Aileen seemed amused. If you'd been serious, I'm sure she would've ripped your head off your shoulders and played shinty? 1 with it."

Léo chuckled and his heart gave a sudden ache for her. "The second time she visited me in prison I insulted her, and she hit me hard in my gut with my benevolence parcel. That was the moment I fell in love with her."

Hector rumbled with laughter. "I've never seen anyone as unafraid to stand up to that hot blood of yours. Of course, she's unafraid of everything."

Léo shook his head. "Is that what you think? No. She is afraid just as everyone else is. What she is, is brave."

For the thousandth time in the last two days, he silently lifted the words of a psalm over her.

The misting rain began to stop, and Léo pulled his brat away from his head.

Hector pulled a loose thread from his tunic and tossed it into the sea, looking edgy. "Have you thought about a future with her?"

Their conversation from two nights ago, their passionate kisses, the way it ended, all rushed over him again .

Hector studied him. "What's the matter?"

"Two nights ago, we met at the tunnel. At first it went well, the whole time we were kissing all I could think about was how much I wanted to…" He stopped talking, realizing the look on Hector's face was rapidly turning murderous. "What?"

Jaw tightening, lightning in his eyes, Hector growled. "You wanted to what ?"

Realizing what he'd just said, Léo's stomach dropped, and both his hands came up in a mea culpa. "Marry her, Hec. Marry her. I swear. Until the other night I hadn't kissed her since Cràdh. I've been a gentleman."

Hector grunted.

"I told her I needed her, that Gabriel needed her, and I asked her to marry me." In between many thrilling kisses. But he left that part unsaid.

"You did?"

"Oui. But she…she said it wouldn't work. She knows I need a wife and mother, she thought I'd want her to give up the Shield. She didn't want to argue about it anymore. I didn't either. So we agreed that what we had was over. I felt that after the uprising she would go her way, and I would go mine."

Hector wiped drizzle from his dark, pointed beard. "No wonder you look like a mess."

Léo tried to laugh but the sound came out anguished. "I didn't reach her in time to tell her I understood. That I was wrong."

Hector took a deep breath and blew it out. "I dinnae think you were wrong. You tried to warn her, and us, of your experiences and we didnae listen. You loved her enough to tell her the truth when she was being reckless. You were trying to protect her."

Grief built in his chest. "I should have thrown her over my shoulders and sailed her to Calais and explained later."

The memory of the love in her eyes as they dragged her toward Niall would haunt him for the rest of his life. Grief flooded him and he sniffed in frustration, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, but they refilled seconds later. "Whatever she's suffering right now will be worse than we imagine."

Hector's deep voice became warm and his grip tightened on Léo's shoulder. "You cannae lose hope. We're going to get her back, and when this is all over, you'll marry her, and I'll be proud to be your brother-in-law."

Abiding warmth for who Hector was, and who he'd always be to him no matter what lay ahead, took pressure off his aching heart. "Brothers and brothers-in-law."