Chapter 25

Pain And Strain

The Next Day

Agentle knock sounded at the door. Holly looked down at the bed to see Ragnall was still asleep, then she got up and went to the door. When she opened it, she smiled wide.

“How are ye doin’, Me Lady?” Mirren asked.

“Better for seein’ ye?”

“And the Laird?”

Holly’s voice trembled as she spoke, her concern palpable. “I dinnae ken. He’s nae actin’ like himself. After the fight with Fraser, he’s become obsessed with killin’ him. More obsessed than he was afore. It scares me a little. I worry that if I leave, he will try to get out of bed. He doesnae want me to leave his side. I think he is afraid Fraser will come back to try and finish the job, and he only trusts himself to protect me.”

“He’ll be fine once he has rested,” Mirren assured her. “Bein’ injured and in pain can do a lot to a man’s mind. He’ll be thinkin’ a lot straighter when he’s feelin’ stronger. And, speakin’ of that, I have some soup for the two of ye. Bread to go with it. And a letter came from Gallacher Castle.”

“Ye are a wonderful woman,” Holly admitted. “I dinnae ken what I would do without ye, Mirren.”

“Ye take care of the Laird, and I’ll take care of ye.” Mirren smiled fondly.

Holly smiled back and took the tray from her.

The two women shared a friendly look before Mirren left. Holly took the tray to the Laird’s bedside, finding him awake.

“How are ye feelin’?” she asked.

“Why did ye leave?” Ragnall grunted.

“I didnae,” Holly replied, becoming frustrated with him.

“Then how did ye get the soup?” he pressed.

“Mirren brought it,” she snapped.

She knew she shouldn’t snap at him, but she had told him she loved him the previous day, and his response had been to talk about killing Fraser.

“Aye, aye,” Ragnall uttered, as if everything was better again.

“Do ye want some soup now?” Holly asked.

She hoped Mirren was right and that he would think straighter once he had his strength back.

“Aye, in a minute,” Ragnall replied. “I just need a minute afore I sit up.”

“Take as much time as ye need,” Holly told him softly. “I am nae goin’ anyhere.”

“Tell them to check all the taverns in the villages,” Ragnall instructed, frowning.

“What?” Holly asked.

“The taverns,” Ragnall said, getting angry. “We cannae let him get away.”

“Dinnae worry about it,” Holly soothed. “Eric has men out lookin’ for him, and they will find him.”

Unless he does cross the border and is never seen again.

Holly feared that it would happen and the Laird would be on edge for the rest of his life, never able to return her love.

“I ken what I’m doin’!” Ragnall insisted. “I’ve been after him me entire life, and I ken the places that rat will hide. Ye are to tell Eric, all right?”

“I will,” Holly assured him. “Please, just have some soup and focus on gettin’ better. Ye willnae be strong enough to face him if ye dinnae rest enough.”

“Aye, ye are right,” Ragnall relented grudgingly. “Give me the soup.”

Holly still didn’t like his tone, but she knew he wasn’t himself. She took one of the bowls and a chunk of bread and placed it on his lap as he sat up. He had some trouble and tried to hide the pain as he moved. He had to take some calming breaths before he took a spoonful of soup.

“Do ye remember our conversation yesterday?” Holly asked, hoping that he would declare his love for her.

“Aye, and ye are safe because ye are with me,” Ragnall said, before lifting a spoonful of soup to his mouth.

Holly wanted to leave the room, but she could not do that. She needed to care for her husband, the man she loved, no matter the circumstances. She would nurse him back to health, and then he would declare his love for her—she was sure of it.

For now, it was a small mercy that he was well enough to sit up and eat some soup.

Before Holly ate her soup, she took the letter and opened it. Ragnall watched her the entire time, his eyes flicking occasionally to the door. A smile grew on her face when she got to the end of the letter.

“What does the letter say?” Ragnall asked.

“It’s from me sister Lily. She is the oldest after me. She says that they are all comin’ to visit to help out. All four of me sisters are comin’ to visit me at the castle finally. Is that nae good news, Ragnall?”

“Good news?” he sputtered, dropping his spoon into his bowl. “I thought I told ye they couldnae visit? Why did ye invite them here when they only put everyone at risk? They cannae come!”

“I didnae invite them. They are comin’ of their own will, and it will be fine. I’ll talk to Eric about it.”

“Nay, we dinnae have extra men to provide an escort. This is just what Fraser wants. He planned this to draw away some of me men, so he could attack the castle.”

“Ragnall, he willnae attack the castle,” Holly soothed. “He’s lost all his power. He doesnae have anyone to mount an attack with.”

“We dinnae ken who is loyal to him,” Ragnall pointed out. “He might be usin’ the visit as a cover to get into the castle. Nay, we cannae have it. Tell Eric to cancel the visit.”

“Ragnall, please!” Holly begged.

“Please! Ye do ken Fraser is still out there, do ye nae? He willnae stop, Holly. He will kill whoever he pleases until he gets to me. I cannae put anyone else in danger. We are lockin’ it all down. Nay one is to enter or leave the castle until I say so.”

“So, I cannae see me sisters?” Holly asked. “And I am to live like a prisoner until Fraser is caught? What if we never catch him, Ragnall? What if he escapes and is never seen again?”

“Then the two of us will be together and safe. That’s all that matters,” Ragnall said.

“That does matter, but it’s nae all that matters,” Holly argued.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She loved Ragnall, and she wanted to make him better, but she couldn’t stand to see him like this. She was sure he would get better, and he would go back to his usual self, but this was not the man she loved. He had become scared and paranoid since becoming confined to his bed because of his injuries.

“I’m nae leavin’ the castle,” Holly told him. “I cannae stay here right now.” She stood up from her chair.

“Where are ye goin’? Ye cannae leave this room.”

Holly went to him and planted a kiss on his forehead. “I’m safe, and I will be back soon,” she reassured him. “Please just rest, me love.”

Ragnall’s features softened a little, and he looked down at his bowl without saying anything. After some of the things he had said over the previous twenty-four hours, saying nothing was a welcome respite.

Holly stopped at the door and looked back at him. “Soon, ye will be back to yer usual self,” she whispered. “Then, we can live the rest of our lives together. I love ye, Ragnall.”

She wept as she left the room. She wished she could find Fraser and kill him so she could have her husband back. She trusted Eric and knew he would find him eventually. She wondered if he had given orders for his men to kill Fraser or to bring him back to the castle for Ragnall to kill.

Holly was exhausted. She needed to be there for her husband, and if she were to do that, she needed to rest. She had left her soup in the room with Ragnall, but she had lost most of her appetite. She would sleep and then go to the kitchen to eat. That would give her a chance to speak with Mirren, and the head cook always knew the right thing to say.

She opened the door to her bedroom and stepped inside. Her bed had never looked more inviting, as if it were saying, Come lie down, and I will care for ye as ye have cared for yer husband.

Holly kicked off her boots and went to her bed. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she silenced herself to listen for someone or something. She sensed the person in the room far too late to do anything about it. Before she could get to the bed or turn around, the man grabbed her from behind. His breath was warm on her neck, but it chilled her to the bone.

“Scream, and ye die,” he warned, bringing a blade to her neck. “Ye ken who I am?”

“Aye,” Holly replied.

She knew it was Fraser. He had snuck into the castle and had been hiding out in her room.

“I ken ye want to scream out for help, and I am sure ye have thoughts about protectin’ him by nae tellin’ me where he is, but I want ye to think this through. If ye make the slightest noise or refuse me requests, I will slit yer throat. Then, I will wait until the night falls and go and find him anyway. After I kill him, I will kill as many people in the castle as I can, afore someone kills me. That will all be on ye.”

Fraser panted heavily as he held her, and she could tell he was also injured, though not as badly as her husband.

“Now, I want ye to think about yer husband. I want to look him in the eye afore I kill him. Ye take me to him, and I will get to do that. If nae, I will kill him in his sleep. What would he tell ye right now? Would he want ye to die, or would he want ye to live? Would he want ye to take me to him so I can look him in the eye, or would he want to die without kennin’ it was me who did it?”

Holly choked back her sobs, not daring to move with the blade pressed to her throat. She knew exactly what her husband would tell her, even if he wasn’t injured.

“So?” Fraser prompted, pressing the knife harder.

Holly was terrified. It was her worst nightmare come true, and she worried her shaking would cause the knife to cut her.

“Aye, I’ll take ye to him,” she agreed.

She would take him to Ragnall, and on the way she would figure out how to stop him.

“Good lass,” Fraser hissed. “Because of ye, fewer people will be killed today. All I want is him. Ye will go free, and nay one else will die. He killed me entire family.”

“Ye killed his,” Holly spat.

“Och, details, details. Now, take me to him, and we better nae see anyone on the way, or ye will be responsible for their death.”