Rescued by a Highlander(10)

Brodie whispered, “It cannot be a lass or we would hear screaming or sobbing.”

Alex crept forward and motioned for Brodie to be silent. A slice of light peeked out near the stones ahead on the left. Inching across the floor silently, he made his way close enough to take stock of the situation inside. His whole body tensed as he peered into the chamber. Madeline faced him and was held by two men. Her head was down so Alex couldn’t see her expression. Kenneth stood behind her with the whip in his hand.

Alex stilled as his whole world went into slow motion. Kenneth raised the whip over his head with a sneer. He smiled as the whip tore at her flesh. She made no sound at the contact. Kenneth set the whip down and grabbed her by the hair, “Do you agree, Maddie?”

Slowly, Maddie opened her eyes. Her lashes fluttered, revealing the blue eyes haunting his dreams. He had trouble focusing. Tears trickled down her face, blonde hair curling from the sweat on her brow. She never made a sound, but as her chin came up, fire sparked in her eyes. “Nay” she said.

Rage filled Alex’s blood beyond endurance. It took every ounce of control he had to prevent doing something foolish. He turned to Brodie, who glanced at Alex and mouthed, “Is it her?” Alex nodded and searched the tunnel for a doorway.

At the same time, two guards rushed into the chamber yelling, “Laird, there’s trouble! Fire in the cottages!”

Kenneth turned to Maddie and said, “We will finish this later.” Glancing at Egan and Iain, he said, “Leave her.” They rushed into the great hall and out the doors into the courtyard.

***

Maddie reached for the table for support. She wanted to scream as fire tore through her back where the whip had connected with her tender flesh. She needed to get away and soon. How much more could she endure? Her gaze ran over the tools on the table. Before she turned to leave she ran her arm across the table flinging the various paraphernalia onto the floor.

Her head jerked up as a man rushed through the hidden door in the wall and caught her by the arms. Maddie shoved against him and whimpered, “Nay!” but she wasn’t strong enough to fight the muscular arms that gripped hers.

“Leave me be, please! Who are you? Go away.” Maddie stared into steel gray eyes, shaking her head in denial. She knew her will was dissolving, but she had to fight this new threat. Where had he come from? Who was he? She had never seen him before, but his eyes softened as her vision blurred from her tears. His was a look that reminded her of her da.

Trust me, my angel. Somehow, her father’s words broke through her thoughts.

He lifted her into his arms and carried her back into the tunnel. She pushed against his chest but her hands met rock. Tears fell as she again found herself in a situation where she was overpowered by a man. Why did this continue to happen to her? Why could they not leave her be?

As she continued to squirm, he said to her, “Madeline, I am Alexander Grant from Dulnain Valley. I will not hurt you. Mac asked for my help. My brother and I will keep you safe. Trust me!”

His eyes reached into her soul as he gazed at her and her heart stilled. Trust him? A man other than her father? Was such a thing possible? She realized her fingers dug into his shoulders as she forced herself to relax. He wasn’t Kenneth, he wasn’t Niles. He couldn’t be any worse, could he?

Madeline searched his gray eyes for a clue as to whether he was trustworthy. She could not see through the dirt on his face and the darkness in the tunnel. His eyes were angry, but he had a strong chiseled jaw and long, dark hair. Her arm wrapped around his neck and brushed the soft locks. When she touched the skin on his neck, she jerked her hand away as if burned.

Was this Brenna’s brother? He stirred strange feelings in her belly, but he looked vaguely like the man in her dreams. He was talking to her, but she couldn’t understand him. Her head leaned against his shoulder. She was having trouble focusing. All she could feel was the pain in her back and a pair of strong arms supporting her. They followed a dark corridor, but she knew not where. She had to trust him.

As she rested her head against him, she absorbed all that was Alexander Grant.

“Are you my knight? No, you cannot be. You are not blonde.” He smelled familiar, of pine, horse and leather, not at all like the stench that came from Iain. The man radiated heat and he didn’t threaten her, so she wrapped both her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, his breath warm against her forehead. “I will come with you, Laird Grant, but only for a bit,” she whispered against his chest.

Alex pulled her in tighter. He looked down at her angelic face and lost track of his thoughts. She weighed little, yet he worried he was hurting her back. He grew distracted by her full pink lips as she sighed and wondered how they would taste. What was happening to him? Why couldn’t he just focus on the task at hand? She let out another little sigh and touched his hair briefly. Alex brushed a quick kiss on her forehead and moved on.