Page 88 of Deception of a Highlander

Jack needed her. Now.

And she knew exactly what to do.

Her mind ticked through calculated points of her escape. The door to her cell stood open, but she would have to defeat Hamish and Kieran first. Based on what Hamish said earlier, very few people knew about her façade. That worked to her benefit.

Both men gaped at her in shock. She could use that to her advantage. While Kieran stood closest to her, he was stronger and would be more difficult to defeat. Hamish, however, was still young. His body was not yet honed with refined battle skills. Her decision was made.

She rushed Hamish and hit the young warrior under the jaw with her forearm. He slid to the floor as she rounded on Kieran.

Her attack on Hamish had dashed any hope she had at catching him off guard. Kieran lunged toward her, but she was faster than him and evaded his grasp by darting toward the back of the cell. He took the bait and advanced, thinking he had her cornered. She waited until he opened his arms to grab her before pitching forward into a somersault across the cellar floor.

By the time she stood, he was already in front of her again. Frustration threatened her composure. She hadn’t realized he could move that quickly.

Her feet were light underneath her. She spun to the right and feinted to the left to confuse him. The door stood open three steps away. If she could manage to lock Kieran behind the door, she could escape toward freedom. Toward Jack. She was almost there.

Kieran’s arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her against his chest, so her feet dangled uselessly above the ground.

“Let me go,” she hissed. She flailed in his arms, but no amount of squirming or writhing would loosen his grip.

Desperate for escape, she lifted her elbow and brought it down hard on his temple—a move that would send any normal man into unconsciousness. Kieran, however, narrowed his eyes and remained upright.

“Hit me like a man again and expect me to treat ye like one.”

She pushed against his chest, anxious to be free of his viselike hold. No matter how hard she struggled, he did not release her. “Let me go.” The words came out as a pathetic whimper. “He needs me. Please.”

Helpless tears ran down her cheeks, but she did not care. If she could not escape in time, Jack would die.

“I said I’d help ye.” Kieran’s arms tightened further still.

Mariel shook her head miserably. “There’s not enough time.”

He met her eyes with an earnest expression. “The sun is almost up. Let my warriors break their fast while the lads prepare our horses, and then we’ll leave.”

He believed her. But for the first time since she’d met him, it mattered little. Nothing would replace Jack’s finger or erase the fear and hurt he must have felt.

Mariel struggled against Kieran’s grasp once more. “There’s no time. I can travel faster alone. Kieran, he needs me.”

A dark eyebrow lifted, and he regarded her with a look of skepticism. “And what would ye do by yerself when ye arrived?”

“I had a plan,” she confessed. “I’ve had one since I came to Skye.”

His stare hardened. “And why did ye no’ do it?”

She couldn’t stand the accusation in his gaze, but still, she didn’t look away. “Because it was too risky. I would be going off the assumption that Aaron had Jack at the manor. And I would be one person against many. I thought if I found Blair and Dougal, I could somehow save you and save Jack at the same time. But after I realized who Blair and Dougal were…”

Kieran cocked his head for her to continue.

“If I left and proceeded with my plan, they would have no protection,” she answered with a solemn tone that resonated in her heart. “I couldn’t do that to them.”

Kieran was quiet for a moment. When he answered, his voice was softer than it’d been since she’d peeled off her mask. “I dinna know if what ye were planning was stupid or brave, but I dinna recommend it. In two hours’ time, we will be ready to leave. Our ships are faster than anything ye could find resting on the shore, and our horses are better prepared for long-distance than anything ye could steal. No’ to mention when ye arrive and find yerself alone, what would ye do with no army behind ye?”

Instead of waiting for an answer, he released her. The imprint of warmth his body left on hers immediately cooled in the damp chill of the cellar. The door still stood open, taunting her with impulsive freedom.

Her shoulders sagged. Kieran’s words rang true. She had no plan, no army and no equipment. Two hours seemed like a lifetime, but it was a sacrifice she had to make.

“Please get rid of it,” she whispered and turned away from where the box lay on the ground. “I can’t…look at it…”

His face softened, and he disappeared behind her. The lid of the wooden box snapped closed.