Page 23 of A Scoundrel’s Promise

Mackenzie stared, unable to tear her gaze from the man. “Is he dead?”

Liam caught her by the wrist. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

She snapped her gaze onto him. “I-I saw them. They were going to kill you.”

He grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Why didn’t you ride for help? You nearly got yourself killed.”

Was he chiding her? Anger rose, but with one look at the haunted expression on his face, her fury faded. “I am a tolerable shot, sir.”

“Where did you get a gun?”

“I never ride alone without a weapon.”

He stared at her as if she’d sprouted horns. “Your father allows you to carry a weapon?”

“Indeed. It is he who taught me to shoot.” At straw targets. Without a doubt, he would be furious with her involvement in catching the cattle thieves.

Liam stood, took two steps to the man with the whiskers, and nudged him with a booted toe. At the sight of blood seeping from his nose, Mackenzie averted her eyes.

“Where is your horse?” Liam demanded.

Without answering, Mackenzie rose and stumbled in the direction she’d left the animal. She suddenly wanted to be safe in her chambers, away from the stench of blood. Battling nausea, she willed her roiling stomach into submission and hurried to where she’d left Archangel. The tree she’d tied him to came into sight, but Archangel was gone.

She rushed to the tree. “I tied him here. He-he cannot be gone!”

“Are you certain?” Liam asked.

She pointing to the hoofmarks in the moist ground. “He must have been startled by the noise.”

God help her. She’d lost Archangel.

His mouth thinned. “You will ride with me.”

“Father will be furious.” About so very many, many things.

“This way.” Liam gripped her shoulder.

Mackenzie tensed, startled from her worries.

“We’ll ride back together.”

“Together?”

He lifted a brow as he guided her forward. “You shoot a man, but are squeamish about sharing a saddle with one?”

Squeamish wasn’t what she felt, but she could hardly correct him. He guided her through the woods. Less than a minute later, his horse came into view.

Silently, he grasped the horse’s reins, swung himself into the saddle, then reached for her. She gasped as he dragged her across his lap. Her heart began to thunder. Were his thighs made of stone? He hugged her close and urged the horse forward. This was much different than when he’d scooped her up into his arms after she’d fallen from her horse. With every step of the horse, she bounced just a little on his lap. She found the movement strangely compelling. The sudden urge to cry caught her off guard and she choked back a sob. Liam’s arms tightened around her and she was surprised at the sense of security that engulfed her.

After some minutes, they left the trees and Liam drew rein.

“What is it?” Mackenzie asked.

“There,” he murmured.

She followed the line of his gaze to two distant riders.

The brigands had returned.