Highlander Unchained Read online

  He met Argyll’s gaze. “You heard Flora for yourself. She has agreed of her own volition. I’ve done my part, do not try your games with me.”

  The other man quirked his brow. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Take it how you will. I kept my side of the bargain, and you will keep yours. My brother will be released today, as you promised.” This time, there was no mistaking the threat.

  Despite Lachlan’s much larger size, Argyll didn’t appear overly concerned. Though perhaps he’d impressed him, because he stopped his pretense. From inside his doublet he withdrew a roll of parchment. Even from a few feet away, Lachlan recognized the royal seal. He stilled, knowing what it was: Argyll held John’s freedom in his hands.

  “I have a writ ordering the release of your brother. After the ceremony, it is yours.”

  Lachlan felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted from him. “And the rest of our bargain?”

  “That will take awhile longer. The king must be assured of your cooperation before he decides on the disposition of your castle.”

  He’d been patient long enough. Nor was he confident in the king’s justice. Once he and Flora were wed, he would seek Rory’s help—in the form of fighting men—to recover his castle. Argyll could smooth things over with the king…later.

  Argyll was watching him, a calculated gleam in his eye. “I must say you’ve impressed me, Coll. I didn’t think you could do it.”

  Flora heard her cousin’s voice, and something made her stop outside the door without alerting them of her presence.

  “My little cousin has been resistant to any man I’ve brought before her, but you managed to persuade her. How did you do it?”

  “It’s none of your damn business,” Lachlan replied. “I did it. Without force. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Does she know of our bargain?”

  Bargain? Flora froze.

  “Of course not. But she will, as soon as my brother is safe.”

  “Are you sure that is wise? Flora will resent being manipulated; perhaps it would be better if you kept the details of our arrangement to yourself.”

  Blood drained from her face, and her heart faltered.

  “She loves me. She’ll understand.”

  Her cousin laughed. “You have an overabundance of confidence. I hope it serves you well—you’ll need it.”

  Hearing the sound of a chair scooting back and steps moving toward the door, Flora slipped around the corner out of sight just as her cousin left the room.

  She couldn’t breathe. Her chest constricted, and her breath strangled in her throat. Taking large gulps of air, she forced herself to stay calm. There had to be an explanation for what she’d just heard. Please let there be an explanation.

  Her hands were shaking as she slipped the folded piece of parchment she’d so summarily dismissed into the folds of her skirt. There has to be an explanation, she repeated, though it lacked conviction. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the door and closed it firmly behind her.

  “Flora, what—”

  He must have seen her face, because he stopped mid-sentence. She drank in the sight of him, wanting to hold on to what she knew. The rugged lines of his handsome face, the hard-muscled body, the dazzling blue eyes, the soft wave of his dark hair—so powerful and unabashedly masculine. He was dressed for the ceremony, she realized with a pang. Wearing a fresh linen shirt and a plaid belted at his waist and secured at his shoulder with his chieftain’s brooch. A jewel-encrusted dagger that she’d never seen before hung at his side. Her chest squeezed just looking at him.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked uneasily.

  “What were you talking about with my cousin?” He looked at her blankly. “What bargain did you make with him?”

  His eyes shot to hers. “You heard,” he said flatly.

  “Tell me what I heard was wrong. Tell me our marriage has nothing to do with this bargain. Tell me you did not plan this with Argyll.”

  He met her gaze unflinchingly.

  Say something. Deny it! her heart cried. But he didn’t say a word, not one single word.

  Emotion balled in her throat. “What have you done?” He took a step toward her, but she jerked away. “I don’t need your comfort, I need the truth.”

  He swore and then dragged his fingers through his hair. “Hell, Flora, it’s not what you think. Don’t jump to conclusions before you hear me out.”

  “Then tell me. Explain to me what I heard was wrong.”

  “You only heard part of it. The least important part. Argyll has nothing to do with how I feel about you.” He searched her face, hoping for any sign of yielding, but she looked as hard as ice. “A few months ago, the king ordered me to Edinburgh to appear before the Privy Council. I knew that as soon as I left Breacachadh, Hector would attempt to take the castle, so I sent my brother to court in my stead.” His jaw hardened. “But instead of hearing the merits of the case, the king had John tossed in prison to try to force me to accede to the will of the Privy Council.”

  That stopped her. “But you said that John was—” She stopped herself. Another lie. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I thought you would ask too many questions, questions I wasn’t ready to answer. I figured you would realize that because of our bond of manrent I would go to your cousin for help.”

  “Which you apparently did.”

  He nodded. “I sought his influence with the king to release my brother. I happened to be there when word of your elopement with Lord Murray arrived. As you can imagine, he was furious. He agreed to help free my brother and use his influence in getting my castle back if I put a stop to the elopement and convinced you to marry me instead.”

  His words spun in her head. She felt dizzy, trying to sort through the damning words of his betrayal. “So I was a bargaining chip. You and my cousin planned all of this from the start. The kidnapping, the wooing, everything.” Her chest squeezed. “Why didn’t you just force me? It would have been easier than going through this whole charade.”

  He gave her a stark look as if he couldn’t believe she would think that of him.

  “Argyll knew Rory would never force you to wed. And your cousin cares for you; he did not want to see you hurt.”

  “Cares for me? Surely you jest. Neither of you thought of me at all. I was just a means to an end. Argyll wanted to get rid of me, and you wanted his influence. I’m sure a rich wife only sweetened the pot.”

  He’d never wanted me. It wasn’t what she thought…it was worse. She’d been bartered and sold like a prized heifer. Flora felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest and everything that she thought was good and beautiful had been twisted into something black and ugly.

  She didn’t want to believe it. How could she have been such a fool? How could she have forgotten the one truth that had defined her life since the day she was born—she would always be seen as a prize. Always.

  His eyes narrowed, and she could see the muscle in his jaw start to tic. “You’ve got it all wrong. The bargain with your cousin has nothing to do with the way I feel about you. It might have started out as a means to free my brother and help my clan, but I fell in love with you along the way.”

  “Isn’t that convenient? Of course you’d say that, your plan was to make me fall in love with you.” He took a step toward her, but again she flinched away. She didn’t want to listen to anything he had to say. Just looking at him hurt. The hard square jaw, the wide mouth, the gorgeous blue eyes that had once held the promise of a future set in the darkly handsome face. “My cousin chose well.” Too well. How easily she’d succumbed to his rugged masculinity. Flora felt her heart shatter at her feet like a dropped pane of glass. “God, how could you lie to me like that? How could you be so cruel?”

  His face darkened. “I didn’t lie.”

  “You didn’t tell me the truth, it’s the same thing.”

  “I told you everything that matters. My feelings for you are the truth; the bargai