Page 76 of Wedded to the Devilish Highlander
“Aye, but I’m nae so foolish as to start a war over a woman.”
“Ye willnae give her up to him, will ye?”
Archer shrugged, and his lips turned downward. “Nay, I willnae let her go to him. I cannae do that to her. She deserves better.”
“Aye, she does,” Calum agreed. “So, what’s our next move?”
“We have time,” Archer said. “O’Gunn willnae expect an immediate reply. I want to talk with Mack afore we plan our next move. Until then, we do everything we can to get Reid away and talkin’. If O’Gunn wants to start a war over a woman, we can let the clans around ken about him kidnappin’ an innocent man. We’ll also let them ken that Reid escaped and took down multiple men in the process. It makes O’Gunn look weak, and he willnae like that.”
“Nay, nae one bit,” Calum murmured. “His allies willnae see him as strong, and his enemies will see him as weak, and that’s a lethal combination.”
“All right, let’s have a chat with Mack and do what needs to be done.”
Archer stood in the woods to the west of the castle. Through the trees, the grey castle wall stood tall and mighty, pocked with few windows. In times of war, the trees provided good cover to those besieging the castle. His great-great-grandfather had the foresight to leave the walls smooth, with only a few small windows for archers to rain arrows down into the trees.
On that afternoon, it provided shelter from wandering eyes. Archer stood with his hands behind his back, head up, spine straight, waiting. He needed to get to the bottom of their troubles and quash them before they grew further. Mack was not honorable, but perhaps he would have a morsel of honor at the end of his life.
The crack of a branch caused Archer to whirl around. Calum emerged into the clearing first, followed by Mack, flanked by two guards.
Mack was well-dressed, clean, and had not been roughly handled, but the way he walked and held himself made it look like he’d been holed up in the dungeons for weeks or months.
“Please, Me Laird,” he begged immediately. “I dinnae ken what’s goin’ on. There’s been some sort of misunderstandin’. I havenae done anythin’.”
Archer looked at the rope around the man’s wrists. “Cut him free.”
“Thank ye, Me Laird,” Mack said.
“Me Laird?” Calum asked.
“I’ll talk to him,” Archer grunted.
Calum turned to the two guards and nodded. One held Mack while the other took out a dagger and cut through the rope. Mack rubbed his wrists as if he were a long-term prisoner.
“Step forward, Mack,” Archer barked.
Mack looked at the two guards and then around the clearing at the surrounding trees. He stepped forward into the middle of the clearing to face Archer.
“Me Laird, if ye allow me a moment, I can explain whatever it is ye think I did,” he blurted.
“That’s all I want,” Archer said. “The sooner we can clear up this nasty business, the better. Three of our men are dead, at least two of them innocent.”
“Aye, a tragedy, Me Laird. If there’s anythin’ I can do to?—”
“It’s a good thing we have Reid Kilmartin safely back in the castle,” Archer interrupted. “He killed a few of O’Gunn’s men as he escaped.”
Mack’s composure faltered for a split second, his tight mouth curling into a scowl and the color draining from his cheeks. But then he schooled his features into calm, his hands twitching.
“That’s braw news, Me Laird,” he said. “Many of us thought him lost forever. How can we use this to our advantage?”
“How much coin does he give ye?” Archer asked.
“Me Laird?” Mack sputtered.
“Dinnae play dumb, Mack. We’re way past that,” Archer spat. “I can see it written all over yer face—ye’re guilty as hell, and yer hands are covered in blood. I have a first-hand account of ye smugglin’ weapons. Ye took swords from the smithy and smuggled them to O’Gunn. I dinnae care how much coin ye got from him; there’s nay price high enough. I only hope it was worth it.”
“Me Laird,” Mack begged, “I didnae?—”
Archer drew his dirk quicker than a bird taking flight when chased by a Scottish wildcat. He grabbed the man by the collar, slammed him into a tree, and pressed the blade to his neck.
