Page 5 of Claimed By a Savage Scot
“What the hell dae ye think ye’re daein’?” Malcolm yelled at her, furious.
“I’m tryin’ tae help,” she shouted back, stooping to find another rock.
“Then dae as I tell ye and get out of here!” he roared, his anger waning for a moment in the face of her incredible, stupid courage. But when he thought of the danger she was in, it flared back up with fresh heat.
She daesnae trust me tae protect her, he realized, furious.
There was no time to check if she had obeyed him this time because Malcolm noticed his opponent was now scrabbling on the ground for his lost dirk. He found it and snatched it up with a snarl. Malcolm braced himself for a renewed attack, intending to dispatch the man quickly before his comrades heard his bellows of agony and came looking for him.
Maddened by pain and rage, the soldier charged at him again, slashing at him wildly. Malcolm directed his fury with Catriona at his opponent and deftly ducked the barrage of blows. He thrust upwards with his shoulder, blocking the blade’s trajectory, ramming into the man and knocking him backwards to the ground. Malcolm was on him in a moment, grabbing a handful of hair, and yanking back his head to expose his throat. With a quick slash of his dirk, he finished him off.
Panting, Malcolm threw the corpse to the ground and squatted next to it, extracting his dirk from its throat. Heedless of the fountain of crimson which spattered his boots and trews, he used the dead man’s coat to clean his blade before rising. The kill had done nothing to quell his anger with Catriona. It bubbled hotly in his belly while he rose to his feet, stuck the blade into his belt with his own.
Figuring it would buy them a little more time, he dragged the body into the concealing bushes and kicked dirt over the pooling blood. That done, he scanned the immediate vicinity for any other enemy soldiers and was glad to see none.
But that could change anytime, so we’d best get movin’.
He turned to Catriona, intending to give her a piece of his mind. But he pulled up short in surprise to find her standing beside him. She looked down at the corpse then up at him, her face partially hidden beneath her hood. He expected her to be shocked, frightened by the sight of blood and killing. But she showed no sign of it.
Is there somethin’ wrong with her?he wondered.Can she have changed so much from the lass who used tae cry over dead rabbits and nurse birds with broken wings back tae health? What happened tae her?
But he knew what had happened to her. Or rather, who.
That mad bastard Torcall Sinclair.
CHAPTER THREE
His anger fading somewhat at the reminder of her terrible predicament, Malcolm locked eyes with Catriona’s. Strain showed in her pale, dirt-smeared face as well as in her gaze. But he was sure he detected a hint of approval in her look as well, which surprised him.
“Thank ye fer savin’ me.”
Her small and raw voice touched something deep inside him, though he could not have said what exactly. The feeling made him uneasy, so he brushed it aside, along with her words. Determined not to be appeased, he grunted.
“I promised Duncan I’d fetch ye and bring ye back safe, whatever it takes.”
She shot him an odd look, then nodded. “Aye, well, thank ye anyway.”
“Let’s go.”
He quickly checked the way was clear before leading her steadily yet stealthily along the winding pathways, heading for the orchard.
They reached the corner of a hedge bordering a field of cows. Malcolm stopped and dropped into a crouch among the tangled grass and wildflowers. Now, the light of the almost full moon was more visible, as the smoke had cleared.
“Try and keep yer head down, will ye?” he whispered, pulling her down next to him. “If Sinclair’s men spot us, we’re done fer.”
“I’m tryin’ me best,” she murmured, her hand still gripping his tightly as if she would never let go. It mollified him slightly because it suggested that she might trust him a bit after all. Nonetheless, he had not forgotten how she had insulted him by joining in the fight and he did not intend to let her get away with it.
But right now, getting her away safely was the vital thing. “The hedge will give us some cover while we move, but we still havetae be careful. Stick close tae me.”
Without waiting for a response, keeping low and close to the hedge, he began moving them forward, relieved she was following his instructions.
That’s an improvement. But still...
“Ye disobeyed me orders back there. I told ye tae run tae the orchard until I came tae get ye,” he said gruffly, not looking at her. “By daein’ that, ye risked both our livesandme friendship with yer braither. I could have finished that soldier off much quicker if ye hadnae interfered.”
“I was tryin’ tae help ye,” she hissed back indignantly.
“Have ye forgotten Sinclair’s men are searchin’ fer ye? If ye’d obeyed me orders in the first place, we could have been out of here by now,” he countered.
