Highland Vengeance (21 page)

As if the Lord answered Broderick’s
personal plea, the warrior witnessed Camden being dumped onto the
dirt below the cliff. He watched as the MacKay men rode away from
the body and everyone held their breath while they waited for any
movement from Laird Sinclair. Instantly, Camden began to struggle
getting the ropes off his hands and he used his strength to stand
up. Relief flooded through the Sinclair warriors as they realized
their laird was alive and each one raced to help free
Camden.

“
M’laird, are you well?”
Stephan yelled, as he got closer.

Camden looked up to see his men riding
towards him and he was grateful that help was close by. He noticed
Broderick wearing his own family’s colors and Laird Sinclair was
proud of the command that his friend had taken.

“
I am so sorry m’laird. It
is all my fault. I should not have listened to Lady Sinclair but it
is hard to argue with her,” Liam said with sorrow.

“
Hell, I should have known
this was her idea,” Camden swore.

“
It made sense to us laird
and Lady Sinclair said it is what you would have done. She made us
go to the Sinclair holding first to save your people before coming
here,” Keith explained.

Camden smiled for the first time since
he had been taken captive.

“
She is right, I would have
done the same thing.”

“
And then she thought to
trade Lorna’s life for yours, m’laird,” Keith added.

“
My wife does not know
Malcolm and he could care less about his sister’s life. Why did she
go in there unarmed? What the hell was she thinking?”

It was Broderick that first questioned
Camden as to where Olivia was.

“
Where is Lady Sinclair? Is
she safe m’laird?”

“
The daft woman has given
herself freely to the bastard MacKay,” Camden snapped.

Broderick growled. “Damn
it!”

“
Malcolm wanted me to trade
my wife for the Sinclair clan and the new warriors,” the laird said
with outrage.

“
But doesn’t she know you
would never do so m’laird?” Calum asked.

“
She never gave me the
chance, in fact, my wife said she wanted to stay there and then
told me the Sinclairs would never accept me back as their
laird.”

“
Lady Sinclair lied to you
then m’laird, she knew your clan has already accepted you and her
as well,” Keith added.

“
I knew Olivia was not
telling the truth. My wife is up to something and whatever her plan
is, I hope to hell it works because watching that filthy bastard
touch her is almost too much to bare. Are the Sinclairs safe then?”
Camden asked.

“
Yes m’laird. Your holding
is being restored to order.”

“
How many men are here and
prepared to fight?”

“
All of the Kincaid men and
most of the Sutherlands, Drummonds and Macleod men. Laird
Sutherland stayed at your holding with some of his men to protect
the Sinclair women,” answered Broderick.

“
And your sister,” Liam
added with a smile.

Camden thought the warrior must have
been confused with his comment until Stephan explained
further.

“
Maggie is alive and
recovering at the Sinclair holding. She did lose the babe but the
midwife saved her and I brought her home.”

Laird Sinclair was too astonished to
think clearly and he stared at his men in disbelief.

“
I must say, your wife and
sister are quite fond of each other, m’laird,” Liam
smiled.

The warriors watched their laird
process the information that he had just learned. Camden was
immediately grateful to God for saving the life of his sister and
he felt greedy but asked his Maker to save Olivia as
well.

The Highland laird turned to Broderick
and the men began to plan their attack on the MacKay holding. He
knew they would outnumber the MacKay soldiers easily but the filthy
men were prepared and waiting for the attack. Camden wished they
had the element of surprise on their side but Malcolm would expect
him to come back for retaliation and to save his wife.

Laird Sinclair followed his men to
where the rest of the clansmen had remained hidden. Camden called
the leaders together and gave them as much information about the
MacKay holding as possible. He had been silently observing their
fortress and all that went on there. The warrior drew a diagram in
the dirty snow to show the others where the MacKay soldiers were
posted keeping watch. Camden knew the battle would not be very
difficult to win but he worried what Malcolm would do to Olivia
when the castle came under attack. The laird prayed to God that his
warrior wife could hold her own against the criminal that kept her
hostage until he could reach her.

The lairds discussed their strategy and
it was clear what the clans would do. Broderick, Laird Drummond and
Laird Macleod would lead the men to fight the MacKay soldiers,
leaving no man alive. Camden and his four remaining warriors were
to find Olivia and keep her safe. Before they departed, Laird
Drummond addressed Camden about their plans.

“
Laird Sinclair, I want to
make sure that you and your men are capable of saving your wife. I
have come to admire the woman greatly and if you are too weak for
battle I will go in your place.”

Camden was furious at first for having
his strength questioned but then he realized that Olivia must have
charmed the other Highland lairds as she had done him.

“
I am more than capable of
saving my wife, Laird Drummond but thank you for your
concern.”

“
Take care of that rare
treasure Laird Sinclair. There are not many women like her around,”
Laird Drummond smiled.

“
I believe there is no other
woman like her at all,” Camden replied with a grin.

The Highland lairds nodded to each
other and Camden’s chest swelled with pride for his wife. Olivia
was truly unique, with spirit and fire unlike any other and now
Laird Sinclair desperately needed to be with her. The warriors
parted ways and the commands were spread through the clansmen
quickly as they prepared to take the MacKay holding under siege.
Camden and his four guards left into the forested area to find a
secret entrance into the castle through a system of caves. He had
been brought through the tunnel after he had been taken captive and
the laird had memorized his surroundings to find the cavern again.
As they searched the hills for the hidden cave, Camden questioned
his men about Laird Drummonds reasons for caring about
Olivia.

“
M’laird, I wish you could
have seen her stand up to Laird Drummond. Your wife is a courageous
lass, for certain,” Liam explained.

“
It is true, and we were
proud to have her lead us into battle,” Calum pointed
out.

“
Lady Sinclair was amazing
in combat, m’laird. She killed Lorna with your blade,” Keith
praised.

“
I must admit that I
underestimated my wife and her skills again,” Camden
admitted.

“
We all did,” Stephan
agreed.

“
Liam, how did my wife’s
face become bruised?”

“
It was Ian m’laird. The
bastard attacked her after you were taken captive but Broderick
saved Lady Sinclair and she put an arrow through Ian’s
head.”

Camden pictured his beautiful wife in
the hands of Ian and the laird was instantly jealous that it was
Olivia’s arrow and not his arrow that pierced the filthy man. Laird
Sinclair was angry with himself for foolishly trusting Ian, he
should have known better. He silently prayed again that Olivia
would be safe until he reached her.

“
I am grateful the dirty
traitor is dead, for he can no longer harm your sister either
m’laird,” Stephan added.

“
My sister,” Camden smiled,
“it is still hard to believe she is alive.”

Stephan continued to think of Maggie
and how sickly the woman looked when he went to the isles to
recover her body. Camden’s sister was on the verge of death but the
warrior gently cradled the woman in his arms while he rode back to
the Sinclair holding. Stephan had feelings for the gentle woman and
he vowed to never let another man harm her again.

While the men entered the secret cavern
in the woods, hundreds of men in all different colored plaids
descended on the deteriorating castle. A rain of arrows began
falling from the MacKay soldiers as they watched the walls their
fortress being attacked. The men quickly realized the rumors were
true as they saw several clans fighting together, united as one, to
battle against them. The MacKay men posted outside the walls of the
holding were slain first and their fellow soldiers retreated to the
castle knowing they were severely outnumbered.

The four united clans made their way
into the holding anyway they could. Some were scaling the walls
with ropes and others had brought down the weakened drawbridge to
make their entrance. Inside the inner courtyard, each man fought
hard with one another and it seemed as though the some of the
clansmen gained strength from another source other than themselves.
Broderick noticed that Laird Macleod had been stuck through with an
arrow and the younger warrior ran to his aide.

“
Leave me ya fool, lead your
men and kill the bastard MacKay,” Laird Macleod yelled.

Broderick did as the older laird
instructed and used his blade to fight soldier after soldier that
attacked him. Every corner of the holding had men fighting one
another and the MacKay men were quickly losing. Even the traps that
Malcolm’s men had set were failing as the brave warriors battled
on. Broderick was proud to watch the Kincaid men that Camden had
trained, fight with strength and valor. He had seen these unruly
men transformed from weak individuals to a united group of brothers
that wore his family’s plaid.

Malcolm fled to his chamber after
hearing the attack on his holding and the wicked man knew his worst
nightmare was coming true. The other clans had joined Laird
Sinclair in the battle. Malcolm knew the MacKay soldiers would be
equal in fighting the newly trained men that Camden brought but
with other clans there, his men would be greatly outnumbered. No
matter how many traps were set or soldiers he had, Malcolm knew
there was no way to win this battle.

The sinister MacKay Laird only thought
of the English beauty that waited in his chamber. He feared she
would be angered at Malcolm’s loss of power and he hoped the feisty
woman still wanted him. He entered his chamber to find Olivia
watching out a window that was covered with an animal hide. Malcolm
thought the woman looked weaker and much gentler than she had
before. He wondered what she was thinking and if he had time to bed
the beauty before he escaped the castle.

Olivia felt Malcolm’s presence and she
knew the man was staring at her from behind. The countess loathed
this man and all he had done to harm Camden. She had been watching
the men battle from the small window and her body became excited,
as the MacKay men were easily defeated. Olivia knew that the last
chore to be taken care of was Malcolm. She was prepared to let the
man get close to her knowing she would have to endure his vile
breath. The warrior woman just needed him distracted for a moment
while she retrieved the small dirk from her knee-high
boot.

When she had been taken captive, the
men foolishly did not check her further for weapons and the dagger
was safely hidden from view. Olivia turned to face Malcolm and she
was instantly dizzy when the room starting spinning around her. The
brave woman tried hard to fight the cloudy blackness that began
closing in around her and she stumbled for something to hold on
too. Olivia heard whispering in her ear and then she relaxed into
his arms knowing Camden was there to save her.

Malcolm held the beauty that had
fainted in his arms and he wondered what was wrong with the
enchanting woman. Laird MacKay heard the soldiers fighting closer
to his chamber and the sinister man knew there was not much time
before they would find him. Malcolm threw Olivia over his shoulder
and bolted quickly from the room. He made his way to the chapel
inside the holding and then used a series of secret passages in the
walls to make his escape.

The man was fast on his feet and
Malcolm only came across two soldiers that looked as if they wore
the Sutherland plaid. The MacKay laird knocked one man out cold and
ran his sword through the belly of the other. Malcolm carried the
very treasure he desired with him and the villain would not let
anyone stop him from having her. When Malcolm made his escape from
the tunnel, it was already becoming dark as the night crept closer.
He was far into the wooded forest and the winter air was getting
colder. Malcolm moved quickly to separate himself further from the
holding knowing that none of his men would survive the brutal
assault on his home. The wicked laird did not care much about them,
for they were a lost cause and he only cared about the woman on his
shoulder.

Olivia started to moan as the burning
fire in her side throbbed with pain. She assumed she passed out
because the last thing she remembered was falling into Camden’s
arms. Her body trembled and her head spun but Olivia tried to
gather her strength to stop Camden from walking. With each step he
took, the countess felt as though her side was tearing apart. She
soon felt herself being laid on the ground and Olivia grasped to
keep Camden’s heat close to her.