The Highlander's Curse (4 page)

“Shh,” he hissed. “Just exactly
who are ye trying tae attract? Bears or murderous fiends?”

I opened my lips slightly,
allowing a single finger of his to slip far enough inside. I bit down hard, and
he groaned and ripped his hand away.

“Anyone,” I spat, already bolting
away.

“
Are ye mad, woman?
”

I ran and ran, rushing over small
bushes and under low branches. I made it…about six seconds before he caught me.

“Dinna make me take ye doon lass,
I’m nae afraid tae dae it.”

He held me tighter than he had
before, so hard that I couldn’t make another attempt at escape. Not that I
thought I could anyway. I’d grown exhausted, my body giving out from everything
that had happened today.

“Ye’re coming wi’me, whether ye
like it or no’,” he breathed. “We’ll figure out what tae dae wi’ye in the morn.”
He lifted me over his shoulder once more, hauling me away as I slammed my fists
against his back.

CHAPTER TWO

The big, highland brute sat across from me as a
fire roared in a small pit between us. He watched the flames lick up into the
air, seemingly entranced as they danced around the body of a rabbit he’d
caught in one of his traps. I’d been lost in my own
thoughts as I watched the blaze, but that wasn’t the first time since my
abduction.

After
he’d manhandled me into his tiny camp, I’d been immediately introduced to his
two hounds: Broch and Duff, which now rested at his side. They looked relaxed
enough, but I got the sense they were always watching. Always listening.
Whenever I moved in the slightest, both dogs’ heads whipped up, and their dark,
beady eyes settled on me. I liked dogs, but that was just unnerving.

The
Scotsman was a minimalist. He camped there without the protection of a motor
home or a tent, and as far as I could see, there wasn’t even a sleeping bag or
pillow. So it came to no surprise that I couldn’t see a car anywhere nearby,
which would have come in handy in my attempt to get away from him and find
civilization. Outside of checking my surroundings, I’d spent my time sneakily
checking my cell phone for the time, and to see if I was lucky enough to score
any bars. Still nothing. Even more depressing, I was already down to
half-battery, so I didn’t dare check my phone for a while. I shut it down and
zipped my purse shut again.

We hadn’t
spoken in hours. I hadn’t made any attempt to talk to him, and he seemed more
than comfortable pretending I wasn’t there. I had caught him looking at me
every once in a while, but he quickly glanced away when he saw that I’d
noticed. The man hadn’t smiled once in all the time we’d sat there, keeping
that angry expression on his face. I had no idea what was going through his
mind, and that glower scared me.

I bit
the inside of my cheek and tapped my fingers as I eyed the Scot. The firelight
played over his features, making him appear even darker and bigger. I probably
should say something to him. He had provided a fire which, as promised, had
warmed me and dried my clothes. But he didn’t look happy about it.

“You
know, you really could act like I actually exist, since you went through all
the trouble of dragging and carrying me here.”

His
gaze jumped to mine, but then he looked into the fire without a word.

“Do you
live on your own?” I still couldn’t decide if I was glad no one was in his camp
or not. No telling what sort of people this guy hung out with. The Scot
certainly knew how to pick a good camping spot. The trees and bushes crowded
each other tightly, completely encompassing this area. If he’d aimed for privacy,
he’d definitely nailed the location.

The
Highlander cut off a piece of the rabbit and popped it into his mouth. “Mmm-hmm.”

“How
long?”

He
cocked his jaw to the side, considering. “Two years, maybe. It’s hard tae keep
track o’ time out here, so I only learn what day it is when I must travel tae
town.”

Two
years on his own? Had he spent all that time out here? No.
No way would someone live like this for two whole
years.

“You
don’t even have a cell phone?” I would die without mine.

He
scowled. “What’s a
cell phone
?”

What
the crap? Seriously?
I cleared my throat,
wondering how I got stuck with the only person in the world that didn’t know
what cell phones were. “Nevermind. Is there a town nearby?”

“No’
far. And before ye ask, nae, I dinna ken which town I’ll take ye tae. Since ye
dinna belong tae a clan, ‘tis verra likely ye could be turned out.”

I
blinked and rubbed my hands over my arms despite the warmth that radiated from
the fire. “I have my credit card. I can pay for a room.”

The
Highlander’s eyes narrowed. “Ye speak verra strange, lass. I dare say ye dinna
make any sense a’tall.”

Okay,
so make that stuck with the only person in the world who didn’t know what cell
phones
and
credit cards were. I closed my eyes and let out one long,
slow breath. “I mean that I have money to pay for a room somewhere, so if you
can just point me in the direction of a town, I’ll be on my way. I’ve just got
to get ahold of my dad.”

He
brightened, almost excited. “Ye didnae tell me yer da’ was near. When was the
last time ye saw him?”

“Two
days ago.” I shrugged.

“Where
was he?”

“In
Utah.”

“I
dinna ken where
Utah
is, but I can guarantee it isn’ae anywhere near
here. Are ye sure it’s been only two days since? Ye may be a little…shaken,
aye?”

I
groaned and dropped my head into my hands before peering at him through gaps
between my fingers. “Utah is in America—in the U.S. Of course it’s not near
here.”

“
America
?
Ye mean, the Colonies? Far more than two days then lass, it must hae been
weeks
since ye last saw him, and it’ll be weeks if no’ months before ye could get
word tae him.”

I
opened my mouth to argue, but his expression changed to one of concern as he
knelt forward, rolling his elbows onto his knees.

“Did ye
no’ hae an escort
when ye traveled here? Surely yer da’ didnae allow ye
tae travel all this way wi’out protection?”

“Protection? What the hell time
warp are you stuck in? I wouldn’t have needed any protection if it weren’t for
that creep in the pub, and then waking up in the middle of freakin’ B.F.E.”

The Scot blinked, narrowing his
eyes on me as he seemed to be hung up on some of my words. I felt some small
satisfaction that he was having just as hard of time discerning what I said, as
what I did with his accent.

“What’s B.F.E?”

“Bum Fu…You know, nevermind.” If
he didn’t know, he wasn’t learning it from me. “You missed the point anyway: Nobody
travels with protection, unless you mean people who travel with their parents
or with like the CIA or something. Not that parents offer any real protection
except for having the knack for taking all the fun out of everything.”

“Och, aye. Yer mam and da couldn’ae
possibly hae kept ye from endin’ up here. Is that what yer tellin’ me then?”

Actually, my dad probably could
have. If he’d come to Scotland, then I wouldn’t have even been in that bar.
Probably wouldn’t have met Captain Cloak at all. My face must have betrayed my
thoughts because the Scot gave me a very satisfied smirk.

“Like I said. He couldn’t offer
any real protection except for keeping me locked up in a hotel room.”

“And I take it ye dinna think
that’s protection?”

“No. It isn’t.”

He handed me a chunk of meat he’d
cut from the rabbit. “And yet, if ye’d stayed locked in a room wi’yer mam and
da’ ye’d nae be here wi’me.”

Ooh, damned Scot. I scowled at
him and averted my eyes, instead focusing on the sizzling meat in my hands as I
took a bite. The Highlander had me there, and he knew it.

Game. Set. Match.

“Where
did ye get such ridiculous clothing anyway?”

I
glared at him through the pops and whizzes of the flames as the savory rabbit
meat practically melted on my tongue. Swallowing, I said, “They’re not
ridiculous. If anyone here looks like an idiot, it would be you.” I glanced
over him, taking in the sight of his red and green kilt and bare shins,
weird-looking shoes, and the part of his kilt that he’d thrown over his
shoulder. That strip of cloth had been one of the first things I’d noticed
about him. That, and the fact that it hardly covered the tan, taught skin of
his chest and stomach. “I mean, come on…where’s your shirt?”

He
snorted. “I only wear it if I’m goin’ intae town. Why would I risk ruinin’ a
perfectly good shirt just tae sit alone in the forest?”

“Why do
you live in the forest?”

“Why
dae ye wear such improper clothing?”

“Well,
if you’d help me get back to Oban I could change my clothes.”

“I
canna take ye tae a town or village I’ve ne’er heard o’.”

I shook
my head, barely able to bite my tongue from what I really wanted to say. In the
hours since he grabbed me, I’d listened to the woods around us, and had come to
a very scary conclusion: There was no one around us. I hadn’t heard a single
car pass in all this time. I hadn’t even heard a jet fly overhead, and that was
something I could always hear from anywhere if I listened hard enough.

“Ye’re
cold, lass,” the Scot said suddenly.

I was
cold. Or rather, half of my body was. The front half was warmed by the fire,
but my entire backside was chilled from the night air. Not that I’d tell him.

“I
dinna ken why ye’re bein’ so stubborn. I’ve done nae harm tae ye.”

“Oh?
Tackling me to the ground doesn’t count as harm?”

“Well.”
He shrugged, and I could have sworn an embarrassed flush warmed his face. “Ye
brought that on yerself, lass. Ye’re a feisty wee thing, are ye no’?”

He had
no idea.

“Hae ye
nae cloak then?”

Great,
we were talking about my clothes again. I gestured to myself with my hands. “Does
it look like I have a cloak?”

“Watch
the fire, aye?” He waited for my nod and stood, stepping away from the flames
and disappearing around a tree. I sat there, staring into the fire and then at
the surrounding darkness, wondering just how far I could get if I tried to make
a play for escape. Probably not far, I decided. My best bet was to wait until
he fell asleep. Maybe if I played nice for now, he’d trust me enough to sleep
without keeping one eye on me.

The
Highlander returned a minute later with a bundle of white cloth in his hands,
holding it out for me to take. “Here, maybe this will help tae keep ye warm.”

I took
the proffered item and unwadded it before raising my brows. “Your shirt?”

“Aye.
Be careful wi’it, mind. ‘Tis the only one I’ve tae ma name.”

I stood
and held it out to him. “I think you need this more than I do. Out of the two
of us, I’m the only one actually wearing a shirt.”

He
waved it away. “Nae need. I’ve ma tartan tae keep me warm.” In illustration, he
fanned out the cloth that had been looped over his shoulder and wrapped it more
securely around himself. “Now, put it on before ye freeze tae death.”

I sat
back down on the log and drummed my fingers on my knee. I didn’t want to wear
his shirt. My clothes were perfectly fine. I’d worn this outfit probably twenty
times and not once had anyone had anything negative to say about it. But oh,
get kidnapped and tossed out into the middle of nowhere, and suddenly my
clothes warrant a reaction so negative that I’m forced to cover them up….

Finally,
I yanked on his shirt and cinched closed the wide opening just below the neck,
tying the strings together. I was swimming in the thing, but could immediately
feel the bubble of warmth around me. Biting my lip, I peered across the fire at
him. “Thanks.”

“Ye’re
welcome.” He drew himself closer to the fire and cut off another chunk of meat,
carefully handing it to me.

“So,
uh…should I just call you Scot, or what?”

“Eh?”

“I don’t
even know your name. I guess since you’re Scottish, I could just call you Scot.”

“Och,
aye. O’ course, if that’s how it works then ye’ll be callin’ a fair number o’
us Highlanders ‘Scot’.” He eyed me for a minute before he stepped around the
fire and stopped by my side. Reaching down, he took my right hand in his and
bowed. “Ye can call me Cailen. At yer service, mum.”

I
coughed and quickly chewed the meat that was in my mouth before swallowing. “I’m
umm…” I faked another cough. The last time a Scotsman had asked my name and I’d
given my real one, I’d ended up alone in the empty, rolling fields of Scotland
without any knowledge of where I was or how I’d gotten there. So should I offer
my real name, or a fake one? On one hand, I didn’t trust him. On the other, he
might be the only chance I had to get back to Shannon and any form of
civilization. Then again, I planned to sneak away as soon as he was asleep, so
any knowledge of my real name could only hurt. “I’m Elizabeth,” I answered
finally. It wasn’t a complete lie. There’d be no harm in giving him my middle
name.

Cailen
pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles and released my hand. “‘Tis verra nice tae
meet ye Elizabeth…?” He drew it out, waiting for my last name.

“It’s
nice to meet you too, Cailen…?” Yep, two could play at this game.

A small
smile flickered across the Scot’s face. “Verra well. Ye better eat up lass, we
should be headin’ tae bed if we want a good start in the morn.”

I
nodded, meeting his eyes as he sat once again on the log opposite from me and
took a big bite of meat. I definitely wanted a good start in the morning. Preferably
long before he got his.

****

I laid there for hours,
with my back toward the fire, and toward Cailen. Lost in my own daydreams, I’d
imagined I was camping with my family again, letting the scent of fire lull me
into thoughts of home. I could almost believe it too, with the pine trees
surrounding me, pointing up to the starry sky as their familiar scent lulled
me.