Page 19 of The Laird's Dark Obsession

A sigh escaped her as guilt panged in her chest.

After Hunter flipped the man onto his back, two more approached. Her eyes went wide for a moment, but Hunter was in full control. He slid out of the path of their lunges before sweeping a leg to knock one on his arse as he turned and locked arms with the other.

While locked in stance with his sparring partner, Hunter’s eyes flickered to her. She felt heat creeping onto her cheeks. Something about it was embarrassing, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why at that moment. Again and again, he defeated his opponents as they approached in waves of attacks; some on their own, some in pairs. He was a one-man army—no longer the awkward but serious young boy she had fallen for in her youth.

Her gaze had fallen to his chest and arms at some point, marveling at how well-formed he had become in manhood. It was only then that she realized what was so embarrassing.

Kira was aroused by watching him fight. The feeling was unfamiliar but not totally foreign to her, especially when it came to Hunter. But it was shocking, nonetheless. She would have thought seeing him so violent and well-trained because of his pain would sadden her.

He was all skill, all precision, all strength as he knocked down man after man. The only hits he seemed to take were strategic so that he could get close enough to the opponent to pull him in and land a devastating blow.

It was beautiful, like an art form all on its own. And it was that skill, that passion, that made it so provocative to her. Her pulse thumped uncomfortably in her veins and her core ached as she watched him, unable to take her eyes off him. Occasionally, their eyes would meet, and the flames of desire within her were fanned.

Then, a lightning bolt ripped through all the admiration and arousal. An idea, dangerous and sinful, came to her. Was it possible that all of Hunter’s close encounters and his permission for her to watch him right then were because she affected him the same way? She had assumed because of his obvious hatred, that it had all been taunting.

But if she did affect him in such an intimate way, perhaps she could try a new method to convince him to let her go. Or at least give her enough space, because she wasn’t sure she ever wanted him to let her go….

8

The next afternoon, Hunter had snapped at Edine for just appearing at his door that yes, Kira could have one more supervised hour that day. Edine hadn’t responded but merely slunk away. He wasn’t in the mood to hear his sister rattle on and on about Kira right then, he was still tangled up in all of his confusing emotions over her.

The most forefront one, since yesterday, was irritation. He couldn’t believe that she hadn’t said more about the necklace, nor did she thank him. Could she even wrap her head around all the hours he had spent going over every square inch of those fields to find that bloody necklace? She hadn’t even asked why he had still taken the care to find it.

Though, it wasn’t like he himself had an answer to that. All those days he found himself weighed down by grief and anger, he would wander the fields to look for it, just to have something to do while his body recovered from the endless training. Even in those moments when he was combing through patches of grass, he would ask himself why bother, why not go for a walk and give up on it? There were even days he told himself he was only finding it so that when he did, he could toss it into the river so that it would never be found again.

And yet, he had found it. And when he had held it in his hand, all he could do was see her. Those blue eyes that held adoration and sweetness, a smile that felt only for him, it was all there when he held that necklace.Shewas there.

Upon receiving it after all those years, however, all she did was make a smart remark. His lip curled at the memory. That sharp tongue of hers… Hunter hated to admit it, but it only deepened his attraction. She was beautiful and quickwitted too. Even her anger was delicious to him, because it wasfor him, only him.

A quick knock on his door came just as he poured himself a whisky. Thankfully, it was Calum instead of Edine that time. He poured his Captain a drink as well and motioned for him to sit. Hunter wasn’t typically one to invite company, but he needed out of his own head right then before he marched to Kira’s room and demanded her thanks.

Shockingly, Calum picked up the glass and knocked back the amber liquid in one gulp. It signaled that whatever he had to tell Hunter, he wasn’t going to like it. Calum sat the glass down and looked at him with a grave expression.

“Word has come from one of our spies at Barclay.”

Hunter’s brow creased. Barclay? They were waiting on a response from Fairbairn—which admittedly, was taking longer than he had anticipated.

“It seems Fairbairn has chosen nae to interfere. He’s nae coming for Kira. Though he alerted Barclay of who has her. It’s Barclay that’s gathering his men for an attack.”

Hunter slammed his hands against the table and let out a curse. “That bloody monster,” he muttered.

Fairbairn was the most wretched man alive to Hunter, but he had truly never anticipated him being unwilling to come for his one and only daughter.

Come to Galbraith Keep so we can finally settle our score. If nae, Kira will pay with her blood before the next moon.

Those had been his words to Fairbairn and he had spent a long time planning that letter, word for word. It had his request, the punishment if he did not follow through with it, and a deadline.

It didn’t make sense to Hunter. Kira had seemed to be Fairbairn’s everything as they were growing up. When she wasn’t in the room, she was all he would talk about; her beauty, how lucky he felt to have a daughter as capable as she to marry into the Galbraith clan, and that he hoped his grandchildren looked like her since she favored her mother. When Kira was around, he clung to her like she was still a bairn.

And yet, he hadn’t come for her? Kira was meant to be the perfect bait to lure Fairbairn to him. Instead, he told Barclay.Why?To act for him? That didn’t feel right, as the Fairbairn Clanwas vast and powerful. He had more than enough men to handle such an encounter.

He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away. Right now, it didn’t matter why Fairbairn wasn’t coming—what mattered was Barclaywas. And he assumed he wasn’t coming to fight with Hunter one-on-one like Hunter wanted with Fairbairn but to storm the castle and take Kira back by force.

“Ye have to send her back, Hunter,” Calum said gently. “Keeping her only invites bloodshed. And our men will never rally to fight over her.”

Hunter rubbed his face and rested his elbows atop the desk. “We cannae simply release her. That will signal weakness. We cannae show that we are fearful of a clan as ridiculous as Barclay.”

“I’d rather us look weak for a passing moment than lose more than we already have over this lass,” Calum snapped.