Page 41 of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar

Her husband ignored her. “Kane?” he asked Jamie. “Do ye think that he was capable of something like this?”

“No.” Jamie shook his head emphatically. “He may not have liked ye in the beginning, but he respects ye now. I think he realizes that he would not be ready to take over, and he respects Duncan’s line. He wouldna do anything to hurt Cora.”

“Jamie, surely this can wait until morning,” Cora tried again.

“Someone else, then. I have not won over all of the MacKays just yet.”

Jamie shook his head. “There might be some discontent among them, but no one hates ye enough to go after Cora.”

“Stop!” Cora shouted as she jumped up. “Am I invisible here or am I mistress of this keep? Jamie, leave us. You can return in two hours.”

Both men gaped at her, and she took a deep breath and pointed to the bed. “You will lay back down or I will tie you down. I am asking for nothing more than two hours for you to rest and ensure that the wound is not worse than we think. Please.”

“Cora,” Alec started.

“Jamie, could you please get me some rope,” she interrupted pleasantly, “and perhaps a couple of men to help me? Even wounded, I think he could overpower me.”

Jamie grinned. “I think we could do that.”

“Enough,” Alec growled. “Look, I am getting in the bed. Two hours though, and then I will make a statement at dinner. Jamie, leave us.”

Unable to breathe easy until Alec was in the bed, she waited until Jamie was gone and hurriedly closed the door behind him. When her husband was settled in the bed, she nearly lost it as she checked the bandage on his arm. “You are still bleeding, so I will need to change this soon, and we will have to monitor you for fever. Your healer is excellent. I could not have sewn you up better myself.”

“Cora.” His voice was soft and caressed her, and she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face. Nestled against the pillows, he reached out and pulled her against him. “Doona cry, my sweet. I wilnae let anyone hurt ye.”

Hurt her. He didn’t even seem to fathom the idea that this might be because of her. “Alec,” she whispered. “Alec, I don’t think the person was trying to kill me.”

“Ye are right. I could have been the target,” he acknowledged. “But ’tis more likely ye. Take ye out, and I lose my hold on the clan. Someone like Innes could claim it without having to murder a laird.”

She wanted to tell him the truth. She needed to tell him. Innes didn’t just want the MacKay clan. He wanted her, and he was not above murdering to get to her. If he killed Alec, then he would be free to marry her.

But Lana. God help her, but what would Innes do to Lana? How could Alec protect her? She was too far away. Too vulnerable, and Innes already had people watching her. Ready to take her away at a moment’s notice.

“Promise me that you will be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” she whispered as she laid her head down on his chest. “You are more to me than the man I was being forced to marry. Do you understand?”

Stroking her hair, he hushed her. “I am here, Cora. I am not going to leave ye.”

No, he was not, and she was not going to let Innes take him away from her. Maybe it was time to see just how much highlander was in her blood.

Because he suspected that she would somehow know, Alec waited in bed for two hours even though she was asleep before he slipped out. It had shaken him. Not just the arrows but the fact that she had been so terrified for him.

Him. She’d done nothing but try to escape him, but she’d gone after him because she was scared. She could have walked right into the path of a killer, but she didn’t want to lose him.

He couldn’t let this happen again.

The dining hall was packed more than usual that night. Some, he suspected, wanted to see if he would show up, but others were waiting for his orders. There was nothing but respect in that hall. Cora belonged to them now, and they recognized that. They would protect her.

Silence fell as he walked in. Taking his spot at the head of the table, he waited a beat before he grinned. “Sorry to break it to ye, but ye cannae get rid of me that easily.”

Laughter rippled through the hall. “As many of ye heard, there was an attack today. Whether that attack was against me or my wife remains to be seen, but I trust that everyone here will do their part to protect yer mistress.”

Kane stood and nodded his head. “She is the daughter of Duncan. We will give our lives for her, and for ye, our laird.”

It was the first time that Kane had publicly acknowledged his fealty. Slowly, the MacKay men stood and all bowed their heads, each echoing his sentiments.

Cora may have felt like she no longer had her English family, but she had a Scottish one. He wished she was here for this, to see that she was loved.

“If Innes Campbell is behind this, then I want proof. From here forward, Innes Campbell isnae an ally. He is the enemy.”