Page 4 of Brigand

Violet swallowed. “S-she’s not here.”

“Liar.”

“Who?” Heavens, Aunt Hortense could bellow. The air vibratedwith her roar.

“Kaitlin, of course, you old bat.”

Hortense took careful aim and smacked Callum’s leg. “I amnot an old bat you…cad. And Kaitlin isn’t here. She’s in London.”

Violet’s heart plummeted. Oh no! She had gone to great lengthsto hide her friend, to help her escape from a fate truly worse than death. Andnow Callum knew exactly where to find her.

He stiffened. His hold became unbearably tight. Violetstruggled to breathe.

“London? What the hell is she doing in London?”

“Avoiding you.” Violet punctuated her roar with a sharpelbow to Callum’s gut in an attempt to break free. It didn’t work.

But it did make him angry.

“You’ll pay for that,” he snapped and then, ominously, begandragging her into the woods. Callum had never been violent before—but thenViolet had never seen him so enraged. So desperate.

She struggled to break free, dug in her heels, grasped atpassing trees, but to no avail. Kaitlin’s brother was a large man and ratherdetermined. Hortense hobbled after them in a flurry, brandishing her lethalcane, but she was far too slow to catch them.

They came to a clearing where Callum’s horse was tethered toa branch. He tossed her over the horse’s back, up in front of the saddle. Shelanded on her belly. The breath rushed from her in an undignified oof. Still,she wriggled off, landing on her feet. But she lost her balance and tumbled tothe ground.

He didn’t allow her any time to recover, wrenching thecravat from his neck and quickly tying her hands behind her back.

“What are you doing, Callum?”

He lifted her again, this time setting her upright beforethe saddle and leaping up behind her. “I’m taking you with me.”

“What?”

“Oh yes.”

“You can’t do this.”

“I can. And am. I must have my sister back. And she willreturn to Scotland, to me…for you.”

Aunt Hortense burst into the clearing, gasping and wheezing.“Release her, you…brute!” she warbled.

Callum yanked on the reins and sidled up to Aunt Hortense.“You tell Kaitlin,” he barked, “if she ever wants to see Violet alive again,she’d better come home. And soon.”

Then, before Aunt Hortense could so much as whack him withher cane, he wheeled the horse and pounded through the forest, with Violetpinioned helplessly between his arms.

Chapter Two

As the coach rolled to a stop, Ewan McCloud peered out thewindow and frowned at their destination, a dilapidated cottage on the edge oftown. Not what he had expected.

He opened the door and dismounted, shooting a glance atMungo, who sat on the box. “Be ready,” he said.

The note had come from MacAllister, but in this business,one never knew. It paid to be cautious. He checked the load in the pistol onhis hip. And the one strapped to his thigh. And the boxlock flintlock in his pocket.

He readjusted the lapels of his long frock coat and strodeto the door and knocked.

“Who is it?” The thready whisper from inside the cottageirritated him. There was no need for melodrama. Either MacAllister had her orhe didn’t.

“McCloud.”