Noah emerged from the crowd,his expression darkening when he saw Angus. “I lost him in the alleyways,” he admitted to Hector, frustration evident in his tone. “But I see ye’ve caught one of them already.” His eyes narrowed on Angus. “And brought a friend, I see.”
“Take them to the dungeons,”Hector instructed the guards. “I’ll question them personally. Nay one else speaks with them, understood?”
The lead guard nodded respectfully.“Aye, Me Laird.”
“And orderfour men to watch them,” Noah added. “These arenae ordinary thieves.”
As the guardsdragged the men away, Noah fell into step beside Hector and Gabriella. “I’ll see that these arrangements are properly made,” he told Hector. “Then I’ll join ye.”
Hector handedthe merchant whose jugs were damaged a few coins, then led Gabriella away from the market, toward a small stone alcove near the church. The quiet corner offered both privacy and safety, with a clear view of nearby paths.
“Are ye hurt?”he asked, his eyes scanning her for injuries.
Gabriella shook her head,though her hand trembled around the broken handle of the jug. Hector gently pried it from her fingers.
“Ye defended yerself well,”he said, something like pride warming his voice. “Most lasses wouldnae have had the presence of mind to fight back.”
“I learned to survive,”she replied simply, her breathing still uneven from the encounter.
“Tell me more about Lewis,”Hector said, his expression grave. “Everythin’ ye ken about his operation. Where might he be hidin’?”
Gabriella wrappedher arms around herself, fighting the chill that had nothing to do with the Highland air. “He owns a tavern—The Spotted Hare—near Inverness. But he wouldnae go back there. He has a cabin in the woods, about a day’s ride north of here. That’s where he kept us before the hunts.”
“How many mendoes he usually have with him?”
“Two or three,usually. But he has connections with other tavern owners. Men who help him find girls…” She swallowed hard, forcing herself to continue. “Men who want to buy what he’s sellin’.”
Hector’s jaw clenched,rage flashing in his eyes before he schooled his features into calm. “Dinnae worry, lass. Ye’re safe here,” he assured her, though his hand had moved unconsciously to the hilt of his dirk.
Noah rejoined them,his expression grim. “I’ve ordered four men to guard the prisoners,” he reported. “But there’s a problem. One of them refused to be silenced. He was shoutin’ about findin’ the escaped lass before the guards gagged him.”
“The entire village will be talkin’by sundown,” Hector muttered.
“It’s worse than that,”Noah sighed. “I tailed Red Beard long enough to see him meet another man with a horse. He’s likely halfway to Lewis by now.”
Gabriella feltthe blood drain from her face. “He’ll come for me,” she whispered. “He boasted about the money he made from sellin’ us to be hunted. He willnae just let me go.”
“He willnae get near ye,”Hector vowed, his voice hard with determination.
“But he kenswhere I am now,” Gabriella croaked, fear clawing at her throat. “And I-I cannae go back to that. I’d rather die.”
The words escapedbefore she could stop them, but she meant them with every fiber of her being.
Hector turned to Noah,his expression darkening. “She cannae be left alone, even within the castle walls. Nae until Lewis and all his men are rounded up.”
Noah nodded in agreement.
“We need to be vigilant,”Hector barked. “Some of the lairds who participated in these hunts may still help Lewis. They paid good money for their prizes.” His voice hardened with disgust at the last word.
“I’ll doublethe guards at the castle,” Noah responded, his expression sober. “And assign men to guard her.”
Gabriella listenedto them discuss her safety as if she weren’t present, a mixture of gratitude and frustration swirling within her.
WasHector suggesting that she prolong her stay at the castle? Surely, she would be safe once she was on a ship to France. But would she? Lewis had already proven resourceful enough to find her here, in a Highland village, under a laird’s protection. What would stop him from pursuing her across countries if he was determined enough?
Hector’s expressionshifted as he came to a decision. He glanced at Noah, subtly nodding toward the street.
“Check that our horses are ready,”he ordered, his dismissal clear. “We’ll join ye shortly.”
