She sucked in a breath. “I know you’re angry with me and you have every right to be. I came to apologize. For taking your boat. For not telling you what I planned.” She met his gaze steadily. She had the most mesmerizing eyes. Hazel flecked with green, so deep he felt like he could fall into them.
He said nothing for a long time as he studied her. At last, he spoke. “Fiona warned me, ye know, but I wouldnae listen. I ignored my training, ignored every tenet that I live by, ignored it all because I fell for the sob story ye gave me.” He couldn’t stop the anger that throbbed in his words. “Was any of it true?”
Molly flinched at the venom in his voice, but she stood her ground. “Yes,” she said. “I did get lost. I did think theMermaidwas my boat at first, I didn’t lie about any of that.” Her eyes were steady and her voice rang true.
“I dinna know what to make of ye, lass,” he said. “Ye frustrate me to no end, but...” he trailed off, unable to finish his thought.But ye make me feel alive.“What about losing yer memory? Was that true?”
She shook her head. “No, that was a lie. I never lost my memory. I told you that because it was the only way I could think to stop you asking me questions.”
“So ye were deceiving me from the beginning.”
Molly grimaced. “I know it was wrong, but I didn’t think I had any other choice.”
Conall scowled, his jaw clenched. He couldn’t deny the attraction he felt towards her, but the betrayal he felt was equally strong. He had always prided himself on his loyalty and his sense of honor, but now he found himself torn between his duty to his oaths and his growing feelings for the woman in front of him.
A woman who might very well be working for the enemy.
He pointed down the beach. “Look over there. See those men?” Molly turned and looked in the direction he pointed. Two of Lanwick’s warriors were watching them from a discreet distance, hands resting on sword hilts. “And over there?” He pointed in the opposite direction. Two more warriors were standing guard in that direction as well.
Molly’s eyes widened. “Are they following me?”
“Aye, they’re following ye.”
“Why?”
“Because I told them to.” The pain in his arm was increasing and fresh blood was starting to well from the cut. He met her frightened eyes, refusing to be fooled a second time. “Because if ye prove to be a spy, ye willnae leave this beach alive.”
“A spy? I’m not a spy!” she exclaimed, taking a step back.
“Prove it,” he said, his voice cold and hard.
“How? I don’t know what you want from me! I’m not a spy! I’m on your side!”
“Are ye?” Conall asked. “Because it seems to me that ye were perfectly content to leave Lanwick to its fate until it became convenient for ye to play the hero.”
“That’s not true!” Molly protested. “I didn’t want to leave like that, but I had no other choice. I was desperate!”
“Desperate for what?” Conall demanded, his voice rising. “To escape the consequences of yer actions? To save yer own skin?”
“No!” Molly cried, her voice shaking slightly. “To get home!”
“Home? And where is that, exactly?”
Molly turned away. “It’s not important.”
“Not important?” Conall echoed incredulously. “Do ye think I will take ye at yer word after all the lies ye’ve told me? If ye truly want me to believe ye, ye will tell me everything! I want the truth, Molly Anderson. Can ye give me that?”
***
THE TRUTH? CONALL WANTEDthe truth? Yeah, like it was that easy. Like she could let it all come spilling out and expect everything to be all right afterwards.
No. This was no fairytale and things were not going to work out the way she’d hoped.
Molly closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Around her she could smell damp sand and the wood smoke from the fire. She could hear the crash of waves and the call of gulls. She could have been standing on the dock back at home, with theSelkiebobbing gently on the swell in front of her, and a gaggle of excited tourists lined up behind her, ready to board.
Except she wasn’t. The sounds and smells might be the same, but that’s where the similarity ended.
She opened her eyes. Conall was watching her intently. His face was white with pain and the gash in his arm looked red and angry, weeping blood that ran in thin rivulets down his muscled arm. He barely seemed to notice it.
