Maggie sighed in relief, hoping no one else noticed her.
But an instant after that thought finished in her mind, she saw another thief inching toward Braden’s unguarded back. The thief’s sword raised to strike.
Panic swelled inside her. Braden was so occupied with the man before him, he didn’t even notice the one at his back.
Her only thought to save Braden, Maggie scrambled from the bushes. She grabbed a large, leafy limb from the ground, and used it to whack the thief against his back.
The leaves smacked his spine, neck and head, but didn’t do anything other than make the big man angry. He whirled on her with a vicious curse.
Too late, she realized her attack hadn’t been very well planned or executed.
Awkwardly, she held the limb before her as she struggled to protect herself. The thief laughed cruelly as he whacked the leaves and wood almost playfully with his sword. “Nice sword.”
His taunt irritated her and she wished she had a better weapon. But one used whatever one had. “Mother of saints preserve me!” She bashed him in the head with the limb.
He staggered for only an instant, then his face darkened in rage. “You’ll die for that.”
“The devil you say,” Braden growled as he grabbed the thief and spun him about to face him.
Braden sent him spiraling to the ground with one backhanded blow. She barely had time to thank him before another man attacked.
Maggie watched in awe as the brothers made short work of the robbers without actually killing any of them. But there were wounds aplenty and many a swollen noggin as the thieves fell like rotten apples on the ground, then lay moaning and holding their bruised limbs and aching heads.
Maggie still clutched her limb, too afraid to let it go until the thieves were gone.
Braden cornered the leader against the yew tree, and held his sword just below the man’s chin. His hand steady, Braden’s fierce look would have quelled the devil himself and it sent a raw shiver over Maggie. “Now then, friend, do I have to kill you, or will you go on about your business and leave us in peace?”
Sin clucked his tongue as he glanced longingly at the men on the ground around him. “Oh come now, can’t I please kill one of them? How about the large one with only three teeth, or maybe the short one here with bad breath?”
Braden gave a mocking, half laugh at Sin’s pleading tone, but his eyes never left the thief before him. “Should I let him have his fun?”
The leader shook his head. “Nay, we’ll be going if it’s all the same to you.”
Braden took a step back and lowered his sword.
With a speed that amazed her, the highwaymen gathered themselves and vanished into the trees.
Maggie was shaking so badly she could barely stand. That had been just a little too close for her liking. Never had she experienced such an event.
Mo chreach, what would she have done had Braden and Sin not been with her?
Truly, it didn’t bear thinking on.
Even worse was the thought of what might have happened to her had the thieves come upon her the first time she’d made this journey alone, dressed as a woman.
Her stomach shrank three sizes, and a wave of panic whipped through her. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget this terrible feeling inside her, or the uncaring look on the leader’s face when he had first stopped them.
They would have killed them all without a moment’s concern…
Maggie took a minute to thank the Lord and his saints for their mercy and pray that she never again experienced such a thing.
“Are you all right?” Braden asked as he pried the limb loose from her hands, then tossed it aside.
“Thank you,” she breathed weakly. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He held her shaking hand in his own.
Heaven, the man was handsome. And in his hazel eyes, she saw the concern and care, and in her heart, it soothed and warmed her greatly.
