“The little tart was trying to help him escape.”
Rufus came forward with a snarl. “I say we tie her up with him while we write the note.”
“Aye,” Graham agreed. He pulled his belt off and handed it to Sean. “Then after we finish with the note what say we have a bit of fun with her?”
Ewan went cold. “Don’t even think it.”
Graham smiled evilly. “Why not? She’s going to die as soon as we get the money. The only one who’ll ever know we tasted her is you, MacAllister.”
His smile widened as he eyed Ewan with malice. “That bothers you, doesn’t it? The thought of us using her? Aye. You used our sister and cast her off. The least we could do is return the favor.”
“Your sister left him.”
Ewan flinched at Nora’s words.
Graham drew back to hit her.
Ewan slung his leg out, knocking Graham away from her. “You touch her and by all the powers of hell, I’ll see you pay for it.”
Graham walked over. He raked a cold glare over his body, then kicked him hard in the ribs.
“Ewan!” Nora screamed.
Sean held her back.
Ewan grunted at the pain. Graham would pay for that. When he got free, he was going to make sure this was the last mistake Graham ever made.
“You’re worthless, MacAllister,” Graham sneered. “There’s nothing you can do to me now.”
Ewan laughed at that and the sound of it made all three MacKaids back away.
“You’ve no idea what I’m capable of, Graham MacKaid, because if you were, you’d be on your knees praying right now for the Lord to send his angels in to protect you from me.”
Sean actually crossed himself at those fiercely uttered words.
Graham spat on the ground and shoved Nora toward Rufus. “Secure the wench and let us finish our business.”
Ewan pulled at the ropes that held him. Somehow he was going to find a way to escape this. God help the MacKaids when he did. They were all going to learn firsthand why no one crossed a MacAllister.
Once Rufus had Nora tied up, he sat her roughly next to Ewan, then returned to his brothers to help write their note.
Nora licked her lips, but held herself together with a strength of will that amazed him. She was truly spectacular. Brave.
Even so, he could tell just how shaken she was from all this and he ached to soothe her nerves. But he doubted if anything short of their escape could do that.
“It’s hopeless, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Nothing’s ever hopeless.”
She sighed and shifted her bound hands in her lap. “I don’t know, Ewan. I’m thinking this is as hopeless as it gets.”
“Look at me, Nora.”
She did.
“If this is as hopeless as it gets, you and I are in good standing. I promise you. This, in the grand scheme of life, isn’t so bad.”
She shook her head at him. “You’re a strange man, Ewan MacAllister. But I love you anyway.”
