Page 48 of My Notorious Highlander

Haldane and his men might have to hide out and pick them off one by one as they fanned out in their search. 'Twould be easier than charging them in battle.

"Come. Let's slip back to the byre," he whispered to his men. "MacDonald and Douglas, you two stay here, well hidden, and count how many men they have. If you get the chance, secretly ambush them one at a time, slit their throats, and hide the bodies."

The two men nodded.

He had to get back to the byre and move Jessie and Torrin farther away until they'd thinned out some of the guards. Nay, they'd move Jessie and kill Torrin.

∞∞∞

Though she didn't want him to be captured, Jessie was glad Torrin was with her. He was working hard to get them loose, and she wished she could help, but she couldn't get to her wee knife with her hands tied.

Torrin's back was warm, solid, and comforting behind her. "Pull hard against me to tighten the rope," he said. "It's starting to fray and unravel."

She leaned away from him, the ropes pressing tightly into her flesh. He continued scraping the rope against the stone. And then it loosened.

"Aye. There we are," he said, quiet triumph in his voice as the rope binding them back to back unwound and fell away. Now they only needed to remove the tight strips of wet wool plaid that secured their wrists behind their backs.

"I'm going to try to break the strip of plaid around your wrists. Tell me if I hurt you."

"Very well."

Although Torrin's wrists were still bound, he moved his fingers over her wrists and the bindings. He tugged at the material from both sides. "Am I hurting you?"

"Nay." It felt tight but not painful.

After a few moments, the material ripped in the silence. "Thank the saints," she whispered. "Now let me get my knife and I'll cut you free."

"What? You have a knife?" Shock was evident in his loudly whispered words.

"Aye. 'Tis hidden."

"Where?"

"Sewn into the hem of my arisaid." She bent and worked at the seam, ripping the thread from the wool material. "'Tis not easy to retrieve, but it has come in handy for the first time ever."

"I'm going to have to use that trick."

When he turned his back to her, she cut the strips of plaid binding his hands.

He sighed and rubbed his wrists. "I thank you. I'm beyond glad to have you as an ally."

She smiled in the darkness, wishing she could see his face. She'd never imagined she would feel so safe with him… protected, even. She relished the deep, rich timbre of his voice, more obvious in the darkness.

"Can I use your knife?" he asked.

"Aye." She handed it to him. "What's your plan?"

"Och. 'Tis tiny. I'm going to disarm the man guarding us. Hopefully, I won't have to kill him. Will you hold it against me if I do?"

"Nay. We have to do what we can to escape, else Haldane may kill us both."

They crept toward the door but hung back. 'Twas lighter outside than inside. Now two men lingered upon the trail.

Torrin drew back. "So, there are two of them. One must have been behind the byre earlier."

"Aye." She bent and picked up a rock. "I'll take care of one of them."

"Are you mad?" Torrin demanded in a harsh whisper.