Page 56 of My Notorious Highlander

The older man gave a brief nod and stepped away.

"Who's out there?"

"Your Uncle Conall."

"Blast," she muttered. "I didn't want him to find us together. What did he say?"

"They can't find Aiden."

"What? Nay!" She hastily jerked on her plaid arisaid and belted it. "Where do they think he is?"

"He didn't say." Torrin belted his own plaid about his waist and straightened it as best he could in the dim dawn light.

She hurried to the door, opened it and stepped into the corridor. Torrin followed.

"Uncle Conall, is Aiden gone?"

"Aye. His bodyguard reported it about a half hour ago. We searched the castle top to bottom."

"Do you think he slipped out to talk to Haldane?"

The corners of Conall's mouth slanted downward within his gray and red beard. "'Tis what some of us fear."

She released an exasperated breath. "The lad is daft! Haldane will use him as a hostage, just as he did me. Or kill him."

"Let's not be so cynical yet," Torrin said. "We'll go out and search for him. Haldane won't kill him right away. Like you said, he'll try to use him for leverage first."

"He thinks because he and Haldane are brothers, and they were close until last winter, that Haldane won't hurt him. He is so naïve."

"Aye, that he is," Conall said. "Without doubt, he thinks he can talk some sense into Haldane."

"He doesn't realize how much Haldane has changed. He's turned into a man who is a vicious killer."

Conall nodded, looking disgusted. "Your da is most likely turning in his tomb at the moment."

"I'll help organize a search party." Torrin headed down the corridor.

∞∞∞

Haldane sat by the fire-pit outside a cave halfway up the side of a mountain, his stomach growling and his mouth watering as he watched the two rabbits roasting on a spit. Thank the saints Gil was gifted with a bow and arrow.

This cave was one of McMurdo's old hideouts and near impossible to get to over rocky, steep terrain. No wonder he'd evaded capture for years. The MacKays would never find them up here.

Haldane arose and paced across the rocky ground. The morning sun was glinting over Ben Hope in the distance and Loch Eriboll lay below, reflecting the blue and gold sky. This was a miserable place. He ground his teeth at having to hide out in these wild mountains. He should already be the MacKay chief. He should be living comfortably in Dunnakeil, sleeping in a featherbed each night, filling his belly with fine foods every day, and sitting by a warm fireplace in winter. 'Twas how he'd grown up and what his mother and father had wanted for him.

"Look who we found!" one of his men called out behind him.

Haldane turned and came face to face with his wee brother. Victory surged through him. Aiden would be an even better hostage than Jessie had been. He couldn't fight worth a damn and everyone in the clan loved him.

"We searched him for weapons and found none," MacDonald said.

Haldane grinned. "What are you doing here, Aiden?"

"I came to talk some sense into you, brother. What the devil do you think you're doing?" His green eyes glinted with ire, making Haldane want to laugh. Even though Aiden was two years older than Haldane, he was still skinny and small, like a lad. And unfortunately, he was as trusting as a child. Haldane felt sorry for him, and experienced a moment of remorse for what he would have to do.

"What I'm supposed to do," Haldane said. "What Mother and Father would've wanted me to do."

"Nay, you're mad. You're the youngest. You were never destined to be chief."