Page 40 of Highland Storm

“Hawke, please,” begged Phoebe. “Enough killin’.”

“I heard ye say he killed our messenger. Is this true?”

“It is,” said Lennox. “And if ye hurt me, yer laird will die as well.”

Hawke was set to slay the man, but when he heard that his grandfather’s life might be in jeopardy if he killed the MacNab, he had second thoughts. Plus, Phoebe, for some reason, begged for his life. None of this made much sense.

“Tie him up,” Hawke told his friends.”

“What?” asked Logan, itching for a fight. “Hawke, ye’re addled. Ye heard him admit he killed our messenger. That boy was innocent and didna deserve to die.”

“Aye, I agree,” said Hawke. “But didna ye also hear him say that our laird will be killed if anythin’ happens to him?”

“He’s lyin’,” said Caleb. “I say we kill him.”

“I agree,” added Ethan.

“Nay. Please, Hawke.” Phoebe’s eyes met his and he couldn’t bring himself to deny her request. She’d done some things tonight that he didn’t understand, one of them offering to stay with him. He needed time to talk to her and to try to figure out what was going on here.

“Tie him up. He’s our prisoner now,” said Hawke.

“Thank ye,” said Phoebe with a smile.

“And tie up the girl, too,” he added.

A frown covered her face. “What?” she asked. “Hawke, what are ye doin’? I helped ye tonight.”

“Ye also tried to leave, and that makes ye a traitor. If I hadna caught ye, ye’d be back at the MacNabs’ castle right now. I canna let this happen again.” Hawke reached down and pulled the throwing knife out of the man’s shoulder. Lennox cried out in pain.

“Stop yer moanin’,” said Logan, taking the man, twisting his arm behind his back.

“Come on, Phoebe,” said Caleb, taking her by the arm and following Logan back to camp. The wolf went with them.

“What just happened?” Ethan asked Hawke, shaking his head.

“I’d say our little devious lassie has had a change of mind, and I dinna quite understand why,” Hawke answered.

“Are we bringin’ both of them back to the MacKeefe camp?” asked Ethan. “That might no’ be wise since the MacNabs might storm the camp to get them back.”

“I’m no’ sure what we’re goin’ to do.” Hawke looked over to the MacNab’s horse, realizing it was his. “Welcome back, guid friend,” he said, heading over and grabbing the reins of his horse that they’d stolen from him. It felt good to have his steed back, but it felt bad to think he was going to have to trade Phoebe for his grandfather. He didn’t really want her to go.

As he looked down to the bloody throwing knife in his hand, he smiled. The wench always had something up her sleeve, down her bodice, or tucked inside her boot, it seemed. Aye, he was going to miss the little spitfire, but he had no choice but to trade her back to the MacNabs in exchange for his grandfather. Then another idea lodged in his brain of how to do it, but it was crazy. Then again, a crazy stunt like this might get him a mention in that damned book of the Highland Chronicles if he managed to pull it off and not get killed.

Chapter 14

“Hold still and let me tend to yer wounds. Both of ye,” said Phoebe the next morning. Hawke sat shirtless on a log and Lennox was next to him, also shirtless but with his hands tied together in front of him.

“Phoebe, my wound is healed,” Hawke told her impatiently. He didn’t want to sit next to the man who’d been involved in almost killing him, slaying some of the MacKeefes, and abducting his grandfather.

Phoebe worked on Lennox, and that bothered him that she saw to his needs first. “I’ve got things to do and we need to be on our way.” Hawke stood up, letting every little thing bother him this morning.

“Wait. Let me see yer wound.” Phoebe reached over and gently touched his shoulder. “I canna believe it. It is just about healed. These herbal creams work better than I thought.” She rubbed some on his shoulder anyway, causing a flitting feeling to wash through him. With her standing so close to him, he could smell her womanly scent that reminded him of a field of heather. He had to get away from her because he was starting to want to kiss her again.

“That’s enough,” he commanded, stepping away from her and donning his tunic. “Clean up and break down camp, everyone. We’ve got to take to the road,” he called out.

“I’m no’ finished yet,” complained Phoebe.

“I say ye are.”