AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Conner,” Damon said with a smile and wink. The woman’s eyes widened and her mouth parted. For a moment Damon wondered if the woman was about to keel over.
“Conner, ye say?” the woman gasped at the name as it rolled off her tongue. She glanced to Sadie as the hatred and fear melted from her.
“Aye,” Damon said with a wink.
“That is a fine name, a strong name.”
“Well, madam, I believe I have taken enough of yer time,” Damon said as he caught shadows shifting beneath the floorboards. His heart skipped as he thought of dragging each man hiding in the root cellar out.
But he didn’t know the numbers. He knew there was no point in being reckless and to jump to any conclusion. But it was clear the woman in the house were on edge and he wasn’t helping matters by sticking around.
“Dae ye have to go?” Sadie asked, desperation laced each word as she held onto his arm.
“Leave the man be,” the woman said. “I’m certain he has a long journey ahead of him. God speed.”
“Again, thank ye for yer hospitality,” Damon said as he nodded to Sadie and moved to the door.
The moment he was outside, he glanced around the house to the small barn. His mind raced as he noticed the small enclosure could never fit as many goats as Sadie had mention. Pulling the parchment from his hand, he unfolded.
Help us.
The two little words were scribbled so quickly, he could feel the urgency in the note.
Five goats… Five men in the root cellar. Even at my best all I could take is two. And why did the woman’s face lighten at Conner’s name? And the mention of Clan Ó Riagáin?
I’ve seen their faces before.
Nay.
Glancing back at the house, Damon swallowed hard and shook his head.
It cannae be. Can it?
Chapter 27
Olivia’s eyes fluttered open as the birds bickered outside the window. A smile slipped over her lips as she felt a strong, firm grip around her body. Glancing down, she found Conner’s arm draped over her, holding her to him, and while she knew she didn’t need any man to protect her, she liked having him there.
She felt a bit silly when her mind shifted to why she was so scared. Yes, she had almost been kidnapped in the field. But she wasn’t. She fought the attacker off and made it back to Conner without injury. Yet, dread played at the corners of her mind as she thought of all that could have happened to her.
Pulling in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Conner’s light snoring. The sound of air pushing through his airways eased her troubles.
There is nothin’ to fear. I’m safe. Conner is wit’ me. All is well. She spoke the words in her head like a mantra to calm her rattled nerves. Slowly, she opened her eyes and let out a heavy sigh trying to expel all the mire from her.
Conner let out a muffled moan as his arm twitched. For a split second, Olivia wondered if he was about to roll over and release her. But when his arm twitched even a fraction from where it was at, he shifted about and pulled her closer.
Olivia snuggled deeper into his embrace as she glanced at the window. Birds lingered on the seal, each trying to knock the others off to gain more space. Watching the tiny magpies fluttering their wings as they flew a few inches from the seal only to knock another off amused Olivia.
Olivia’s stomach flipped as she tried to shift to get more comfortable. She felt her insides roll around and turn sour in a matter of seconds. Jolting out of Conner’s arms, Olivia hoped sitting up would ease the tension in her stomach, but all it seemed to do was cause her to become dizzy.
The world shifted to the side. Olivia tried to swallow but found her throat dry as her tongue raked over the roof of her mouth. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why the sudden sickness came over her.
“Are ye alright?” Conner asked as she felt his hand on the small of her back. Glancing over her shoulder, she found him rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“I daenae ken,” she answered, wishing that whatever was rolling her stomach would either come out or stop. In the back of her mind she wondered what was going on. It wasn’t like she had any liquor last night. Nor was her dinner anything unusual. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel the pressure bubbling in her stomach.
Throwing the covers off her legs, she slipped off the bed and paced the room. Taking slow deliberate steps, she focused on her breathing. With each step it felt like her body wanted to collapse.
“Olivia?” Conner propped himself up on his elbow, keeping his eyes locked on her. Olivia found the floor sliding out from under her and quickly reached for the back of the chair for support. The bed moaned as Conner raced to her side. His arms were around her body, holding her up as she tried to make it around the chair to sit.
