and screamed, clawing at their captors, attempting to break free.
“Calm down. We aren’t going to hurt you,” Colin hissed at the hellion who shot him a furious gaze. He could feel her relax and loosened his hold, regretting it an instant later when she tried to knee him in the groin. “Dammit, stop that.” Still straddling her, he grabbed her wrists, holding them above her head.
For the first time, he got a good look at her face. If it weren’t for the dirt and foul temper, she’d be a pretty little thing.
“How you boys doing?” Colin asked Quinn and Brodie, giving her a warning glance as he hauled her to a standing position.
“She’s a feisty one, but I have her,” Quinn replied, cursing as the girl’s foot connected with his shin.
“Stop scratching me,” Brodie ground out as he hauled his captive up, pulling her arms behind her, then marching her toward the others. Wiping an arm across his brow, he studied the three girls. He guessed the oldest to be seventeen or eighteen. The others looked younger.
“What are you girls doing out here alone?” Brodie asked.
“None of your da—”
Colin yanked the oldest girl’s arm before she could finish. “None of that, lassie. Now, answer his question.”
Her eyes shooting daggers at him, she tried to break his hold, only to find herself yanked against his hard chest.
“That’s enough. You’ll not struggle any longer.” Pulling her after him, Colin walked to Chieftain’s saddle, grabbing his rope, then wrapping it around her wrists. Setting her beneath a tall pine, he did the same with her ankles, then stood, watching as Quinn and Brodie tied the other two. Separating the girls by several feet, the cousins huddled together, talking in soft voices.
“What are we going to do with three lassies, Colin?” Quinn swiped at the blood on his cheek where he’d been scratched. “I always thought if a lass scratched me it would be for a much different reason.” His joke fell flat as they turned to watch the girls struggle with their restraints.
“Well, we can’t take them with us.” Colin watched the one he’d wrestled with, seeing her shoulders slump. “I wonder how long it’s been since they’ve eaten.”
“One way to find out.” Brodie pulled hardtack from his saddlebag, walked over, and offered it to one of the girls.
She hesitated a moment before nodding.
Kneeling down, he held it to her mouth, then quickly pulled his hand back. “You bite me and there’ll be hell to pay.”
It took almost an hour of feeding them by hand before the girls shook off further food and quieted. They’d learned nothing about them, not even their names.
“What now?” At a loss, Quinn crossed his arms.
Colin ran a hand down his face. “We’ll check the ropes one more time, then get some sleep. We can decide in the morning.”
“Aye. Maybe they’re fairies sent here to muddle our brains and they’ll be gone by morning.” Quinn continued to stare at them as if he thought they might actually disappear right before their eyes.
Colin laughed, slapping him on the back. “Aye, laddie. It might just be so.”
Chapter Five
“The girl will not be disrespecting me so, Robena.” Dougal paced in front of his desk, his hands fisted on his hips, cursing with each step.
“Calm yourself, Dougal. You’ll not be going into town to bring her home today.”
He stopped, his mouth agape as he stared at his wife. “And why is that?” he hissed out.
“It’s been one day. You gave your word to Reverend Olford to let Sarah stay with them until you both have time to calm your tempers.”
“She’s a brazen lass, defying me the way she did. Her actions cannot go unpunished.”
“Ach. Sarah is not a wee lassie you can scold for not behaving. She’s a grown woman. You shouldn’t have taken her birthday and turned it into a spectacle for all to see.” Robena would never have talked to him like this in front of others. In public, she played the dutiful wife,
“Calm down. We aren’t going to hurt you,” Colin hissed at the hellion who shot him a furious gaze. He could feel her relax and loosened his hold, regretting it an instant later when she tried to knee him in the groin. “Dammit, stop that.” Still straddling her, he grabbed her wrists, holding them above her head.
For the first time, he got a good look at her face. If it weren’t for the dirt and foul temper, she’d be a pretty little thing.
“How you boys doing?” Colin asked Quinn and Brodie, giving her a warning glance as he hauled her to a standing position.
“She’s a feisty one, but I have her,” Quinn replied, cursing as the girl’s foot connected with his shin.
“Stop scratching me,” Brodie ground out as he hauled his captive up, pulling her arms behind her, then marching her toward the others. Wiping an arm across his brow, he studied the three girls. He guessed the oldest to be seventeen or eighteen. The others looked younger.
“What are you girls doing out here alone?” Brodie asked.
“None of your da—”
Colin yanked the oldest girl’s arm before she could finish. “None of that, lassie. Now, answer his question.”
Her eyes shooting daggers at him, she tried to break his hold, only to find herself yanked against his hard chest.
“That’s enough. You’ll not struggle any longer.” Pulling her after him, Colin walked to Chieftain’s saddle, grabbing his rope, then wrapping it around her wrists. Setting her beneath a tall pine, he did the same with her ankles, then stood, watching as Quinn and Brodie tied the other two. Separating the girls by several feet, the cousins huddled together, talking in soft voices.
“What are we going to do with three lassies, Colin?” Quinn swiped at the blood on his cheek where he’d been scratched. “I always thought if a lass scratched me it would be for a much different reason.” His joke fell flat as they turned to watch the girls struggle with their restraints.
“Well, we can’t take them with us.” Colin watched the one he’d wrestled with, seeing her shoulders slump. “I wonder how long it’s been since they’ve eaten.”
“One way to find out.” Brodie pulled hardtack from his saddlebag, walked over, and offered it to one of the girls.
She hesitated a moment before nodding.
Kneeling down, he held it to her mouth, then quickly pulled his hand back. “You bite me and there’ll be hell to pay.”
It took almost an hour of feeding them by hand before the girls shook off further food and quieted. They’d learned nothing about them, not even their names.
“What now?” At a loss, Quinn crossed his arms.
Colin ran a hand down his face. “We’ll check the ropes one more time, then get some sleep. We can decide in the morning.”
“Aye. Maybe they’re fairies sent here to muddle our brains and they’ll be gone by morning.” Quinn continued to stare at them as if he thought they might actually disappear right before their eyes.
Colin laughed, slapping him on the back. “Aye, laddie. It might just be so.”
Chapter Five
“The girl will not be disrespecting me so, Robena.” Dougal paced in front of his desk, his hands fisted on his hips, cursing with each step.
“Calm yourself, Dougal. You’ll not be going into town to bring her home today.”
He stopped, his mouth agape as he stared at his wife. “And why is that?” he hissed out.
“It’s been one day. You gave your word to Reverend Olford to let Sarah stay with them until you both have time to calm your tempers.”
“She’s a brazen lass, defying me the way she did. Her actions cannot go unpunished.”
“Ach. Sarah is not a wee lassie you can scold for not behaving. She’s a grown woman. You shouldn’t have taken her birthday and turned it into a spectacle for all to see.” Robena would never have talked to him like this in front of others. In public, she played the dutiful wife,
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