Lena immediately shook her head to confirm Greer’s words, but Hamish’s abrasive laughter told her the man knew the promises to be false. He yanked Lena toward him hard, causing her to slide across the ground. He bent down, released her ankle only to latch on to her wrist, jerked her to him, and spun her around until her back was pressed to his chest, his arm now heavy around her waist and a dagger at her throat. Lena’s stomach clenched, and she struggled to keep her breathing even. She locked gazes with Greer, praying the woman would help her.
“Perchance ye’re correct,” Greer said, frowning fiercely at Lena. “Ye should kill her.”
Lena felt her belly hollow out with frightful uncertainty. Was Greer simply playing along, or was she serious?
“Finally, ye speak sense. A good thing, too, Sister. For if ye had tried to fight me, I would have been forced to rid myself of ye, as well.”
Greer did not look surprised, which actually gave Lena a bit of hope. If Greer had realized her own life was at risk, mayhap she was just saying what her brother wanted to hear. Or mayhap she was doing as her brother commanded to save herself. Lena’s stomach roiled with the thoughts. She felt as if she was going to be ill, but she forced herself to take slow, shallow breaths in a desperate attempt to calm her nerves. She had to escape. That’s all there was to do.
“Take her to the stream and drown her,” Greer said matter-of-factly.
Sweat trickled down Lena’s back at the cold pronouncement of how she was to die. “If Alex discovers what ye’ve done, he’ll kill ye. Slowly,” she added. “Painfully.”
“I dunnae doubt it,” Hamish responded. “Yer husband dunnae forgive or forget.”
“He forgave ye, from what I hear,” Lena said, deciding it might be better to keep him here and talking. Maybe someone would come looking for her soon. Maybe Greer had a plan. Of course, Greerhadtold her brother to take Lena to the stream and drown her. Bile rose in Lena’s throat. Was she ruining Greer’s plan or foiling her own murder?
Hamish laughed, the sound bitter. “He dunnae forgive me naught. He simply makes me shovel horse dung while waiting to discover the truth of my betrayal. When he does, he’ll kill me. This is nae a life! Yer husband has nae ever given me my due.”
Greer’s gaze widened for a moment, and Lena had thought she saw fear, but the emotion was already gone. “Aye!” Greer added. “Me neither!” she said, pointing an accusing finger at Lena.
“Finally!” Hamish boomed. “Ye ken what I have been trying to beat into yer thick skull all this time.”
Greer nodded and gazed at her brother with a look of fondness that made Lena’s scalp prickle. “I see now, Brother! Together, we can bring down the MacLean! We will have our revenge!”
“Aye!” agreed Hamish. “I would have been right hand to Archibald! I would have been revered! Time for ye to die,my lady!” he snarled.
As Hamish turned and started away with her, Lena kicked and hit him to no avail. He simply dug the knife point sharply into her throat until she cried out and stilled.
“Hamish,” Greer called, her voice sounding sweet, like that of a loving sister. “Drown her on the side where the cave is. Use rope to tie rocks to her feet so she’ll nae be found.”
“Aye, Sister. ’Tis good to ken ye’re back with me as ye once used to be!”
Dear God! Lena had no notion whether Greer was betraying her or trying to help her, and if she was attempting to aid her, could anyone even get to her in time?
Thirteen
“My laird! My laird!” a frantic voice called, stopping Alex’s swing in midair. He jerked his sword to his side, gave Fardley a terse command to hold, and swung around to find Baldwin standing there.
“Aye?” he asked, taking in the boy’s ratty clothes and dirty face. Lena’s accusations of not having control of Hamish immediately came to mind. Baldwin did not look well cared for. Alex was frustrated with himself that he’d failed to take note of it sooner. And now that he was really thinking upon matters relating to Hamish, the last time Alex had seen Greer, she’d had a haunted look about her. Alex had assumed it had something to do with a man, but now he wondered if Hamish was releasing his anger at Alex on his sister and son.
The boy ran straight up to Alex, snatched him by the hand, and tugged. “My sister said to find ye and tell ye to go directly to Weeping Widows Cave on the east side of the loch. Yer wife’s life is in danger! My da is in a fierce rage!”
Shock gave way to anger, which mingled with gut-wrenching fear. “Stay here!” he clipped at the boy. Gripping his sword, he motioned to Fardley, who was the only one near, to follow him. He turned in the direction of the cave and set out at a sprint over rocky land and through brush. He didn’t slow as he raced up the hill. He had to get to the other side of the woods to come out at the water where the cave was. His lungs and legs burned as he pushed harder until he crested the hill.
He barreled down the slope faster than he’d gone up it, catching himself twice when he nearly lost his footing in his haste to reach Lena. As he neared the bottom of the thick terrain, he came out onto the shore. That’s when he heard her screaming. His heart jerked as he ran toward the noise. He turned the corner and blinked, looking around in confusion but not seeing her. When she screamed again, his chest tightened as he realized she was above him. He looked up, and shock rushed through him.
She stood at the very edge of the cliff, nothing but jagged rock and water below her. In front of her was Greer, but as Alex watched, Hamish, who stood facing both women, swung out, his fist connecting with his sister’s head. She crumpled to the ground at Lena’s feet, unmoving.
“Hamish!” Alex roared as he raced toward the rocks to climb up the slope he’d just come down. Hamish raised his sword, and Alex knew he’d never make it to Lena in time to save her. Rage exploded inside him, along with the certainty that he loved her and could not imagine living without her.
“Hamish!” he bellowed again, his voice animalistic to his own ears. Silence greeted him, and when he paused, panting, to glance up toward the ledge, what he saw took away his breath—and his hope.
Lena’s hair whipped in her face as she glanced behind her. The drop made her stomach roil and her body sway. She had but a breath to take action. At her feet, Greer lay unmoving, the dagger she’d tried to stab her brother with by her side. Hamish stared down at his sister, mumbling something about betrayal. Blood dripped steadily down his arm, hitting the ground and making a pool of red. Greer had come with two daggers to save Lena. The first she’d thrown at Hamish in the cave. She’d hit his sword arm, and he’d dropped his sword, which had allowed Lena and Greer to escape, but not quickly enough.
A roar—or more like an inhuman bellow—came to Lena on the wind. She gasped, certain it was Alex, and when the sound came again, closer this time, she glanced backward. He climbed the rocks, determination etched on his face and the muscles of his arms bulging with his efforts. He raced to save her. But he was too far away.
“I’m glad he’ll watch ye die,” Hamish said from behind her, and she knew her time was here. She had to save herself or die trying. She’d not be a victim ever again. She looked to the water far below, beyond the jagged rocks, attempting to judge the distance. Mayhap it was too far, but mayhap it was not.
