“’Tis better we go single file. Wait until I’m through so we don’t risk bringing more snow down,” he said. “Once on the other side, we should be fine.”
Juliana nodded and pulled Misty back to let him go first. As he entered, he looked up the mountainous sides, hoping the new snow wouldn’t loosen heavy clumps already hanging from jutting ledges and start a small avalanche. He hated having to walk Baron through, but trotting or cantering could shake the earth enough to get him buried, leaving Juliana stranded.
He’d just made it through and reined in Baron to wait for Juliana when he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. Looking down, he saw an arrow protruding from his leg. Then something hard hit his head, and his world turned black.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Juliana waited until Baron had rounded the slight curve in the pass and disappeared from view. She eased up on the reins, and Misty eagerly moved forward. It seemed her horse had taken a liking to Baron. Or maybe the mare felt protected close to him, same as—oddly—Juliana was beginning to feel toward Rory. He was…
Her thought broke off abruptly as she saw him lying on the ground. She slid off Misty and ran to him, ignoring her sore ankle. Just as she was kneeling down, she felt herself being grabbed roughly by her arms and yanked upright.
“I’ve finally caught up to ye.”
She recognized Neal Cameron’s voice even before she twisted halfway around trying to free herself. “Let go of me, you vile brute!”
He held fast. “I am going to teach ye some manners.”
“You will teach me nothing.” She tried to claw at him, but she couldn’t get her hands up. “You could have killed Rory! I need to make sure he is all right.”
“Doona fash about him. MacGregors have hard heads.” He pulled her away, half dragging her several yards around some boulders. “I want to be well away from here before he wakes up.”
She saw his two henchmen then. One of them had caught Misty. The other stood holding the reins of their three horses.
“Let me go!” Juliana flailed at Neal, struggling against his hold as fury began to simmer inside her. “I am not leaving with you!”
“Aye, ye are.”
“No!” She tried to dig in her heels to no avail. “I need to make sure Rory is alive.”
He gave her a shake that rattled her teeth. “I told ye nae to fash about him.”
“We are handfasted! He… I am going to marry him!”
“’Tis a lie. Margaret told us the truth.”
She tried to pull away once more. “I’ve changed my mind. I…love him!” Where that came from, she didn’t know, but hopefully the words would sink in.
Neal narrowed his eyes. “Has he taken your virtue? I’ll kill him right now if he has.”
Juliana opened her mouth. Closed it. Started to open it again. Tried to tamp down her rising fear and think calmly. This was worse than the dilemma she’d been in when she’d been raped. If she hadn’t acquiesced to the lord’s demands, he’d have ruined Lorelei. This time, the choice meant Rory’s life. Right now, he was lying helpless in the snow and couldn’t defend himself. Well, then. It was up to her. She lifted her chin.
“I am untouched. Rory has been a gentleman.”
“MacGregor has been stupid. I’d have swived ye until ye couldna walk.”
She had no doubt that he would—vile, despicable creature that he was. She refused to look away as he leered at her.
“Mayhap I should teach ye that lesson now before we move on.” He grabbed a breast and squeezed hard before letting go. “Would nae take long to show ye who’s the one in charge here.”
Cold sweat ran down her spine. Never was she going to allow herself to be raped again. Somehow, she managed to get some traction, and she kicked Neal’s shin with her good foot, only to strike a boot. “Get away from me, youeejit!”
Neal grinned. “Ye are learning the Gaelic? Good lass—umph!”
The last came out as her knee connected with his groin. He bent over while the man by Misty stifled a laugh. She jerked one arm free and balled her hand into a fist. Before she could strike, however, Neal grabbed it with a snarl and twisted her arm behind her back. She clenched her jaw from crying out in pain.
“If ye try anything like that again, I’ll—”
“We best be going if we’re going to outride the storm,” the man holding the three horses said.
