At the Highlander's Mercy Read Online Free PDF

mistress,’ she said loudly. The words echoed both inside her head and around it.
    She watched as he ordered Dougal and the woman out of the room with a silent tilt of his head. When the door closed and the latch dropped, both making more noise than she’d ever noticed before, she knew it was time.
    ‘I will not make this easy for you, Rob.’
    Whatever she expected of him, the quiet laugh was not it, nor the sad smile that curved his lips ever so slightly and made her want to kiss them. Covering her own mouth against the tingling in her lips, she waited. If only she had not drunk the wine, she might be able to talk him out of this.
    ‘No, Lilidh, you never do make things easy for me.’
    He took one slow step towards her and then another. She tried to back away, but the chair behind her kept her in place. When he took her by the shoulders and led her to the bed, she should have screamed, but there was no fight left in her.
    She was close to collapse, any fool with eyes could see that, both from the potion given byBeathas and her mistreatment at Symon’s and his cronies’ hands. Her body surrendered to his grasp and he guided her to the bed. Leaning over, Rob scooped her up and laid her there. Though he’d dreamt and hoped for such a thing, this was neither the time nor the manner in which he’d wanted those dreams and hopes to play out.
    Lilidh sank into sleep almost as her head touched the pillow and that made it somewhat easier on him. Rob touched her cheek and she did not stir. He gathered her hair, the colour of midnight, and moved it from her face, smoothing it away and searching for any other injuries there.
    ‘She is a feisty one,’ Dougal said quietly from his place at the now-open door. Rob nodded and then stepped aside, motioning for both Dougal and Beathas to return to the chamber.
    ‘She has been called that and many other things,’ he admitted, though not speaking the ones he’d used the most to describe her. ‘See to her injuries, Beathas. All of them.’
    His blood heated in anger at the thought of what Symon and his men might have done to Lilidh since they’d taken her from her guards. He should have word on those guards soon, but for now, all he could do was try to make hercomfortable before all hell broke loose around them. Again.
    The older woman nodded, gathered her supplies together and placed them on the bed. Then she met his gaze and stared at him. The message was clear to him—leave. So, he turned to do so, taking Dougal with him and deciding to set two guards at the door to keep everyone out. As they reached the door, though, he stumbled over a pile of chains, with a number of locks strewn among them. Long sections of heavy rope lay next to the chains.
    ‘Truly, Dougal? Of all the times to obey my orders, you chose this one?’ He’d spoken of chains and ropes merely as a public threat, never intending to need them.
    ‘One never knows when a good, stout length of rope or chains might come in handy dealing with a wench such as her,’ Dougal said, respect flowing with the words he spoke. Respect for the unconscious woman on his bed. The irony did not escape him in that moment.
    ‘Since the potion will keep her asleep for hours, I need to see to Symon and his cronies. No ropes or chains will be necessary here,’ he said. At Dougal’s raised brow, he continued, ‘For now.’

Chapter Four
    ‘Y ou cannot succeed in this.’
    Symon merely laughed at his words as Rob entered the small chamber and closed the door behind him. No matter Symon’s attempts to goad him in front of everyone, his reaction at this time would be handled in private. There would always be time to take action against him before the clan later.
    ‘You have as much or more to lose than I do, Symon,’ he warned, walking quietly to the window and looking out at the frenzy of activity that his cousin’s actions had caused.
    ‘You are a disgrace to the clan,’ Symon spat out in a fierce whisper. Turning to face