Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32223 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“Wait.”
He pauses at the sound of my voice, turning slightly as I step towards him. My hand rests on his arm, and when he looks down at me, I shake my head.
“Please,” I say quietly. “It’s not that he’s family, because he’s not, and it’s not because he doesn’t deserve it, because he does. But I don’t want any more blood spilled for me.”
Lachlan’s eyes blaze into mine, and slowly, I watch his shoulders lower as a smile creeps over his gorgeous face.
“Aye, lass. As you wish. No more blood.” He lowers his eyes back to Lord Campbell. “Keep your life, old man. And with it, keep your shame, and the dishonor you’ve brought your family name over, and over again.”
Lachlan pulls me into his arms, turning and nodding at his friends. “Let’s go.”
We turn to leave, when suddenly, Lord Campbell screams in rage. He lunges for his fallen sword, whirling faster than I’d have ever imagined he could, and in the flash of a second, he’s lunging right at me, point of his sword forward. Lachlan grunts, knocking Lord Campbell’s thrust aside and then shoving forward with his own. The older man grunts as Lachlan’s blade sinks into his gut, and instantly, I watch him groan, drop to the floor, and go still.
Lachlan freezes, scowling. “Iona, I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be,” I mutter, glaring at the body on the ground. “He deserved it after the things he’s done.”
“It wasn’t my intention,” he says quietly. “Family is—”
“He wasn’t my family,” I say quietly, turning to take Lachlan’s hands. “Nor is Darcy, nor any of the other Campbells.” I smile as I squeeze his hands and slide into him.
“You’re my family. You and Cat. And you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.”
He grins. “Then let’s go home. To our home.”
We follow Hamish, Callum, and Tor back up the stairs to the deck, and my jaw drops at the scene. The prow of Tor’s Viking warship is capped in iron, and the fearsome boat has actually plowed so hard into the side of Lord Campbell’s that the boat is nearly smashed in two, and clearly about to sink. There’s been a battle, for sure, but it seems only Campbell’s men were the ones fighting the Vikings. The rest of the men are merely hired ship hands, and Tor’s people are herding them onto the Viking boat before Campbell’s sinks.
Lachlan scoops me into his arms before he jumps across to Tor’s ship, and when the last of the Viking’s are back on board, the big warship wrenches free of the wreck and pulls away. The sun is rising as the big red sails turn us, and when Lachlan pulls me tight to him, I turn and slide my arms around his neck. I lean up, and without a single care in the world about who sees, I kiss him, deeply.
He growls, kissing me right back and scooping me into him as the boat beings to fly across the waves.
“Captain,” he chuckles, pulling away and grinning as he shouts to Tor.
“How fast can you take us back home?”
The big Viking grins. “Fast. Why, have you things to do?”
Lachlan grins. “Aye. I need to marry the love of my life.”
Tor, Hamish, and Callum chuckle, turning away and giving us space as Lachlan drops his eyes back to me.
“You are, you know,” he purrs quietly. “And I can’t wait to make you my wife.”
“I—I love you too,” I whisper as I sink into him.
The boat crests a wave, I laugh into his lips as I fall into him, and the morning sun blazes across us as we sail with the wind.
Back home, together.
Forever.
Epilogue
Iona
“Hells, lass.”
I grin as I lower the bow, turning to wag my brow at Lachlan.
“Was it okay?”
He stares at the arrow embedded firmly the center of the little circle he drew with charcoal on the tree, and then turns to look at me coolly, half smirking as he folds his arms over his chest.
“You’ve been practicing, you little sneak.”
“Me?”
I gasp in mock indignation.
“Sir, I am a lady. I have most certainly not been practicing shooting a bow and arrow.”
“A lady, are ye?”
I shiver, gasping quietly as he moves towards me, gently pushing the bow aside as he slides against me. His rock-hard body presses to me, and when he leans down and nips my earlobe with his teeth, I moan.
“The same ‘lady,’ who was begging me for more when I licked her sweet little cunt not two hours ago in the stables before our ride?”
I blush crimson, biting at my lip as another moan tumbles from my lips.
Okay, he’s right. I’ve been practicing. But only because I wanted to see the look on his face I’ve just seen when he realized I wasn’t the helpless shot like I know he thought I’d be. It’s one of the reasons we’re out here, alone, on a hunt—so that he can show me how to use the bow, since I’ve been asking him to show me forever.