She felt safe.
And free.
She was free, yes, but the humiliation, the pain, and the feeling of being unworthy corroded her heart. It still held her prisoner. She curled into a ball and began to cry.
“Oh, Marjorie, sweet, dinna.” Craig patted her side. “Please, dearie. I’m sorry I didna come earlier. As soon as we kent who took ye, we came.”
She couldn’t stop her sobs. Craig sat next to her on the cart and hugged her, covering her like a heavy, protective blanket.
When she finally did stop crying, she lay still and tried to adjust to the light sensation of freedom in her chest that felt alien.
What would it feel like to be around people again? To go from room to room? To go out into the sunlight? To ride a horse again? After two sennights in captivity, she’d thought she’d never do any of those things again. She opened her eyes and looked at Craig. He looked concerned, and pain and fury fought in his eyes.
“What can I do?” he said.
She shook her head. “Nothing,” she whispered. “Ye saved me. Ye avenged me. Ye killed the bastart. There’s nothing more that ye can do.”
He squeezed her hand and nodded. “Now we will work on healing ye. Ye’ll be yer old self soon.”
She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. As much as it hurt to admit it, that would never be true. She was a stone inside now—cold and hard. She’d never let a man touch her. She’d never marry. And she’d never let anyone do what Alasdair had done to her ever again.
Chapter 1
Lands near Loch Awe, Scotland, 2020
The best thing about a guy trip through the Scottish Highlands was the absence of technology. Even after seven years of civilian life, Konnor Mitchell’s Marine training kicked in, and he had no problem orienting with or without a map, fishing, cooking on a fire, and sleeping on the ground.
Actually, the best thing about the whole man-against-nature thing was that it occupied his mind, leaving little time to think of his life back in L.A. or his past. With no cell phones, no TV, and no electricity, he had nothing to rely on but his brains, his muscles, and his best bud Andy.
“How much longer to the Keir farm?” Andy looked up at the sky. “The clouds are coming in darker than your best mood.”
A leaden sky hung above the dark-green pines and ashes like an iron ceiling. Nature around them stood still, as if waiting for something. Branches didn’t rustle, and grass didn’t waver. The air was humid and warm, full of the scent of forest and moss and something strange…lavender, though Konnor didn’t notice any around.
He looked down at the map in his hands, and a flicker of a movement caught his eye. Something green flashed between the trees. He blinked but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Must be all the whiskey he’d consumed during the last week.
“We’re probably going to be soaking wet either way,” Konnor said. “It’ll take us until the evening.”
He and Andy had hiked along the loch up north towards the farm. The map showed there was a small ruin at the bottom of the glen behind them, and if they made their way back towards Loch Awe, they’d come to the ruins of Glenkeld, a medieval castle.
They’d interrupted their whiskey tour with what supposed to have been a three-day hike. But due to their relaxed pace and drinking the samples of whiskey they’d acquired from several distilleries, this was their fifth day out already. Between setting campfires, assembling and disassembling the tents, cooking hot dogs on an open fire, and fishing in Loch Awe, they’d gotten carried away and lost track of time.
The trip was kind of a long bachelor party for Andy, who was getting married to Natalie, his girlfriend of eight years and the mother of his child. After the kind of childhood Konnor had experienced, he hadn’t thought it was even possible to be so deliriously happy, but Andy was a good man, and he deserved every happiness in the world.
Konnor was happy for Andy. But he had no idea how his friend did it. Perhaps others possessed the secrets to a happy relationship and how to be a good husband and a good dad.
He certainly didn’t.
Andy frowned at the sky. “It might still pass,” he said, though with no conviction.
Konnor said, “Let’s hit the road. I need to call my mom.”
As much as he was enjoying this hiking trip, Konnor needed to get back to civilization. He knew how a thirty-three-year-old man needing to call his mommy might sound to some, but his best friend knew better than to make jokes about it. Konnor supported his mom financially, and it was most important to him that she knew she was safe and protected, that he would never let anyone hurt her ever again. Right before they’d gone hiking in the wilderness, he’d told her he’d leave the cell phone in the hotel but call her in three days.
Andy hurried after him. “Come on, bro, you’ve left her alone before. You were in the Marines for Christ’s sake.”
Having the most perfect folks in the world, Andy had no idea how it had been for Konnor and his mom. He’d never had to watch the closest person in the world to him be beaten to a pulp and not be able to do a single thing about it.
Konnor’s stepfather was dead, but he’d taught Konnor a valuable lesson that he lived by to this day. He could never let his guard down, never trust that those he cared for would be safe without his protection. He hadn’t been able to protect his mother as a child, but he could do it now.
“Leave it alone,” Konnor said.
Andy nodded but didn’t look impressed. “If you say so, brother. You know, when we get back to L.A., Natalie has a friend she wants you to meet.”
Konnor groaned. Here we go. At least every six months, Natalie wanted to set him up with someone.
“Andy…” Konnor said by the way of warning.
“I’m with you, man, but will you please go, just this once? Or she’ll drive me crazy.”
Konnor scoffed.
“Word on the street is you’re a catch. Successful business owner and apparently man candy.” He put air quotes around that. “Put me out of my misery, man.”
Konnor scoffed. “You’ll be more miserable if I go out with her once and never call her again, then Natalie will kill you. I’m not looking for a relationship. Never will be.”
Why would he? Every relationship he’d been in had ended up bringing pain to the women because of what they’d all called his emotional unavailability.
Andy clasped him on the shoulder. “After all these years, I still think you’re a puzzle.”
“There’s nothing puzzling about me. I’m simple. I have no intention of getting married or having a girlfriend. Ever.”
They walked in silence for a while. A soft whisper of leaves and branches rustling went through the woods, and the sky darkened even more. A small shiver ran across the back of Konnor’s neck.
Andy shook his head. “I will say one last thing. You’re miserable, and you know it.”
“I’m fine,” Konnor growled. “I’m great. I have everything I ever wanted.”
Thunder rolled in the distance, and they both glanced up to the dark-gray sky.
“Let’s get a move on,” Andy said. “Come on.”
He sped up, but Konnor didn’t. Seeing his friend moving off in the distance, he realized he needed a break from him for a while.