The Imposter Part 20

Ignoring my opposition towards the idea of going with him, he answered tersely, "We are going to settle this matter once and for all. When the Berks.h.i.+res confirm that ye are an imposturous spy, ye'll hang for this." The anger in his voice was palpable.

Collin dismissed me with a shove in Arthur's direction, and closed the door with a slam behind us. Arthur's grip on my upper arm hurt, but I refused to let him know that I was in pain.

My thoughts were on Devon and how angry he would be when he returned to the keep to find me missing. I realized that I would probably never see him again. My heart broke when I thought of how my lies would affect him. He would be so hurt, so angry, so broken when he found out.

My departure from the keep was hurried and hasty, more of a whirlwind than anything. I was loaded unceremoniously onto a horse whose reins were tethered to the back of Collin's horse for good measure. I found this extra measure of caution ridiculous being that I could barely stay astride a horse on my own, let alone stage an escape on horseback from my much more experienced captors.

We rode at a break neck pace and although I was tired, I refused to let my guard down, fearing that I would fall from my horse. At dusk, Collin whistled loudly to the two men that accompanied us and we made camp for the night. I was given a horse blanket to cover myself with and although it reeked of sweaty animal, I was thankful for its warmth.

I slept restlessly on the hard, cold ground with the blanket pulled up over my head, thinking of Devon, hoping that he would find me. I knew that Nathan would get word would get to him that I had been taken from the castle, but I didn't know if he would find out soon enough to make any difference. If we made it to the Berks.h.i.+re's before Devon intercepted us, I would be killed for being an imposter for sure.

I awoke to a harsh kick in my ribs accompanied by a gruff; "Get up," from Collin. I threw back the horse blanket, surprised that I had actually gone to sleep and I stood up to stretch, all the while thinking hateful thoughts towards Collin. I wanted to kill him.

After a meager breakfast, our rudimentary camp was loaded up and we were back on the horses. The weather was turning much colder now. I noticed that autumn had slyly turned into winter. The air had the crisp feeling of imminent snow. I pulled my cloak closer around me to shelter myself from the cold, but it did nothing to keep my blistered lips and wind burnt face from further exposure to the elements. I longed to feel Devon's warm arms surrounding me again.

We traveled all day, stopping only once so that we could relieve ourselves and have some food. The second night on the road was much worse. The weather had turned colder and I was unable to find solace in sleep due to the uncontrollable s.h.i.+vering of my body. I tried to get as close to the fire as possible, but I was unable to quell the shaking of my body or force warmth back into my limbs. It was a miserable, sleepless night.

Midway through the third day of travel, I heard horse hooves thudding against the ground behind us, and my heart skipped a beat.

He came for me! He's found me!

I knew it was him before I even turned around. I held tight to the pommel of the saddle and turned around to look at him, heart soaring as I saw that it was indeed my husband behind us. He must have ridden day and night to get here. Then I realized that he was outnumbered three to one, and my heart sank.

"I knew you would come," I whispered, wondering guiltily how much of the truth he had discovered.

I could tell that he was exhausted. His face was unshaven and concern weighed heavily on his face. His eyes met with mine for a fleeting second before looking away. They were cold and expressionless. He was angry with me and his jaw was clenched tightly. I wanted to throw myself towards him and hug him. I was so happy to see him.

Devon dismounted his horse, dropping his sword and walking towards his brother with arms outstretched, making it clear to Collin that he did not wish to fight.

"Give her tae me, brother. She's done nothing wrong," he coaxed, hoping in vain to end this without a fight.

"Done nothing wrong, ye say? She's a murderer, likely working for the Cameron b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, murdering innocents and playing to role of imposter, a spy, weaseling her way into our clan. Ye make quite the pair, Devon."

"I've done nae wrong to ye, brother. Followed yer orders and been a loyal servant. I've done ye nae wrong," Devon spoke calmly and coolly, seeking to diffuse his brother's anger.

He still refused to look at me and focused intently on his brother.

Just knowing that Devon had found me caused a small fire of hope kindle within me. He had promised to protect me and I was emboldened because I believed his vow. I knew that he would protect me with his life, I just hoped that he didn't have to make good on that promise.

"Done me nae wrong? Ye've been a thorn in my side since birth! Always father's favorite. Ready and waiting to take my place if given half a chance." Collin's rage was palpable as he confronted his brother. "Secure him!" he barked the order at his guards, who dismounted their horses and walked to Devon's side. Each man grabbed one of Devon's arms, and he made no attempt to resist their restraint.

"I've a mind to make ye pay for this, for all of this, brother," Collin shouted, as his hand clasped around my wrist. He slid smoothly off of his horse and then jerked me down from my horse to join him on the ground.

Devon jerked noticeable as his brother touched me so roughly. He was fighting for control to remain pa.s.sive.

"Doona touch her," he threatened, the words spilling forth as a growl. "This is between you and me. Leave the la.s.s out of it," the tone of Devon's voice heavy with warning, the hatred for his brother palpable in the air.

"You're right. This is between you and I, and that is precisely why I will involve the la.s.s in it. When I forced ye tae wed her, I'd not intended for ye tae take tae her sae quickly. I'd hoped at the worst that she would be a burden tae ye, but it worked out better than I had imagined. Now, I intend to use her tae my advantage. It will be her life or yours. I'm hoping that at the end of this, ye will be begging me tae kill ye. I intend tae put an end tae my problems with ye once and for all." Collin's eyes were crazy, glossed over with the clouds of madness as he taunted Devon. Years of pent up rage and jealousy spilled forth, his hatred culminating for his younger half-brother in this moment.

"Kill me, then. End it now," Devon leaned forward against the restraint of his captors, exposing the flesh of his neck. "One quick slice, and it will be over. Do it, Collin!" he demanded, eyes intense with invitation as he challenged his brother.

"No!" I screamed, terror resonating in my voice. I couldn't let Devon go through with this. Collin jerked my wrist forcefully, causing pain to reverberate through my arm. His grip on my wrist was excruciating. "He won't let me go, even if he kills you, Devon! Fight him!" I screamed.

Both men ignored my feeble protests, so intent they were upon each other.

"Not sae easy, brother," Collin said as he turned his attention back to me. "I've a mind to draw this out, as I've been dreaming about just how I would kill ye for years. I'm planning tae enjoy this. Planning tae enjoy this very much," he crooned as he slid a finger beneath the neckline of my dress, caressing the smooth skin of my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "As I said, I never thought that ye would take to marriage sae quickly. I see the way that ye look at her, even now. I see that she means much more tae ye than ye let on. I'll not be fooled, Devon."

"Yer wrong, brother." Devon laughed. "I was angry when ye forced me to wed her, still am in fact. I partook gladly in the joys of her flesh, but care for her? No. She's just another woman, I've had plenty," Devon challenged his brother.

I knew that these were lies, but his statements rocked me all the same. Hot tears began streaming down my cheeks.

"Well, alright then. Ye won't mind if I sample her wares while I try to get some information out of her," Collin looked directly at his brother as he pulled the rope that had tied my horse to his free and slipped it over my neck.

I felt my eyes bulge with fear as the scratchy rope settled against my sensitive skin. Catching me off guard, Collin tugged ruthlessly at the rope that was around my neck, choking me. I panicked, clawing desperately at the rope and wheezed, gasping for air. He let up on the rope and I sucked in air greedily, feeding my stinging lungs.

"By now, I suppose ye've heard of the letter from Berks.h.i.+re? Ye ken that the she is a fraud?" Collin chided as he again pulled the rope tight and yelled, just inches from my face as I struggled for oxygen.

"Who are ye, I ask?" he screamed, holding the rope taught as I struggled against him. He let go of the rope, and I doubled over, gasping for air. My head was spinning from the lack of oxygen. "Do ye work for the Camerons?" Collin screamed directly into my face, his spittle spraying all over me.

I clutched at the rope around my neck, clawing at it with my now bloodied fingers, wheezing hungrily at the air that I knew he would soon take from me again. I had no response to his questions. What could I possibly tell him? I looked directly into his eyes, challenging him, refusing to let him break me. Again, Collin yanked the rope tight around my neck in answer to the silence that I had given him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Devon was losing his composure. His captors had to work harder to restrain him as he watched Collin abuse me.

Collin released the rope again and oxygen flooded my lungs. My neck burned from the rope, my fingers quickly tried to grasp the rope, to find a meager defense against his choking off my air supply.

"Ready tae talk?" Collin probed, fingers tightening on the rope again.

I returned to my full height and starting directly at Collin, I spat in his face.

"b.i.t.c.h!" he yelled as he slapped me across my face.

I thought that I saw Devon smile out of the corner of my eye. He had always appreciated my feisty side.

Collin threw me down on the ground and struggled to get my skirt up and out of his way. He fell to his knees and fumbled with his kilt as he held me down. If he meant to rape me, I wasn't planning to make this easy for him. He knelt on my chest, making my already burning lungs struggle for air. "Turn him, Matthew. I want him tae watch this. I want him tae watch me take his wife right in front of him. We'll see how much he doesna care about her!"

I turned my head, feeling that I was outside of my body. I focused on Devon, looked deep into his eyes and stopped struggling against Collin. I wondered if this was how it would end for us.

Devon held my gaze and mouthed "Fight." This one word brought me back to reality.

Collin was still struggling to get both his kilt and my voluminous skirts out of the way while using his other hand to encourage his manhood to rise to the occasion of raping me.

I looked at Collin and laughed in his face. At the same time, I swiftly drew up my knee and settled a glancing blow right to his crotch. It would be a few minutes before he would be up to trying to rape me again.

Collin doubled over in pain and a groan escaped his lips as he held his wounded manhood cupped in his hands. He leapt on me again, hands around my neck, choking the life out of me. I began to see stars, which were soon overtaken by blackness as I lost consciousness.

I came back to consciousness as Collin slapped my face. "Wake up, b.i.t.c.h, and fight me. It will make this more fun," he said as he glanced over his shoulder at his brother.

Devon was seething with anger. Every muscle in his body was tense as he fought the grasp of his captors.

"This is why I haven't yet bred a son my own wife lies there just like this, stiff as a board when I take her. Fight me!" he roared, eyes bloodshot and raging.

I slipped into the comfort of darkness again, my mind unwilling to deal with Collin's torment.

My eyes fluttered and I noticed that Collin's weight was no longer atop me. He must have decided that it wouldn't be much fun to rape an unconscious victim. I took new stock of our situation. Collin had moved on to inflicting pain upon his restrained brother. My eyes struggled to focus, and I watched helplessly as Collin dealt Devon a glancing blow to the jaw.

"Kill me, Collin. I'm the cause of yer problems. Leave the la.s.s be," Devon said, blood dripping onto his linen s.h.i.+rt from the split in his lower lip.

Devon's eyes glanced in my direction, quickly, so as not to draw attention to the fact that I was again conscious. I followed the motion of his eyes, darting quickly back to Collin. Devon was urging me to take action. Cause a scene, a distraction so that at least he could have a chance to defend me. A chance to save us both.

I remembered the dagger that he had given me, felt its solid weight in my stocking. Ever so slowly, I inched my hand down towards it, settling my hand around it, its blade hidden in the folds of my dress. Acting upon impulse, I sprung to my feet, dagger in hand. In one stealthy movement, I took my rage out on Collin, whose back was turned to me.

I jumped on his back, swinging my arm and the dagger around his neck, and sliced as hard as I could. I intended to kill him. Blood poured from his neck soaking my hand, slippery and smelling of copper. I knew that I had hit my mark of the carotid artery, as Collin fell to his knees, holding his neck as blood profusely poured forth.

My attack had allowed Devon the element of surprise. His captors had turned their back to Collin yet were still restraining Devon, allowing him the illusion of confronting his brother and raping his sister-in-law in privacy. Devon took advantage of the split second in which his captors let up their grasp on his arms, breaking free, and elbowing Matthew in the Adam's apple. He grabbed Matthew's fallen sword and spun in one fluid movement, the sword embedded halfway through Derrick's neck. He spun again and slit Matthew's throat.

Dropping the sword, he ran to me. I stood paralyzed with shock, staring at Collin's body. His eyes were now glossed over as the blood slowly drained from his body. I was frozen, still holding the b.l.o.o.d.y dagger in my right hand.

"Nicely done, la.s.s," Devon said as he gathered me in his arms and crushed me against him. He wrenched the b.l.o.o.d.y dagger from my hand and cast it on the ground. He pulled me away from the warmth of his chest and held me at arms length, taking stock of my injuries. He tilted my chin from side to side, and examined the rope burn on my neck.

My face was bloodied and bruised from Collin's attack, and my hair fell in tangled ma.s.ses about my shoulders. Without speaking, Devon again crushed me to his chest and I felt him place a kiss atop my head. I was consumed with shock, and couldn't find the words to speak.

The contrast between being Collin's prisoner and now being safe in Devon's arms was vast. A sob escaped from my throat. I didn't recognize the sound as my own. The safety of Devon's arms brought the situation cras.h.i.+ng down on me and I promptly lost my composure and allowed myself to fall apart. I had killed a man. Not just any man. I had killed my husband's brother, the Laird of Clan McClain.

Devon held me solidly in his arms, smoothing my hair and making shus.h.i.+ng noises against the top of my head.

"Hush, love," he whispered over and over. His breathing was labored and he shook with the emotion of the situation. He waited for the initial shock of the situation to pa.s.s, allowing me to process the fact that we were both now safe, if only for the moment. He drew me slowly away from him and wiped my tears away with his thumbs as he cupped my face in his hands. His green eyes were intense, questioning as his gaze loomed down on me, trying to figure out if I was going to be alright.

He smiled slightly, "Ye did well, Kate. Yer a braw la.s.s. Made me right proud." Devon placed a chaste kiss on my lips, and said, "We need tae go now, I canna bear tae stay here for another minute." He held my hand and dragged me towards the large sorrel stallion, hoisting me with him into the saddle.

He settled me on his lap and wrapped his dirty cloak around me. The smell of his cloak caused me to lose my last shred of composure. It smelled of horse, dirt, and Devon, the man that I loved. The man that had been willing to give his life for mine. Fresh tears burned my cheeks, as the emotions boiled forth.

As he kicked Stanley into motion, without a second look at the scene left behind us, I shouted out, "Wait! You're not just planning to leave them there are you?"

"d.a.m.n right, I am. Let this be a lesson to anyone that tries to separate us again. I want the message sent loud and clear that I doona take kindly tae my wife being endangered. Doona give my brother a second thought, Kate. This is what he asked for when he took ye from me."

Devon cradled my face with his hand, gently pressing my head against his solid chest. "Ye've been a braw la.s.s today," he said, and I knew that a slight smile spread across his face. "It's alright to cry, love," he soothed me as he stroked my matted hair. "Rest now, I'll keep ye safe. Rest, Kate."

"Aren't you going the wrong direction?" I asked, suddenly confused that Devon was going in the same direction that his brother had been taking me.

"No, la.s.s. We have a score to settle. I'll not have us living in fear that ye'll be discovered as not being Ms. Berks.h.i.+re. My Da always said that even when the truth hurts it is always the best path to take."

"How much of the truth do you intend to tell them?" I questioned, realizing now that Devon intended to continue the journey to the Berks.h.i.+re family lands.

"Enough," he said firmly. "Enough tae keep ye safe, and enough for them to realize that their daughter was killed. We owe them as much," he said, holding me tightly against him. His words fell silently between us, insinuating that I would need to tell him the truth in order for him to pa.s.s a version of the truth on to the Berks.h.i.+re family.

Silence fell between us and I knew that Devon was thinking about exactly what he would tell the Berks.h.i.+re family. I also believed that the truth was the best path to take, but how could they even fathom the truth? I was certain that Devon would come up with a version of the truth that would meet our needs, yet still give the family a sense of closure about their beloved daughter.

The fact remained that I needed to tell Devon the whole truth so that he had more than just his faith and trust in me to work with. Dreading the thought of explaining my situation to Devon, I closed my eyes and let the rhythmic gait of the horse and the safety of my husband's arms lull me to sleep.

We rode hard, Devon pressed ever onward through the night, intent on reaching the Berks.h.i.+re lands as quickly as humanly possible. When he could go no further, he slowed the horse and dismounted us both. He carried me in his arms, wrapped up securely in the warmth of his plaid. We didn't speak as he carefully set me down and tethered Stanley to a nearby tree.

There was a large rock wall to protect us from the elements, surrounded by the dense growth of trees. I settled myself on the ground, leaning against the rock wall, too tired to move. Devon continued setting up our rudimentary camp, gathering firewood and unrolling the horse's blanket for us to sleep on. Soon, he had a fire crackling and he held out a hand in invitation to me, inviting me to come sit next to him.

Next to him on the blanket was spread out a meager dinner of rolls and cheese, the sight of which made my stomach rumble. I smiled, mentally thanking Jaime for having the forethought to stock Stanley's saddlebags with provisions.

"Hungry?" he chuckled, handing me a roll. I devoured it silently, remembering that I had been without food for quite some time. Devon ate the other roll in silence and handed me the chunk of cheese, which I greedily finished.

He grasped my hand, and looked directly into my eyes, searching, imploring me to tell him the truth. My warrior, so strong and so fierce in battle looked wounded, hurt. I hated myself for doing this to him, for making him look at me this way.

"Who are ye, Kate? I think I deserve to know," he said as a nervous smile flashed across his rugged face.

I gulped, unsure of how to begin. Yes, he deserved to know, but how could I possibly expect him to believe me? I watched the firelight reflect on his dark skin, enhancing his chiseled features in the darkness of the night. His chestnut hair had grown slightly since I had last seen him, and the ends were just starting to curl.

"I'm Kate Elliot. That's the easy part," I forced the words out uneasily.

"So yer name is Kate?" The effect of my lies resounded in the emphasis he placed on the word "is." I knew that my lies had hurt Devon, and I hated myself for not finding a way to tell him the truth sooner.

"Yes, that much is true. The rest, I'm afraid isn't so easy," I said as I met his gaze. "Promise me that you will believe me, Devon." I implored as I looked into his green eyes. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you."

"I promise, Kate. I promise that I will believe ye," he raked his hand through his hair, something he often did when he was unsure of how to proceed with a situation. I wondered what he thought that I would tell him. I wondered if he would ever be able to trust me again.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you sooner. I hated myself for not telling you, but I was so afraid," I cautioned as I stroked his hand, seeking to ease my nervousness. His touch was my anchor and his large calloused hand squeezed mine in encouragement. I took this as an unspoken gesture that he would try to believe the story that I was about to begin, even though he now had no reason to believe that the words I was about to speak would hold any ring of truth.

"I'll do my best," he said, adding a small nervous smile of encouragement. He raked his fingers through his tousled chestnut hair and settled himself into a more comfortable position next to me by the fire. The firelight danced across his features, and I examined him openly, eyes tracing his handsome face, dwelling on his injuries from today, and taking stock of this man who was my husband.

He was so physically strong. Muscles rippled under his linen s.h.i.+rt even as he sat relaxed next to me. His jaw was clenched, eyebrows knit together, and although he was trying to exude an air of calmness, of openness, I could tell from his body language that he was nervous. I noticed that his hair had grown slightly since I had last seen him. It was now long enough that he could tuck the beginnings of loose curls behind his ears. He was perfect and it broke my heart to think that I my lies were the cause of his turmoil.

I wasn't sure how to begin. There really wasn't a way to sugarcoat this unbelievable story. "Remember when I told you about MacAllister?"

A deep groan was the only response that Devon gave.

"Well, everything that I told you about him was the truth, except that I left something important out."

Devon did not speak, did not ask questions. His eyes were cast down at our joined hands, watching his thumb move slowly back and forth across the back of my hand. It was apparent that he was expecting bad news.

"My father loaded me aboard a s.h.i.+p and we were sailing north to carry through with my betrothal to MacAllister. I just couldn't go through with it. I jumped overboard," I said, swallowing hard as I remembered the terror of plunging into the dark Atlantic Ocean.

Devon's eyes flashed up in surprised disbelief. "And ye swam tae sh.o.r.e? Do ye ken how dangerous that was?" he glare was intimidating; he was scolding me for my carelessness.

"Yes, I knew. I actually expected to die when I jumped into the ocean, but somehow I made it to sh.o.r.e. Death was a better alternative than being married to MacAllister."

"Jesus, Kate," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I hope that I never meet yer father, because I we ever do cross paths, I'll kill the insensitive b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"I worried about him for a long time. I worried that he might be looking for me, that he might somehow find me here," I confessed, terror coursing through my veins as I thought about my father and his henchmen.