Kidnapped By The Highland Rogue. Terri Brisbin

cause them to take hold of her. If they did, her strength would do nothing against theirs.

      The big man took another step closer and she could not breathe. He blocked her view of everything but his huge chest and meaty hands. Even though the noises around them grew, these two did not go back to their thievery and destruction. Nay, their gazes grew more intense and she feared now for her virtue and her life. When this Anndra nodded over her head at Ratface, she knew her time was at hand.

      The large, strong hands grasping her shoulders now with a steel hold that hurt stopped her from getting away. She struggled against him, but it did no good. When she opened her mouth to scream, Ratface shoved a putrid scrap of cloth in her mouth and pulled her against him.

      ‘Come now, lass. We just need a wee bit of time to show ye how a real man pleasures a woman. Ye will no’ be sorry for it,’ he whispered against her ear, sliding his tongue down her neck and biting her shoulder. Her cry muffled by the cloth seemed to excite them more.

      ‘A real man now, Micheil?’ Anndra laughed and sliced the laces of her gown with one motion. As he reached for the edge of her shift, she began to fight them in earnest. Twisting and pulling against their grasp, Fia tried to escape. The rag in her mouth made it hard to breathe and impossible to cry out. ‘I will show her a real man and ye can watch and learn.’

      The cloth of her shift was no match for his strength and she felt the cool air on her skin as he tore it open down to her waist. She pushed away from him, but that only forced her against the other man. The big one smiled, staring at her naked breasts as they grew taut, and he reached out to touch her. Fia held her breath, offering up a prayer for help. The sound of a sword being drawn behind them gave them pause.

      ‘Why, thank ye, gentlemen,’ someone called out from behind the huge man. ‘Ye found her.’

      Micheil cursed in her ear, a foul string of words she did not truly understand. Anndra turned, but kept her between them.

      ‘Found who?’ he called out.

      ‘That lass ye hiv between ye there.’

      Anndra shifted again and Fia took advantage of him not holding her to drop to her knees and scrabble away. She did not get far before Anndra grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to her feet. It took a moment of absolute silence before she realised that the men gaped at her now. As she tried to clutch the rent edges of her clothing, she finally saw the third man.

      The stranger. He was one of them. Had he been searching for her during the chaos? Confused and in pain, Fia struggled to free herself. The tall man walked closer, sword drawn, and she could not tell if he was friend or foe. He had warned her away, given her a chance to flee ahead of the danger, even if she had not heeded his words. Before any more could be said, a loud and shrill whistle pierced the air and the three all canted their heads at it.

      ‘Weel, then,’ the stranger said. ‘’Tis time to move on.’

      ‘’Twill take only a minute or two,’ Anndra said, pulling her closer.

      ‘She is mine,’ Micheil said, tugging her to himself.

      Fia managed to pull the gag from her mouth in the struggle and fought in earnest against them. Using a trick she’d learned from the boys in the village, she knocked her head back into Micheil’s face, aiming for his rat-like, narrow nose. His howl of pain was satisfying, for a moment, until Anndra turned to grab her.

      ‘Nay,’ the stranger said, walking closer and holding his sword up. ‘Lundie said I get my pick this time. And I picked her.’

      Now he reached out and took her arm, pulling her away from the others. From their expressions, it would not be that simple. The stranger stared at her even while he spoke to the men.

      ‘Lundie? Did ye no’ give me my choice?’

      ‘Aye.’ A man she’d not seen before walked his horse forward from the shadows. ‘If ye want to waste it on a piece of tail, fine though she may be, go on wi’ ye then.’

      Lundie looked at the other men and nodded, ordering them away. When they’d taken off running, he looked at the stranger and then tilted his head in her direction.

      ‘Ye ken the problems it’ll cause, dinna ye?’ Then, this Lundie let his gaze move over her from her feet to her head, pausing at her belly and her breasts. She tugged the edges of torn cloth closer to cover her flesh. ‘’Twould be easier if ye just took her now and were done wi’ her.’

      The stranger walked up to her, lifting her chin even as she trembled. For some reason, she suspected any dirty fighting moves would be familiar to him. He’d wanted her away before and mayhap he would allow it now?

      ‘Oh, I will take her,’ he whispered just before his mouth touched her and told her the answer without words.

      Fia was not prepared for the onslaught of sensations caused by this man’s kiss. Oh, it was nothing like any kiss she’d received before. Those had been innocent. Those had been hesitant. This, this was searing and possessive. It was not long before she realised he had no plans to let her go.

      He slid his hand into her hair, tangling his fingers in it and holding her mouth to his. Pressing with his tongue, he sought an opening and soon found it when she tried to speak. For a moment, just the slightest bit of time passing, she forgot her situation. She forgot herself and could only feel the growing heat pulsing through her.

      For a moment. Then everything crashed down on her as she remembered. So, she bit him. He yelled but he pulled himself away as she’d wanted him to do.

      ‘Damn ye!’ he said, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

      ‘A problem, I tell ye,’ Lundie called out. Another whistle made them both look towards the keep. ‘Take her or leave her, but do it now. We ride!’ Lundie turned his horse and rode off.

      ‘I pray you, please let me go,’ she said, trying to step away from him. ‘My friend needs help there.’ She nodded to where Anice yet lay unconscious.

      Without waiting for his reply, she slowly backed away and moved towards Anice. The sounds of the fighting were less but now the clamour rose in the direction of the keep. Warriors were coming.

      ‘Go. Now. Away from here,’ she said, knowing those words had been his own to her. She ran towards Anice only to be caught by the large man called Anndra who’d returned unnoticed. He wrapped his beefy arm around her waist and spun her to face the other man.

      ‘If ye keep losing her, I think I wi’ keep her for meself.’

      Any thought that she would be released fled as the stranger strode across the clearing. His gaze was hard now with no sign of the desire that she’d seen there before. And no sign of relenting and letting her go.

      ‘This is the way ye do it,’ Anndra said quietly behind her.

      Before she could turn around, her head exploded in pain and the whole village around her went black.

      * * *

      Niall cursed under his breath as the lass crumpled under the blow. Anndra held on to her and smiled grimly at him. Niall ran to his horse and mounted, riding to the two and reaching down to grab her and pull her over his legs.

      As another whistle sounded, he understood there was little time left to do anything but get away. Taking her or leaving her was no longer a choice he could make, so he turned his horse and rode off to the west. He, Anndra and Lundie followed one path that would lead them across a stream, destroying their scent and their trail.

      He tried to ignore the woman in his lap. Niall had to hold her in place there so she would not slip off. Riding with her dead weight was difficult but had to be done. From the feel of her body, she was alive though not awake. His true trouble would begin when she woke.

      Lundie had said this would cause problems? Oh, aye, it already had and would continue to do so until he found a way to get rid of her. One woman in a gang of men was not a good thing. A glance at Anndra and he knew claim of her being his prize would