Leaned up against the tree, with her arms behind, she forced her face to stay lax while she softly worked the ropes. Pain was stinging her hands, but she kept working. She heard Cooper stomping around but aside from him, she heard the rush of water. They had neared the river.
If she dared wake up—she was dead. She briefly wondered if Cooper needed her awake to kill her or if he needed Lachlan’s help. If the latter, he was bound to come back soon and then she might be overpowered.
Her right hand slipped from the rope’s tie, and she dared to open her eyes to slits and looked around. Cooper was at the edge of what she assumed was the river. She slipped the other hand from the tie and leaned forward to untie her feet.
Fear was clogging her throat as her fingers plucked at the ropes. In her fright, her fingers slipped. She made a mistake looking down and then she heard Cooper snarl, “Yer awake!”
She jerked up and panic rammed itself in her throat and she froze. Cooper pushed her back and looked at her with his cold eyes, “Listen here, woman, I’m inclined the mercy of letting ye choose how ye will die. There are two options. Slow or quick, ye can drown in the river over yonder which be long and agonizing, or I’ll slit yer throat which will be quick. Either way, I must do what is asked of me and remove ye.”
Mary had heard some muttering about Lady Lenichton but she needed to be clear, “W…Who asked ye to remove me?”
“The Lady of the house,” Cooper said, “She was the one who told me to take a hand over the town when the boy couldnae do it. She was the one who put all the responsibilities in me hand when her husband dropped his. Lady Lenichton might look weak but she is more powerful than ye ken. So, I’ll ask again, choose how ye will die.”
Her answer was her lurching away from Cooper. He grabbed after her and she fought him off, but her strength, heightened from this panic, was nothing compared to his.
He grabbed her foot and she lashed out, kicking with both feet. He grabbed her again and boxed her right across the face. “Ye little bitch.”
Just before she fell to the ground, she spotted a stout branch, lunged for it, grabbed it and made a desperate swing for Cooper. It clocked him right on his temple and he stumbled. She sat up and knocked his knee too, and this time he sunk to the ground on one knee. Mary got to her feet and swung the branch again, this time landing it on his arm, clocking his shoulder.
He snarled and reached out to grab the branch. Yanking it from her hands he grabbed her and pushed her up against a tree. “Now I ken why Me Lady dinnae want ye here. She kent ye would be trouble and ye are! I’m going to take such pleasure in removing ye.”
With one hand, he circled her neck and hefted her body against the tree. The bark tore her clothes and her legs dangled. With the other, he covered her mouth, and her lungs were burning. Mary was getting frantic and her urge to live overcame her fear. She was not going to give up without a fight. Mary bit down, sinking her teeth into Cooper’s flesh so hard that she tasted blood.
Cooper yanked his hand away but came back up with a dagger in his hand, “I was going to give ye the chance once more, go back to England or die right here.”
“I swear on me life, if ye want yers, leave her be,” Leith’s livid voice cut through the air.
Both she and Cooper’s head snapped to the side where Leith was advancing with his sword out. “Let her go, Cooper, I’ve had enough of yer machinations. Let her go or I’ll run ye through where ye stand.”
Cooper pressed the dagger against Mary’s neck. “Ye are blind, boy, this woman is nay good for ye. Ye ken anyone who will accept ye and this Sassenach woman as their Laird and Lady? I have nay intention of setting her free, and it’s for yer own good. Lay down your sword and let me do right by ye.”
“Ye killing the woman I love is miles away from doing right by me,” Leith swore. “If ye dinnae let her go, I’ll have to cut ye down like I did Lachlan for poisoning me Faither. I followed the trail ye two left in the mud and came across him. He admitted that ye roped him into taking Mary. I cut him down before I even asked what he had to gain from poisoning me Faither, which I now regret.”
Mary gasped. “You…killed him!”
“I did,” Leith said as his eyes flicked to her. “Nay one harms ye and I’ll have nay problem doing the same to ye, Cooper,” Leith added. “If ye want to fight on even footing…” Leith dropped his sword and yanked a dagger from his boot, “I’ll do the same.”
Cooper did not move but Mary met Leith's eyes and held his gaze as a plan formed in her mind. With Cooper’s gaze on Leith’s, she mouthed “Now!” to him just as she slid sideways from Cooper’s knife. The blade cut her skin but it was not deep and she fell to the ground as Leith rushed in.
Cooper surged forward, closing the distance between himself and Leith; his dagger raised and ready for the fight. On the ground Mary’s eyes widened in shock at the two of them fought, weaving in and out, daggers flashing so furiously she had a hard time keep track of who was wielding which.
She counted no less than five close calls where Leith was nearly gutted and fear tightened her lungs so she could not scream. When Cooper’s blade slashed Leith’s
