“Who was it?” His jaw tightened. “Hell, I’ll string them up here and now if yer certain.”
She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. She was certain. She recalled them clear as anything now. But would he even believe her after everything she’d threatened his clan with?
“Leana?” he prompted. “Nessa?”
She blew out a breath. “It was yer uncle,” she said in a rush.
He stared at her for a few moments. “Nay,” he said sharply. “Nay, yer wrong.”
“I know it, Tavish. I recognize him. He was the one who set the fire. Mayhap he was the one who poisoned yer father too.”
✽✽✽
TAVISH SHOOK HIS head, a numb sensation spreading through him, making him feel as though he’d been standing in the bitter cold for too long. He believed her. At least he believed she thought she’d seen the man who had set the fire, but Uncle Mac. Nay. It was impossible.
“My uncle has served my father his whole life.”
“I know.”
He dropped his hands from her, twisted away and pushed a hand through his loose hair. “He loves my father.”
“I know what I saw, Tavish.” She put a hand to his shoulder but he dodged her touch and stared, unseeing at the door. “It was him, I swear it.”
“He would have no reason to harm yer clan. We were allies.”
“Mayhap he had more ambition than to be allies,” she suggested.
He shook his head again. How could it be true? As the younger brother to the laird, his uncle had spent years aiding and advising, and defending their clan. He couldn’t imagine him wanting to kill innocent women and children because of some hidden ambition.
Let alone poisoning his father.
“My uncle loves my father.”
“I only know what I saw,” she said softly. “Pray believe me.”
He turned to face her and eased out a breath, then pressed a gentle finger under her chin. “I do believe ye.”
Her anxious expression softened somewhat.
“But I cannae believe my uncle would do such a thing. I believe ye think ye saw the man who did this.”
“I’m no’ a fool, Tavish.” Her expression hardened.
“I dinnae think ye are.”
“Tavish, pray be careful,” she begged. “If he wishes to harm yer father, he could harm ye too.”
“I cannae think that he would wish either of us harm.”
“Will ye at least be cautious around him? Until we know the truth?”
He let his shoulders sag. He couldn’t believe he was having to investigate his own uncle. “Aye, I will. I’ll find the truth.”
“Ye should do it with haste,” she urged. “No wonder he wanted me dead if he thought I could identify him.”
Tavish curled a hand at his side. Whoever had done this had tried to kill the woman he loved. He couldn’t let that go unpunished. Which was all the more reason to find out who had done this. His gut churned. He would have to consider his uncle a suspect, at least until the culprit could be found. He’d be a fool to ignore Leana’s words.
However, he still didn’t believe his uncle would truly stoop to such an act.
“Ye’ll stay here,” he ordered. “I’ll send Maggie to ye right away. Neither of ye are to leave, do ye understand?”
“Aye.”
“I need to ensure the castle is protected. If the person is still here, they’ll want to make sure they’ve finished the job.”
She nodded.
He turned on his heel, but she grabbed his arm, moving in front of him and slinging her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips firmly to his, and for a moment, he let himself get swept up in the feel of her, the taste of her. He kissed her like a man about to be strung up. He kissed her until they were both breathless and he had to gulp down air to maintain control of himself.
“Dinnae ye come to harm, Maclean, ye hear me. I’ll never forgive ye if ye do.”
He smirked. “Ye underestimate me, lass.”
“Dinnae underestimate yer enemies.”
Leana’s hands worked their way up his arms, gripping his shoulders as his lips grazed tenderly across hers again. He felt as if he were in the middle of a tempest as lightening bolted down his spine, causing pinpricks of exhilaration all over his body.
He slanted his mouth across hers, fingers delving into her wild hair, bringing her closer to him until they were flush against one another. The friction of his body touching hers was almost unbearable and she moved against his solidity, making him groan.
Unable to resist, he deepened the kiss.
She moaned against his mouth. It was the undoing of him. He hitched up her skirts and found her wet. He needed to be elsewhere, doing other things, but right now, he needed Leana more than anything.
Tavish released her skirts, gripped her arms and maneuvered her back toward the bed. Her legs struck the edge of the bed and she tumbled back. He came with her, swiftly shoving up her skirts to reveal her. He muttered a curse that he didn’t have more time but Leana didn’t seem to care. She reached for him, pulling him on top of her.
He swiftly shoved the fabric of his plaid aside and plunged deep into her, swallowing her cry with a kiss. He pounded hard into her, utterly lost. Her nails scrabbled across his shirt, pulling and tugging, urging him on.
She cried out his name.
“Nessa,” he groaned when her body clamped around him. He surged into her several more times, hard and fierce, the world of danger and revenge forgotten. His pleasure overtook him and he clenched his jaw hard and gave himself up to it.
Panting, he eased to one side and wrapped her in an embrace. “I must see to my duties,” he managed to mutter.
“Aye, ye must.” She twisted toward him and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “Be cautious, Maclean,” she warned him once more. “I dinnae wish to lose ye.”
“Ye willnae,” he vowed.
Regardless of who the traitor was, he would not let them come between them. Once this
