was handsome with thick locks of blond hair and dark eyes, but he wore the same cruel expression as Seth. She knew that whatever he said next would not be in her best interest. “She’s supposed to be mine, and I want her. Let me have her.”
“And lose my clan?” Seth snapped. “Must I kill you too, Innes?”
“Innes?” Cora gasped. Her stomach turned, and she felt ill. “God.”
“Yer clan has no idea who she is. We’ll imprison her, and when we’ve taken care of my brother and I’m laird, ye’ll give her to me.”
Seth snorted. “Ye want to marry her? Ye just met her.”
“Look at her,” Innes urged. “Ye’ll not find anyone more bonnie in either of our clans. I want her.”
“Ye can have her right now. Ye don’t have to marry her to slake yer lust. Have at it. We have time.”
Swallowing hard, she jutted out her chin and met his gaze. She would not whimper or beg for mercy. She would not show fear. Innes sneered and reached down to stroke her cheek. “I want more than to bed her for the night. She isn’t just a beauty. She has the potential to be a wild ride. I want to break her. I want her to carry my name, to wither under my control.”
Cora felt like a piece of meat between two wolves. It took all her strength not to be sick right then and there. “She’s a witness. I can’t let her live,” Seth argued.
“I’m sure we can keep her in line. There must be something she cares about.”
Cora’s eyes widened as she thought of the Thistles. Lana. Dear God, she had to protect them! Seth watched her reaction and grinned.
“Verra well, but ye will have to find a replacement for her body. Cora Isles must die tonight.”
Her would-be husband grabbed her, and this time, she did lose it. In the face of her future, she leaned forward and vomited on him.
Howling in rage, he struck her hard, and she knew nothing else.
1
Six Months Later
* * *
The afternoon sky was clear as the sun touched everything as far as the eye could see. Alec Sinclair and his warriors waited patiently behind the ridge to the MacKay lands as their scouts rode forward to see if Seth MacKay was wise of their plans.
“Ye look stiff, Connor,” Alec teased with a wry smile. His older brother shot him a cold look.
“This is an important day for ye, Alec,” Connor snapped. “Ye should take it more seriously.”
“Aye, I do. But I also know that Seth MacKay, even when he’s sober, is no match for us. If he’s smart, he’ll step down. If not, he’ll die,” Alec said simply. He patted the pouch around his waist as if to ensure that it was actually there and it wasn’t just a dream.
Connor Sinclair, as the oldest son, had been groomed to be laird of the Sinclair lands since birth. When their father died, Connor stepped easily into his new position, and Alec took over training the men. Everything was fine. As the younger brother, he had more freedom. He was still heir, but Connor would marry soon and produce a son. Other than his loyalty to the Sinclairs, Alec had no real responsibilities. He didn’t even realize that he was unhappy until the letter came for him.
It was no secret that Seth MacKay was rapidly ruining his clan. Word had somehow reached King Edward of the real damage Seth was doing, and Edward stepped in. Seth was to step down as laird and Alec Sinclair take his place.
Taking over another clan simply wasn’t done. Alec knew that the job wouldn’t be easy. The MacKays would no doubt balk at having a Sinclair as their leader. He would have to take them in hand, retrain their men, and rebuild their strength all while dealing with a clan that didn’t want him. This moment, with his brother, might be the last chance he had to feel at ease for a long while.
“Connor, ye should have taken my offer to bed Dolly,” his friend Shane said as he clapped him on his back. “Perhaps ye wouldn’t feel too uptight.”
“Her name is Ginny, and I should have taken you up on it if only to make sure that she had a good time last night,” Connor snorted.
Alec roared with laughter and even his brother finally smiled. It was rare to see Connor so relaxed. Although the Sinclair clan was in good shape, the responsibility weighed heavily