The Highlander's Destiny (Highland Rogues #2) - Mary Wine Page 0,46

it. He rose from the chair with a growl. “Get yer hands off me, wife, Faolan.”

“With pleasure,” Faolan muttered softly. He looked directly at Noreen as he spoke, and no one in the room missed the personal message he was sending Noreen.

Malcolm chuckled. It wasn’t a happy sound either, but one full of malice. “Noreen is a fickle jade, isn’t she, brother?” The McKay laird walked closer to Faolan. Malcolm’s lips parted to show a flash of his teeth. He looked at Noreen. “A true bitch.”

Noreen snarled before moving away from the men.

“However,” Malcolm raised a finger into the air, “Noreen is very good at making the most profit out of every situation. She is a blue-blooded mare. Bred from the finest stock and raised to run an estate. Those are the reasons why I stole her from ye, brother.”

“And the reasons I thank ye for exposing just how callous her nature is before I made the mistake of wedding her,” Faolan replied.

Cora bit her lip as the sting of jealousy went through her. He’d actually wanted Noreen and couldn’t wait to send Cora on her way?

Malcolm shook his head. “Ye lack ambition, Faolan.”

“I disagree, brother,” Faolan said. “What I lack is the will to darken me soul with underhanded dealings.”

Malcolm opened his arms up wide. “Business is always about strategy. Life has winners and losers.”

The McKay laird turned his attention toward Cora. Green glistened in his eyes, and he actually licked his lips before Faolan shifted so that he was between them. Malcolm’s expression tightened.

“Ye are a damned fool, Faolan, for no’ consummating the union last night. Not only is her dowry likely to be sizable, but the lass herself is a prize indeed. The very fact that she is Laird Mackenzie’s only sister is worth the effort of bedding her. But the package she comes in would make it a pleasure to spread her thighs even in the bright light of day.”

“She is not yer prize,” Faolan growled.

Malcolm opened his arms wide and backed away from his brother. “It would seem the clean sheet on yer bed this morning claims she is not yers either.” Malcolm reached up and rubbed his chin. “Not that I plan to quibble with ye over that matter. I can see to filling her belly meself.”

“Ye’ll keep yer hands off her.”

There was venom in his tone. Cora reached for his arm to hold him back. Faolan turned to shoot her a hard look. Their gazes met, but there was a blur of motion that made them both turn back toward Malcolm.

“Ye unfaithful dog!” Noreen screamed as she charged at her husband with a dagger held high above her head.

Malcolm’s attention had been on Faolan. He’d never anticipated the need to keep watch over his wife. The error in judgment was fatal. Noreen crashed into Malcolm as he stumbled sideways. The long blade plunged into his neck. Blood spurted out as Malcolm screamed in pain. The force that Noreen had attacked with sent them both toward the open window. Malcolm cried out again as he tumbled right out. At the last moment, he grabbed a handful of Noreen’s hair and pulled her with him.

Faolan lunged at them, his hands grasping for a hold. He caught a handful of Noreen’s silk skirt but still skidded the last step to the window. Cora was knocked aside as the Retainers, who had been outside the door, came to their laird’s defense. Faolan was leaning out of the window, trying to pull Noreen back up.

One of the McKay Retainers didn’t stop to take in any details. The man pulled a dagger and slashed at Faolan. Cora lunged forward, shoving the man to the side with every bit of strength she had. He snarled, but they landed in a heap on the floor.

“Help me pull them back up!” Faolan growled.

The second Retainer took in the scene a bit faster. He went toward the window, recognizing the bright splash of color that was twisted in Faolan’s hands was, in fact, Noreen’s skirt. He was straining to hold her weight.

“It’s murder if ye drop me, brother!”

Malcolm’s voice came through the open window. From below in the yard, someone screamed. Cora took it all in as she scrambled to get up. The Retainer she’d knocked aside shoved her off of him so he could go to his laird’s rescue.

But the delicate silk wasn’t up to the challenge of supporting two people’s weight. There was a sound of cloth ripping. The McKay Retainer