My Highland Laird - J.L. Langley Page 0,52

into deep green eyes. Green eyes full of compassion and kindness, instead of the suspicion that normally resided there. It brought back their morning together into sharp focus. The way they’d worked together and Maggie’s interruption. He almost groaned at the thought.

“Wait!” Red jumped to his feet, his entire focus on Patrick. “How do they not know you are here? If they can track you….”

“They can’t track me,” Patrick said with confidence.

“But your dog tag….”

Patrick shook his head. “Has long since been removed and destroyed. And it was destroyed far from here, so if they have my last location, it’s on the other side of Skye.”

Ciaran threw his hands in the air as Bannon sat back down. This was almost like listening to a conversation in a foreign tongue. “I’m confused. What is a dog tag, and why can they track Patrick?”

“They can’t,” Patrick assured him. “The IN implants a device in its soldiers when they enlist that has all the soldier’s information on it. Blood type, place of residence, that sort of thing. They can update it to list a soldier’s rank and vital statistics related to their service.”

“But it can also locate the soldier,” Bannon said.

Patrick nodded. “Which is something we found out when Marcus started digging into their computer system. However, there are no satellites around Skye, so it’s unlikely they tracked me here. But if they did, we took measures to try and throw them off our trail.”

Louisa made a whistling sound. “We just learned this. If we’d had the two of you before now….”

Everyone was quiet for several moments, and then Ciaran decided to get them back on subject. “This is as much my fight as it is yers. These men murdered my father and my clansmen, and I mean tae kill every last one of them.”

Red sucked in a breath. “I am so sorry.”

“Ciaran is right. We will all have to fight. Not only is the IN trying to take over the galaxy, they have killed innocents, and they will just keep on killing until they’ve accomplished their goal.” Patrick’s voice cracked a little, making Ciaran and Red turn toward him.

Marcus leaned closer to Patrick, his hand flexing where it rested on Patrick’s leg, his eyes shiny with moisture. “They killed your father, both our clansmen, and… they killed our son.”

Shock raced through Ciaran. They had a son? Ah, but of course they did. They’d never said, but there had been hints. The care they both gave Ciaran and Ram. The time Douglas and Agnes’s new baby got croup and Patrick knew just what to do. Ciaran would never forget watching the big man with a sword strapped to his back, cradling the tiny infant and rocking him. Babies and small children never made them uncomfortable like they did Ciaran. Ciaran never knew quite what to do or how to act with small children, but Marcus and Patrick did. Like Ciaran’s father and the other warriors with family, they always seemed to have an infinite amount of patience. It all made sense now.

Sharing a look with both men who’d helped raise him, Ciaran gave them a slow nod. Even if the bastards hadn’t killed his father, and even if they weren’t invading his planet and threatening his clan, he’d fight with Marcus and Patrick.

They seemed to understand. Both of them nodded back.

Red squeezed his shoulder, then dropped his hand away as he too realized Ciaran’s conviction.

“Tell me about this admiral. He sounds like a guid place tae start. I need tae ken who we are up against,” Ciaran said.

Marcus looked right at him, but it was Patrick who answered. “He is the fleet admiral for Regelence. It’s not just him, of course. It is all the admirals, or at least the majority of them, and the IN’s representative on the IN Council. For all we know, it could be other members who represent the planets in the IN. The only one I’m positive is not involved is Regelence’s IN Councilman. Assuming the Duke of Eversleigh is still the IN Councilman. I know him, and he’s a good man and loyal to Regelence.”

Red stiffened beside him and sat straighter. “Eversleigh is still Regelence’s IN Councilman.” His voice filled with pride, and he beamed at Patrick and Marcus.

“Oh my galaxy!” Marcus pointed right at Red. “That is where I’ve seen those eyes before. You’re Warren and Pierce’s son.” Marcus chuckled. “Nice to meet you, my lord. Forgive me, but I don’t remember, are you Redding, Eversleigh’s

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