Simon paled, his mouth going into a firm straight line. “Give yourself up, and I’ll make certain Isla and Camdyn are safe.”
“Ballocks. I’ll just kill ye and never think about ye again.”
“Like the men ye thought ye’d killed?”
Toran reared his fist back and slammed it into Simon’s temple. The jackal’s eyes rolled back in his head, his body going slack.
Mac burst into the barracks. “What the bloody hell?” He glowered down at Toran. “The two of ye have cost us enough time. Shall I put them in a cell, Dirk?”
“Just the unconscious one.”
Mac nodded, and Toran climbed off his cousin, watching as Mac lifted him up and carried him out of the barracks.
Toran wiped the sweat from his brow, still panting, and turned around to face Dirk and Archie. Both of them were looking at him incredulously.
“I intercepted some information,” Toran said. “My uncle was going to ransom the men in the garrison in exchange for myself and my siblings. Simon was only biding his time.”
“And ye didna tell anyone?” Dirk asked.
“Aye. Foolish, I know, but I thought I could handle it myself.”
“In this outfit, we dinna handle things on our own.” Dirk grimaced and looked away.
“Understood. There’s no point in arguing the matter. The fact is if Boyd sees me, he’ll be suspicious of ye all. I betrayed him when I saved Archie.”
“Fine. Stay out of sight.” Dirk bared his teeth, and Toran had the distinct feeling the man wanted to tear into his flesh. “Does Jenny know about your past?”
“Some of it.”
“Ye’d best tell her the rest soon, else I’ll be telling her and ye’ll no’ want to deal with my fury on her behalf,” he warned. Rounding on Archie, he asked, “What of ye?”
“Boyd will recognize me since I escaped his prison.”
“Fine, then the both of ye stay hidden. Probably best if ye go into the castle and keep the women safe. We’ll try our damnedest to keep Boyd out. If he makes it far enough to get to you, it’s because he’s stomped on our heads.”
Toran agreed, and Dirk marched out of the barracks with the two of them on his heels. When Dirk headed for the gate, Toran and Archie hurried for the castle.
“Is what ye said true about Simon?” Archie paused just inside the entrance of the castle.
“Aye,” Toran said without hesitation. “I intercepted a missive from Uncle agreeing to terms with Boyd for the exchange. Boyd will get more than he bargained for with Simon added to our ranks, and he wants me dead. So does Uncle because I went behind his back.”
Archie nodded. “But why Isla and Camdyn?”
“That I canna understand.” He shook his head and pressed his fist to the cold stone wall. “Simon has been keeping track of everything I do. I think he’s behind Boyd’s visit today.”
“He could be.”
“God, I wanted to kill him.”
“He’ll get what’s coming to him. Maybe we’ll all forget he’s rotting in a cell.”
“Wishful thinking.”
They made their way up the stairs and paused outside Isla’s door. There was no answer when he knocked, but Jenny’s door jerked open, and her beautiful head popped out, worry creasing her brow.
“What are ye doing in here?” she asked.
“Where is my sister?”
“She’s safe with my mother.”
“Dirk requested we keep ye safe.”
“I dinna need ye to protect me. But my mother and your sister would likely find comfort in your presence.”
He wanted to ask why she wouldn’t find comfort in his presence, but since that night when they’d had their last kiss, they’d been avoiding each other. It’d been nearly two weeks since, each keeping busy with their own tasks, each doing their damnedest to pretend the other didn’t exist. Only she was everything he thought about in the morning when he woke and the very last thought he had before he fell asleep. If he slept at all.
And Toran had done what he did best—keeping an eye on Jenny while she talked with her nonexistent friend, the one who snuck in and out of the castle—and found out exactly when the prince would be arriving, which was now. Charles Stuart was here, on Scottish soil. And at any moment, the woman was going to insist on meeting him, on bringing all of her planning to bear. Och, but he couldn’t blame her. In fact, he admired her for it.
If Simon wasn’t responsible for the dragoons on their doorstep, was this the reason why? They’d not seen even a shadow of a redcoat since