Cowboys and Highlanders Read Free

relatives for Michael MacGregor. She found no mention of the Amelia's sinking. Instead, a ten thousand pound reward for information leading to the whereabouts of her body was printed in the announcements section.
    Reward? Bounty is what it was.
    The advertisement gave the appearance that Price was living up to his obligations as President of Landen Shipping. But she knew he intended she reach Boston dead—and reach Boston she would, for without her body, he would have to wait five years before taking control of her fifty-one percent of Landen Shipping. She intended to slip the noose over his head first.
    Elise caught sight of her trembling fingers, and her stomach heaved with the memory of Amelia's body sliding noiselessly from the ship into the ocean. She choked back despair. If she had suspected that Robert had been poisoning her daughter even a few months earlier—
    "Flowers!"
    Elise jerked at Bonnie's squeal. The girl stood with a handful of flowers extended toward her. Elise brushed her fingers across the white petals of the stitchwort and the lavender butterwort. She was a fool to involve herself with the people here, but when Shamus was murdered she been unable to remain withdrawn.
    "Riders," Tavis said.
    Elise tensed. "Where?"
    "There." Tavis pointed into the trees.
    She leaned forward and traced the line of his arm with her gaze. A horse's rump slipped out of sight into the denser forest. Goose bumps raced across her arms.
    Elise straightened and yanked Bonnie into her arms "It will be dark soon—" Tavis faced her and she stopped short when his gaze focused on something behind her.
    Elise looked over her shoulder. Half a dozen riders emerged from the forest across the meadow. She started. Good Lord, what had possessed her to leave Brahan Seer without a pistol? She was as big a fool as Tavis and without the excuse of youth. She slid Bonnie to the ground as the warriors approached. They halted fifteen feet away. Elise edged Bonnie behind her when one of the men urged his horse closer. Her pulse jumped. Was it possible to become accustomed to the size of these Highland men?
    She flushed at the spectacle of his open shirt but couldn't stop her gaze from sliding along the velvety dark hair that trailed downward and tapered off behind a white lawn shirt negligently tucked into his kilt. The large sword strapped to his hip broke the fascination.
    How many had perished at the point of that weapon?
    The hard muscles of his chest and arms gave evidence—many.
    The man directed a clipped sentence in Gaelic to Tavis. The boy started past her, but she caught his arm. The men wore the red and green plaide of her benefactors the MacGregors, but were strangers.
    "What do you want?" She cursed the curt demand that had bypassed good sense in favor of a willing tongue.
    Except for a flicker of surprise across the man's face, he sat unmoving.
    Elise winced inwardly, remembering her American accent, but said in a clear voice, "I asked what you want."
    Leather groaned when he leaned forward on his saddle. He shifted the reins to the hand resting in casual indolence on his leg and replied in English, "I asked the boy why he is unarmed outside the castle with two females."
    Caught off guard by the deep vibrancy of his soft burr, her heart skipped a beat. "We don't need weapons on MacGregor land." She kept her tone unhurried.
    "The MacGregor's reach extends as far as the solitude of this glen?" he asked.
    "We are only fifteen minutes from the village," she said. "But his reach is well beyond this place."
    "He is great, indeed," the warrior said.
    "You know him?"
    "I do."
    She lifted Bonnie. "Then you know he would wreak vengeance on any who dared harm his own."
    "Aye," the man answered. "The MacGregor would hunt them down like dogs. Only," he paused, "how would he know who to hunt?"
    She gave him a disgusted look. "I tracked these children. You think he cannot track you?"
    "A fine point," he agreed.
    "Good." She took a step forward. "Now,