Page 121 of Love Me Forever

She surprised herself with her answer. “You have never given me a choice before, Arran. Why should this time be any different?”

Moira did not hide her grin.

Delia choked getting the words out. “You tell the bastard!”

Arran turned his fury on Delia. “I have no trouble cutting your throat, old woman.”

Brianna stepped forward. “But I have trouble with it. Let her be.”

“You think to give me orders.” He raised his hand to her.

Brianna stopped herself from cringing as she had often done. “I think you foolish enough to stand here and waste precious time arguing with me.”

Before he could strike her, one of the men spoke.

“She is right. We waste time with this nonsense. Take her and let us be gone from here.”

Arran reached out and grabbed Brianna by the arm. “You have forgotten about obedience. I will remind you.”

He shoved her toward the door.

She turned and looked to Moira. ‘Tell Royce I love him.”

Her words infuriated Arran, and he grabbed her by the back of her hair and pushed her out the door but not before saying to Moira, ‘Tell Royce she belongs to me, and he will pay a dear price to own her.”

CHAPTER32

An uproar rose throughout the keep as news spread of Brianna’s abduction, but it was the thundering roar that caused all to shiver and cross themselves, for the leader of the clan’s fury had been unleashed, and the devil himself could not match his wrath.

Several guards had been injured, one seriously, and Delia sustained a minor cut to her throat, her assailant hasty in his departure and not caring where his knife touched. Moira suffered no injuries, though she felt foolish for not being more aware of the obvious.

“When Delia did not return immediately, I should have whisked Brianna right out of there.” Moira paced in front of the large fireplace in the great hall. She was chilled and stopped often to warm her hands.

Ian kept a constant eye on her. He knew she was not shivering from the cold, for the hall was warm; her chill was caused by her ordeal, and while he wanted to hug her to him, he realized she needed to walk off her agitation and concern.

Delia, with a bandage wrapped around her neck, brought Moira a hot cider.

“I told you to rest,” Royce said.

“I am rested and intend to do what must be done” —Delia paused, and tears filled her eyes— “as will you do so that she is returned to us safely.” Delia left the hall, wiping at her fading tears.

Royce looked at Moira. ‘Tell me what you have not.”

“You are observant,” she said and moved to stand beside her husband. Ian slipped his arm around her waist.

Royce waited. He had learned the power of patience when in battle. Sometimes it was better not to charge ahead but to first learn your opponent’s

intentions, and then a wiser choice of tactics could be determined.

Moira took a sip of cider and inched closer to her husband. “Arran told me to tell you that Brianna belonged to him and that you would pay a dear price to” —Moira paused, knowing the words would affect him and Ian— “own her.”

Ian spoke up. “He thinks to sell my sister to Royce?”

“Did he not always think of her as his property?” Royce asked, not as upset as expected. “He treats her as he always did, and that will be his mistake.”

“Aye, you are right,” Moira agreed. “Brianna is not who she once was. She spoke up to him when he raised his hand to her, and he did not like it.”

Royce looked ready to kill. “He raised his hand to her here in her own home?” The thought drove him to the edge of rage. He had promised Brianna that he would protect her. He had given her his word, and here she was threatened in her own home and then abducted when he had repeatedly assured her it would not happen.