Page 104 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander

“I’ve got ye. He’s dead. Ye can see him right there. He will never touch ye or Orella ever again.”

“Orella…” Morgana glanced around the room, concern and panic flashing through her eyes.

“She’s on her way back to the castle. She’s with Nathan and Felix,” Ryder explained as Ronnie shook off the daze from his feeble rescue attempt.

“Did we win?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head. “Morgana, ye’re safe. This is fantastic.”

“How is this fantastic? Feya is still missin’,” Morgana pointed out.

Ryder shook his head as he flashed her a huge grin.

“What?”

“Yer sister is at the castle,” he explained. “She’s the reason we came lookin’ for ye. What do ye say we get back?”

Morgana glanced at Cohen’s lifeless body. She quivered as Ryder escorted her out of the cottage. The rain pelted the awning of the porch, but it wasn’t as violent. There was a tenderness about it that reminded her of spring.

“Are we just goin’ to leave him there?” she asked as Ryder untied the horse from the post and brought it over. “Even after everythin’, he doesnae deserve a shallow grave. People need to ken that it was him who had caused so much strife and disorder. I’ll bet ye now that the rumors about ye will stop.”

“Well, I wouldnae go that far,” Ryder said as he helped her into the saddle. “Although it would be nice nae to have to look over my shoulder every second of every day.”

Silence fell over them as Morgana shifted in the saddle. Ryder could feel the weight of the moment as he turned his horse around and led them away from the cottage.

He let the horse settle into a slow pace. The longer it took them to get back, the longer he could stay in a bubble of comfort, knowing his wife was alive and right there with him. He didn’t care if it rained the entire time. As long as she was with him, that was all that mattered.

“What are ye thinkin’?” he asked.

“This mornin’, it felt like ye were givin’ me the cold shoulder. Like ye were mad at me,” Morgana mumbled.

“It doesnae matter,” Ryder said. “The minute I kenned ye were in danger, I dropped everythin’ to get to ye.”

“Why?” Morgana asked.

Ryder wrapped his arms around her to cocoon her in his warmth. “Because I love ye, that’s why. And I realized I just cannae breathe without ye.”

36

“Is that right?” Morgana’s heart lurched.

How could three little words steal the very breath from her?

With her heart pounding relentlessly against her ribs, she tried not to let her nerves get the better of her.

“Aye, it is, and there’s nothin’ ye can do about it, except accepting it.”

Ryder’s words coaxed a smile from her.

“Well, if ye leave me nay other option.”

“That’s right, ye have nay say in the matter,” Ryder insisted, his playful tone making her heart swell further.

She was grateful to be sitting in the front, for he wouldn’t be able to see her smile.

“Then I guess there’s only one reasonable response,” she said, testing the words on the tip of her tongue.

She couldn’t believe how sweet those three words were. They were like honey dripping and oozing off her.

“About time ye be reasonable,” Ryder snorted. “But go on, I’m listenin’.”