Page 18 of Taken by the Ruthless Highlander (Taken by Highland Devils #6)

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“A nd when should I draw the line for people disrespectin’ me?” Ryder sighed in frustration. “There are consequences for every action that happens under the heavens. The Almighty has rules, and so have I. Rules that everyone thinks are suggestions .”

“Nay one is disrespectin’ ye. If ye would just give yer people a chance and maybe warm up to them a bit, they might nae find ye so intimidating.”

“Comin’ from the lass everyone thinks killed the previous Laird. And how is yer dance card? Full?”

Morgana huffed a breath. For the life of her, she could not fathom the tension between the two men. It wasn’t like Cohen would do anything with her. He was married to Orella, for crying out loud.

“I just dinnae understand what ye have against Cohen,” she said. “He came out to get some fresh air and saw us. There’s nay harm in bein’ friendly.”

“The man is overly friendly,” Ryder pointed out, his eyes flashing.

Morgana rolled her eyes and shook her head. He just could not see that he was being overly controlling .

She couldn’t help but smirk at his logic.

“And I’m sure there are some who would say that ye are overly controlling,” she countered.

Ryder took a step closer, towering over her.

She gasped. How could she have forgotten how tall he was?

Tingles raced down her spine and limbs as the tension between them sparked like flint.

“Ye can be a bit of a menace when ye want to be.”

“If I get under that man’s skin in any way, then I consider it a victory,” Ryder said with a smirk that she couldn’t quite understand.

While his tone was playful, a hint of bitterness still tainted his words.

“Is that seriously what this is all about? We’re married, he is married. Or has that fact slipped yer mind? Cohen is a loyal friend. He was there when I needed him the most. He stood up for me and was the only person in the whole clan who believed I was innocent.”

“As brave and as tough as ye are, ye couldnae have killed my faither,” Ryder said as he reached up and brushed a twig from her hair. “The man may have been frail, but I doubt ye’ve ever had to move a body. Once death takes them, they harden like granite.”

Confusion rippled through Morgana as her heart skipped a beat. Although the tension in the room was like a mist coming off the ocean, it was still there, lingering in the back of her mind.

“How… how do ye ken such a thing?” she whispered.

Ryder arched an eyebrow as he stepped around her.

“I found it out when my faither killed my maither,” he confessed in such a hushed tone that Morgana wondered if she had misheard.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Have ye nae wondered why I never cared about the rumors hoverin’ over ye like a blade? The same rumors hang over my neck. I was six when I walked into my parents’ chambers. What I came upon wasnae pretty. My maither was already in tears, beggin’ my faither to calm down. Things were thrown.” Ryder instinctively touched his chin. “My beard covers the scar made by the lamp my faither threw at me when I asked what was wrong.”

“Oh Lord,” Morgana gasped, lifting a hand and pressing it to his chest.

The feel of his thrumming heartbeat beneath her hand thrilled her. She tried to keep her thoughts on the here and now, but the idea of Ryder caressing the length of her neck was too distracting.

“I’m so sorry ye ever had to go through somethin’ like that.”

“That wasnae the worst of it,” he sighed. His voice was tinged with a somber sorrow that Morgana knew all too well. It was the sound of a broken heart, the death rattle of a loved one. “But why bother ye with tales of sorrow and woe?”

“Ryder, I am sorry, truly,” Morgana whispered as her other hand reached for his.

Ryder’s eyes softened with a warmth she had not expected. For the first time since their wedding, she felt as if she was seeing the real man beneath the hardened facade.

“Morgana! Ryder!” Ronnie’s voice suddenly thundered through the garden, disturbing the birds taking shelter in the underbrush. He skidded to a halt before his sister, nearly toppling over from exhaustion.

“Ronnie? What on earth?” Morgana gasped.

It did not escape her notice that Ryder had stepped away from her. Despite the gap between them only being a few inches, it felt like a gorge she could never cross.

“Tormod,” Ronnie gasped out. “Requestin’ assistance with the search for Feya.”

“Nay,” Morgana said. Panic shot through her like a comet blazing across the darkened sky.

“What?” Ronnie asked.

“I ken that look. Ye want to go, but ye cannae,” Morgana blurted. She glanced at Ryder, hoping he’d defend her stance on the matter.

Ryder rolled his shoulders back and cleared his throat. “Perhaps this is a matter best left to yer sister.”

“I’m brave enough, and I can handle a blade just fine. I’ve been practicin’. Ye cannae tell me that I cannae go lookin’ for my sister,” Ronnie protested, his eyes flashing with anger.

“It’s nae about that, lad.” Ryder placed a hand on his shoulder. “Think of yer sister. Do ye have any idea how worried she’d be? Now, are ye sure ye want to be the cause for yer sister worryin’ herself sick? Because ye ken she would do it.”

Ronnie’s eyes flicked from Ryder to Morgana and back again, before he let out a defeated sigh. “Ye’ll never see me as anythin’ but a lad, will ye?”

His words pierced Morgana’s heart as if they were a spear made for a boar. She stepped back, her shoulders slumping.

“Go,” she mumbled, not sure if she was ready to release the word or her brother. “Feya is just as much yer sister as she is mine. I cannae force ye to stay. If ye say ye can take care of yerself, then ye can. Ye’re of age. Just, please, be careful.”

The sorrow and self-doubt vanished from Ronnie’s face and demeanor. It was as if she had just given the boy all the armor he would ever need to face the path ahead of him.

“I’ll find her,” he vowed.

Then, he bowed to her, turned on his heels, and bolted to the stables.

“Dinnae look at me like that,” Morgana grumbled as she caught Ryder staring at her out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the judgment rolling off him like heat from a fire.

“Do ye have any idea what ye just gave that boy?” he asked as she started for the castle. “Ye gave him confidence. I’ve never seen someone transform so dramatically.”

Morgana shrugged. “Ronnie has always been eager for adventure. But I recognized the look in his eyes. He would have run off after them. Best to give permission rather than stir contempt.”

“Ye never told me ye were a wise sage,” Ryder teased.

Morgana glanced over her shoulder, stealing one more glimpse of the stables. Ronnie would ride out any minute, charging off into the great unknown. Although Tormod and Felix would be with him, she couldn’t shake her worry.

Would any of them come back to her? Would they find Feya? Or was this just another wild goose chase?

Question after question raced through her mind as her stomach twisted into knots.

“Do ye want me to ride after the lad and bring him back?” Ryder asked as they paused at the door.

It took every ounce of strength for Morgana to shake her head no, despite her worry.

“Nay, that would only make him resent us. Let him go,” she sighed. “I think I just need to stay out here and enjoy the fresh air a bit longer.”

Ryder rested his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Would ye like me to stay with ye?”

Morgana’s heart fluttered. Was he really asking to stay with her longer? Only a few days ago, it seemed he was constantly coming up with excuses to get away.

She swallowed hard as she stared up at him. “If that’s what ye want to do. But I understand if ye have things to do. The life of a laird is very busy, I’m sure.”

“Aye, it can be,” Ryder agreed, his gaze flicking to the trees beyond the gray stone wall surrounding the castle.

Morgana looked up at the horizon. The clouds were white and playful as they drifted through the azure sky and stretched like a blanket over the moors.

“Which is why sometimes, when it becomes overwhelming for me, I go to someplace away from the castle to clear my head. I could show ye this place if ye like?”

Morgana’s heart pounded ruthlessly in her chest as his words sank in. There was no hiding the smile that tickled the corners of her lips. It took every ounce of her strength not to jump up with excitement.

Was Ryder finally letting his guard down? It was shocking and thrilling, but also intimidating. What sort of place did a man like Ryder go to, to relax?

The only image that continued to pop into Morgana’s mind was the training grounds. She envisioned bags of dirt hanging from posts for the men to practice either punching or swordplay. Images of muck and mire skipped along with the stench of horses and hay.

Her face scrunched up as the imaginary stench made her recoil.

“I think I’ll find a book to read, or maybe take a stroll around the castle,” Morgana said, flashing him her best smile.

“Nay, ye’re comin’ with me. And ye can either go willingly, or I’ll toss ye over my shoulder and take ye there myself. It’s yer choice.”

Morgana pursed her lips and glared at him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would grab her like a heathen and whisk her away.

The thought tickled her and stirred her desires and sense of adventure.

“Tick-tock,” Ryder intoned. “I’ll nae stand here waitin’ for yer answer all day.” His eyes narrowed as the tone of his voice shifted from playful to serious.

Morgana pressed a hand to his chest the second he moved to pick her up.

“I’ll go.” She giggled, stepping back.

Ryder’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Aye, I’ve already told ye as much. The question is, will ye put up a fight or nae?”

“Now wait a minute,” Morgana squealed as he snatched her by the waist.

“Nay, time’s up. Ye had yer chance. But trust me,” Ryder said as he carried her to the stables. “Ye’re goin’ to love this.”