CHAPTER FIVE
A lexandra’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion and fear; her thoughts scattered like the falling rain that began to pour down upon them. She had never imagined herself here, in this place, facing the very man who had kidnapped her.
Why has he taken me? What does the Laird O'Donnell want?
There was no clear answer, and the uncertainty gnawed at her insides, leaving her with a sick feeling she couldn’t shake.
She looked to Erica, who was with another man, and their guard tied to a horse behind him. Erica had not said a word the entire journey, which worried Alexandra as she knew her maid to be a fragile sort.
Thunder cracked and lightning lit the sky. A storm hit with sudden fury, the sky darkening as the wind howled through the stone walls of the castle.
The rain came down in sheets, soaking them all in moments. Alexandra flinched, her hair plastered to her face, but her thoughts remained sharp, desperate for answers. She glanced at Nicholas, whose face remained stoic, unaffected by the storm, as if this was all just another part of the plan.
“Ye’ve got me here, O'Donnell, so now ye can tell me what ye want,” Alexandra snapped, the anger in her voice rising above the roar of the storm.
“Why did ye bring me to yer castle? What is it ye want with me? Ye cannae just take me and expect me to sit here quiet!” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her frustration bubbling over.
Nicholas stood tall in the rain, his eyes dark with something unreadable. His hands rested on his hips, the wet fabric of his cloak clinging to his broad shoulders. “Ye shouldnae be demandin’ anythin’, lass,” he said in a low growl, his voice barely audible over the storm.
“Ye’re in nay position to be makin’ demands. Yer fate’s in me hands now, and ye’ll do as ye’re told, or ye’ll find yerself regrettin’ it.”
Alexandra’s temper flared at his words, and she took a step toward him, the rain now soaking her completely. “Regret it? I’ll nae be scared into silence by ye, Nicholas Robertson! Ye’ve abducted me, and I deserve answers! What are ye playin’?”
Nicholas leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing, his voice harder now. “I’m nae playin’ lass,” he said, his words sharp. “And if ye think ye can talk back to me, ye’re sorely mistaken. I’ve brought ye here for a reason, one ye already understand so stop with yer lies.”
“I daenae ken what ye mean!” Alexandra shouted, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ye cannae just take me and expect me to sit here like some meek little lamb. I tell nay lies? Why are ye so determined to make me suffer?”
Nicholas stepped closer, his gaze hardening, his voice rough and commanding.
“Ye’ll suffer nay more than ye have to, if ye learn to keep yer tongue in check.
I took ye to keep things from goin’ worse than they might’ve, but that’s a matter ye’ll ken in time.
As for now, ye’ll stay here, and ye’ll do what I say, else ye’ll find yerself in more trouble than ye’ve bargained for. Now tell me where he is!"
The rain beat down on them relentlessly, but neither of them moved. Alexandra’s chest rose and fell with each breath, her heart pounding in her chest. Her frustration was a living, breathing thing inside her, pushing her to challenge him further.
"Who? Where who is? Ye make nay sense!" she shouted.
"Enough! I will take ye inside and ye will answer," he said.
But even as she opened her mouth to retort, she saw the glint of warning in Nicholas’s eyes, and for the first time, something inside her hesitated.
"Take the maid and the guard, Marcus," Nicholas said. "I will take this lass."
"Nay! Erica!" Alexandra shouted.
"Tis all right, mistress. Do as they say," Erica said in return.
Alexandra felt his grip tighten around her arm as he yanked her toward the front door of the castle. Inside, the torchlight flickered on faces as they passed. Alexandra knew these to be servants by the way they were dressed and how they lowered their heads to Nicholas as they passed.
She thought she heard the name Charles in a whisper, but was unsure.
Finally, Nicholas opened a heavy door and heaved her inside with such force she stumbled against a heavy desk and caught her fall with her palms.
The door slammed shut behind them, and Alexandra flinched at the sound. Nicholas led her across the dimly lit room, his grip firm on her arm, before he shoved her into a chair.
She was still in a daze, shock clouding her thoughts, but the anger simmered just beneath the surface. “Sit,” he commanded, his voice cold, as he stepped back to survey her, his eyes never leaving her face.
“I willnae hurt ye as long as ye obey me,” Nicholas said after a moment, his tone softer but still firm. “Nae unless ye make me, that is. But ye will answer me questions, and ye will do so without protest.” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed, as he waited for her to respond.
Alexandra’s mind raced, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak, her body still trembling from the shock of being taken.
“Ye’ll nae get anythin’ from me,” Alexandra muttered, her voice hoarse with a mix of fury and disbelief.
“I’ve nothin’ to tell ye, but even if I had ye wouldnae get it by tauntin’ me.
” She lifted her chin, trying to stand her ground despite the fear creeping through her veins.
“I’ve done nothin’ to ye, so ye’ve no right to hold me here. ”
Nicholas let out a low growl as he stepped closer. “Ye’re a feisty one, aren’t ye?” he said, his voice laced with irritation. He towered over her, his presence imposing as he watched her with a steady, unyielding gaze. “That’ll make this all the more interestin’.”
“Why did ye take me?” Alexandra spat, her voice thick with emotion. “What do ye want from me, O’Donnell? If ye think I’ll be afraid of ye, ye’re sorely mistaken.”
She glared up at him, trying to hide the turmoil swirling inside her. Her pulse raced as she waited for him to answer, though she feared what the truth might be.
Nicholas’s expression hardened, his eyes darkening with a hint of something dangerous.
“Yer brother took somethin’ of mine first,” he said, his voice low and measured, yet it carried an unmistakable weight.
He paced back and forth in front of her, his boots thudding heavily against the stone floor. “And now I’m takin’ somethin’ of his.”
“Me brother took somethin’ of yers?” Alexandra’s confusion deepened, her brow furrowed in disbelief.
“What in the world are ye talkin’ about?
Me brother wouldnae steal from ye—he wouldnae do anythin’ like that.
” She shook her head, her thoughts spiraling as she tried to make sense of his words.
The mention of her brother stirred something in her gut, but she couldn’t fathom what Nicholas meant.
“Daenae play ignorant with me, lass,” Nicholas growled, his eyes narrowing with a sharp intensity. “I ken ye ken what I’m speakin’ of. Yer brother has somethin’ that belongs to me—me son, Charlie.”
The words hit her like a slap, leaving her breathless and dizzy with the weight of them. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out as her mind struggled to catch up with the revelation.
“Me brother has yer son?” Alexandra asked, her voice barely a whisper as the shock and disbelief sank in. “Nay, that cannae be true. He would never do somethin’ like that—he would never hurt anyone, especially nae a child.”
She shook her head again, more violently this time, her hands trembling as they gripped the chair’s armrests.
She couldn’t wrap her mind around it, couldn’t understand how her brother could be involved in something so terrible.
Then again, it was possible her brother didn't tell her everything in an attempt to protect her.
Nicholas watched her closely, his expression unreadable.
“Ye might think yer brother innocent, but I believe ye simply daenae ken his true ways,” he said, his tone now tinged with frustration.
“I’ve waited long enough to get back what’s mine, and I’ll nae let ye stand there denyin’ what ye ken to be true. ”
He leaned closer, his face inches from hers, his breath warm against her cheek. “Now, ye’ll tell me what ye ken, or I’ll make ye regret nae doin’ so.”
She watched as Nicholas moved closer to her, each step deliberate and measured, as if he were stalking his prey. His broad shoulders seemed to fill the room, and his gaze never left her, the intensity in his eyes sharpening with every inch he drew nearer.
Alexandra should’ve felt fear at his approach, but instead, her heart pounded in an entirely different way—unbidden, unwanted. She tried to push the strange pull she felt toward him aside, but it lingered, like an itch she couldn’t scratch, making her stomach twist in confusion.
What is wrong with me? This brute is dangerous. I should be afraid of this man, nae drawn to him.
After all, she was already promised to another to stop a war. But here she was, in the presence of Laird O’Donnell, tied to his every whim, with no clear way out.
She mentally scolded herself—she shouldn’t be fascinated by this brute, especially not after he’d abducted her and thrown her into a world of uncertainty.
Her thought was interrupted as Nicholas stopped just in front of her, his towering form casting a shadow over her seated figure.
He leaned in slightly, his breath warm on her face as he spoke in a voice low and dangerous. “Ye’ll tell me the truth, lass,” he said, his tone unyielding, the edge of a threat lacing his words. “If ye daenae, I’ll take ye to me dungeon, where ye’ll enjoy the company of rats—cold, dark, and alone.”
Alexandra’s eyes flashed with defiance, her chin lifting as she looked him squarely in the eye. “Go ahead, then,” she said, her voice calm but firm, despite the shiver of unease that danced along her spine. “Put me in yer dungeon, but me answer willnae change. I’m nae lyin’ to ye.”
She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath, but the intensity of the situation made her pulse race. She refused to let him see how rattled she really was; she wasn’t about to back down.
Nicholas’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Alexandra swore she saw a flicker of amusement in them. It was as if her resistance only made him more intrigued, more determined to break through her defenses.
“Ye think ye’re strong, don’t ye?” he mused, his lips curling into a sneer. “But ye’ll find that I’m a man who doesnae let go once I’ve got a hold of somethin’.”
Alexandra’s pulse quickened, and she felt an involuntary shiver run through her at the way he spoke. She tried to shake the image of him taking her right then and there from her mind, to focus on the anger that had fueled her so far.
“I’m nae afraid of ye, Robertson,” she said, her voice more steady now, though the rapid beat of her heart betrayed her. “Do yer worst. I’ll still nae tell ye anythin’ ye want to ken because I ken nothin’ of yer son.”
He studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he straightened up, taking a step back as though contemplating his next move.
“Ye think ye’re clever, but ye’re nae the first to test me,” he said, his voice dark and low. “I’ve dealt with many who’ve tried to defy me, and they all eventually broke. Daenae think ye’re any different.”
Alexandra’s stomach clenched at his words, but she refused to show him the fear he wanted to see. She forced herself to meet his gaze without flinching, her body tense, but standing her ground.
“I’m nae like the others,” she shot back, her eyes narrowed, a spark of rebellion in her chest. “And ye’ll nae break me, nay matter how hard ye try.”
Nicholas took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest, his jaw tight with barely restrained frustration.
“We’ll see about that,” he muttered under his breath, almost to himself, as if weighing his options.
Alexandra could feel the air around them thickening with tension, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her crack.
No matter what he did or said, she wouldn’t be swayed, even as her mind reeled with the danger of her situation.