Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) Page 12

  Once out of sight from the battle, he threw her to the ground, and then straddled her waist. His rough hands tore her tunic, chemise and bandages off her upper body until she was bare from the waist up.

  Ella thrashed around like a wild animal, trying desperately to free herself from the abominable creature. Panic-stricken, she screamed when with one hand he pinned both of her hands high above her head. His bulky weight held her immobile, making it harder and harder for her to breath. His body smelled of ale and sweat, and his breath was foul and rank. Greasy, ebony hair touched her face as he leaned over and brutally crushed his lips to hers. Violently, she turned her face away, and thought she would gag when his hard, thin lips began sucking and nibbling on her neck. He squeezed her breasts savagely, making her wince in pain.

  Her desperate struggles and whimpers excited him, making him more aggressive to have her. He began frantically trying to rip her breeches down, but was prevented from doing so by her continuous kicking and twisting. Infuriated, he raised his hand again and slapped her hard, effectively making her body go still.

  Gavin heard her scream as he raced through the woods, determined to kill the bastard who dared to touch her. As he broke into a small clearing amidst towering trees, he knew nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the English beast mere moments away from raping Ella.

  Bloodlust consumed him. The violence that dwelled within, that for years he had hidden from others, erupted. His rage was unrestrained when he grabbed the vile man atop her and hurled him through the air. The English soldier slammed hard into the trunk of a tree, and then crumbled to the ground.

  Gavin took one look at Ella lying half-naked, bruised and bloody, then turned to kill her attacker. With claymore in hand, he slowly approached, giving the animal time to gain his feet and draw his sword.

  “Ye must be Laird Macleod,” the soldier laughed.

  Gavin did not respond, just continued to stalk the man as a predator stalks its prey.

  “You will pay for interrupting my pleasure. Before I kill you, I will let you watch me spread her creamy thighs and-”

  He had intended on making his death slow and painful, but that was before he heard the man’s crude words. The man could not die fast enough, Gavin decided.

  The soldier was no match for the Highlander’s superior size and strength, nor skill and stamina. His claymore whistled through the air repeatedly, slicing through the man’s arms and chest. It all ended when the last blow severed the Englishman’s head, leaving the body to crumble to the ground in a bloody heap.

  Gavin’s breathing was labored as he stared down at the man he had slaughtered so ruthlessly. And he found himself terrified to turn and meet Ella’s eyes. She had just witnessed the savage way he had fought and killed. No longer would she look at him with hope and trust. Disgusted with his actions, she would recoil in fear, never knowing that it would inflict a mortal wound to his heart.

  Hesitantly, he turned and saw her. She was kneeling on the ground with her arms pressed tightly to her bare chest, and only breeches remained on her fragile body. Blood trickled down her cheek, and he could see bruises already forming. And she was motionless, staring at him as if he were not real. He then saw Warin kneel by her side and try to put his cloak around her slender shoulders.

  Startled, Ella flinched when someone attempted to cover her with a cloak. Her eyes went wide with fright seeing the Englishman. She jumped to her feet and tried to run, but was halted when the man seized her wrist. New terror lit her eyes as she recklessly tried to yank free from his grip.

  “Nae, milady. I will nae harm you. I wish only to-”

  “Nae . . . nae! Don’t touch me!” All she knew was that he was English and he would not let her go.

  “RELEASE HER NOW, WARIN!” Laird Macleod’s command was instantly obeyed.

  Gavin expected that she would run to Apollo, her fiercely protective friend, or mayhap one of his men. She did neither.

  With tears streaming down her face and her arms covering her breasts, she sprinted towards him.

  22

  From the moment their two worlds collided, Gavin had been attracted to Ella’s face and form. Attacked by the boars and recently whipped, her strength and courage only increased his ardor. Later, it was her integrity and wit that seemed to push him to the peak of desire. Afore the battle, when he learned that she had taken the whipping meant for his nephew, he believed it was her generous heart that made him care so deeply for her.

  The sight of her wielding her bow, displaying her loyalty to him and his men, made him realize he was in danger of losing his heart.

  But when she ran to him with such trust, even after watching the brutal way he had killed his enemy, the truth dawned on him. And her fate was sealed.

  All he could do, with the profound weight of the moment heavily upon him, was to open his arms and welcome her with his body. He held her tightly, needing desperately to feel her close as she buried her head in his chest. He brushed the side of his jaw against her hair, and then felt a surreal contentment the likes he had never known before this day.

  Her body trembled uncontrollably, as she cried his name.

  “Gavin . . . Gavin . . .”

  “Aye, love.”

  “You came . . .you came for me?” Her voice was muffled with her head still buried in his chest.

  “Aye, little one. Always will I will protect ye. . . now and forever.”

  A short distance away Warin stood speechless until the other Macleods approached.

  “Why does she fear me?”

  Paen roughly grabbed the cloak from his hand, and then tersely replied, “Yer English.”

  Warin was perplexed. In an arrogant manner, he said, “Aye, as is she. He kidnapped her, yet she runs to him rather than to the safety of her kinsmen.”

  Rage filled Paen. He grabbed the front of Warin’s tunic, pointed at Ella, and then screamed, “Look! Look at what they have done to her, what her kinsmen have done to her! They ripped off her clothes, beat her, and then tried to rape her.”

  Grabbing Warin by the back of his head, Paen pushed him closer to Ella as she stood trembling in Gavin’s arms, then continued his tirade.

  “Do ye nae see the ten bloody lash marks down her back, given to her by her English guardian.”

  He threw Warin to his knees, then spat, “After the way the English have treated her, is it so hard to see why she runs to Gavin, or why she stood and fought with us against the English. She is loyal to those who care and protect her . . . just as I intend to be loyal to her from now till the day I die.”

  Paen walked over to where Gavin held Ella and covered her nakedness with the cloak.

  She turned her head slightly, and whispered to Paen, “Thank you.”

  He nodded to the frightened lass, who was still so beautiful even with tears streaming down her face and blood smeared on one check. Turning to Gavin, he said, “We will ready the horses and Nicholas will meet ye by the burn with all ye will need to tend to her.”

  Gavin nodded, and then lifted Ella into his arms as his brother adjusted the cloak around her. He was impatient to see for himself the extent of her injuries.

  When he reached the burn, Nicholas was there waiting with clothes, salve, bandages and a flask of whiskey.

  “We will see to the bodies, and be ready with the horses when ye return to camp.”

  Knowing that Gavin needed to be alone with her, Nicholas quickly departed. His best friend was in love with a remarkable woman, and she needed him right now.

  In only a few days, Nicholas thought, she had won the loyalty of Laird Macleod and his entire black guard. He wondered how long it would take her to gain the loyalty of their people, but predicted that after the Macleods were privy to her heroic story, their loyalty would be quick to follow.

  Gavin lowered her feet to the ground, then cupped the sides of her face and assessed the damage. His gaze was tender, his touch gentle. Ella wanted to reassure him she was well, but she shook so vio
lently that no words came forth. Her mind was hazy, her body numb, and tears continue to stream down her face. She felt his warm, moist lips on hers, and then heard him say something about washing the blood away. Her gaze never wavered from his. Staring into his crystal blue eyes, she was safe from reality, if only for a brief moment.

  After removing the cloak, Gavin was horrified by the amount of blood covering her body; he then realized that most of the blood came from him or rather the men he killed. The memory of her rushing into his arms without fear, even though he was covered with blood, would remain embedded in his heart for eternity.

  He had always felt like there were two types of women in his world: the women who feared him and the women who were excited by his savage reputation. The latter disgusted him and the former made him realize that he would always be the son of the devil, feared by all.

  But, Ella was not like those women. She saw him for who he was, not what his father had wanted him to be. She saw him as just a man. And right now she needed him. He would care for her as the precious treasure she was, and damn anyone who would try to take her from him.

  He kissed her with all the tenderness he felt, then spoke softly, “Let me clean the blood from yer body, little one. Ye have naught to fear.”

  Keeping his eyes locked with hers, Gavin removed her breeches and boots, praying that no fear entered those glade green eyes.

  When they were both naked, he lifted her into his arms, and walked into the burn until they were waist high in the water. With gentle care he submerged her slowly, then himself. Seeing that she still trembled, he caressed her cheeks then kissed her forehead and mouth before washing the blood from her face and body.

  After completing the task, Gavin was stunned when she cupped water into her hands, and proceeded to bathe him as he had done her. His heart swelled watching the tender action, and it was difficult to grasp the true depth of the woman before him.

  She had been put through hell this day, not just by being attacked and almost raped, but also by killing her own countrymen. She had never taken another’s life, Gavin knew, and it would take her time to recover from the emotions surging through her mind and body.

  The haze that surrounded Ella started to recede as he lifted her into his arms and carried her from the burn. Completely oblivious to his own state of undress, he was quick to dry her with a plaid, put her in clean breeches, and lace up her boots.

  When she was dressed from waist down, Gavin quickly saw to his own attire, and then sat on a boulder with her standing between his legs. He pressed light kisses to her shoulders as he applied salve to the lacerations, which had opened slightly and were still bleeding. After wrapping her upper body with linen, she turned suddenly, with panic and concern lit in her eyes.

  “Tavish and the others? Are they . . .” She started to cry and was unable to finish.

  Gavin pulled her to sit on his lap, then said softly, “They were nae hurt. A few cuts and bruises is all, but they are verra worried about ye though.”

  She caressed his face with both hands as tears welled in her eyes, “Gavin, are you well. Please, tell me you were not harmed.”

  Her genuine concern for him and his men touched Gavin in ways he never imagined. She was truly the most unselfish and courageous soul he had ever known, or would ever know in this life or the next. He stroked her wet hair, marveling at how beautiful she was, and not just on the outside.

  “Aye, little one. I am much better now with ye safe in my arms.”

  Wrapping her arms around him, she needed to hold him close. She tucked her head into his neck and inhaled his masculine scent, then spoke, but not to Gavin.

  “Thank you, Lord, for keeping him safe.”

  He silently did the same, thanked God for keeping her safe and bringing her into his life. Ella’s fate was sealed at that moment.

  His family and clan would accept his decision when they learned of her noble character. And they would love her, of that Gavin had no doubt. But to keep her, he would need the help of Laird Mackenzie.

  Once Alex Mackenzie learned that Ella protected and rescued his grandson, he would agree with Gavin’s decision, and gain the King of Scotland’s approval for the marriage. Alex was the most well respected Laird in all of Scotland, and King Alexander would be eager to give his consent to the laird as well as his blessing. The king would also seek retribution for the broken peace treaty, which both he and the King Henry signed.

  Gavin felt the trembling in her body lessen, yet she continued to cling to him, obviously still very much afraid. He was eager to take flight from the battlefield and get her to the safety of his land, her new home.

  “Let us finish dressing you.” He put an overly large tunic over her small body, then rolled the sleeves up a few times. “This tunic may be large, but ‘tis clean. I dinna want yer back to become infected.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered as she looked down at her attire, astonished that this fierce warrior could be so gentle. When she felt his hands come to the sides of her face, she covered them with her own. The calloused, large hands could kill so easily, yet oddly enough, made her feel safe and whole.

  He was aware that she did not wince when he touched her face, only leaned into his caress and closed her eyes. The bruise was high on her cheek, and in the middle was a small laceration where the skin had broken. It didn’t need stitches, but like all head wounds, it had bled something fierce. He applied a small amount of salve to stop the bleeding, scowling all the while.

  “It pains me little, Laird Macleod,” she said reassuringly.

  As he lifted her into his arms and walked to where his men waited with the horses, he said. “I wish I could kill him again. And I like it better when I hear my Christian name on your lips.”

  “Aye, Gavin.”

  23

  While Gavin was tending to Ella, Warin explained all he had learned from Lady Eleanor about Lady Ella, Sir James and Gabriel. When he finished the murderous look on each man’s face sent a chill down his spine.

  From Paen’s venomous declaration earlier, and the reaction from the Macleods now, it was obvious to Warin they held great affection for Lady Ella. His thoughts veered towards her skill with the bow, but before he could reflect on that oddity, Nicholas approached with a question.

  “Have ye told Gavin yet?”

  “Aye, I spoke with him afore the battle,” Warin replied.

  Osgood, reeling from what he had learned, slowly said, “My God, she willingly took a whipping meant for Gabriel, nae doubt saved his life; and weak from blood loss, she was able to get him from the castle to the abbey.”

  Turning to his cousin, Nicholas asked, “What else can ye tell us about Sir James?”

  “I would rather wait for Laird Macleod afore relaying what I learned about the man. However, I will tell you that he is honorable to a fault and has pledged to Lady Eleanor that he would return Gabriel to his clan.”

  The Macleods nodded their approval of his answer.

  Thinking on the skill she displayed today, Nicholas asked, “Did Sir James teach her to use the bow?”

  “I believe so,” Warin answered honestly.

  Tavish stepped forward and said, “Gavin ordered me to take Lady Ella and ride north if-”

  Paen interrupted his younger brother. “And why dinna ye?”

  With a guilty smile, Tavish replied, “She told me that we must stay and fight. And that she will nae allow Baron Montgomery’s men to slaughter a Macleod. She killed six Englishmen this day.”

  “She killed one that would have stuck me a mortal blow from behind,” Osgood admitted with sentiment. “The wee lass saved my life.”

  Nicholas put his hand on the giant’s shoulder, and confessed, “Ye are nae the only one, my friend. It seems our wee captive protected all of us from any attack we were nae ready for or dinna see. I too would nae be alive if she hadn't taken up her bow.”

  Tavish thought about her grim future and asked, “Will Gavin still send her back to England? We
wouldnae have won this battle without her. He must ken that, aye?”

  With conviction, Nicholas said, “Nae, I dinna believe he’ll be sending her back.”

  “She willnae be returning to England,” Paen said as he stepped forward. “Gavin will wed her. . . and if he dinna, I will.”

  Grinning at Paen, Nicholas confessed, “I had similar thoughts myself.”

  “Aye, me as well,” Edric laughed. “But, I dinna think we’ll be getting the chance. Our laird is mighty possessive and fiercely protective of the lass, if ye have nae noticed.” He ended this statement by tipping his head in the direction of Gavin striding towards them with the lady in question in his arms.

  Ella was very anxious to see the Macleods, believing that they were offended that she interfered with the battle. When Gavin lowered her to stand, she decided to explain to them why she disobeyed their laird’s order.

  “You must be very angry with me for disobeying Laird Macleod’s command. I am aware men do not believe a woman should fight in battle. I think I’m beginning to agree with this belief. Nevertheless, I have nae regrets. If there was need, I would do it again, even against your wishes.” Though she was crumbling on the inside, she tilted her head up, trying to display strength she didn’t feel.

  “Ye think we are angry with ye, lass?” Osgood asked softly, then added, “Naught could be further from the truth.” He put his hand on her shoulder, then stated, “Without ye, we would have been defeated and most likely killed. Truth be told, I was proud to have such a skilled warrior fight with us.”

  “Warrior,” she repeated, stunned and still slightly trembling.

  Looking down at her innocent face, the colossal man smiled, and then said, “Aye, a wee warrior that we value too much to take into battle again.”

  Tears welled in her eyes when she asked, “You value me?”

  Gavin smiled when her face lit up in surprise, and he realized the profound effect Osgood’s words had on her as the warrior continued.