Mysty McPartland (23 page)

****

Trista swam up from the blackness and found herself sitting on a horse in front of a stranger. She struggled to free herself but the arm around her waist tightened, cutting off her breath.

“
Do not fight, my Lady. Lord Phillips has said if you do that I was to use force if I needed to.” Tom, the soldier, said gruffly for his body was already reacting to having the lovely woman between his thighs. His hand moved up, cupped her breast, and squeezed it hard. “Aye, and I know just what force to use.” He laughed softly and chuckled when he saw her face contort in pain.

Determinedly gritting her teeth to stop the groan of pain, she swore that she would make this man pay for taking such liberties with her. With her hands bound, she reached up and pulled his painful grip from her breast and ignoring his laughter.

From his hiding place, Rieph witnessed the man fondle his wife and swore that the foul beast would be the first one to pay with his life. He signaled to his men and with the war cries of his clan ringing in the air, they came rushing from cover, taking Lord Phillip and his men by surprise.

Caught off guard, he watched Lord Phillip and his men scattered, he wanted to go after the scurvy mongrel, but his wife came first. He chased down the man who carried Trista. Reaching out, he pulled the bastard from his saddle and was too late to realize that he dragged her with him.

Swinging down from his horse, he stood with his legs spread wide apart and his great claymore held ready in his hands. “Let my wife go and I might let ye live.”

Tom held the lady in front of him as a shield, his own sword resting against her throat, as he frantically searched around for help or escape. Finding none, he sneered back at the huge man known as the Black Warlock and tried to swallow down his fear. “If you come any closer I will slit your pretty wife's throat.”

Frozen and horrified, Trista stared at the violence that surrounded her, eyes glazing over, she slumped in her captors arm.

At once Rieph could see that the fighting was having an effect on his wife and forced it not to interfere with what he planned to do. When he saw her eyes grow dull and she fainted, he struck. Jumping across the space that separated him from the man that held her, he pulled her from his arms and over to one of his men, who came to aide him. Now that she was safe, he attacked the surprised man with deadly intent.

It was over quickly, the weak Englishman was no match for his strength or skill and now lay dead at his feet. Gazing around, he grunted in satisfaction when he saw that his men seemed to have everything under control. Going to his wife, he knelt down on the ground next to where she lay.

After pulling his knife from his boot, he quickly cut the bonds that were around her wrists. He brushed the hair from her brow, for the first time noticed the bruises and cuts on her lovely face and roared out his rage. Minutes passed before he regained control of himself. He reached down, lifted her up and whispered her name. “Trista, sweet, ye are safe now, wake up, my love.”

Her eye lashes fluttered open and she opened her eyes to stare up and the dark menacing face and cried out. “Let me go, let me go, please don’t hurt me.” She tried to struggle free herself, but the man would not let her go and once again she fainted.

Shocked at his wife’s terrified words, he could only stare at her and when she passed out again, he picked her up in his arms.

Gabe, standing beside his friend, placed a hand on his shoulder. “The lass is in shock and dinnae ken what she was saying.”

“
Aye, I ken that. Lord Phillip where is the bloody sniveling bastard.” he asked Gabe as he carried his wife over to his horse.

“
’Tis a sad thing that. The great Sassenach is a coward. Ran off and left his men to fend for themselves and got clean away.” He shook his head in disgust.

Rieph didn’t have any trouble mounting his stallion with his wife in his arms, once he saw that she lay comfortable across his thighs, he glanced over at Gabe. “The king will take care of that traitorous, cowardly dog. Now gather the men we ride for home. ‘Tis nay over yet I’m afraid.”

****

As true as his word, Quinn returned at dawn with a large force of men and now Payne, along with his friend and the men waited for the attack from Kevin McGovern. They could see them approaching, he was leading over two hundred men and he knew it would be a long and bloody fight. As he waited, he prayed that Rieph would have been successful in taking his wife back.

Riding hard for home, Rieph pulled his horse to stop in a thick stand of trees; he waved a dozen of his men over. Handing his wife over to one of them, he gazed down to her bruised and sleeping face. “Guard her with ye life, lads.” Leading the rest of his men forward they came out of the trees with their loud war cries ringing in the air.

Kevin ordered his men to attack and he realized his foolishness when   they were outnumbered when a horde of men came running out of the gate. Desperately, he wondered what he could do. He glanced behind startled at the sound of wild shouts reached his ears. He froze and fear gripped him the moment he spied the Black Warlock and more of his clan riding fast towards him and his men.

Defeated, his shoulders slumped knowing that he now held little hope of winning and that he would suffer dearly for what he had done this day, he bellowed out the warning to his clan. “All is lost, ride men, ride for ye lives.” Seeing that his men heard him, they rode away fleeing for their very existence and taking one more glance over his shoulder, fled with them.

Not at in the least surprised to see McGovern and his men take flight and knowing the danger was now over, Rieph turned back to the trees and to collect his wife. Once more cradling her in his lap, it wasn’t long before they were home and he had her bathed and tucked in their bed. It broke his heart to know how much she must have suffered. The multiple bruise covering her body told their own story.

When Trista woke again, she found herself in bed and as she turned her head, she screamed in terror when she saw the same large man sitting close beside her.

Startled by her wild terrified cry he moved closer and sat down on the edge of the mattress, taking her hand in his. He searched her eyes and saw that they were clouded with fear and that there seemed to have no recognition of who he was. “Trista sweet, do ye nay ken who I am?”

Too frightened to speak, she tossed her head.

It hurt him deeply that she did not know him, but after what happened to her and the violence she witnessed and endured, he knew that she was still suffering from shock. Reaching out, he brushed the hair from her brow. “Dinnae be frightened, sweet, no one is going to hurt ye. Just rest love, just rest and get better.”

At the tender touch and the soft caressing voice, she drifted off to sleep.

Consumed with concern for his wife, he stayed by her side and prayed that she would recover from the beating she suffered and the bloodshed she’d witnessed.

Chapter Twenty One

As soon as Kevin and his men rode out to fight, Devena quickly gathered her things and bolted. She did not want to be here if he failed and she didn’t doubt that he would. Nobody could win against the Black Warlock. She just hoped that stupid Sassenach man, Lord Phillip got away with the bitch that stole Rieph from her.

The
certainty of victory made her laugh as she rode away, she would stay at the Blue Wren Inn for a few days then she would go to Rieph and console him over the loss of his wife. She did not think it would be long before he once again took her for his lover. He was a randy stag. No, he was too much of a man not go to long without a female in his bed and she planned to be that woman.

Three days later, she raced into the McKay hall and seeing the man she craved standing by the large fireplace rushed over to him and threw her arms around him. “Oh, my darling Rieph, how ye must be suffering. I knew that the English whey-faced child would hurt ye and she has by running of with her Sassenach lover. But dinnae fret, my love, I will help ye through this.” She reached up, stroked his face and smiled seductively.

The only reason he was down in the hall and not with his wife, was because he’d been told that this vindictive whore was arriving. Enraged that she would have the audacity to think he would welcome her embrace he ruthlessly shoved her away from him and glared at her with sneering fury and disgust.

Unable to control the black rage rushing through him,
he struck the woman. His palm slapped across the face, sending her to the floor. “Ye lying scheming bitch. Do ye take me for a fool? ‘Tis kenned that ye and McGovern were in this together with that filthy Sassenach coward.”

Devena cried out when she was hit and tumbled to the ground, her hand came up and touched her throbbing cheek. “Nay, Rieph, nay. I don’t ken what ye are saying. Why would I want to hurt ye, I love ye.”

“
Love me, ye a whore. What do ye ken about loving?” He sneered his contempt.

Slowly getting to her feet, she wasn’t going to give up. “I do Rieph I do. I love ye so much and I ken that ye love me, but t’was the English bitch that has ye confused.”

“
Nay ye were nay more than a piss pot for my lust and one I nay ever filled with my seed. ‘Tis over for ye, woman. Ye and McGovern will nay longer be welcomed in the Highlands. Every home will turn ye away and as for ye English friend, the king will take care of him. Now get out, men take this trash from my home.” He spoke with utter loathing filling his voice and stared at the woman with repugnance.

“
Nay, nay Rieph please dinnae do this.” She cried out in desperation, but he would not listen and then she was being dragged out and she realized, she not only lost him but she also lost her home, her family and the Highlands.

Silence reined after the conniving deceitful witch was dragged from the hall, he sighed disgusted over the whole foul confrontation. It was then he glanced up and saw the shocked pale face of his wife.

Trista woke and as she stared at the ceiling
, the horrified memories came flooding back. Growing frantic to find out if Rieph was safe and to feel his arms around her, she jumped out of bed and flew from the room. She stopped her flight as stood frozen watching horror and listened to the ugly scene taking place below. When her husband glanced up, she gave a soft cry, turned around and fled back upstairs to her chamber.

At seeing her take flight, he raced after her and caught her around the waist just as she entered their bedroom. He ignored her struggles as he held her against him.

Desperately fighting against him, she sobbed. “Let me go, let me go. I’m just another piss pot to slack your lust in.”

Stunned and gasping over her words, he turned her to face him. “Nay, nay, sweet, dinnae even think such a thing.” His thumb brushed away her tears. “What we share is nay lust lass. ‘Tis much, much more and ye ken it too.”

She shook her head in denial. “No, please do not lie to me, don’t hurt me any more than you have already.”

He swept her up in his arms and carried her over to the chair, when he seated himself and settled her on his lap. He reached up, cupped her face in both of his large hands and met the fearful anguished gaze. “I nay ever want to hurt ye ever dearest. Now listen to me. I love ye, sweet. I love ye with all my heart and soul. Ye are mine now for all eternity and I will nay ever let ye go.”

She started to cry again over her husband’s confession and saw the truth of his love shining brightly in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Oh Rieph I have waited forever to hear you say those words. I have loved you for so long.”

His heart swelled and he crushed his wife to him, never wanting to let her go. When she placed loving kisses all over his face, and finally her lips brushed his, he deepened the kiss. Hungrily, giving his heart and soul to the woman who had snuck up and stolen them. She returned the passionate embrace letting him know how much she wanted him..   

As he continued to kiss her, he removed the nightgown and lifting his mouth away stood up with her in his arms. His strides carried across the room to the bed and placed her down upon the quilt.

He st
raightened up and quickly stripped the garments from his body and stood proudly before her. A heartbeat later, he joined her on the bed his big hands caressing over the silken flesh, bringing soft moans from her pouting, dewy lips.

L
ips he crushed with his own, soon he was parting her thighs, moving between them and as he slowly entered her hot sweet haven, he whispered against her lips. “I love ye, sweet, I love ye so verra much.”

With the utmost care he kissed her deeply, he plunged into her making certain he never caused her any pain. Each stroke bought them closer and closer to blissful heaven. When it struck they both cried in earth shattering rapture.

Holding her tightly against his side, his hand moved tenderly over every seductive curve, finally it came to rest on her stomach, his big hand splayed over it. Somehow, he knew that they had just created a babe. He did not know how, but he did and nothing could thrill him more than to have his sweet wife give life to their child.

It would be a child that would be loved and cared for not only by him, the Black Warlock but by his woman as well. He could not help his mouth lifting in a wide proud grin. He heard how his wife defied the Englishman by calling herself the Black Warlock’s Woman. Every time she did, the bastard would strike her, yet she stood defiant to the end.