Part 11 (2/2)

”She'sour sister andour charge, marriage or no,” Dougal said. ”Not according to Father MacCanney,” Jack said, his mind clearing by the moment. ”Fiona is mine now -mind, soul, and body.” Jack let his tongue linger on the last word, fueled by a combination of drink and anger. Dougal started forward, fists clenched, but Alexander placed his huge hand against Dougal's chest. ”No!” Alexander rumbled. ”That is not the way.” Dougal grabbed his brother by the wrist, and for a tense moment, Jack thought Dougal might attempt to fight Alexander. It would not have lasted long, for the oldest MacLean was half a head taller than his brother.

Finally, Dougal dropped his hand from his brother's wrist.

Alexander slapped his brother on the back. ”Easy, lad. There are other ways.”

A distant rumble of thunder met this, and Jack glanced uneasily at the sky. It had been glaringly bright

before, but now a thick line of black clouds marred the distant horizon. ”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, not again.” Alexander sent a glance at Jack from beneath a thick slash of brows. ”You are a disgrace to us all.” ”From what I've heard, you were planning to disgrace yourselves without any help from me.” Alexander eyed him for a moment. ”Fiona told you.” Jack didn't answer. ”Don't push us, Kincaid,” Gregor snarled. The thin scar that ran down his face, marring him from brow to chin, gleamed white as he clenched his jaw.

Jack had heard women say that had it not been for that scar, Gregor would have been too beautiful to

behold. Jack couldn't see it, but then he didn't have a woman's fanciful eye. Alexander glowered at his brothers. ”We cannot all speak. So hold your tongues, the lot of you.” They nodded, the thunder rumbling closer. Alexander turned back to Jack. ”We want your word that you will not harm our sister.” Jack shrugged. ”Of course. You have my word.” Alexander's gaze remained on Jack. ”We will accept that. For now.” Jack gritted his teeth to keep from saying something reprehensible. Fiona was waiting for him, yet here he stood, wasting time with these barbarians. ”Are we done now? I am anxious to return to bed.”

He emphasized the last word a bit, delighted to note how every one of them grew red.

Alexander moved forward now, his gaze hard. ”We cannot do anything about this sham of a marriage without embarra.s.sing our sister. But we will be watching. If Fiona evenlooks unhappy, we will blame you.”

”Fiona and I are married,” Jack said grimly. ”That's that. If I could set it aside, I would.” ”You b.l.o.o.d.y b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Gregor burst out. ”How can you say that when she's carrying your child?” d.a.m.n-he'd forgotten about that. Jack thought about telling them the truth, but the furious gazes locked on him convinced him of the stupidity of such a move. ”I merely meant that I wished to marry under other

circ.u.mstances.” ”We all wish that.” Alexander crossed his arms over his ma.s.sive chest. ”I have to say, I have my suspicions about Fiona's condition. She hasn't been near you in fifteen years.”

”You don't know that.” ”I do. I spoke to Hamish.” ”Hamish doesn't know everything,” Jack said without hesitation. ”I think 'tis all a sham,” Hugh said. ”Then why are you not inside the house, speaking with Fiona?” Jack asked abruptly. Alexander and Hugh exchanged uneasy glances, and finally, Alexander spoke. ”It is our fault this happened, that she was forced to such desperate lengths as to marry a man she did not love.” Dougal nodded grimly. ”We were all mad with grief over Callum. Fiona tried to talk to us, but we would not listen, so she made up this wild plan. Now we must find a way for her to get out of it without destroying her honor.” ”Her honor will come to no harm at my hands,” Jack said. ”'Tis not her honor but her tender heart that I worry about,” Alexander said. ”She's a delicate la.s.s,” Hugh added. ”Aye,” said Gregor. ”A Scottish rose.” ”Your tender, delicate rose had me ambushed, knocked unconscious, and forced to wed,” Jack ground out. ”Facts you all know, if you've spoken to Hamish.” Dougal grinned, his teeth flas.h.i.+ng whitely. ”She has the devil's own temper, our Fiona does.” Jack was now cold sober. ”However she feels about me, she was very angry with the lot of you.” ”Aye,” Alexander agreed. ”She would not have been forced to such lengths had we been willing to listen to her.”

Dougal frowned. ”Callum must be avenged.”

Jack crossed his arms. ”The Kincaids are now bound to the MacLeans.”

Alexander scowled. ”There is no child.”

”No?” Jack said. ”Your sister and I were married yesterday. If she wasn't with child before, she might

be now.”

A shocked silence met this p.r.o.nouncement.

Then, a sudden gust of wind blew, stirring dust and rattling leaves and branches. Thunder rumbled closer

than before. ”You-you-” Gregor stomped forward, but Alexander halted him with a sharp ”Hold!” ”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.” Alexander's face was as glum as a thundercloud. ”Kincaid is right. There may be a child.”

”But Fiona-” Dougal began.

”Is married,” Alexander finished firmly. ”We would not be doing her a favor if we pretended it was

otherwise. It would just cause her and her child embarra.s.sment, if there is one.” Alexander shot a black look at Jack, thunder rumbling close. ”You have put us in an untenable position, Kincaid.”

”Aye,” Gregor said. ”This does not end here.”

Jack pushed himself from the railing, cold fury burning the alcohol from his veins. ”Itall ends here. I am married to your sister. And wewill have a child. I plan on making certain of it.”

”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” Alexander snarled.

”It's what your sister wants-because ofyour behavior,” Jack reminded them. ”Now, if you'll excuse me -”.

Gregor barred him from climbing the steps to the door. ”It may be too late to stop this marriage,” the Scotsman returned, ”but wecan make certain our sister is happy.”

”Aye,” Hugh said from directly behind Jack. ”One of us will always be watching.”

Alexander crossed his arms over his chest. ”I have business out of town, and Hugh is needed at home

for the next fortnight, but Gregor and Dougal will be here. They will keep a close eye on Fiona.” ”That is not necessary,” Jack snapped. ”It is to us.” Gregor squeezed Jack's shoulder. His eyes gleamed. ”She's too precious to leave unprotected with the likes of Black Jack Kincaid.” These men clearly didn't understand Fiona's strength; there was nothing fragile about her. Gregor's hand tightened on Jack's shoulder. ”Every frown that pa.s.ses her lips, every sad look, will earn you one of these.” Gregor's fist slammed into Jack's stomach.

”Ooof!”Jack bent over, lights exploding behind his eyes. He couldn't catch his breath, couldn't move, could only struggle to remain conscious.

”Aye,” Dougal said. He moved up to stand beside his brother. ”We will be watching. And if Fiona ever looks anything but radiant-” He balled his fist, but Jack lunged forward, ramming his head into Dougal's stomach.

The huge Scotsman went backward, hitting the railing and then flying over, feet over head.

Gregor started forward, fists raised, then stopped. ”d.a.m.n it. She will see it if we mark him.”

Hugh rubbed his chin, eyeing Jack thoughtfully. ”If we don't hit his face, she'll never know it.”

”They're married, fool,” Gregor said. ”She will see him without his s.h.i.+rt.”

Thunder rumbled directly overhead, the entire street cast in a dark light as a huge bank of clouds covered the sun.

Alexander's dark gaze flickered to Jack, who stood leaning against the railing, one hand pressed to his side where Gregor had struck him. ”I believe we have made our point.” He sighed. ”Kincaid, make certain she's happy. She deserves that since Callum-” After a moment's struggle, he turned and walked away. The others followed.

Jack watched them go, his stomach afire from their altercation. Overhead, the trees swayed, an ominous threat in the air. He turned and grabbed the railing, reaching the portico just as the storm broke.

Chapter Nine.

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