Reed hit the deck at the same time Muck fell to the ground with a sword in his back. Reed looked up, horrified to see Lucky standing above him. He rolled and grabbed Lucky by the legs, bringing him to the ground with him. He would kill the man for threatening the life of his wife.
He scooped up the dagger from the ground that Maggie had dropped. His body was atop Lucky, pinning him down. Sitting up, he gripped the hilt of the blade, ready to sink it into the pirate’s chest.
“Stop!” cried Maggie, making him still his blade just before it sank into Lucky’s flesh. “He saved me, Reed. Dinna kill him.”
“I’m on your side now, honest,” said Lucky, begging for his life.
“I dinna believe a cutthroat pirate.” He probably would have killed the man if Rowen hadn’t spoken next.
“Get off of him, brother. He saved your wife and you should be thanking him instead of wanting him dead.”
Reed was so angry that he struggled not to kill the man.
“Reed, Rowen is right,” said Rook.
“That’s enough, Son.” Ross limped over and pulled Reed off the pirate. Lucky sat up and held his hands above his head in surrender.
“Cap’n, I didn’t want to listen to Muck, neither did the crew,” Lucky said to Rowen. “But with Brody gone and Muck in control, we didn’t have a chance.”
“I believe you,” said Rowen.
“How could ye?” shouted Reed. “Let me kill him.” He honestly wanted the man dead. “They stole the boy and almost killed Maggie.”
“It was Muck’s idea to take the boy,” sputtered Lucky, still holding his hands above his head. “He wanted to bring up a son the way his brother raised Rowen.”
“Reed, it’s all right.” Maggie came over and put her hand on his arm.
“Ye’re no’ goin’ to let him go, are ye?” asked Reed.
“I put him in the dungeon once before and we can all see how well that worked out,” grunted Rowen.
“I never should have released ye two from the dungeon of Hermitage Castle. I ken that now.” Reed reluctantly put away his blade.
“The rest of the pirates have already sworn their loyalty to me,” said Rowen. “Lucky, I’ll give you one more chance since you’ve already shown me that you’re on our side. But if you ever step out of line again – I think you know what will happen.
Lucky rubbed the scar across his throat and swallowed deeply. “I won’t, Captain. You can count on me.”
“Good. Then get over to the Sea Mirage with the others. My first mate is there. Instruct him to the area where Muck dumped Brody. I want to search for him.”
“Aye, Cap’n.” Lucky slowly lowered his arms, then darted to the side of the ship and over to the Sea Mirage with the others.
“Duff,” said Maggie, running to her injured brother. Reed followed her over to the boy. “Ye’ve been wounded.” Blood ran from the incision and the shaft of the arrow stuck out from Duff’s shoulder.
“It’s just a battle scar,” said Duff. “I’m a Highlander. I’ll live.” His face grew pale. Reed saw him waver. Then his eyes rolled back in his head. Reed rushed forward and caught Duff just as his knees buckled beneath him.
“Duff!” Maggie cried out.
“He’s fine, dinna worry,” Reed told her, cradling the boy in his arms. “I’ve been shot with arrows more times than I can remember. He’ll live.”
“Most of those times, if I remember correctly, were when Rook tested out his new bow when we were children,” said Rowen.
“That’s right,” said Rook with a chuckle. “Reed used to run around like a madman and I’d use him for target practice.”
“Stop all the talk,” Reed told his brothers. “We need to take care of this wound anon.”
“I’ll send the Sea Mirage out to look for Brody. We’ll get back to Whitehaven right away,” said Rowen, heading up to the sterncastle.
“Rowen, now that you have two ships, what if you give one of them to me?” asked Rook, trailing Rowen up the stairs. “As a wedding present.”
“You wouldn’t know what to do with a ship,” complained Rowen. “Besides, you’d probably sell it to the highest bidder. There is no way I’m giving you anything.”
“Maggie, let’s get Duff into the cabin,” said Reed.
“I’ll get this piece of trash off the ship,” said Ross, instructing a few of the crew to help him dump Muck’s body into the sea.
Maggie opened the cabin door, holding back the tears as Reed cradled Duff protectively in his arms and laid him gently on the bed.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“Bring me a cloth and some water. And bindings, too,” instructed Reed. “Rowen probably has everything we need right in the cabin.”
“I’ll get it.” Maggie saw the washbasin with water atop a railed table that was nailed to the wall so it wouldn’t move. She found a clean cloth and wet it, then opened a trunk and found a linen to use for binding. She hurried back to Reed with the things.
“First thing we need to do is to dig this arrow out of his body. Luckily, it doesna seem to be embedded far, nor has it hit a bone.” Reed looked around the room. “Bring me that flask, Maggie.”
She brought him the flask. He opened it and sniffed it and smiled. “Ah, it seems my brother likes whisky as well.”
“Now is no’ the time to be drinkin’,” she said. “Duff needs our help.”
“It’s no’ for me. It’s to use to help cleanse the wound.” He broke off the shaft, then took his dagger, pouring whisky over it. “Hold him down by the shoulders,” he told her. “I dinna want him wakin’ up and movin’ while I’ve got the blade in his flesh.”
“I’ve got him,” said Maggie, putting her hands on Duff’s shoulders. He looked so young and helpless, lying there with a wound that no boy his age should have to endure. She trusted Reed completely and if he said Duff would live, then she believed it. Still, it was hard to see the boy she’d raised as her child looking so vulnerable. And she could do nothing to change things.
She looked away when Reed dug out the arrow, not wanting to see her baby brother bleeding the way she remembered the rest of her family lying there covered with blood.
“Almost done,” she heard Reed say. She saw him move backward and pour whisky on Duff’s wound. Duff’s eyes shot open and he sat up, screaming in pain.
“It’s all right, Duff,” she said, trying to calm him.
“It’s goin’ to hurt like hell until it heals,” said Reed, wrapping up the wound.
“I’m all right,” said Duff, trying to stay strong. “It’s nothin’, right Reed?”
Reed wiped his hands on a cloth and picked up the flask and took a long draw of whisky, making a smacking noise with his lips. “It’s nothin’ that a little whisky canna cure.” He handed the flask to Duff.
“I dinna ken if he should have whisky,” protested Maggie. “He’s just a lad.”
“I’m a Scottish warrior now that I’ve got my first battle wound, Maggie.” Duff snatched the flask from Reed with one hand and took a long draw the way Reed did. He gasped and coughed and tried to regain his breath.
Reed laughed and took the flask from him, handing it to Maggie. “Did ye need some to calm yer nerves?” he asked her.
She snatched it from him next and took a swig and almost died. She’d seen her brother drink more and wondered how he did it.
“That’s strong,” she said with a raspy breath. “It tastes almost as strong as the MacKeefe’s Mountain Magic.”
“Aye.” Reed took the flask back and finished off the whisky. “It’s almost as good, but no’ quite. Come on, Maggie, let’s walk the deck and get some fresh air.”
“I dinna want to leave Duff.” She looked down at her brother who was sleeping with a smile on his face.
“After the swig of whisky he had, no’ to mention the day he had, he’s goin’ to be sleepin’ til mornin’,” Reed assured her.
“All right,” she said, running a hand through Duff’s hair before she stood to join him. “I think some fresh air would be nice.”
They left the cabin, closing the door softly so as not to wake Duff. Then they walked hand in hand to the bow of the ship. Maggie took in a deep breath of the salty sea air, feeling the whisky relaxing her nerves.
“Thank ye for savin’ Duff today.”
They stopped at the bow of the ship and she shivered in the cold breeze. Reed stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm. Her eyes briefly closed as she held on to his strong, protective arms. She was safe now and so was Duff. She had so much to be thankful for.
“I told ye I dinna break a promise. Duff will be just fine. He’s a determined, healthy lad. So stop worryin’.”
“How did ye ken I was worried?” she asked with a grin.
“Ye are always worried. Now tell me what’s on yer mind?”
“I am just concerned what’s goin’ to happen once we get to Whitehaven. What will we tell the baron?”
“We’ll tell him the truth.”
“That we werena really betrothed from childhood?” She turned and looked up at him. “If we do that we’re askin’ for trouble. After all, I was betrothed to Lord Norbert before ye tricked me into marryin’ ye.”
“Tricked ye?” He made a face. “Is that what ye really think? I told ye, I only did it to save ye from future embarrassment since we were caught with our braies down.”
She laughed and kissed him. He groaned slightly. His tongue shot out and licked his bottom lip. That’s when she realized his lip was split from the fight. He also had a bruise on his cheek and a deep scratch over one brow.
“Reed, ye’re hurt.” She reached up and gently ran her finger over his face. He closed his eyes, resting his face in her palm.
“I’m just tired,” he told her.
“That’s right! Ye havena slept at all. Ye should go back to the cabin and lie down.”
“There’s only one bed and Duff is in it. Besides, I want to spend every minute possible with my new wife.” His clear blue eyes were staring into her soul now. “I thought I was goin’ to lose ye today, Maggie. I was more frightened than I’d ever been in my life.”
“Ye didna lose me. I’m here and we’re together.” She ran a hand over his head to smooth down his hair.
A crewmember walked past them and Reed pulled Maggie into the alcove under the forecastle, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her gently on the lips. “I’ve acted recklessly all my life,” he told her. “But now that ye came back into my life, I realize that vengeance has always motivated me when it should have been love instead.”
“So now ye understand why Rook and Rowen made the decisions that they made?”
He let out a sigh and nodded. “Aye. I do.”
“Then why do ye look so sad? she asked.
“Because I have made a mess of a lot of things and I’m no’ proud of it.” He moved out of the wind and sat down atop a crate. Then he pulled her on his lap. The ship rocked back and forth, but he held her securely.
“I never should have released Muck and Lucky from prison.”
“It no longer matters,” she told him. “Muck is dead and Lucky has vowed to change his ways.”
“That’s no’ what I mean. I feel bad about Brody. I ken he was like a brathair to Rowen since they were both raised aboard the pirate ship.”
“That has to be awful for Rowen. But dinna fash yerself, they’ll find him, Reed.”
“I hope so.”
“There is somethin’ else botherin’ ye. What is it?”
“Besides the mess I made for Rowen with the baron, I have another decision to make. And I dinna ken what to do.”
“What is that?”
“My brathairs have both made alliances with Edward. I ken that Edward will no’ stop tryin’ to bring me to his side as well.”
“I dinna think it’s about takin’ sides, Reed. He’s yer faither. Edward just doesna want to fight with ye anymore.”
“Ye mean he wants us to fight with him instead of against him. Edward is thirsty for war and will never stop fightin’.”
“Will ye do it? Will ye make an alliance with yer faither the way Rowen and Rook did? If so, he’d probably give ye a title, riches, and a castle.”
“I dinna ken what I’ll do,” he said, pulling her closer. “But I’m no’ sure that any of those things matter to me, Maggie. All that matters to me now is family.”
“Reed?” She looked at him and raised a brow. “Listen to yerself. I think ye’re forgettin’ that Edward is family, too.”
“I didna forget, lassie.” Holding her in his arms, he laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “I could never forget.”