Jake (The Highland Clan Book 4) Read Online Free Page B

been as excited as if they were attending a jousting match or a fair, but the evening had not unfolded as he’d expected.
    The lassies had changed their minds.
    When Jake stepped into the stall at the far end of the stables, the two lasses were struggling with his three friends against the wall. Douglas was trying to rip open the one lass’s bodice while Roy held the other lass and Ewan had his hands all over her breasts.
    “Stop, please, Ewan,” she said through tears. “I’ve changed my mind.”
    Ewan exploded. “Then why in hell are you here? You should have stayed home. When you walked through the door, you agreed to show us your titties.”
    “But Roy said I could kiss Jamie if I came. ‘Tis all I want. Leave me be.” She struggled against Roy’s arms.
    The other lass cried out, “I’ve changed my mind, also. I do not want to do this anymore.”
    “Too late,” Douglas said. “You’ll show us now. You cannot be a tease.” He pulled on the ribbons at the front of her bodice, causing one breast to fall out of its confines, and the lass screamed in response.
    Jamie yelled, “Leave them be. Douglas, take your hands away.”
    When Douglas did not answer him, Jamie rushed over and tugged his hands away from the lass. Jake took off toward Ewan. But Ewan was the quicker of the two, and he took a swing at Jake, catching him in the jaw, before he turned back to the lass. He grabbed her breast, and the only thing Jake could think to do was grab the lad’s hand and pull it away.
    Unfortunately, that was the exact instant the twins’ mother had flung the door open. Jake’s hand was on the lass’s breast and Jamie’s hand near the other lass’s bare breast. The look of pain and anger on his mother’s face was one he’d never forget, but it was almost eclipsed by the fury of his sire, who stood behind her.
    Hellfire, he glanced at Jamie because he knew they were in the worst trouble they’d ever been in.
    Maddie Grant shot across the room and raised her hand to slap each of her sons, but Alex stopped her, attempting to remove her from the stall altogether. Instead of her sons, she grabbed Ewan and Roy by the arms, yanking them away from the girls. Alex managed to pull her to his chest before she could go after Douglas. Having never seen his mother in such a tirade, Jake was stupefied.
    “Mama, we were trying to stop it,” Jamie cried just as his mother came after him again.
    “Do not dare to lie to your mother on top of what you’ve done.” Alex hauled Jamie away from Maddie and tossed him across the stall as if he weighed no more than a feather.
    Jake saw his sire coming toward him, so he ran, but his sire—big and bulky and surprisingly fast—got to him first and tossed him out the stable door. Jake looked up from the ground and saw his two uncles coming toward them along with more guards. Uncle Robbie looked down at him and bellowed, “Do not dare to move from that spot.” The sentries they’d posted outside the stall to keep watch had been hauled off to the side, where they were being watched by two other guards.
    Jamie came flying out of the stall, landing next to Jake on the ground, and the brothers just stared at each other wide-eyed.
    “ Mo chreach ,” was the only thing Jake could get out. “We’re in the worst trouble ever.”
    Jamie rubbed his face as if his mother had actually slapped him. “I know. Mama almost hit me. I’ve never seen her hit anyone.”
    Jake whispered, “And now she’s sobbing.”
    Maddie came out of the stall, an arm around each lassie’s shoulder. Celestina had just arrived, and she came forward to help Maddie with one of the lasses. They walked past the twins as they headed off toward the lassie’s huts, passing close enough for Jake to see the tears running down his mother’s cheeks. There was something else that bothered him more. She refused to look at either him or Jamie.
    This was not going to be good. His sire sent Ewan, Roy, and Douglas off with the