Victoria Roberts - [Bad Boys of the Highlands 03] Read Online Free

listen. Once ye find the stone, I will take care of the MacDonell. I would ne’er make my daughter suffer under the same roof as a bloody MacDonell,” he spat.
    Colin shifted uneasily next to her.
    “But what if the man will nae agree to such a union?”
    Her father chuckled. “Leave the politics to me, Daughter. Ye just find me that stone.”
    She sat back and rubbed her hand over her brow. She needed time to absorb this. How could she marry the man who had haunted her dreams for years and then be expected to betray him?

Three
    For several weeks, Sybella had occupied herself with meaningless tasks. But no matter what she tried, her mind kept returning to its tortured thinking. What would the future hold when she became the wife of her father’s enemy? To her regret, she could no longer hold off the inevitable. By this time tomorrow, she would know.
    As she, her father, Colin, and members of their clan rode toward Glengarry, the clomping hoofbeats that surrounded her drowned out her silent screams of desperation. She wasn’t daft enough to believe her father would never arrange a marriage for her, but she found it hard to accept that the MacDonell would be her husband. Day after day, night after night, the same pompous man by her side. Her only hope was to find the stone quickly and bring this nightmare to an end.
    “How are ye holding up, Ella?” asked her brother, riding up beside her.
    Her eyes widened and she finally gave in to the tension that had been building all day. “How in the hell do ye think I am holding up, Colin?”
    He lowered his voice. “I know ye arenae pleased with wedding the MacDonell, but ye do realize it could’ve been much worse.”
    “And who could possibly be worse than the MacDonell?” she asked, raising her brow.
    “The MacLeod of Lewis.”
    She smiled smoothly, betraying nothing of her annoyance. “Father would have ne’er arranged for me to wed the MacLeod. Besides, ye were there when he said as much.”
    Colin’s mouth pulled into a sour grin. “I only want for ye to be safe, Sister. Give yourself some time to settle in with the MacDonell. Donna be reckless and start your search for the stone if your husband has yet to trust ye.” He paused. “And if ye ever want for anything, ye need only call upon me and I will be at your side.” She raised her eyes to find him watching her. “I mean every word.”
    As if her dormant wits had renewed themselves, she straightened herself with dignity. “I am a MacKenzie. I will do what is required of me. Donna worry. I will make ye and Father proud.”
    “I am always proud of ye. Ne’er forget that.” Colin gave her a brief nod and then trotted up next to her father.
    One of the many things she would miss about home was her brother. Colin never wanted more from her than she was able to give and basically never expected her to be something she wasn’t. She would sorely miss times like these when he talked to her and spent time with her, when he’d taken her on jaunts in the woods. She’d treasure those memories forever. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to give up any of that. And now she found herself momentarily saddened. This was her family. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would be welcomed into another or kept isolated simply because her last name was MacKenzie. No matter, she would make the best of it. She always did.
    Something flashed at the corner of her eye.
    A handful of MacDonell guards thundered toward them, the MacDonell tartan whipping in the wind. For a moment, she breathed in shallow, quick gasps. The men looked formidable riding their gigantic steeds, their hands placed strategically on the hilts of their swords. Could it be any more apparent that the MacDonell men did not trust the MacKenzies?
    Colin moved protectively to her side. “ ’ Tis only the MacDonell guard. We are now on the MacDonell’s lands. The men will escort us to Glengarry.”
    She nodded because words simply failed her.
    Sybella continued to