Page 14 (1/2)

“I aentleman said “I am not your husband But I will prove to you that we are kin, that we once shared the saed out of his coat, untied his cravat and threw thear mark that was seared into her hip

Still gripping the lady firmly, Isla shuffled forward “How did you come by such a mark?”

The gentleo inside where we can talk”

“I have the saulped, the action evident in the pulsating in her neck “Nikolai hurt me, too, in the same way he did you”

The mere mention of his name made Isla’s skin slither over her bones “Do you knohere my husband is? Have you seen him?”

The gentleman nodded “Yes And you will be pleased to know—”

The front door flew open Lachlan and Douglas sprinted out, panictheir faces

Isla froze She did not want Lachlan to see thein the pit of her storew to cavernous proportions

Douglas took one look at her ugly eyes, and his face grew ashen, deathly pale He turned to Lachlan “It’s best ye stay inside I’ll deal with this Go Go now and tell Malmuirie we have visitors”

Lachlan ignored hiround before shooting up to the gentleman’s open shirt “Who are you? What do you want here?” Lachlan turned his attention to her As he narrowed his gaze, it took a n of easp was accowith you?”

Douglas stepped in between therabbed Lachlan’s shoulders “Go inside and we’ll talk about this later”

Lachlan shrugged out of the old rasp and stepped to the side “What has happened to your eyes, to your teeth?”

She could not bear to look at him His horrified expression rerace her father’s face Feeling nothing but shame and mortification, she released the woman she’d held pinned to her chest The woman scurried over to her husband who embraced her in his arms and kissed her tenderly on the temple

Isla buried her grotesque face in her hands and sobbed “I thought Nikolai had returned My … my mind … I cannot think clearly I do not knohat is real anymore”

“Nikolai?” Douglas snorted He ca arm around her shoulder “Could ye not see yer mistake, lass? Hell, I’d know that heathen like I’d know my own mother”