Chapter 38

It was killing, seeing the way her jaw dropped open, for Callm to speak. But one glance at her poor bastard lover lying dead at her feet brought him back to life.

"Stay exactly where you are."

To be truthful? What iced his brain? One thing only--the fact he'd retreated to some place beyond everything. Because this was his life, wasn't it? To stand here looking hard. The defender of the glen. Whatever the cost. Whatever the consequence. And it was always going to be that now, so long as the tinker chief sat on Lochalpin's doorstep. Peace? Aye, right.

He dragged the back of his hand across his nose. A crowd, armed with whatever they could lay their hands on, poured from nearby doorways. People were used to him and his men chasing raiders down this end of the glen. What they weren't used to was him killing his own. He needed to get hold of this. Now.