“See if anyone hides in the cottage and get her cloak,” Rhodes ordered and one of his men went to obey.
“There is an injured, old woman in there with fever, leave her be,” Willow demanded, while struggling to free herself.
Rhodes nodded toward the cottage and the young warrior walked to the door.
“Harm her in any way and I’ll see you suffer the fires of hell for it,” Willow threatened Rhodes.
He ignored her, as if her threat meant nothing, was futile, and that fired Willow’s temper even more.
“Let go of me now,” she demanded, yanking her arm as hard as she could and not realizing that the snow was pushing up beneath her shift and tunic as Rhodes dragged her toward his horse, her boots digging into the snow to try and stop him.
Willow’s anger grew. She wished her husband was there, and then she wished he wasn’t. He’d be caught along with her and what would happen to Sara?
“You can’t leave the old woman alone. You have to take her back to my home with me,” Willow demanded.
“She’s not my problem,” Rhodes said.
“But she’s mine,” Willow argued, hating the man for being so heartless and annoyed at her herself for being so helpless.
What would Sorrell do?
With the silent question came an answer and Willow fisted her hand and brought it around so fast that it actually stunned Rhodes when it connected with his jaw. Unfortunately, it didn’t stun him enough to free her, though it did anger him.
Rhodes gave her arm a sharp yank and Willow stumbled almost falling to her knees, and yelping in pain when he yanked her arm again to keep her from falling.
“Let go of my wife or I’ll kill you.”
That stunned Rhodes enough to loosen his hold on her and she took immediate advantage and broke free of his grip and ran to her husband where he stood on the side of the cottage.
Slatter caught her up in one arm, his sword gripped in his other hand. “Are you harmed?”
She shook her head and while relieved to have his arm firm around her, she worried for his safety.
William was the one to ask, “Willow is your wife?”
“She is and she’ll not be going anywhere with you,” Slatter said, the strength of his voice leaving no doubt that he meant it.
“This presents a problem,” William said, turning to Rhodes.
“What problem? I was tasked with bringing Willow home and you were tasked with finding Slatter and returning him to the Lord of Fire. That can now easily be accomplished,” Rhodes argued.
“What can easily be accomplished is returning both Willow and her husband, Slatter, to James of the Clan Macardle and have him discuss the matter with the Lord of Fire. The decision is theirs to make,” William explained.
Willow was relieved to hear some common sense being made, but it also annoyed her that a decision would be made for her, then she remembered.
“It is no one’s decision but mine,” she said, drawing both men’s attention. “Lord Ruddock claimed that I was free to pick a husband of my choosing and I picked Slatter.”
Rhodes’s brow creased in annoyance and he looked to William. “This is nonsense. He’s charmed her and now she lies for him. He’s a scoundrel, liar, and thief, and I refuse to believe they’re wed or if for some outlandish reason they are, that James Macardle would approve of their union.”
“Evidently you didn’t hear what I said,” Willow said caustically. “It’s no one’s decision but mine who I wed.”
“If you are wed,” Rhodes challenged.
William spoke up. “We have only one choice, return them home and let James Macardle and Lord Tarass decide what is to be done with them.”
Rhodes didn’t hide his deepening anger. “The Lord of Fire will see it made right.”
That was what Willow was afraid of, that Tarass would have his way no matter what, and the thought made her shiver.
“Worry not, leannan, all will go well,” Slatter whispered near her ear.
His words only worried her more, since she recalled how he’d talked with pride of how he could escape anyone or anyplace. Would he eventually make his escape and leave her? She shivered again.
His arm coiled tighter around her waist. “The only ones to make this right between us will be you and me.”
Something about the way he said you and me as if no one else mattered, only the two of them and that only they would decide their destiny, vanquished some of her worry.
“Get yourselves together, we leave shortly. I want this mission done,” Rhodes said.
“We’re not leaving until it is safe for the old woman to travel,” Willow said, turning to Rhodes.
“Who is this old woman to you?” Rhodes demanded.
Her husband gave her side a squeeze and she understood, though she had had no intention of telling Rhodes the truth, fearful it could hurt Sara.