Free Highlander's Promise by Donna Fletcher Page B

soldiers made the people uneasy and Dawn could not blame them. They held the authority of the King, which meant they held authority over Cree and that could prove troublesome.
    She hurried toward the kitchen in the back of the keep. A few people called out greetings, though most simply waved, too busy with their chores to stop and chat. She rounded the corner of the keep and as soon as she took two steps, she was snagged around the waist and yanked against an unfamiliar body.
    “So Cree brought you home and cleaned you up.”
    Between his slurred words and his breath heavy with ale, it was easy to surmise the man was well into his cups. What startled Dawn the most was what he had said. He had to be one of Minnoch’s men and one that was there in the dungeon when she had been brought in. But what was he doing here? Minnoch was a day’s ride yet from here, unless he had sent some soldiers ahead to see what they could find out.
    “Since you are all cleaned up, how about giving me some of what you gave to Cree?”
    Dawn cast an eye to the kitchen door. Why was it closed? It was usually open, but then with all the King’s soldiers roaming about, Turbett probably did not want them disturbing him.
    “Come on, we will find a place where no one will bother us,” he said and burped loudly.
    The awful stench drifted down around Dawn and she gagged. She did not wait another minute. She brought her heel down on the man’s foot as hard as she could and when he let out a yell, she rammed her elbow back into his gut with a force that sent him tumbling. She turned and ran, but his hand snagged her ankle and she went down hard.
    “You’re going to pay for that, whore,” he said and scrambled over her as he fought off her flailing hands.
    This is when she wished she had a voice so that she could scream, but there was no point in wishing for something that would never be. And she was not about to rescue Cree from the likes of Minnoch and his soldiers only to fall prey to one of them again.
    She made a tight fist and swung with all her might, connecting with his jaw. He toppled off her and she scurried to her feet and made a run for the kitchen door. It flew open just as she was about to grab the latch, her momentum propelling her through the opening and sending the person there tumbling to the floor along with her.
    She heard someone yell to get Cree and when she looked to see who she had fallen on top of her eyes turned wide. Spread out beneath her was Mathias Obern.
    “Get off me!” he screamed in Dawn’s face.
    Dawn was about to comply, worried that she had caused a bigger problem for her husband when she was suddenly lifted off him. She was relieved to see it was Cree who had hold of her.
    “Get Elsa,” he shouted, ignoring Obern’s complaints as he struggled to get to his feet. “Your wound bleeds. What happened?” Fury rose up in him when he had entered the kitchen and saw his wife on top of Obern and when he had yanked her up and saw that her bandaged was soaked in one area with blood, his heart had slammed against his chest.
    Dawn took a moment to catch her breath, though as she did, she pointed outside and gestured at being grabbed.
    “Someone attacked you?” Cree asked his anger mounting.
    “What is going on?” Obern demanded.
    Cree did not answer him. He cast a quick glance to Flanna and said, “Watch her.” Then he walked outside and over to the man who was stumbling around, trying to get to his feet.
    Flanna kept a firm hand on Dawn as they walked out of the kitchen, Obern following behind them and the servants behind him. Sloan hurried past them all and a couple of the King’s guards came to stand protectively beside Obern once outside.
    “Here let me help you up,” Cree said and roughly yanked the man off the ground. When he saw who it was, one of Minnoch’s soldiers who had striped his wife naked, he let loose with a vicious punch and sent the man flying several feet.
    Cree was on top of him before he