Looking at her for a long moment, he eventually took a long step forward, while at his movement, Elaine took a swift step back.
“Och, Elaine. Ye really have nae clue, dae ye?” he snarled, his lips curling as he took another step closer. “Ye are just a farmer’s daughter with little ambition. Well, perhaps until o’ late, I suppose,” he smirked, “for ye have done a fine job o’ wrapping the laird around yer little finger. But ye see, Elaine. Now, ‘tis my turn.”
“I dinnae ken what ye mean, Finn,” she breathed, the beating in her heart grew as the progression of his menacing tone. She was on dangerous ground, and she knew it. But a way out of this situation would just not come to her. She over overcome with panic and any rational thoughts had been frozen. If she could only give herself a minute to think, perhaps she could find some way to escape, as she had done with the guards earlier.
“Och, I think ye ken well what I mean, Elaine. Ye have nae idea how many times I’ve imagined taking ye, just like he has,” Finn spat, taking another stride toward her. “I’ve had such fun watching ye perform yer role, nae tae mention, the naked flesh ye have flashed in those gowns of yers.”
Without thinking about it, a shiver ran through her entire body at the realization of what he meant. She took another step back. With a slight glance behind her, she could see that he had cornered her. There was nowhere for her to run unless she could get through him.
“I will have ye, just like I will have everything that Duncan has taken from me,” Finn barked.
Her only chance was to keep him talking for he would be too distracted to do anything else. And perhaps it would give her time to figure a way out of this.
“What has he taken from ye, Finn? Ye are nae making any sense. Sure, he is Laird. How can what he has, belong tae ye?”
“Because,” Finn barked angrily, clearly now thinking about Duncan. “That bastard stole everything from me. It was supposed tae be mine. I am the eldest, I ought tae be Laird, nae the youngest child.”
Elaine couldn't help but wonder what he meant as she tried to keep him distracted. His words were inconsequential. He was Duncan's companion and Keir's healer. How could he think he deserved to be Laird? Perhaps he had consumed too many of his own medicines and gone mad, which would not be difficult to believe given his crazed expression. But Elaine could see it was much deeper than that. If he was delusional, it consumed him, because he truly believed his own words.
“Ye are nae making any sense, Finn,” she prodded. She could not think of anything else to say. A part of her knew she could not keep this up for much longer.
“Och, be quiet woman,” he barked, flinging an arm out and catching her cheek with the back of his hand. The sound of his harsh slap rang out across the room.
“Arrgh,” she cried, her hand flying to her reddened cheek, the skin now burning with excruciating pain.
“I have had tae listen tae yer whining since ye arrived. Ye dinnae ken how many times I’ve wanted tae lift that skirt o’ yers and show ye what a real man is. Love is for fools. I am nae fool. I will take what I want,” he snapped, taking the final step forward and gripping her by the throat.
“I will have ye, over and over again, and then I’ll kill ye like I killed Duncan’s wife and squawking bairn.”
Elaine’s eyes flew wide at his words, more shocked at them than her own danger.
“Och, aye,” he sniggered. “Twas my doing,” he growled, his lips pressing roughly at her neck, his disgusting hot breath against her skin. With one hand still gripped tightly around her throat, the other struggled to gather her skirts—Elaine could only move her hips away from him a little before feeling herself beingchoked.
He suddenly snatched her waist and lifted her off her feet, carrying her over to the bed.
“Nae, nae, please!” Elaine screamed, her fists crashing down on his shoulder and neck.
With what seemed like no effort at all, he flung her onto the bed so hard, she bounced, her skirts flying up around her knees. “Och, aye. I am going tae enjoy ruining ye for him,” he sneered.
“Nae! Dinnae touch me, ye bastard, nae!” she sobbed.
He ignored her pleas and kept talking as if nothing was amiss, as if he wasn't committing a heinous crime.
“I needed tae break the man, ye see. I wanted tae tak’ everything from him that truly belonged tae me. I led them on a merry chase too,” he grunted, pinning her hands above her head. “Duncan in his wailing grief, sent men all over the country trying tae find out about that dagger, the fool.”
His tongue now ran up and down her throat, his free hand roughly squeezing at her breast, hurting her so much she winced. “Of course, they never returned,” he growled, moving his hand to release himself from his trousers. “I couldnae have them telling Duncan that the Mackintosh’s had nae clue why their dagger would be found at the same place I had murdered his family.”
Elaine kicked her legs and writhed away from him, but it was pointless. Finn was too strong for her, and with her hands pinned above her head, he spread her legs with his knees and pressed his weight against her until she couldn't move. He was about to enter her, and she couldn't bear it. Soall shecould do was scream.
“Naaee!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
At that moment, the chamber door suddenly burst open.
“Ye bastard!”
Finn jerked his head up, his face horrified. Elaine stood there watching as Duncan, still yelling in a rage, launched himself at him, knocking him off the bed and onto the floor.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR