{"product_id":"2940014445436","title":"THE MAGIC GIANT : Highland Vengeance : Part Four (A Family Saga \/ Adventure Romance) (Highland Vengeance: A Serial Novel) (Highlands Trilogy)","description":"This is PART FOUR of a SIX PART SERIAL NOVEL. They must be read in sequence in order to understand the story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePART FOUR: Daniel is plagued by a recurring dream of the violence against his mother and clan. Cousin Callum arrives back at the keep after his ousting as Laird and Chieftain of the Macleans and the lad Alleck tells of a mysterious \"Magic Giant\" that dwells in the Maclean wood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet in the turn of the thirteenth century Scottish Highlands, this is the story of Daniel MacLaurin, a handsome, rugged warrior-laird haunted by his past, and Maryn Donald, the beautiful, high-spirited lass destined to help him find his heart's ease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHIGHLAND VENGEANCE is a steamy adventure romance, but it is also a family saga. It's the story of how a man overcomes the horror of his past to find love, connection, and contentment once more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e~EXCERPT~\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCHAPTER 10\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo hours later, the dream returned. He could see and hear the bloody, violent scene, feel his mother's fear, his father's wrath, know both their thoughts, but could do naught to stop the mad fury being played out before him. He strove to cry out, but no sound came forth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jamison, I beg you, do not do this thing!\" Nora MacLaurin shouted. Prone on the floor of her bedchamber, she fought to free herself from the death grip another of the men had on her arms. He yanked hard, nearly forcing them from their sockets. She screamed in agony.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamison Maclean, already on his knees between her splayed legs, bent forward and swung hard, slapping her still-too-lovely face with the back of his hand. The knight's ring he wore opened her bottom lip, mixing her blood with that of the others' on his skin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNora began to keen then. \"Please,\" she mewled, keeping her face turned away from the monster who had fathered her bairn. Without warning, the large, blood-encrusted hand of her captor covered her mouth and nose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hold her down!\" Jamison instructed. \"Do not let this bitch's claws at my face again!\" And then he swiftly unlaced his braies and lifted her legs high over his shoulders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe attempted to kick him free, her cries muffled by the suffocating, calloused palm across her face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Aye, fight me--it makes the sport that much more gratifying!\" He rammed himself into her then, with bruising force, wanting to cause pain, not pleasure, to this faithless, beautiful woman who'd ruined his life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNora's entire body went rigid.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJamison relished her reaction to his dry entry. \"You shall have her next, lad,\" he promised the youngest of his men, who'd not got his chance with the young maid downstairs before she'd perished.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Your father liked it not that I fucked you before his eyes, did he, sweeting?\" Jamison cruelly asked. He pushed deeper still, satisfied when she went rigid once again. \"But worry not, he's dead now--lost his head and his manhood this day!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrantic now, she began to struggle with a force that would either free her or break her bones--she cared not which. Her only interest in that instant was to liberate herself from the beast that rutted between her legs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDaniel tried to run to his mother, but he could not force his feet to move. He was there, but not there. Knowing what was to come, yet powerless to change it, he watched the vile scene as it continued to unfold.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLong minutes later, after the last man finished with her, his father leaned down and sliced her throat, wiping the dirk's bloody blade on the hem of her torn, stained, gown. \"'Tis the best way to stop a woman's infernal bleating, I trow,\" he said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe men laughed at their leader's jest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the familiar heavy weight of fury and despair crushing his chest, Daniel grew desperate in his need to get to his father, to kill the beast that had cold-heartedly cut short the lives of those he held dear. Fighting his body's torpor, he tried with greater force to propel himself forward into the scene.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* * *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaryn woke with a start. Tortured, guttural sounds were coming from her husband's throat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe hearth fire offered the only light in the room, but 'twas enough for her to see his face. She raised up on her elbow and looked down at him. \"Daniel?\" she said softly, worriedly. He did not answer her. She touched her hand to his face. It was dripping with sweat! And his entire frame was atremble. Alarmed now, she looked into his open, fear-glazed eyes, but there was no recognition in them. \"Daniel! Daniel, wake up!\" she said, and grabbing his shoulder, she shook it forcefully.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe bolted upright.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe squealed and fell away from him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis chest heaved with his rapid intake of breath as he pressed the base of his palms against his eyes, but he said naught.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaryn's heart beat fiercely against her ribs. She placed a hand over it and raised the other to his back in a calming caress.","brand":"KE Saxon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47080156299504,"sku":"2940014445436","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014445436_p0.jpg?v=1763949015","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014445436","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}