The thought had barely skimmed through his mind when the blessed sound of cannon fire reverberated across the isle.

Pushing to his feet, Kennan raised his musket to his shoulder and took aim. “Fire!”

Crack, crack, crack! The battle began. Stunned pirates darted about the hellhole, grappling for their weapons. Kennan ran forward with his bayonet, taking out a brigand wielding a pair of flintlocks.

“Reload,” he shouted while the Lady Heather continued to pummel the shore with cannon fire.

Attacked from the flank, Kennan spun, crashing the butt of the musket into the forehead of his assailant. Drawing his sword, he swung the blade in a figure eight, his gaze darting through the mayhem. Where is Divana?

Pulling his dirk, he surged forward, taking on pirate after rotten pirate.

Brigands materialized from nowhere as he battled onward, thrusting with his dirk, defending with his sword. Three men ambushed him head-on, making him blindly step backward. God only knew what was coming from behind.

“I’ll send ye to Hades now, Cameron,” growled a deep voice. By the hairs prickling on Kennan’s nape, he had a fraction of a second to turn. He sliced his sword, driving two away and cutting down a third.

As he spun, he aimed an upward strike to the body of the blackguard behind. Out of the corner of his eye came the glimmer of shiny steel. Time slowed as he bobbed, yet he knew with his next blink he’d feel the cold blade of a pirate sword slice through his flesh. Gnashing his teeth, he fought on, thrusting his dirk into the belly of a murdering fiend. When he sidestepped to take on another, the killing strike didn’t come. His foe dropped to the dirt, bleeding from his head.

“Och, I thought ye’d never come!”

The voice at his side was soft and gentle, like none he’d ever heard in battle. And he knew exactly who had saved him.

“Thanks for having my back, lass,” he shouted, protecting her from attack, sending another brigand to hell. As the fighting ebbed, Kennan managed to give Divana a wink. “You haven’t exactly been easy to find.”

She swung her slingshot over her head and released a stone. “Thank heavens for Bannock.”

“Miserable dog.”

When there was no one left wielding a weapon, Kennan pulled Divana into his arms and kissed her. “Are you all right, lass? Did they harm you?”

“Only me pride.”

She was warm and wonderful, and though she’d been through a terrible ordeal, sunshine radiated around her. “Thank God.” If only he could hold her like this for the rest of his days. “I’m going to take you back to Scotland and—”

“Haste!” She thrust her finger toward the shore. “Look at the skiff! Dubois is spiriting away with Captain Finnes—the slaver who paid a measly sixty pounds to auction me to the highest bidder.”