Highlander’s Escaped Prisoner by Olivia Kerr

Helping him is an unforgivable mistake.
While Nessa Guthrie is trying to patrol her clan’s borders against her father’s wishes, she hears something that resembles a wild animal… Suddenly, a man with long untidy hair, wet to the bone and with chains in his hands, arises from the shadows and gives her the biggest scare of her life. Nessa is armed to the teeth, and the man is in chains, but he looks like he is prepared for anything, and she would not want to fight him.

With relief, she finds out that the terrifying man is seeking help. As soon as he tells her his name, Nessa recognizes him; Bryce Blair is one of the most infamous men in the Highlands and has been convicted for a horrible murder. Bryce explains to her that he has just escaped and he does not want to harm her. Instead, he claims that he was wrongly convicted, and promises to give her anything she wants if she helps him return to his family.

The fact that Bryce is of noble origin, and his family has had a territorial dispute with Nessa’s father for years, gives her a brilliant idea; if she can resolve the argument between the families, she will prove to her father that she can become a leading member of her clan. This might be her only chance to get the life she always dreamed of.

Taking the biggest risk of her life, Nessa decides to help the fearsome man, and in exchange, she will get a piece of his land. In their long journey, they must constantly remain hidden, especially from Nessa’s betrothed, who is furious with her disappearance and he is going mad while trying to locate her.

Sooner or later, the two companions will run out of luck, and secrets from the past will emerge. If Bryce is not the real murderer, Nessa is afraid that the truth might prove to be much worse. With her world turned upside down, Nessa finds it hard to betray the strange convict, even if that means putting her very life in danger for him.