The war for Scotland's sovereignty rages onas Robert the Bruce is crowned king and the Highland Guard, his elite fighting force of legendary warriors, battle for land . . . and love.Prized for his snakelike stealth and deadly strikes, Lachlan ';Viper' MacRuairi is a warrior to enlist but not to trust. His only loyalty is to his purse, his indifference sealed by bitter betrayal. All that changes when Lachlan is tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king's coronationand the proud, lushly sensual countess unwittingly challenges him to his greatest battle yet: to love again.Passionate and devoted, Bella has defied Britain's king and her own husband to place the crown on Bruce's head, and for this she pays a terrible price: Losing her daughter and her freedom to her husband's vengeance. Imprisoned with barbaric cruelty, she vows to reclaim her child, even if it means selling her souland her bodyto a dark, lethal warrior whose eyes glint like steel, but who makes her skin tingle and her breath race. Together they embark on a rogue mission with sinister twists and turns that threatens not only Bella's gamble to save her daughterbut also her heart.From the Paperback edition.