This is the first book of a series that follows the lives of the children who survived an attack on their family by their own clan in the Scottish Highlands. This first book is about Malcolm, who was 13 when he witnessed the brutal murder of his father, mother, and 2 older brothers. He was left for dead, while his younger siblings were carried away to an unknown fate. All of them were branded with an "S" on their hands that stands for "slaighteur", meaning knave or scoundrel. Malcolm has lived a life outside of society, with no clan or family name to claim. He is an outcast that is accepted by neither the English nor Scottish people. He makes a living as a bounty hunter, or mercenary, for the English or whoever the highest bidder is. This is how he meets Serena. She is a spoiled, pampered socialite who accompanies her ambassador father on his mission to broker peace between Scottish rebels and the British crown. She hates Scotland and everything about it. But when she is threatened by Scottish rebels, her father hires Malcolm as her bodyguard. She goes out of her way to belittle him and point out the difference in their classes. She treats him like a servant and intentionally provokes him and resists his efforts to protect her. He stands up to her, though, and after he rescues her from a dangerous situation, he earns her respect. The two of them battle one another verbally and trade insults constantly. They are both very attracted to one another and over the course of facing danger together and spending so much time in each others company, they eventually get past their differences and start to discover there's more to each of them than they both first assumed. It was a good book, and the characters were entertaining and the dialogue between the two was witty. I look forward to the next book which follows the story of one of his twin sisters who was taken away. I want to know if all of the surviving siblings ever get reunited and what each of their stories is.

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