Page 107 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
But as he held her, even the violence seemed distant.
He cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing the line of her jaw. “Can you stand?”
She nodded, though her legs trembled when he helped her to her feet. His arm didn’t leave her as he guided her toward the door.
Outside, the room was a mess of overturned tables, groaning men, and scattered cards and coins. Magnus’s men stood like sentinels, their expressions hard and stoic.
Magnus didn’t pause to survey the damage. He kept Lily close, his arm wrapped around her waist as he led her through the carnage.
When they reached the door, she glanced up at him. “Magnus… thank you.”
Lily wasn’t entirely sure why she said that at that moment, but she knew she had to. Shewantedto.
His eyes softened then, just for a heartbeat, before the storm swept back in. “Always.”
They stepped out into the night together, the cold air wrapping around them, both of them knowing that the danger was not yet over.
CHAPTER 25
The night air welcomed them as they stepped out of the den. The moonlight traced Magnus’s face, and Lily could sense that he had calmed considerably even though his shoulders were rife with tension.
“Magnus…” Her voice was soft. “I am well.”
Magnus drew to a halt before turning to face her. His gaze swept her face, lingering on the curve of her cheek, the swell of her lower lip, the paleness of her throat. All the while, the storm kept raging in his eyes.
“Do not lie to me,” he said, his voice low and rough with fury.
A breath escaped her lips when his gloved hand came up and cupped her jaw.
“If they hurt you?—”
“They did not,” she interrupted quickly, though the firmness of his grip proved he wasn’t convinced. “Magnus, I promise…”
He dropped his hand suddenly, and the rest of her words died on her lips. He cupped her chin again, gently turning her face left and right, like a man who had forgotten himself.
Like a man who had forgotten the rules he had set.
“No bruises,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. His fingers trailed down the delicate line of her throat, lingering where her pulse fluttered madly. “And here?”
She swallowed. “No… though I should say, my pride has been bruised a little.”
A flicker of pained amusement touched his mouth. But it was gone before she could fully apprehend it.
“How did you find me?” she asked, her voice light and steady. “It felt… impossible.”
His hand dropped to his side, curling into a fist.
“I have spent the better part of this day with men who owe me far too many favors,” he explained.
The edge to his voice told her that those favors had been collected without much grace.
“One of them heard whispers of a woman fitting your description.” He looked at her. “The rest you saw for yourself.”
“And you simply walked in?”
His gaze sharpened. “I did notwalk in. I would have torn down the building if it meant getting to you.”
Her breath caught again, but before she could answer, booted steps skidded across the cobblestone.
