Page 108 of Bound to the Heartless Duke
“Blackmore!”
Three shadows emerged from the alley. Edwin appeared first, his gait confident despite the slight tear in the side of his coat. Theo followed behind him, wiping a spot of blood from the corner of his mouth, and lastly, William, whose hair was sticking in several directions, a wild mess.
She didn’t need them to explain to know they had been part of the attempts to rescue her.
Lily was surprised to see that Magnus had brought them along.
“Devil take you, man. You couldn’t have left us a few more to handle?” Theo drawled, his tone lighter than the storm in his eyes.
Magnus did not smile. “If you wanted a share, you should have reached her first.”
Lily could not help huffing a breath, half exasperation, half gratitude.
Edwin’s gaze swept the alley behind them. “We need to move before London’s underground decides to retaliate.”
“They already have,” William said grimly, his voice deep. “I saw movement two streets over. Could be nothing, could be everything.”
Magnus nodded once, already stepping toward the darker end of the lane. “The carriage?”
“Three blocks east.”
They fell into a brisk walk, the four Dukes shadowing Lily with urgency. They were almost to the mouth of the lane when a dark figure emerged from the shadows, having apparently followed them out of the den.
He caught sight of Lily, and his eyes lit up with ugly recognition. He was the man who had held her captive, now bent on vengeance and apparently foolish enough to attempt to. He wielded a knife that glinted dangerously in the glow of moonlight.
But Magnus didn’t hesitate. He might as well finish what he started.
He moved before the man could attack and delivered a blow so brutal that the man crumpled to the ground without a sound.
“Good Lord,” William whispered with a shake of his head.
Within moments, they continued down the lane and reached the carriage. The driver who had been waiting for them quickly gave a curt nod before they climbed in. The wheels lurched forward the moment the door shut behind them.
They settled in the carriage, falling silent. No one spoke for several moments.
Lily rested her hands in her lap, still trembling slightly from what had just happened. But she kept her head high and her eyes fixed on the window beside her, trying to ignore the heat of Magnus’s sharp gaze on her. she felt tired to her bone but couldn’t sleep. The sight of Magnus in such a violent light haunted her thoughts.
The carriage slowed as they reached a quieter part of the city. Edwin knocked twice on the roof, and the driver pulled to a halt before a dimly lit townhouse.
“We part ways here,” Edwin said, stepping out of the carriage.
Theo followed, giving Lily a warm smile before vanishing into the night.
William was last, his deep voice rumbling, “Get her home safe, Blackmore.”
Magnus only inclined his head.
The door slammed shut, and the carriage lurched forward once more. The air shifted at the absence of the other men, becoming thicker and quieter, heavier in a way that made Lily acutely aware of every breath she drew.
She stole a glance at her husband. The faint lamplight illuminated his profile, accentuated the slant of his nose. His jaw was clenched in restraint.
“What happened?” she asked at last, her voice low.
For a moment, she thought he would ignore the question entirely. Like he had ignored her in the morning. But, to her surprise, he let out a long sigh before responding.
“The people Nathan owed apart from me are the dangerous sort and when they’re owed for too long, they have no consideration for innocents.
All this happened because of Nathan?
