Page 71 of Her Runaway Duke
Ice seized Levi’s heart when he realized just what he meant.
“McGregor,” he said, holding his hands up. “Taking love away from someone else does not bring back your own.”
“No. But it will make you feel the same pain that I do.”
Levi looked down at McGregor’s hands, deciding he couldn’t waste any more time. He lunged forward to take the shotgun from him, but as he did, McGregor released it, and the momentum sent Levi flying forward. He fell on his left side with a grunt, his burned shoulder and hip taking most of the pain. Pushing it aside, he rose to his knees, needing to get to his feet.
But before he could do so, pain burst into his skull, sending stars in front of his eyes, and then everything went black.
The smoke rolledinto the room before the fire did.
Siena stayed as low as she could – easy to do when she was already on the floor. But then the heat followed, and she began to sweat, both from its effects as well as the fear that she was never going to escape this.
“Good thoughts, Siena, good thoughts,” she murmured to herself as she closed her eyes and envisioned the rope tying her hands together ripping in half – which, shockingly and thankfully, it did, sending her hands flying to the sides as she cried out in relief. She pushed herself up and untied her feet, although it took much longer than she would have liked, her hands numb from being tied so tightly.
That time proved far too valuable, as when she ran, nearly tripping, to the door of the room she was being held in, she placed her hand over it and found it was hot to the touch. She knew that was not a good sign, but there was no other way out of this room. It was to chance it or to die.
She pushed through the door, nearly sobbing to find that the fire was much stronger here in the front room. The exit was blocked, and the windows too small for her to fit through.
She was never going to escape.
As the flames consumed the old wooden building, panic rose in Siena’s chest, along with the smoke that was filling her lungs. She coughed and sputtered, her eyes stinging from the acrid fumes. The heat was unbearable, scorching her skin even through the layers of her dress.
Amidst the terror, through the window she caught a glimpse of Levi – but instead of relief she only felt additional terror. He was lying prostrate on the ground, blood seeping out of a woundon the back of his head. As she watched him, it was almost as though he felt her gaze, for he groaned and turned over before his eye flew open, his expression changing from one of pain to horror as he pushed himself off the ground as quickly as he likely could, using his hands on his thighs to do so.
He had obviously been injured in some way himself, and Siena’s heart throbbed anew that he had been hurt.
"Siena!" he shouted, his voice barely audible over the crackling fire. She tried to call out to him, but her throat was raw, her voice lost in the din of the inferno.
With tears streaming down her face, Siena stumbled through the burning building, avoiding the growing flames, each step feeling like a mile. The walls groaned and creaked around her, threatening to collapse at any moment. She knew she had to find an escape, but the smoke made it impossible to see.
Even through her cloying panic, all she could think about was how this must be Levi’s worst nightmare coming true again. She had to come out from this alive, if only so that his own inner demons wouldn’t destroy him.
For if she was lost to the fire, she knew that he would never recover.
CHAPTER 27
Levi came back to the present with a groan.
His hand sought the back of his head, coming away sticky and red when he touched the spot where he had been hit, likely with the shotgun.
Not that it mattered. Not anymore.
He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his eye as he raised his head, horrified to see the building in front of him ablaze – the building where he was fairly certain Siena was being held.
He could have sworn he caught sight of her through the window, floating like a ghost within the building.
Let her be alive, he screamed within himself, forgetting the throbbing pain in his head as he pushed himself to his feet.
The fire was taunting him, telling him that he could never overcome it, that it was going to claim another victim – but he squared his shoulders and started ahead with determination.
He was going to save Siena. Or he would die trying. It was him against the fire and only one of them would win this time.
He surged toward the building, moving as fast as he could, ignoring his injuries, leaving the pain behind. He had wallowed in the pain long enough. It was time to forge a new path ahead. The front door was engulfed in flames, so he decided to moveto the side of the building where he had either seen Siena or a mirage.
Creaks and groans sounded around him, and he knew he had to work fast. He pushed toward a window, bellowing as he gripped the wooden boards in front of him and ripped them away to widen the window enough that he could fit through.
When he entered the building, the strange yet unfortunately familiar whooshing sound surrounded him, cracks and pops accentuating the eery air.
