Page 34 of A Duchess in Ten Days (Icy Dukes #2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

F or a moment as Lavinia tried to open her eyes, they felt oddly heavy.

As if her lids weighed ten times what they used to.

She slowly blinked, and thankfully, the lids got lighter and lighter every time she attempted to open her eyes.

Finally, as her blurry vision cleared, she was able to lift her head and scan the room.

A dull ache in her head and an overwhelming sense of disorientation washed over her the moment she fully opened her eyes.

She squinted, trying to adjust to the soft light that streamed through the room's curtains.

The air felt damp, heavy, and...unfamiliar.

The walls around her were bare, the furnishings sparse. ..

This was not her home.

This wasn't her bed.

Her hands...they were bound.

She tried to move, but the ropes that held her to the bed were tight and unforgiving.

Panic surged through her, and her breath caught in her throat as she tugged at the restraints, the cold reality of her situation sinking in.

Her mind raced, grasping for any recollection of how she had come to be in this unfamiliar place.

The last thing she remembered was walking through the park, upset. She had been alone, her thoughts preoccupied with Andrew, when suddenly, a strong hand had seized her, pulling her into the shadows before she could even cry out.

Robert!

A gasp slipped from her lips but it caught in her throat when she turned to find him seated in the corner of the room, watching her. A cold knot twisted in her stomach as she recoiled instinctively.

"You're awake, Lady Lavinia," he said with a coy smile. "I was hoping you would sleep some more. You look beautiful when you sleep."

"Untie me," she demanded. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You should ask your husband why I'm doing this," he answered. His voice once filled with a manipulative sweetness, now burned with something darker, something that made her stomach churn.

"Untie me!" she repeated. "This is wildly inappropriate and if —"

"If what?" Robert said, his voice dripping with venom as he stood up and began to pace.

"Andrew decided to destroy me. To ruin everything I worked for.

..everything I built. And for what? Because of you?

He must pay. He will regret ever crossing me.

Everything he's built, his name, his life.

..it will all fall apart, and I will be the one to watch it burn. "

Lavinia wanted to roll her eyes, but she restrained herself. "Well, you'll be doing him a favor," she mumbled, but not loud enough for him to hear.

"You have no idea what I'm going to do to you, Lavinia Webbs," Robert said and smirked.

"It's Haskett. Your Grace, to you," she corrected him. "The duke and I got married, in case you forgot. The duke also told me what you tried to do to me. Is that why you're so bitter, Robert? Because he spoiled your attempt to ruin my life?"

"Did he tell you how he also advised his colleagues not to do business with me?" Robert asked. "To shun me?"

"Do you think I will feel pity for you?" Lavinia retorted. "That I will be sorry that you are shunned when you take advantage of women for sport?"

Robert froze, his eyes narrowing, and the calm demeanor he had once worn crumbled, replaced with a glint of fury.

"You think I deserve this? You think I deserve to be treated like nothing?

" he sneered, taking a step closer to her.

"You have no idea what it's like to be cast aside, to be the one who's always overlooked.

Everything I've worked for—everything I've sacrificed—has been for nothing because of your husband! "

"Did I deserve what you were trying to do to me?" she questioned. "What you have done to multiple women? Did they deserve it? This is your cross to carry, so leave me out of it."

"Oh, no you're in the center of it," he said standing by her side and lowering himself to her eye level. "You are the key, Lavinia. Hurting you is the same as hurting Andrew."

Lavinia's heart pounded in her chest. "You're pathetic," she whispered, though the words felt like daggers in her throat. "You've been consumed by this need for revenge, for control. You're not a victim, Robert. You're just...broken. And you want to drag me into your madness."

Lavinia barely had time to register the movement before Robert's hand collided with her cheek.

The force of the slap sent her head jerking to the side, her skin stinging from the impact.

Her breath hitched, the shock reverberating through her, but her eyes remained defiant.

Not only was she tired of everything, but she was also angry at everything.

"You can hit me, threaten me, but you'll never win," she retorted. "Men like you never win."

Robert lifted his hand again, but the moment was shattered by the forceful bang of the door slamming open. A man dressed like a butler came flying through the door and crashing on the floor.

"I'm sorry, my lord," the man said to Robert, stuttering. "The duke threatened that he would?—"

"Oh, shut up and get out," a voice came from outside the door.

Lavinia recognized that voice, even before the figure strode into the room. She blinked in surprise, her heart racing at the sight of him. She hadn't expected him to find her, let alone break down a door to get to her.

She sighed in relief as she saw him take in the state of the room and then, more importantly, the sight of her.

He made his way to her side, having to walk past Robert to get to her.

Once by her side, he scanned her face, and the moment his eyes settled on her red cheek, she saw the flicker of something dark pass across his face.

His jaw clenched, and the fury that simmered in his features intensified.

His hands hovered near her face, but his eyes remained fixed on her cheek. He flinched, like he could feel the sting too.

"You have some nerve, Hargrave," Robert said and scoffed. "You think you can waltz into my home—my chambers—and walk back out safely."

"He hit you?" Andrew asked Lavinia, completely ignoring Robert's rants.

Lavinia nodded.

Andrew's eyes flickered dangerously, narrowing into slits as he took in the sight before him. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her.

Lavinia smiled faintly. "You have nothing to apologize for."

It was odd how happy she was to see him. Even the predicament that they found themselves in didn't matter. She had run away from home to avoid him, but now, with him here, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Robert's voice cut through the room, harsh and mocking, as he continued his tirade. "I haven't even started my plan. You walked right into my trap. I will have my people here in minutes and I will finally have my revenge on you."

Andrew stroked Lavinia's cheeks as he rose from where he squatted.

He lunged at Robert, his fist connecting with his face.

The sound of the punch echoed through the room, followed by another, harder strike to Robert's gut.

The force of the blows left Robert stumbling back, his face twisted in shock and pain.

Lavinia would have been lying if she claimed she hadn’t seen that coming. Andrew practically lived in the boxing arena, always practicing with his friends, honing his skills as a hobby.

Andrew followed Robert as he staggered around the room trying to regain his composure.

But Andrew didn't give him an opportunity to.

He threw another punch, and this time, it sent Robert to the ground.

Still not stopping, Andrew climbed on top of him and continued to land precise, heavy blows on Robert's face.

Lavinia struggled with the rope, trying to stand up so she could see what was happening on the ground. She could only hear the punches. Robert was silent now and that worried her. The last thing she wanted was for Andrew to have another man’s death on his hands.

"Andrew, that's enough," she called out. "You'll kill him."

Andrew froze mid-punch, his hand still suspended in the air. "I don't see how that's a bad thing, my love."

"You're not a murderer," she said to him. "Also, Robert really isn't worth your time. He's just a bitter, evil man."

He turned to look at her, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. Slowly, he lowered his fist, his gaze never leaving her face.

"You have made your point," she said to him. "In all honesty, I don't even understand why he thought he could take you in a fight."

Andrew let out a soft chuckle. "Lavinia, now is not the time for jokes," he said and rose to his feet.

Lavinia heard Robert sneer and mutter underneath his breath as Andrew pried himself away from him. She sighed in relief, knowing that the embarrassment Robert had just faced had to be enough to keep him out of their lives forever.

Andrew rushed to Lavinia's side, his hands steady as he untied the ropes binding her. His fingers moved quickly, but his eyes never left her face, searching for any sign of hurt. The moment she was free, he placed a hand on her arm and shut his eyes, as though to reassure himself that she was safe.

But before they could speak, Robert, now on his feet again, lunged toward Andrew, his fists clenched.

"Andrew, look out!" Lavinia yelled, lifting herself from the bed to shield his head with her body.

Just as Robert charged, the door burst open, and a group of constables stormed in. "That's enough!" one of them barked, rushing to grab Robert by the arm. "You're under arrest, Lord Grove."

Robert struggled, thrashing against the constables, but they were quick, pulling him away and out of the room. His curses and threats filled the air as he was dragged away, but Lavinia barely noticed, her eyes entirely on Andrew.

Andrew lifted his head to meet her eyes with an amused look on his face. "Don't do that again," he said softly.

Lavinia slowly sank back into the bed. "Do what?"