Page 36 of Bound to the Heartless Duke (Regency Beasts #4)

T he air was damp and foul, thick with the stench of ale, smoke, and sweat. It was unbearable.

Somewhere above her, a single candle flickered, casting long shadows over the walls.

Lily had no idea where she was, as she was sitting on the rough floorboards, her back pressed against the cold wall. Shivers wracked her whole body. Her wrists and ankles were tied with a rope, and a gag was stuffed into her mouth.

Every muscle in her body ached from being stuck in the same position for too long.

Loud, boisterous laughter drifted in from behind the heavy door, cruel to her ears. The pounding of boots on the floors of whatever place they had her in and the sound of men in boisterous revelry sent stabs of pain through her head.

Lily was certain there were ten men at least, judging from the voices speaking over each other.

She tried not to but it was hard to put aside fear of what they wanted by capturing her. But then she shut her eyes, trying her best to maintain her composure.

I will not panic. I will not give them that.

She shifted against her bonds, testing them, trying to set herself free. The rope scratched her skin raw, but she refused to give up. She twisted her wrists, feeling for any give. Every time the rope bit into her skin, she bit back the urge to cry out.

Think, Lily. You’ve read of women who survived worse than this. Breathe. Plan. Watch.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and light spilled into the room. She quickly ceased struggling.

She blinked quickly, her eyes adjusting to the light until she noticed the broad-shouldered man standing in the doorway. Behind him, she glimpsed a room full of tables littered with empty bottles, greasy plates, lots of tobacco smoke, and a group of men hunched over their drinks.

The man stepped inside, shutting the door behind him with a loud click.

“Just checkin’ on the Duchess,” he drawled, his voice laced with amusement. His eyes roamed over her in a way that made her skin crawl.

Lily lifted her chin, meeting his gaze without flinching.

He crouched down and reached for her face. The stench of stale beer on his fingers made her turn her head sharply.

“Now, now,” he murmured, catching her jaw in one hand and forcing her to look at him. “Don’t be shy.”

His thumb traced over her cheek slowly, deliberately.

Fear and irritation rose in her chest. But beneath it all was something hotter, sharper, and more dangerous.

When his fingers moved lower, she didn’t hesitate to jerk her head forward and sink her teeth into the heel of his palm. She bit down hard , tasting satisfaction when he yelped.

“You little—!” He yanked his hand back, shaking it violently as if to chase away the pain, before drawing back his other hand in an attempt to strike her.

Lily didn’t look away. Her eyes locked onto his, daring him, every inch of her saying, Do it, and you’ll regret it .

But before the man could hit her, a commotion erupted in the main room.

Loud, angry shouts rang out, followed by the crash of furniture being hurled at the walls and loud curses.

The man instantly turned to the door, his expression tightening further. But before opening the door, he glanced back at her once, and she returned his look with a cold, defiant smile.

Before the man could grab the knob, the door burst open.

A tall figure appeared in the light, blocking the chaos behind him. His coat was wrinkled, his hair wind-tossed, his eyes blazing with an emotion that made her breath catch.

Magnus.

Her husband had come for her.

He stood in the doorway like a force of nature, so broad and dangerous. And the way his gaze swept over her, the way he paused long enough for her to see the relief in his eyes, did something to her.

Despite the chaos behind him, Lily’s focus narrowed on him.

His eyes never left hers as he crossed the space between them, before he noticed the man in the room.

The man barely had time to step back before Magnus drove his fist into his gut, knocking the wind out of him.

The brute let out a grunt beforestaggering backward, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. But it seemed that wasn’t satisfactory enough as Magnusdelivered a blow so hard it sent the man crashing to the floor. Lily almost screamed from the shock of seeing such brutality.

Lily had never seen this side of him before and she didn’t know how to feel with the malevolent look on his face. His breathing was ragged, his jaw was clenched, and his eyes were almost black with fury.

“Touch her again,” he threatened, his voice low and shaking with wrath, “and I will leave nothing of you worth burying.”

The man whimpered, spitting blood and cursing, but Magnus had already turned away from him.

Now, his focus, his entire being, was on her.

Lily’s breath hitched as he dropped to one knee before her, his hands surprisingly gentle as they found the knots binding her wrists.

He didn’t speak, not yet. But his eyes softened as they roved over her from head to toe, checking for bruises, cuts, any sign that she had been harmed beyond what he could already see.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, almost to himself.

The rope fell away from her hands, and he took them in his own, rubbing warmth back into her fingers.

“I’m fine,” she squeezed through a tight throat.

The corner of his mouth twitched. Whether in disbelief or relief, she couldn’t tell.

He reached up to pull the gag from her mouth, and the moment it was off, she inhaled sharply.

For a second, neither spoke.

Then, he pulled her to him.

It wasn’t a gentle embrace. It was raw and desperate. His arms crushed her against him, as if to prove to himself that she was real. Lily buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent, feeling the heat of his body, and listening to the pounding of his heart.

“I thought—” He broke off.

She tilted her head up, her eyes meeting his. Whatever he had meant to say, she already knew it. He didn’t need to say too much.

His gaze drifted lower before his thumb moved to caress her lips. She watched him, waited until he dipped his head and gave her a kiss that conveyed his fury and relief, love and panic.

Lily shuddered in his arms. She held him tight, and he cupped her face as though she were something too precious to break.

When he finally pulled away, his breathing was still uneven as his forehead came to rest against hers.

“You will never walk into danger like this again. Do you understand me?” he said softly, tenderly.

Lily managed a faint, quivering smile. “I didn’t walk into it. I was dragged.”

His eyes closed briefly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Then God help the men who did it.”

A crash sounded behind them as one of his men tossed another brute against the wall, reminding them of the chaos still unfolding beyond the door.

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. She wanted to.

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.