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 move to 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.

Fear gripped him like icy claws, and he was nearly unable to move. The heat was unbearable, and doubt filled him as memories that were more like nightmares from the past resurfacing in the forefront of his mind, reminding him that he had failed before – would he fail again? He had thought that losing his brother was the worst thing that could ever happen to him, but if he lost Siena too, he wasn't sure how he could ever live with himself.

He also knew that he didn't have much time.

"Siena!" he tried to call out, his voice already raw from the smoke. "Siena!"

He stumbled forward, his foot slipping on the ground – only, it wasn't the ground. It was pale pink fabric.

"My God," he cried out in both prayer and supplication.

His heart beat even faster in panic when he saw her lying there, her eyes closed, her arm flung out in front of her. He wasn't sure how long she had been in here nor the amount of time he had been unconscious, but she likely had inhaled too much smoke.

With a start and a curse, he realized flames were licking at the hem of her dress. He beat them out with his hands, uncaring that he was singeing both his palms.

He lifted her, swinging her over his shoulder, the simplest and fastest way to carry her out of this inferno. As he ran back the way he came, he had to dodge falling debris, and soon he worried that he would be too late – that the window would have literally closed.

But there it was – a glimpse of the darkening sky beyond. He surged through the opening, falling onto the gravel before them, ignoring the rocks pricking his body as he rolled them side to side, extinguishing any flames that had followed them out.

When he finally realized the heat had subsided and the immediate danger had passed, he lifted Siena a few yards away and laid her on the ground, wanting to shake her back to him but knowing that she needed much gentler care.

"Siena," he called out desperately. "Siena, can you hear me?"

Despite his despair, his experience from war returned to him and he acted without thought, checking to make sure that nothing was blocking her from receiving all of the fresh air she required, which should hopefully be enough to restore her breathing.

At least she was still breathing – although it was far too ragged for his liking.

He ran his hands over her body, checking her for burns, terrified she would be subjected to the same pain he had lived with for the past year, but breathed a deep sigh of relief to discover that only her dress had been singed and none of her perfect skin.

A hand touched his shoulder and he flinched, pulling back his fist as he turned, but it was only a man who likely lived or worked near the docks, his hands up in front of him in defense from Levi's harsh stature.

It was then Levi noticed that an entire crowd had formed around them, drawn by the blaze, many working to extinguish it, using the water from the river, buckets, and a hand-pumped fire-fighting contraption that was being pulled toward them.

A woman appeared next to him with a canvas drawstring bag in her hands. "I can help," she said. "I might not be a physician but as close to one as you might find at the moment."

Levi paused, wondering if he should accept her help or if she would only make things worse, but finally, he relented. He'd stop her if anything seemed suspicious.

But all she did was pull a brown bottle from her bag, holding it in front of Siena's nose as scents of sage and lavender rose in the air. Siena twitched slightly a few times, but her eyes remained closed, leaving Levi to wonder whether or not they had actually done anything.

But then Siena stirred, coughing, and the first word she spoke with her eyes still closed was his name.

"Levi," she groaned out. "Levi, where are you?"

"Here, love," he said, pulling her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her far tighter than he likely should have, but he just couldn't seem to let her go. "I'm right here beside you."

"I'm so sorry," she murmured, blinking as she looked up into his eyes, and he could only shake his head before he swallowed down his emotion a few more times.

"There is nothing to be sorry for."

"You had to go into the fire."

"I would go anywhere for you," he said, leaning in close, wiping away her tears. "Don't you know that?"

"But the fire?—"

"Didn't take you. And that's all that matters."

"McGregor—"

"We'll worry about him later," he said, needing her to rest her voice, her throat, as he gathered her and tried not to think about how close he had been to losing her. "He will not get away with this."

His own throat tightened at the man's betrayal. Levi had thought he had given McGregor a new life, but he had been so consumed in his own misery that he hadn't realized what was happening around him.

"It's not your fault," she managed, her voice still hoarse as she seemed to read his mind. He began shaking his head, but her eyes bore into him. "It's not."

With that she gripped his forearms. "Take me home, Levi, please?"

Home. For the first time, the manor that had once seemed so cold and empty truly did feel like home, as it was now a place they shared together.

"Of course," he said, rising, relieved to see that while the blaze wasn't completely extinguished it did, at least, appear to be contained to the building and not spreading. He wished he could thank all of the people who were working so hard to protect the rest of the neighborhood, but at the moment, he needed to focus on his wife. "The problem is we only have Lucky, who I rode incredibly hard to get here. We can take him to Fitz's and borrow horses and a carriage to return home, if you don't mind?"

She nodded and leaned into him as he supported her toward Lucky who remained ever loyal, despite the chaos that surrounded him. Levi gave him a good pat before helping Siena mount the horse and then leading him into the street, orienting himself toward Fitz's residence.

He would navigate them around less savory neighborhoods as best he could, but he was also well prepared to take on anyone who threatened.

As they traversed through London, he considered that this was the first time he had returned to the city since the fire that had taken his brother. He had hardly noticed any curious stares, and while it wasn't as though they were absent, he realized that he no longer cared, which was remarkable in itself.

He had, in more ways than one, gone through the fire and come out the other side.

He owed a great deal of it to Siena, that much was obvious. But he had also done much of the work himself, and he was proud of it.

For now, finally, he knew he was good enough for his wife.

And he was going to spend the rest of their lives proving it to her.

Siena was weary,every bone in her body suffering from exhaustion. It hurt to breathe, and her throat was raw.

But she was alive, with Levi's arms wrapped tightly around her. She never wanted to leave them.

At some point as they rode through London, he must have mounted Lucky behind her. She was so tired; she must have been near to falling off.

"Down we come," he said, helping her from the horse, lifting her in his arms as though she weighed nothing and carrying her up the steps of a townhouse.

He had just set her down when the door in front of them burst open, and a very surprised Fitz stood in the doorway with McGregor standing beside him.

Panic rose within her as Levi shouted at Fitz that McGregor was a danger, but Fitz only smiled that usual grin of his.

"I know. We've come to an understanding, haven't we, McGregor?"

The man snarled and tried to pull away from Lord Fitzroy, and it was only then that Siena belatedly saw the pistol that Fitz had dug into McGregor's side.

"When McGregor here realized that the two of you were still alive, too much of a crowd had gathered for him to finish the job. He assumed correctly you would make your way here, and seemed to think that he could wait for you in the shadows of my house. Isn't that right, McGregor?"

He only grunted in reply.

"Well, unfortunately for him, I am more capable than most believe. I found our friend lurking, and he eventually confessed to everything, so heated he was, weren't you? The authorities should be here soon."

"We have quite a story, Fitz," Levi said. "It's been a night."

"A story I look forward to hearing, but we have much to deal with first. What am I to tell the magistrate?"

Levi told him what had occurred as succinctly as possible, which had Lord Fitzroy swearing and then releasing a low whistle.

"I don't think it will take much convincing that McGregor is a threat," he said. "Off we go now. Dunmore, help yourself to any guest room of your choosing. Your wife looks ready to faint."

"Actually, if I could stable Lucky and borrow a horse and carriage to return home, I would be most grateful."

"Of course," Fitz said. "Whatever you need. And while it's not required, I would request that you return them and collect Lucky yourself, so that I might see you – both of you – again soon. Soothe my worry and all that."

"Look forward to it," Levi said, and when Siena peered at him, she realized that he actually meant it. Perhaps times were changing.