I guess he’s willing to risk death to marry me.
She skidded around the corner of the inn, hurling herself toward the stables, and then collided head-first with someone. Someone standing right in front of the stables, holding the bridle of a horse. Someone tall and solid, who grabbed her by both arms, even as the dizziness of the collision filled her, and kept her upright, steadying her.
She blinked and looked up at the man she had run headlong into.
It was her husband. It was Dorian.
“Leah,” he breathed, his mouth falling open, and a dark, wild look coming into his eyes. “Leah, it’s you. And…” he stared down at the gun she was holding. “Where did you get that?”
“Dubois is here!” She cried, unable to linger on her shock. “He’s right behind me.”
Dorian’s face immediately became a mask of fury. “Get behind me,” he commanded. “And give me the gun.”
She handed it to him without argument and then threw herself behind him--and just in time. Seconds later, Dubois came hurtling around the corner.
And Dorian didn’t hesitate. The moment Dubois appeared, he raised his fist and hit him, with seemingly all his might, right in the face.
Dubois let out a shout of pain and then fell back, his face coming to his nose as blood began to spurt from it.
“How dare you!” Dorian roared. “How dare you kidnap my wife! How dare you try and falsify my very marriage ! How dare you lay a hand on her!”
Dorian raised his hand again and punched Dubois in the stomach, then in the throat. The man let out a gargled scream, his face already covered in blood. Leah gasped, shocked by what she was seeing. She had never imagined Dorian to be capableof such violence, but he was relentless as he threw himself on Dubois and began to beat him with mindless fury.
“Dorian, stop!” she cried, rushing forward. “You’re going to kill him!”
Dorian didn’t seem to hear her. He raised the hand that was holding the gun, and she realized that he was going to hit Dubois with the handle--the metal handle that would surely kill the old man cowering on the ground before Dorian. At once, she reached forward and laid her hands on her husband's arms. Dorian froze. Then, very slowly, he turned to look at her. His eyes had a wild mania in them she had never seen before, and she shuddered. He looked like the man in the portrait in his study; he looked like his father.
“Don’t do this,” she whispered, her eyes trained right on his. “Don’t kill him. Don’t be like your father. We will call the constables and get him locked up. Everything will be well. We are together again.” She was speaking softly, as tenderly as she could, and at last, Dorian lowered the gun.
“You’re right,” he grunted, and the wild mania began to leak from his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He touched her face then, with the hand not holding the gun, which was bloody from where he’d hit Dubois. But she didn’t flinch away. “I’m so sorry, Leah.”
There was a commotion behind them and the innkeep turned the corner. He gasped when he saw Dubois, crumpled in a heap on the ground.
“Call the constable,” Dorian commanded him. “This man has attempted to kidnap my wife.”
“Y-yes, right away,” the innkeep said, glancing curiously at Dorian and Leah. He must have spotted the livery on the horse behind Dorian because he then added, “Your Grace.”
Dorian turned to Leah as the man hurried away, his eyes sweeping over her, lingering on the rope marks on her wrists. “Are you alright?” he murmured. “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “And I was going to get away. But you… you found me.”
“Of course I found you,” he murmured. “I followed your clues. The gloves… it was brilliant.”
“How did you know to stop here?” she asked.
“I didn’t. I’ve been stopping at every inn I pass, just to check. I’m just so glad I got here in time.”
“So am I,” she whispered, and she leaned her head against his chest. “Can we go home, Dorian? I want to go home.”
“Of course,” he murmured, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I will take you home.”
“Leah! You’re safe!” The moment Leah walked in through the door of Nottington Castle’s parlor, her sisters all leapt to their feet. Lucien and his friend the Duke of Cresswell were also there, and both of them also hurried forward at the sight of her. It was Celeste who reached her first, and who wrapped her arms around her sister and hugged her so tightly Leah almost couldn’t breathe.
“I’m safe,” Leah whispered into her sister’s neck. “And I’m home.” Eve and then Emery also took turns hugging her, then Lucien, who looked so relieved she even saw tears in his eyes.
“I went to Dubois’s estate to find you,” Lucien explained, as he released her. “When he wasn’t there, I came back here to wait. I can’t believe it… Dorian rescued you.”
“Yes, she did,” Leah said, glancing back over at her husband, who stood, hovering in the doorway, an unreadable look on his face. “Dubois was taking me to Scotland, but I managed to escape, only to run right into Dorian, who made sure Dubois wouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
