As soon as the Harrowing ended, Lucian said goodbye to Levi.
After learning that his wife was still somewhere in this world, he was practically running on pure adrenaline and wanted to head straight back to the Shadow Isles to settle things with Thresh.
If Levi hadn’t stopped him in time, Lucian might really have gone.
After plenty of persuasion from Levi, Lucian finally agreed to rest for a few days, gather the equipment he needed, repair his weapons, and only then venture back to the Shadow Isles.
Levi knew how determined Lucian was, so he didn’t try to say much more.
He simply reminded him to be careful.
The next morning, sunlight fell across Levi’s face as he lay on a soft, comfortable bed.
He took a deep breath and stretched lazily.
This was the best sleep he’d had since arriving in this world.
From the moment he’d gotten here, he’d been constantly running for his life without ever getting a proper night’s rest.
He had slept like the dead, all the way until morning.
Now, his entire body felt refreshed.
Sniffing lightly, he caught a faint, pleasant fragrance.
He opened his still-drowsy eyes and found a beautiful face right in front of him, a pair of pale blue eyes gazing at him with amusement.
It was Sarah.
Her face was so close that it was almost touching his forehead.
Startled, Levi instinctively sat upright and leaned against the headboard.
Sarah quickly pulled back and stood beside the bed.
Levi’s eyes traveled over Sarah Fortune, Miss Fortune herself.
She was wearing a white silk nightgown, her expression still languid from sleep.
Her slender waist contrasted sharply with her full breasts, which strained against the fabric, and even the loose nightgown couldn’t hide her flawless figure.
“Are you done staring at them yet?” Sarah snapped.
Levi’s face reddened.
He rubbed his nose to hide his embarrassment and muttered quietly enough that only he could hear, “How could anyone ever get tired of looking?”
“What did you say?” Sarah asked with a soft snort.
Levi gave her an awkward grin.
“Nothing. Sarah, did you need something from me?”
“Don’t ask so many questions. Get dressed and come with me.”
Sarah produced a new set of clothes from somewhere.
Levi couldn’t tell what animal hide they had been made from, but the material was soft and supple, leagues better than the rough cloth he’d been wearing before.
“Sure thing.” Levi grinned foolishly.
Watching Sarah’s sensual hips sway as she disappeared through the doorway, Levi couldn’t help but stare.
“How can someone have a face that beautiful and a body that explosive?” he muttered under his breath.
Sarah, who had just stepped outside, seemed to hear him.
The corner of her mouth curved upward slightly before she quickened her pace and left.
By the time Levi came out, Sarah had changed into a long dress.
The finely tailored fabric outlined every curve of her figure.
Since she usually dressed in leather from head to toe, seeing her like this gave her an unexpectedly gentle air.
Levi stared at the carefully dressed Sarah, nearly unable to look away.
She was mature, beautiful, and effortlessly alluring.
Sarah didn’t seem to notice his heated gaze.
Instead, she looked Levi up and down in his new clothes before nodding approvingly.
“Those actually fit you pretty well. You look much better than before.”
“Of course. Back home, I was famous for being the best-looking guy around for miles.” Levi chuckled.
When he had first arrived in Bilgewater, he’d been filthy and dressed in rags after wandering through a hellhole like the Shadow Isles.
Calling him a beggar wouldn’t have been much of an exaggeration.
Now that Levi was cleaned up and wearing decent clothes, he might not have been some devastatingly handsome heartthrob, but he looked respectable enough.
“Give you one compliment and suddenly your ego doubles,” Sarah said irritably.
Levi spread his hands helplessly.
“Fine, fine. I won’t argue with you. So what exactly are you taking me to?”
“A negotiation. You’re coming with me.”
Miss Fortune smiled meaningfully.
Inside the carriage, Levi sat beside Sarah.
It wasn’t very large, and the road was bumpy, forcing the two of them to sit close together.
Feeling the beautiful woman’s soft body pressed against his side, Levi found the ride surprisingly enjoyable.
With a creak, the carriage came to a stop in front of a luxurious building, breaking the silence between them.
Levi climbed down first, then gentlemanly opened the door on Sarah’s side.
Sarah took his hand, lifted the hem of her dress, and stepped down.
“Levi, in a moment, a thin man wearing something obnoxiously flashy is going to come looking for me. I need you to keep him away.”
“Keep who away?”
“Harker. He’s been pursuing me for a long time. He’s the man who wiped out the Crimson Blade. Because of the circumstances, I can’t simply tell him exactly what I think of him.”
“So I’m your human shield.” Levi shook his head and sighed.
“I’m asking you to pretend to be my man. You’re definitely getting the better end of this deal,” Sarah said irritably.
There were countless men in Bilgewater who wanted to get their hands on her, but none of them had ever succeeded.
Most who tried had already ended up on the wrong side of her guns.
“He’s here,” Sarah whispered.
Sure enough, a richly dressed young man was walking straight toward them.
Levi immediately wrapped an arm around Sarah’s slender, soft waist.
Her body trembled slightly.
Leaning close to her ear, Levi whispered, “If we’re pretending, we might as well make it convincing, right?”
Sarah clearly wanted to protest, but several people nearby had already turned their attention toward them, leaving her no choice but to play along.
Her hand quietly slipped around to Levi’s lower back and pinched him hard.
Levi nearly cried out from the pain.
A faint smile appeared on Sarah’s lips as the two continued toward the banquet hall together.
“Sarah, and who might this be?”
Harker had approached with a smile, but the moment he saw how intimately Levi and Sarah were holding each other, his expression instantly turned cold.
“Hello. I’m Levi, her boyfriend.”
Levi straightened his chest and spoke with complete seriousness, tightening his arm around Sarah as he did.
Harker looked as though he might grind his teeth to pieces.
His voice darkened.
“Sarah, when exactly did you get a boyfriend? Why didn’t I know about this?”
“I don’t recall needing to notify you, Harker,” Sarah replied coldly.
Harker had been pestering her relentlessly for a long time, but Sarah wasn’t some naive girl who could be won over with a few sweet words.
“Sarah, my feelings for you are sincere. I believe you deserve a better choice.”
Harker gave a few cold laughs, swept around, and prepared to leave.
“Don’t bother. As long as I’m around, you don’t have a chance.” Levi flashed him an infuriating grin.
Harker’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
“Fine. Just you wait.”
With another cold laugh, Harker turned and strode away.
Once he reached a nearby corner, Harker summoned one of his men and quietly gave him several instructions.
The subordinate hurried off immediately afterward.
After Harker left, Sarah turned toward Levi.
“Have you hugged me long enough? How much longer are you planning to hold on?”
Levi grinned shamelessly.
“Come on, with a beautiful woman in my arms, I’d happily stay like this forever.”
Sarah’s hand immediately moved toward Levi’s lower back again.
Levi flinched and instantly jumped aside.
“After you.”
He bent slightly and made an exaggerated inviting gesture.
Sarah nodded in satisfaction and walked into the banquet hall with a smile.
Levi rubbed the still-aching flesh at his waist and exhaled deeply.
That woman had one hell of a grip.
If she pinched him like that again, he really wasn’t sure he could take it.