Gangplank, the former ruler of Bilgewater, had supposedly been killed by Miss Fortune, and his territory had since been divided among four people.
Levi knew better than anyone that Gangplank was still alive, but he had no intention of telling anyone.
That brutal man would return sooner or later.
Today, Levi and Miss Fortune had come to the estate of Count Harker, one of the four who had divided Gangplank’s territory among themselves.
Three people sat around a dining table on the spacious rooftop terrace.
By the time all the food and drinks had been served, night had quietly fallen.
Levi sat between Harker and Sarah, eating as though there were no one else around.
Levi tore into the meat on the table with gusto, occasionally washing it down with several gulps of liquor.
Even so, out of the corner of his eye, he never stopped watching the two people talking across the table.
Seeing Levi devouring his food like a starving man, Sarah couldn’t help smiling.
Harker, on the other hand, looked at him with even greater disdain.
“Your estate really is beautiful,” Sarah said from across the table, gently swirling the wine in her glass.
“Your presence certainly brightens the place,” Harker replied calmly.
“I know you didn’t come here just to have dinner with me, so what exactly do you want from me?” Harker suddenly asked, giving Miss Fortune a meaningful look.
As far as everyone knew, the earth-shattering explosion had taken Gangplank’s life and ended his rule over Bilgewater.
That had left many of the city’s gangs uneasy, and they had used the situation as an excuse to demand half of Miss Fortune’s forces.
Captain Bragg and Crow had been the first to push the issue.
Harker, however, did not seem nearly as committed, nor was he especially close to the other two.
That made him Miss Fortune’s best opening.
“I want you to stand with me against Bragg and Crow. Two against two is a hell of a lot better than one against three.” Sarah slowly set her glass down and stared intently at the man across from her.
“And if I refuse?”
“I don’t think you will. You’re a smart man, after all. Bragg and Crow go way back.”
“You’re right. I agree.” Harker folded his arms and studied the stunning woman before him.
“You’re not just handsome, you’ve got a sharp mind too,” Sarah said with a cold smile.
She knew no one would accept a proposal like hers immediately unless, in his eyes, she was already a dead woman.
An ill-timed snore suddenly interrupted their conversation.
Levi was sprawled across the table, drool at the corner of his mouth and his breathing steady.
By all appearances, he had fallen asleep.
“This so-called boyfriend of yours certainly knows how to make himself at home. What trench did you drag him out of?” Harker’s gaze briefly swept over Levi.
“I think you should stay here tonight. As for him, I’ll have someone send him away.”
The desire in Harker’s eyes was impossible to miss.
“I’ll help you get rid of Bragg and Crow tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t. You never intended to help me in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
Sarah ignored his question and continued, “What I’m curious about is why. Are you afraid to go against them?”
Harker said nothing.
He slowly turned around and opened the box on the table.
“You really are a clever woman. Tempting, too. What a shame. I thought I might get to spend the night with you before killing you.”
Harker turned back around with two black gun barrels pointed directly at Miss Fortune.
A cruel smile covered his face.
They were her pistols.
Because of the so-called rules of the negotiation, her weapons had been handed over to Harker.
The smell of gunpowder filled the air as a deafening shot rang out.
Sarah threw herself into a roll and narrowly avoided the sudden bullet.
“Get out here and kill her!”
Harker’s men, who had been waiting in ambush, rushed onto the rooftop.
Every gun in their hands was aimed at Sarah.
Sarah darted between flower beds, tables, and chairs, but her long dress restricted her movement and made it difficult to maneuver freely.
“Damn it, it took me twenty minutes to put this stupid dress on,” Sarah cursed under her breath.
“Beautiful lady, could I be of assistance?”
Levi, who had supposedly been fast asleep moments earlier, suddenly appeared in front of Sarah.
Without the slightest hint of gentlemanly grace, he hoisted her slender body over his shoulder.
A dense hail of bullets flew toward them.
A flash of yellow light streaked through the air, and Levi and Sarah instantly vanished from where they had been standing.
The tables and chairs behind them were shredded into splinters by the barrage.
Levi grabbed a tablecloth and hooked it over a rope secured to the balcony, using it to slide downward.
The friction between the cloth and the rope produced an acrid burning smell, and the makeshift sling quickly failed to support the weight of two people and began tearing apart.
They dropped the rest of the way with considerable force, but Levi was lucky enough to land steadily on his feet.
He did not pause for even a second.
Still carrying Sarah, he immediately sprinted away without looking back.
They were badly outnumbered, and he had no desire to find out what getting shot felt like.
Levi had moved so quickly that Harker and his men barely had time to react.
By the time they rushed to the edge of the rooftop, Levi and Sarah had already disappeared into the darkness below.
Levi kept running at full speed, with only Harker’s furious roars echoing behind him.
Once he was sure no one was chasing them, Levi finally lowered Sarah from his shoulder.
Taking several heavy breaths, he said, “Miss Sarah, looks like your feminine charms didn’t work this time.”
Sarah kept pace beside him and snapped angrily, “We actually had a chance to talk things through, but that filthy gutter bastard shot at me, with my own guns!”
As she spoke, Sarah grabbed the bottom half of her long dress and tore it away.
In an instant, the long dress had become a short skirt, making it much easier for her to walk.
Glancing at the man beside her, Sarah remembered how Levi had wrapped an arm around her waist and carried her all the way out of danger.
A faint blush crept across her face.
“Levi… thank you,” Sarah murmured, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
The words came out awkwardly, and Levi failed to catch them.
“What did you say?”
“Go to hell.”
“Sure thing.”
The two continued in silence for a while.
As they passed the occasional sailor or dockworker, Levi was eventually the first to speak.
“You’ve completely fallen out with them now. What are you planning to do?”
“The three of them want to join forces and take half my people? In their dreams. If they’re willing to play dirty, they can’t blame me for doing the same.”
A cold glint flashed through Sarah’s eyes.
The shy woman from moments ago was gone.
In her place stood the ruthless, decisive bounty hunter once again.
Sarah frowned slightly before lowering her voice.
“Can I trust you completely?”
Having grown up in the sinful city of Bilgewater, compounded by the suffering she had endured as a child, Sarah carried a deeper sense of insecurity than most.
“Of course. I won’t betray your trust.”
Levi turned his head and looked into Sarah’s captivating eyes.
Their gazes met.
Sarah saw the sincerity in Levi’s expression and instinctively lowered her head.
When they reached a sparsely populated area, Sarah stopped.
She seemed to make up her mind about something, then leaned close to Levi’s ear and whispered a few words.
Levi’s brows drew together.
A moment later, the corner of his mouth curled into a smile, and he nodded.