Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Roland
The first thing Roland noticed as they pulled into Porter’s Corner was the way Sydney leaned forward in the back seat, forehead nearly pressed to the glass like a child on her first school outing.
Her breath misted faintly on the window, eyes wide as she took in the rows of quaint shops, wide sidewalks, and old brick buildings that looked like they’d been standing for a century.
“She’s gonna explode,” Levi said under his breath with a grin as he parked the truck.
Roland smirked, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Good. I think I might like it when she explodes. In public. Loudly.”
Levi shot him a look. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” But that didn’t change the fact that it was exactly what was on Roland’s mind then. They would have to talk to Sydney about going to one of the Dungeon rooms soon. He wanted to show her everything else the Ranch had to offer her. And maybe show off a bit.
Sydney turned toward them with flushed cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. “You guys! There’s an actual diner! That’s so—American!”
Roland laughed as he helped her out of the truck. “Wait until you see the bookstore.”
They crossed the street together, Roland keeping a hand gently on the small of her back, Levi scanning their surroundings like a soldier on duty.
They weren’t being paranoid; the sheriff had been clear.
Greg’s trail was going cold, and while there’d been no recent messages or sightings, they couldn’t assume anything.
But for now, Sydney was safe. Gloriously alive. Wrapped in her new scarf and coat, cheeks pink with excitement, an adorable bunny purse bouncing at her side.
They ate lunch at Leroy’s Diner, and she practically swooned over the milkshake, fries, and ridiculously oversized sandwich that Roxanne brought her.
Roland just watched her, soaking in the sunshine of her laughter.
He didn’t miss the way Levi kept his foot against hers under the table or the way Sydney leaned instinctively toward any warmth they gave her.
After lunch, they hit a couple of shops. Sydney found a tiny boutique and tried on sunglasses she absolutely didn’t need for winter, posing dramatically while Roland offered exaggerated nods of approval and Levi pretended to take fashion notes.
Then came the bookstore. It was quiet and cosy, smelling like old pages and pine-scented candles. The second they walked in, Sydney exhaled like she was home.
“You boys go look at your man-books,” she teased. “I need to go touch every single cover in the romance section.”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
Sydney nodded. “I’ll stay in the shop. Promise. I’m just… happy. I want to browse for a few minutes, see if they have any books by my favorite indie authors.”
Roland studied her, then glanced at Levi, who gave a quiet nod. “We’ll be right over there,” Roland said, tipping his head toward a nearby shelf. “History section. The most boring thing imaginable. If you so much as sneeze weird, we’ll hear it.”
She grinned and kissed his cheek. “Noted.”
For the next ten minutes, Roland skimmed a hardcover about frontier architecture while Levi perused a book on survival knots.
But something nagged at Roland. A twitch of unease. He didn’t know if it was the lighting, the angle of the street through the shop window, or just plain intuition, but something itched under his skin.
He was turning toward Levi, just about to speak, when he realized he wasn’t the only one on edge. Levi wasn’t looking at a book, he was scanning the area when a scream split the air.
Roland dropped the book and ran.
He burst out the front door on Levi’s heels, heart thundering, every muscle in his body snapping to high alert.
They saw her instantly. Sydney, just outside the shop, struggling violently against a man trying to drag her toward a dark sedan parked halfway on the curb.
“Get your hands off her!” Levi roared, voice like thunder.
But Sydney didn’t need rescuing just yet.
She was fighting. Not flailing, but fighting. Her knee connected with the man’s groin, and he doubled over with a gasp. She twisted, elbowed him in the jaw, and when he grabbed her arm again, she bit down hard.
“Let go of me!” she screamed, voice breaking. “Help! Somebody help me!”
Several people nearby had already turned, phones raised, and Roland heard the blip of someone calling 911.
Levi reached them first, slamming the man into the hood of the sedan with a growl that sent shivers up Roland’s spine.
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Levi hissed.
Roland was at Sydney’s side in an instant, his arms wrapping around her as she sobbed and shook. “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. We’ve got you.”
She was clutching him like a lifeline, but even through her tears, she choked out, “It’s Greg. He looks different, his beard is gone, but it’s-it’s him. I didn’t freeze. I—I fought.”
“You did, little bird,” he whispered fiercely, kissing the top of her head.
“You were incredible.” But inside he was roiling.
The rage at the man who dared to try and take what was his was so immense it took all of his willpower to keep it in check so he could care for Sydney instead.
He would have to, and did, trust Levi to handle this.
Greg was face-down on the hood, pinned by Levi and the growing crowd of concerned bystanders keeping their distance.
Roland saw the unmistakable sheriff’s cruiser pull up moments later, lights flashing.
Deputies piled out. Levi raised his hands and stepped back slowly, and Greg was immediately cuffed and hauled upright.
The sheriff himself got out of the second car and took one look at Sydney’s tear-streaked face before nodding grimly.
“You must be Ms. du Preez,” he said, but didn’t wait for her to respond. “You’re safe now, we’ve got it from here.”
Roland felt Sydney sag in his arms, relief crashing over her. Levi came to her side, wrapping one arm around both of them as she buried her face in his chest.