Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Levi
Later, after statements were given and the deputies had confirmed Greg would be charged with attempted kidnapping, harassment, and assault—and likely locked up for a long time as soon as the court was done with him—they drove back to the Ranch in silence.
The heater in the truck was blasting, but it didn’t make a damn bit of difference.
Sydney was curled in the back seat, flanked by pillows and wrapped in blankets the sheriff had offered, Roland’s hoodie tugged over her head, and still, she trembled. Levi couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the shock. Maybe both. Maybe more.
The snow had started falling again. Normally, he’d be excited about the light, soft flurries, because it was the kind that made Rawhide beautiful this time of year. But tonight, Levi hated it. Everything was too quiet. Too still.
He’d almost lost her.
By the time they got through the main gates for the Ranch and pulled up to their apartment, he could barely unclench his hands from the wheel.
Roland was murmuring to her in the back seat, brushing hair from her face, stroking her hand.
Sydney hadn’t said much since the bookstore.
She’d been so fucking brave. So damn fierce in the moment.
Screaming. Kicking. Biting. His little warrior princess.
But now she looked so small, Levi thought his heart might split down the middle.
He parked as close to the front steps as he could. The snow was turning slushy, and the wind had picked up again, cutting through every crack in his coat like it had teeth.
“Let’s get her inside,” he muttered, coming around to open the door. Roland helped her out, and Levi caught her just as she wobbled.
“I’m okay,” she said, voice small but steady. “Just… cold and so tired.”
“Then let us take care of you, little bird,” Roland said.
Levi was sure she was cold, but the unsteady legs were probably more due to the adrenaline that had been pumping through Sydney during the altercation that had now left her body.
They needed to get her warm and safe as soon as possible.
They got her inside quickly, boots thudding softly on the wood floor.
Levi kicked the door shut behind them and turned the thermostat up higher.
The apartment was already warm, but it didn’t feel like it.
It felt like Levi would never be warm again in his life. He’d nearly lost his girl!
Sydney curled up on the couch without being asked, Roland pulling off her boots while Levi fetched another blanket and a hot water bottle. He wanted to do something. Anything. But his hands felt useless.
Once she was bundled, Roland sat beside her and pulled her into his side. Levi stood a few feet away, arms crossed, staring at the floor like it had the answers he needed.
“Levi,” Sydney said quietly.
He didn’t look at her. Couldn’t.
“Come sit.”
“I can’t,” he said, voice low. “Not yet.”
Roland looked up. “Levi…”
“I let her out of my sight,” Levi snapped. “That’s on me. I told her she was safe, I told her we’d protect her, and I let her go.”
Silence.
Then Sydney spoke. Calm. Clear.
“Daddy.”
That one word speared right through his heart. Was he even a decent Daddy if he nearly let some asshole get his hands on the most precious thing in his life?
“Daddy, please.” She waited until Levi finally met her eyes. “You agreed when Daddy Roland told me what my dad did to me wasn’t a reflection on me. That it was his failure, not mine. So how is what Greg did a reflection on you?”
He opened his mouth. Closed it. His throat tightened until it burned. His failure was a reflection on him.
“You didn’t hurt me. He did. And I fought him off because of you,” she said, voice trembling now.
“Because you taught me I was worth fighting for. I didn’t think I had that in me.
I thought for sure I’d freeze if someone should ever try to kidnap me off the street.
But I didn’t. You gave me that strength.
Oh my goodness, I kicked him in the balls!
” She swiped a hand over her cheek to dash the tears away.
“I’m not crying from fear, and that is also because of you.
Both of you. You’ve given me so much. Triumph.
Relief. Strength So don’t you dare stand there and act like you failed. ”
Levi dropped to his knees in front of the couch, hands braced on his thighs. His head hung low, breath shaking.
Roland laid a hand on his shoulder.
“I should’ve known,” Levi said hoarsely.
“You did know,” Roland said gently. “And we got to her in time. She’s here. She’s safe.”
Sydney reached for Levi’s face and guided his gaze up. “I’m here. Because you taught me how to fight. Because both of you showed me how to love myself again.”
Levi leaned forward and pressed his forehead to her knees, the thick blanket bunching between them. “I love you, my little warrior. I love you so damn much I can’t breathe right now.”
“I love you, too, Daddy,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss the crown of his head. “I love both of you. And I’m not letting either of you drown in guilt over something he did.”
Levi looked up again. Her eyes shimmered, and were red rimmed from her tears, and he’d never seen anything more beautiful.
“Come up here,” she whispered, tugging him gently.
He moved beside her, wrapping his arms around her as Roland did the same from the other side. They sat like that for a long while, the three of them tangled in blankets and each other, the heater humming in the background and snow ticking softly against the windows.
Eventually, Sydney tilted her face toward Levi, then Roland, pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks. “Can we go to bed? All three of us. I just… I want to feel you. I want to be held. Loved.”
Levi brushed her hair back and kissed her, slow and deep. “Anything you want, baby.”
She snuck him a cheeky look. “Anything? Absolutely anything?”
He brushed a hand down her face, gently cupping it before resting his lips right above hers. “Anything.”
Her eyes lit. “I want to kneel for my Daddies.”
Levi’s breath caught in his chest. Across from him, Roland stilled, his gaze sharpening. This request wasn’t about play—it was something else entirely. Something sacred.
Levi leaned in and kissed her again, soft but sure. “You don’t have to prove anything, babygirl. Not tonight.”
“I know,” she said, voice trembling with emotion. “That’s not why I want to. I need to feel… anchored. I need to give you this. This last piece of me. And maybe”—she shrugged—“I need to make sure the three of us are good, moving on.”
Roland stroked her back gently. “We’re more than good, sweetheart. But if kneeling helps you feel safe and steady again…” He glanced at Levi, then back at her with a small smile. “Then we’d be honored.”
Sydney sat up slowly, the blanket falling from her shoulders. Her body was still trembling a little, but there was purpose in the way she moved. She slid down to the rug before them, their love causing a warm glow across her cheeks, and then lowered herself carefully to her knees.
Levi’s throat tightened again, but this time for a different reason. Reverence. Love. Pride.
She lifted her gaze to them. Wide. Brave. Unflinching. And even in her exhaustion, even after all she’d been through, she radiated defiance against the darkness.
“You are ours,” Roland murmured, kneeling beside her, tucking a finger beneath her chin. “And nothing, no one, will ever touch you again.”
Levi dropped to his knees opposite Roland and cradled her face between his palms. “You’re everything, Sydney. Everything. My brave, beautiful warrior.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes again, but this time they didn’t fall. “I just need to remember that I’m not broken.”
“You’re not,” Roland said firmly. “You’re whole. And you’re safe. He’s gone. Let us take care of you, little bird.”
Levi brushed his thumb across her lips. “And you’re loved.”
She leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to his. Then to Roland’s. Her hands resting on each of their thighs, not in seduction, but in supplication. Offering herself in the most vulnerable way, not out of fear, but trust.
And that trust anchored them.
The guilt that had gripped Levi’s chest all night began to loosen, replaced by the fierce, grounded presence of her. His girl. His miracle.
“We’ll take you to bed now,” Levi whispered, gathering her gently into his arms.
The apartment was silent except for the hush of wind against the windows and the soft rustle of blankets as they carried her to their shared bed.
Now that Greg was caught, they could focus on the future.