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The man cursed as he lost his grip on her before she hit the ground, and she immediately tried to roll away. Hands were already grabbing at her as she moved, though, and she sobbed with frustrated fury as she felt herself being lifted again.

She kicked, wriggling, struggling, flailing, doing whatever she could to at least make things difficult for them. Another shrill scream once she got air in her lungs. Whoever Heger was, her neighbors were afraid of him, but perhaps one of them would have some decency⁠—

“Unhand that woman! Stop in the name of the law!”

The words took a moment to register in Mei’s mind as she heard the men near her curse. Rescue!

“Coppers!” The scarred man dropped her and started to run in the other direction down the street.

The cruel one was made of sterner stuff and was still trying to drag Mei toward the carriage. She was dimly aware of a horse galloping past, she assumed after the scarred man, and another horse came barreling up, the rider wedging the animal between her attacker and the carriage he was trying to get her to.

“I said, unhand that woman, Peter,” the man said officiously.

The man holding Mei snarled and dropped her, but instead of running, he launched himself at the man on the horse. Mei scrambled away as best she could as the horse reared up while the men grappled with each other. Part of her wanted to help, but…

Grandmother.

Every part of Mei’s body hurt. She was bruised and aching from head to toe. Her knee throbbed where she’d been dropped on it this last time. Her head was still dizzy. But she started crawling toward the front door of her home, leaving the men behind her. She had to see if her grandmother was alright.

All she could think about was getting to her grandmother, a sob catching in her throat at the thought that her grandmother could be dying inside their home while Mei struggled outside.

Hands grabbed her again, lifting her, and Mei screamed, thrashing.

“I’m sorry!” The deep voice was familiar, calming even through her panic. The hands on her gentled, holding her up but not holding her too tightly. “Mei, it’s me, it’s Sebastian.”

Sebastian.

Relief flooded her, and she sagged against his broad chest, letting him hold her for one long, wonderful moment of safety before panic prodded at her again.

“My grandmother!”

46

Sebastian

Lady Hu was safely tucked into one of his guest rooms and tended to by Dr. Syme, who pronounced her injuries serious for a lady of her age but certainly not fatal. He’d given her several stitches and bandaged her, then said that Rose’s poultices and tonics would likely do the rest to heal her up as quickly as possible.

Once she’d been tended to, Sebastian had insisted Dr. Syme look at Mei as well, despite her denial that she needed any such thing. When she continued protesting, he gave her a stern look and lowered his mouth to her ear.

“If you are well enough not to need the doctor, then you are well enough to be spanked.”

Not that he actually would when it was clear she did need the doctor, as well as caretaking, but it was an effective threat. Mei let Dr. Syme check her over with only a hint of a pout after that, though she shot a triumphant look at Sebastian when she was pronounced hale and hearty—though he wanted her to rest her knee for the next few days and to eat soft foods on the morrow.

Just hearing the litany of her injuries made Sebastian want to march down to his wine cellar where the two villains were currently tied up and waiting to be questioned. Drake and his men had brought them back here, for the moment, and Drake had gone to gather the other dukes.

Since Aaron Heywood was one of Mei’s attackers, it seemed only right that they all should be present for the questioning. Whether or not the other man had anything to do with the conspiracy…

Sebastian shook his head furiously and closed his eyes as he held Mei in his arms. They were on the couch in the drawing room, waiting for the others to arrive, and he could not let her go. He’d come so close to losing her. Men had attacked and harmed her. All because of his mother.

“I am fine,” she murmured, running her hand over his arm as if she could hear his thoughts.

“I…” His voice choked on the words.

“Sebastian, I am fine.” Mei twisted around in his arms to face him so she could take his face between her hands. Of course, that meant his gaze was free to travel over her bruises and the swollen knot on her forehead, the reddened flesh next to her eye. She scowled at him. “I know I do not look it, but I promise you, I am.”

“You are not, but you will be,” he finally replied. Guilt struck him square in the chest, as it had over and over again, ever since finding her in front of her house. “I am so sorry-“

“Stop.” She put her fingers in front of his lips, cutting off what must be his hundredth apology. “You did nothing wrong.”