Filthy Cloaks / H.S.

Chapter Six.

I stood paralyzed, watching in disbelief. My heart stopped beating, motionless to the fear that now resided in the depths of my stomach. My mouth went dry and further halted oxygen to my airway. I was just utterly frozen in all aspects besides the slight trembling of my hands.

Feathering my eyes closed a few times, I scanned the inside of the box one more time, but it was the same horrifying image of my father's bracelet laying so perfectly still — The very same jewelry that I had lost somehow.

Very slowly, I dragged my concerned eyes up Niall, my mouth parted slightly as I trembled. The thought hit me like a brick at full speed, but I didn't want to believe it. No, it couldn't be. When my gaze finally met Niall's face, my blood ran cold and I instantly felt sick to my stomach.

I finally put the pieces together... Niall was the same man I bumped into that day in Crowlair Street. He must've pickpocketed my bracelet when he helped me up. So that meant he lied to me when he said he didn't hear screams. But why?

Soon after that displeasingly petrifying realization, I snapped my eyes at Ace's features to see if I had recognized his face before, and to my lucky guess, I did. It was the man smoking on the brick wall, with the ignited cigarette between the friction of his fingers. He looked as menacing as before, except this time, the way his glaring eyes focused on me, I could tell he was enraged by how I was acting. Almost like he knew that I was putting the pieces together.

Did they recognize me? Was this all a scheme to get to me? As I concentrated more on possible conclusions, I realized that the only logical reason Niall lied about hearing Alfred's screams or that Ace didn't care for the screams was that they were covering for someone.

And if they were covering for someone... That someone would have to have been, none other than, Styles, or at least, that was what I assumed his name was what with the little information I've eavesdropped.

I was breathing heavily now with wide, concerned eyes out of fright. God, how could I have been so careless? Of course, they would find me. They came here to kill me. How else were they supposed to get rid of a witness?

"What's wrong, Lovia?" Niall asked, but it only sounded like a muffled echo to my ringing ears.

"I- I, um... There are three," I paused to swallow my dry throat, "Three bosses, correct?" My voice was as small and quiet as a scared little cat, it made me feel so worthless.

Ace nodded, confirming my question. He furrowed his eyebrows harsher while Niall and Glass looked more confused by the minute. I had no idea if this was another act of their deception or if they were genuinely transfixed by my abrupt switch of attitude.

"S- so, is there any, uh, any chance... the other b- boss, the one that's not h- here... Is his name... Styles?" Asking that, I never wanted to be coldly rejected as much as I did now, at this moment, where I hoped that Styles did not correlate with my bosses. If he did, I would be terrorized by the many conclusions of that night, including the notion that Niall and Ace were there in support of Styles possibly murdering Alfred.

"Well, no," Niall replied.

A wave of relief rushed over me, like a cold wind passing by my shoulders in a hurry, and I never felt so grateful for my luck. I let out a deep exhale, closing my eyelids for a second and regaining the beat of my heart.

"That's his last name. His name is Harry," Ace finished Niall's sentence, taking a curious step toward me.

No.