Refuge In The Shadows

19.

The day before William's scheduled meeting with John Carraway, Cadeyrn and James took William back to his residence to get himself ready for the confrontation as if he had not spend months as a hostage. They had fed him well and had given him a comfortable bed during his confinement so William could return to civilian life as good as he left it. But now, standing awkwardly in the foyer of William's gilded flat, Cadeyrn and James wondered if what they thought was fair treatment was pure torture for a man accustomed to a life of luxury. William caught the two young men staring in distaste at the framed paintings on the wall, the marble flooring, and pots of exotic plants and scowled, "I do not own this place. I could not even–"

"Yes, you could not even afford such a flat on your own, hence why you are only partnering with your 'horrible' uncle because of the money for your girl," James finished for him impatiently. "Constantly justifying your actions and lifestyle has been getting quite tiring for us," he drawled. James turned to see Cadeyrn nod in agreement. Since their sparring session, the two have been on better terms now that truths had been said and confessions were made. Cadeyrn crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his face a mask of cold impassiveness. "Do what you have to do to look like a Westminster boy and pack only what you need for tomorrow. We will be down here waiting," James instructed William, the threat not going unnoticed.

William felt the heavy stares of both hunters as he ascended the stairs to his bedroom. "I do not suppose he will try to escape through any of the windows upstairs?" James jokingly asked his silent companion. Cadeyrn simply gave him a nasty look focused his gaze on the floor. They waited in silence until William reappeared dressed in a dark grey suit and carrying a leather bag containing overnight necessities and a change of clothes. As the three men walked out of the apartment, William decided to bring up the question Cadeyrn and James were anticipating he would ask since his release.

"Would you two gentlemen be gracious enough to allow me to visit Alice?" James rolled his eyes and shoved William through the threshold. "We do not have all the time in the day travel across the entire city just to babysit you as you pay your lady friend a visit." William abruptly turned around and snatched James's wrists. James, unperturbed by William's fighting instincts, raised an eyebrow as he began seething, "And of course, you can bed your lady friend any time you want while I am not allowed to be with mine?"

James twisted out of William's grip so that he pinned William's arms behind his back. "Come now," he crooned in William's ear, "My lady and I have far more class than any of you Westminster clowns." He shoved William into Cadeyrn's hold, whose murderous eyes promised nothing short of agony. Leaning in close to the man's face, James continued, "And I think it is obvious why I can see Carys whenever I wish. She lives in the base with us. Unless your lovely Alice wishes to join the Phantom Hunt, you are out of luck." James patted William on the shoulder and flounced away before William could spit on his face.

"You need your pretty face untouched or else uncle dearest will get upset," was all Cadeyrn said and all he needed to say for William to shut his mouth.

*****

William was given a bedroom that night with two guards stationed by the doors at all times. Down the hallway, Carys sat with her legs crossed on a mat in the training room, having returned from training Vicky and her friends. She surveyed the room and all the weapons that lined nearly floor to ceiling with unnerving calmness, as if she and her friends were not forcing William to blow his uncle's brains to bits, were not using William's love for a poor laundress for their own agenda. Carys supposed that they had become the villains, no better than the man they were trying to eliminate. But why should that matter when they planned to return Alice to William with enough money to last the rest of their lives so William would keep his mouth shut about the assassination?