firmly in the chair as he scooted around behind her.
"Using a woman as a shield? Even for you, Claremont, that's low." Will snarled softly, pulling his quiver over his head and tossing it, with the bow, into the corner of the room. He wanted his bare hands on the viscount.
Will paced around the chair, his smirk firmly in place, hoping to provoke the worm into attacking. The viscount kept shuffling however, keeping Lisle between them. The innkeeper peered into the room, took one look at the scene and scuttled off—probably to call the magistrate.
Will hoped the law didn't come too soon. He had a few issues with the viscount that needed addressing.
"Now, Halford, this is between your sister and me. You should have kept your nose out of it." Claremont drew a pistol out of his coat pocket and Will stopped moving, a frisson of fear shooting through him at how near the gun was to his sister. The man stood too close to Lisle for comfort. Will's gaze was drawn to her as she made a distressed sound, her tired green eyes shimmering with tears.
His hands in plain sight, Will kept his posture loose and easy, caution harnessing the urge to wrap his hands around Claremont's throat. No need to rile the man further. The viscount was wound so tight he twitched at every creak of the inn's floor.
Claremont's smile was tight as he gestured with the hand that held the pistol. "Go sit on the bed."
Will raised his eyebrows, but followed the man's directions. Hopefully Audrey would think to send her coachman above stairs. If not, he would just wait for his chance to wrestle the gun from Claremont. Surely it would be soon. There was nothing in the room to keep him down.
Claremont waited until he was settled on the bed, then grabbed Lisle by the hair and hauled her to her feet.
"Rupert, don't do this—" Lisle's plea was cut off when the man gave her a hard shake.
"Shut up, you. It's your fault I'm in this mess," snapped the viscount. Will started to leap off the bed when she yelped with pain but Claremont shoved the gun into her ribs, and Will froze. Blood boiling but unable to do anything while the pistol was positioned where it was, he resettled himself on the mattress as the viscount glared at him, his intention to escape clear in his eyes.
As soon as he was able to, Will was going to take this pathetic excuse of a man apart, piece by piece, and he made sure it was in his eyes. The viscount paled a little, cursing as he backed up toward the hall. Watching with impotent fury as Claremont inched toward the open door, dragging Lisle with him, Will waited for his chance.
"You won't get far," he called, as the viscount reached the hall, hoping to stall him. "If you take my sister, I will use every one of the considerable resources at my fingertips to hunt you down like a maddened dog."
Fear flashed in Claremont's gaze, but his expression hardened with desperation, his grip on Lisle not loosening even a bit. "I don't have a choice."
"Let her go."
"I can't," whispered the viscount, his expression haunted, a bead of sweat rolling down his pasty face. "She has something of mine and I need it back. They'll kill me if I don't."
"And I will kill you if you take one more step with her."
Claremont shuddered as he raised the gun again, focusing on Will. "Not if you are already dead."
As the viscount squeezed the trigger, Will threw himself sideways off the bed, and prayed.
Chapter Twelve
Audrey's head jerked up at the sound of a woman's cry in the rooms above. The door to the kitchen slammed open and bounced against the wall, almost knocking the innkeeper off his feet as he rushed through.
"What's going on?" Audrey cried, but the man pushed past her, heading for the front door.
"I'll not have a trouble in my inn, I won't. Calling for the watch," he muttered, shoving open the door and disappearing into the night. Audrey swung back to regard the stairs.
Will had asked her to stay downstairs. He had made her promise she would stay
"Using a woman as a shield? Even for you, Claremont, that's low." Will snarled softly, pulling his quiver over his head and tossing it, with the bow, into the corner of the room. He wanted his bare hands on the viscount.
Will paced around the chair, his smirk firmly in place, hoping to provoke the worm into attacking. The viscount kept shuffling however, keeping Lisle between them. The innkeeper peered into the room, took one look at the scene and scuttled off—probably to call the magistrate.
Will hoped the law didn't come too soon. He had a few issues with the viscount that needed addressing.
"Now, Halford, this is between your sister and me. You should have kept your nose out of it." Claremont drew a pistol out of his coat pocket and Will stopped moving, a frisson of fear shooting through him at how near the gun was to his sister. The man stood too close to Lisle for comfort. Will's gaze was drawn to her as she made a distressed sound, her tired green eyes shimmering with tears.
His hands in plain sight, Will kept his posture loose and easy, caution harnessing the urge to wrap his hands around Claremont's throat. No need to rile the man further. The viscount was wound so tight he twitched at every creak of the inn's floor.
Claremont's smile was tight as he gestured with the hand that held the pistol. "Go sit on the bed."
Will raised his eyebrows, but followed the man's directions. Hopefully Audrey would think to send her coachman above stairs. If not, he would just wait for his chance to wrestle the gun from Claremont. Surely it would be soon. There was nothing in the room to keep him down.
Claremont waited until he was settled on the bed, then grabbed Lisle by the hair and hauled her to her feet.
"Rupert, don't do this—" Lisle's plea was cut off when the man gave her a hard shake.
"Shut up, you. It's your fault I'm in this mess," snapped the viscount. Will started to leap off the bed when she yelped with pain but Claremont shoved the gun into her ribs, and Will froze. Blood boiling but unable to do anything while the pistol was positioned where it was, he resettled himself on the mattress as the viscount glared at him, his intention to escape clear in his eyes.
As soon as he was able to, Will was going to take this pathetic excuse of a man apart, piece by piece, and he made sure it was in his eyes. The viscount paled a little, cursing as he backed up toward the hall. Watching with impotent fury as Claremont inched toward the open door, dragging Lisle with him, Will waited for his chance.
"You won't get far," he called, as the viscount reached the hall, hoping to stall him. "If you take my sister, I will use every one of the considerable resources at my fingertips to hunt you down like a maddened dog."
Fear flashed in Claremont's gaze, but his expression hardened with desperation, his grip on Lisle not loosening even a bit. "I don't have a choice."
"Let her go."
"I can't," whispered the viscount, his expression haunted, a bead of sweat rolling down his pasty face. "She has something of mine and I need it back. They'll kill me if I don't."
"And I will kill you if you take one more step with her."
Claremont shuddered as he raised the gun again, focusing on Will. "Not if you are already dead."
As the viscount squeezed the trigger, Will threw himself sideways off the bed, and prayed.
Chapter Twelve
Audrey's head jerked up at the sound of a woman's cry in the rooms above. The door to the kitchen slammed open and bounced against the wall, almost knocking the innkeeper off his feet as he rushed through.
"What's going on?" Audrey cried, but the man pushed past her, heading for the front door.
"I'll not have a trouble in my inn, I won't. Calling for the watch," he muttered, shoving open the door and disappearing into the night. Audrey swung back to regard the stairs.
Will had asked her to stay downstairs. He had made her promise she would stay
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