“They’ve exerted a lot of pressure, and it is said he has caved. You can expect the Royal Guard to appear this afternoon to escort you to the palace. Prinny wants an audience with you.”
“Royal Guard?” Case questioned.
“With me?” Justin asked in a stunned voice.
“Let’s not waste time,” Hawk said impatiently. “I didn’t come over here to warn you so you could deny any involvement. I’ve no doubt you’ve hidden Lady Penroth away from her bastard husband. The very fact that you were set to marry her before Penroth returned tells me you were obviously in love with her. You always were the one with all the romantic notions of marrying for love.” His tone was light, but it carried a hint of scorn as well.
“Still the hardened cynic,” Justin said softly. “Yes, Jillian is here.” He trusted Hawk. He was the only man besides Case he trusted implicitly. He had no idea how Hawk had come across his information, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Why the devil are you keeping her here in London?” Hawk asked in disbelief. “Are you trying to get both of you arrested?”
“She hasn’t been well enough to travel,” he said quietly. “Penroth nearly killed her.”
Hawk’s face darkened into a murderous expression, his black eyes disguising any emotion he may have felt. “You must leave today then,” he said. “Before Prinny’s guard arrives. You can’t very well be summoned if you aren’t here.”
“What the hell is the Royal Guard?” Case demanded. “And he’s right, Justin, this could mean a lot of trouble for you.”
“Prinny has a group of well-trained loyalists that look out for his best interests,” Hawk said somewhat amusedly. “Not public knowledge, but palace insiders dubbed them the Royal Guard.” He turned back to Justin. “But what is important is not who Prinny’s henchmen are, but getting you and Lady Penroth out of London.”
“I can’t move her yet,” Justin said stubbornly.
“You don’t have to move her,” Hawk said. “You just have to get out of London. No one knows she is here, but everyone knowsyouare.”
“I won’t leave her.”
“They are right, Justin, you must leave right away,” a soft voice sounded from the doorway.
“Jillian!” Justin exclaimed, rushing towards her. “You shouldn’t be up.
Hawk took in her appearance, his chest growing tight, as he remembered his mother and how she looked the day she took him and ran to the safety of her sister’s house.
“Justin, don’t coddle me so,” she protested, shaking off his arm. She unsteadily made her way over to where Case and Hawk sat and with some effort managed to sit on the edge of a chair in front of them.
Her pale face was still covered with bruises and her left eye was nearly swollen shut. Still, Hawk could see that she was undeniably a beautiful woman, and, by the looks of things Justin was thoroughly besotted. He was impressed by her bravado as she stared him and Case down and demanded to know what sort of danger Justin was in.
He gave a sigh. He would help them. Not only was Justin like a brother to him, but the idea of Jillian going back to Penroth like his mother had been forced to return to his father turned his stomach.
“Jillian, love, please, you must go back to bed,” Justin insisted. “You shouldn’t be up.”
She shook her head once more and turned to Hawk. “You must be Hawk,” she said softly. “I would know you anywhere from Case’s description.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I regret we meet under such circumstances. But I must concur with my cousin. You should not be out of bed.”
Her face twisted in annoyance. “I am not going back to bed until one of you tells me what is going on and why Justin is in danger.”
“You always were stubborn,” Case muttered.
“Prinny is sending the Royal Guard for Justin. I am sure he wants to question him regarding your whereabouts.”
“Hawk, enough!” Justin warned, giving his cousin a dark look.
Hawk didn’t think it was possible for Jillian’s face to get any paler.
“Then I must go,” she said firmly. “I will see the Regent myself. I will ask for a divorce.”
“No!”
“Absolutely not!” the other two men exclaimed.
