Chapter Forty-nine
“Emma, it will be lovely on you.” He held the garment out to her.
“Thank you, Paul.” She grabbed another bite of apple.
She forced herself to swallow the tart fruit when she really wanted to vomit. She had never felt so unsettled. Walking away from the counter, she watched Paul put the knife back, glancing around to be sure no one saw him let her use it. He must be a little afraid of these men too.
“So, there’s not really a place for me to change here?” She looked around the tiny cabin. “Maybe I could step outside for some privacy.”
“Not a chance.” Jim spit a wad of tobacco on the floor and glanced at her.
“Okay, I understand that.” She embraced her inner Ava and added, “Maybe you guys could put up some kind of blanket to section off the room?”
Smith looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “You think we’ve got time to be building forts for you?”
“Girl, we ain’t got time for your dress changes now. You can get naked as a jay bird or wear the dress you got on, but leave us out of it and shut your trap,” Jim said, turning back to the window.
She gave Mr. Thomas a feigned look of embarrassment. “I’m sorry Paul. I’ll have to save it.”
He rolled his eyes at Jim and walked back, putting the dress carefully in the box. He grabbed Emmie’s arm and led her back to the cot. His bony fingers bit her skin. She hated that he was her only hope in this room. It felt good to sit down and watch everyone in the room. Paul paced the length of the cabin, with a small gun shoved into the back of his pants. Steven sat on the floor, his head in his hands like he had a headache. She couldn’t see a gun but there was a shotgun a few feet to his left. Will and Jim stared anxiously out the tiny window.
Will pulled a pocket watch from his vest and checked the time. “We are on schedule. They should be here in the next thirty minutes or so.”
Jim nodded and turned to look at Steven. “Do you remember what we need you to do when they get here?”
Steven nodded. “You really think it should be me? I mean if ole man Johnson figures out it was me that helped you, he will kill me on the spot.”
Jim grinned at the man. “Well, you ain’t got to worry about that yet because he won’t know about the raid when you get back to the house. You just call Silas and tell him you saw us bring his girl here.”
Steven nodded and looked down at the floor again. So that’s what he was dreading. It wasn’t the raid—it was calling Silas. That phone call would make him a good as dead. He was in way over his head and he knew it.
**********
Bo drove the car as far as they could, stopping a few yards from the edge of the woods. About a hundred yards in front of them set the cabin. They were facing the back and there were no windows, only one small door.
“It’s better to walk the rest of the way,” Bo said. “They might hear the car if we get into the clearing.”
“You mean to tell me you have a path you could have driven to this cabin and you made her climb up and down that ridge?” Silas looked at Bo out of the corner of his eye.
“Pap doesn’t much like folks that aren’t named Johnson to have an easy access to this cabin,” Bo answered.
Silas wanted to say more but swallowed his words, now was not the time. He looked at the cabin, rubbing his jaw while he thought this through.
“So, are we sticking with the plan, brother?” Trick asked with a grin.
Silas laughed and it came out as a hollow sound. “Yeah,” he said, making eye contact with his brother.
“What’s the plan?” Vince asked aloud.
“Get Emmie and blow the heads off anyone in the way,” Trick said over his shoulder.
“Good plan,” Bo said, nodding.
The butcher brothers stayed back, hiding behind some trees. Once it started they would take off for the cabin. It was better not to play all of your cards at once, the rest of the Johnson clan was supposed to be coming, but who knew how long it’d take them to get there.
The boys ran through the open field. That wide-open area was perfect for those in the cabin but not for those trying to make a surprise entrance. It seemed to take forever to get through the grassy field. They met at the furthest edge of the cabin, standing backs against the thick wooden walls in complete silence. Silas took a deep breath. Emmie was so close to him, just on the other side of this wood.
“So, how do we want to do this?” Vince whispered, craning his neck over at Silas.
“Let me go first,” Bo said.
The other four looked at him like he was crazy. “It’s best. They wouldn’t expect me to be with you. I’ll distract them for a minute.” He turned and looked at Silas. “I can keep Emmie down when the shooting starts.”
Silas clenched his jaw, knowing this was the only way. If anyone else went first, Jim Parbour would get trigger-happy. Bo was the best bet, but Silas didn’t like putting Emmie’s safety in his hands. He didn’t speak, just nodded. They moved to the side of the house while Bo ran in the other direction, crossing the white tree, down from the vantage point of their window. Silas had to give the boy some respect; they would see him arrive from the other direction. Their guard would be down, thinking they had the upper hand at watching his entire entrance.
**********
Emmie felt like she waited on that bench for hours although it was only a matter of minutes. The cool blade of the knife pressed against her thigh where she’d fastened it in her garter belt. It was a constant reminder that she needed to do something, but she couldn’t think what. She looked from gun to gun, what chance did she have with one knife?
“What the hell?” Will asked, looking outside.
“Steven, are you sure you didn’t tell anyone we would be there?” Jim shouted at the man.
He stumbled up from his spot in the floor. “Honest, I didn’t tell nobody. Why?”
“Because your brother-in-law is skipping up to this cabin as we speak,” Will answered, pulling out his shotgun and propping it up in the window.
Jim tapped it and shook his head. “Don’t let him see it. I’ll get rid of him.” The tall billowy man made his way to the doorway.
Emmie’s pulse pounded in her temples. Jim drew his gun, keeping his hand behind his back.
“What can I do for ya son?” Jim asked, meeting Bo on the porch.
“What the hell are ya doing in my cabin?” Bo shouted loudly.
“Boy, you’ll wanna get outta here. I’ve got a squad on the way, it might get messy,” Jim said in fake kindness.
Emmie was at a loss at what to do. If she warned him, he’d know they had her. He may try to fight them and he didn’t have a chance. She found her footing and stood. No one noticed as she backed against the far wall of the cabin and moved so she could see a glimpse of Bo.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I ain’t got no shine. Who else you got in my house?” Bo asked, peeking around the tall man.
Emmie ducked down low so he couldn’t see her. He didn’t need to come in here half cocked and get himself killed. She couldn’t see if he had a weapon. She felt cold fingers dig into her arm and turned, looking up at Mr. Thomas.
“Dear, you’ll want to stay with me. We may have to leave out that door. I’m not going to let you get shot if this gets ugly,” Mr. Thomas said. She tried to pull her arm away from him but he wouldn’t let her.
Bo realized this man wasn’t going to let him past. Well, if he couldn’t get in the house, he’d have to do the next best thing—get the man out in the open and trust Silas and the boys to clear out the man in his way.
“Why are you keeping me from my house, sir?” he asked Jim, hooking his thumbs through his overalls. Bo leaned forward like he might peer over the man’s shoulders. Jim stepped over the threshold and out onto the porch, closing the door behind him. He pulled out his gun and held it toward Bo.
“I tried to warn ya kid. But you didn’t listen,” he said.
“Never been much of a list
ener,” Bo said, taking a jump off the porch.
As soon as he was out of the way he heard it, right on cue. The shot ran out and echoed through the surrounding trees. If the police were close, they’d heard the shot so time was of the essence here. Jim dropped on the porch, falling off the side. It had been a clean shot. Bo ran as fast as his feet could take him. He felt a sting in his right arm before he heard the sound. He grabbed his arm as he made it around the side of the house.
Vince was standing just at the corner. So, he’d been the one to take out Jim. “You okay?”
Bo nodded and looked where he felt the pain. “Just skimmed my arm.”
Vince reached down and unstrapped a gun from his ankle and tossed it on the ground next to Bo. “Take that. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”
Bo picked it up with his good arm and nodded.
“Wait here for a minute then come around front. Silas and Trick are taking the back, Gabe’s on the other side.”
“Careful. There’s a window a few feet from where you’re standing,” Bo warned.
Vince nodded in appreciation and then made his way around the house.
Chapter Fifty
“Bo.” His name came out as a blood-curdling scream as she heard the gunshot and the body drop on the porch.
She had to get to him. The revenuer had shot him. She ran so hard toward the door; Mr. Thomas lost his grip on her arm. She made her way to the window before he caught up to her. Bo was alive. She saw him run past the window. It wasn’t him that’d been shot. From the corner of her eye she saw Will raise his shotgun.
“No,” she said aloud.
Will was going to shoot Bo. She threw her shoulder into him causing him to lose his footing. He’d already fired the shot but Bo was still running, so he must not have been hit. She let out a brief sigh of relief. Will stood and turned to face her.
“Don’t you dare hurt her,” Mr. Thomas said, pulling her against his chest protectively.
Will raised his gun toward her. “Jim was the only one that wanted her and he’s gone. How can you still want her after the way she let him humiliate our family?”
She let Paul drag her back a few steps. This was it. She had to get out of here or die. Smith moved to the window and kept watch while Will’s attention was diverted to Emmie. Steven was making his way to the back door. Emmie could tell by the scared expression on his face he wanted to run, but he didn’t get the chance, because just then the door busted open. It was Silas. His gun was drawn. His eyes met hers briefly then turned to Will. He shot him twice without a word. Trick took out Smith at the same time.
Paul landed on her and they both hit the floor when the door open. Steven took out through the open door. Emmie heard another gunshot echo through the woods. It all was happening so fast, yet time seemed to move in slow motion. She pulled herself to the stove, feeling Paul against her back.
“Don’t worry Emma, I’m getting us out of here. That devil won’t take you again,” he whispered in her ear. She felt his gun pressed into her back.
He started to pull her backward, keeping her body in front of his. Silas turned his gun from Will to Paul but couldn’t get a clean shot. He opened his mouth and shouted something but Emmie could hear only her pulse pounding. Paul was so close to her there was no way she could fish the knife from her garter belt. From the corner of her eye she saw a cast iron skillet she’d used to cook the apples. Without another thought she grabbed it tightly and turned on her heel, swinging it like a baseball bat, cracking him right in the head. His eyes went blank as he fell straight backward. The skillet made a loud thud when it hit the floor. She dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t find air; everything had been sucked from the room.
Silas pulled her into his arms and turned her so she could only see his face.
“You are safe. Was there anyone else that may come back?” he asked seriously.
She shook her head.
“Breathe, Emmie. You’re safe. Breathe.” He rubbed her face with his gun-free hand.
“Did I kill him?” she asked. “Oh God. Silas, did I kill him?” She covered her face in her hands like she was trying to hide from the ugliness that surrounded her. “I didn’t mean to kill him. His eyes went blank. Oh God, Silas.”
He pulled her into his chest and looked at Paul Thomas’s lifeless body and the steady stream of blood coming from behind his ear. He was dead, there was no question. Silas let out a sigh of relief that that crazy man wouldn’t be able to hurt her again.
“No sweetheart. He’s just knocked out, cold.” Silas looked at Trick as he spoke the lie.
Trick nodded at his brother, reassuring him that he’d said the right thing. Silas wrapped his arm around her head and pulled it as tight as he could into his chest. Then he raised his gun and fired two rounds into Mr. Thomas’s body.
She screamed and pulled away. “No… no more killing. No more…” She couldn’t get out the last words, sobbing as she fell to the floor.
“The rest of the Johnsons are here and the Sheriff’s department. They are headed up the ridge to cut off the buttons,” Gabe said, entering the cabin.
Vince entered behind him. “Mr. Johnson and Bo have Steven. Gabe shot him but he’s not dead… yet anyway.”
“Everyone shut up,” Silas said, picking Emmie up from the floor.
“Vince I need you to handle this. Can you do that?” he asked, nodding to the woods.
“Of course.” Vince put his gun in his holster and smoothed his hair out of his eyes. He knew Silas was asking him to represent himself as the Johnson’s lawyer.
“Gabe, I need you to get the butcher’s to clean this up.” Silas tucked Emmie’s face into his chest.
“Silas, we’ve got this. Get her out of here,” Gabe said angrily. She’d seen too much and Silas didn’t needed to be here telling everyone what to do while she was in the midst of a nervous breakdown.
Silas nodded and carried Emmie to the car. Trick followed them. Trick took the driver’s seat while Silas settled Emmie in the back of the car and scooted in next to her. He felt her sob the whole way back to the DeCarmilla house.
As they pulled into the drive, Emmie tried to sit up. She winced and rubbed her right side.
“Let me,” he said, picking her up and carrying her in the house.
When they got inside he laid her on the living room couch. That was the first time he really saw her. She was broken—body and spirit. He leaned down, kissed her forehead, and wiped a spot of dried blood from her temple.
“You’re hurt,” he said softly.
“Not too bad.” She looked at him.
“I’m not going to ask you to tell me everything that happened, not tonight.”
She closed her eyes. “Thank you.” Her lips trembled as she thought back over the day.
“I love you Emmie. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I should have kept you safe,” he said, his voice cracking.
She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”
He wanted to argue with her, this was his fault. They only wanted her because of him: for his access to speaks and for what he’d done to their family. She was the only way they could hurt him and they’d known that. He wondered what other greedy assholes knew that. They’d have to make an example of this, if he wanted to keep it from happening again. He shook his head to block his train of thought. Right now he needed to focus on her.
“Will you tell me where you’re hurt?”
Her lips trembled before she answered. “My heart.”
It took him a minute to understand her words. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She only nodded. “I know. We’re alive. It’s what matters.”
He was amazed by her courage.
She looked at him as he knelt over her. “Spotty’s dead too, isn’t he?”
Silas looked up at the ceiling. “I think so, sweetheart.”
She nodded and bit her lip. Emmie was sure there were many words she should b
e saying, prayers she should be praying, and tears she should be crying. But she couldn’t seem to do any of those things. She curled onto her side and closed her eyes to block out the world around her. When she closed her eyes she saw her mother’s face—beautiful and young. She pictured her mother brushing her hair until it shined, and humming, saying it was impossible to be anything but happy when you’re humming. Emmie took a deep breath and pressed her face against the couch cushion and hummed “I’ll Fly Away” with her mother.
Chapter Fifty-one
“Silas, you can’t leave her there like that.” Gabe’s voice came from above her.
“I know,” Silas said quietly.
Emmie didn’t know if she’d been asleep or just out of it. She winced as she tried to pull herself up to a sitting position. It was pitch black outside; she’d been home, well Ava’s home, for a while. Her head pounded, the pain medicine from earlier must have worn off.
“Emmie, you have got to pull yourself together enough to get cleaned up.” Gabe crossed his arms over his chest.
“Hey, watch it.” Silas elbowed his friend.
“What? This isn’t good for her. She’s a strong girl and shouldn’t be lying there all dirty and bloody.” Gabe rubbed his arm.
“He’s right.” Emmie’s voice was barely a whisper. “I’ve got to get out of these clothes.”
She turned on the couch and felt something stab her leg. Oh have mercy—she’d never taken the knife out of her garter belt. Emmie pulled the hem of her dress up without the fear of indecency.
“Emmie, I’ll take you upstairs to…” Silas grabbed her elbow to help her stand. His words stopped short as she pulled a small kitchen knife from the top of her stockings.
“Holy shit, Emmie. How did you manage that?” Gabe looked proud.
Emmie smiled. “They were pretty distracted. It didn’t do much good though, I never used it.” She looked down at the knife and her hands started to shake. Silas’s hands covered hers as he pulled the knife from her fingers and set it on the table.
Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) Page 25
