“I wasn’t sneaking around. I came out here to say hello and caught an earful. Things you should have been telling me, Silas. Those are my people. If they are in danger, I need to know,” she said, putting her hands back on her hips.
“Emmie I was going to tell you but I haven’t had the chance.” Silas lit another cigarette.
“Oh really, because we were together all night last night. When were you going to tell me that somebody burned down Bo’s cabin? What if he’d been hurt? Or like Trick said, what if Millie had been hurt? We’ve got to stop this,” she said, her voice high-pitched and angry.
Trick turned to join them. “See, she’s on my side. I like the way she thinks.”
Emmie frowned at Trick. “I’m not sure I’m on your side. If you’re really carrying a torch for Millie, what in the world were you doing up here drinking beer with your friends last night while her world was burning? That doesn’t sound like a very good beau to me.”
Trick’s brow knitted together and he gave her a piercing stare. He put his finger out at her. “You don’t know anything about anything, Emmie.”
She was sorry for her words the minute they left her mouth. She’d hurt Trick. She could see he was pining to get back to Kentucky and she’d hit him where it hurt. She opened her mouth to apologize but didn’t get the chance. He stormed off toward the house, angrier than she’d ever seen him.
She looked up at Silas to find him staring down at her through an arched brow. She looked at the ground and sighed loudly.
“You’re just like an angry little bee right now, ready to sting anyone in your way, aren’t you?” Silas asked as he took another draw from his cigarette.
Emmie shook her head. “I’ll find him and apologize. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s you I’m angry with, not him.”
“Before this morning there was nothing to tell you Emmie, trust me,” Silas said.
“The fires in Smith’s Grove and Bardstown. That butcher shop you mentioned, was it the butcher shop of those men that helped you in the cabin?” She swallowed hard as she asked the question. She didn’t like to think about the job of the butchers at the cabin.
Silas stared at her a long time before he answered, “Yes.”
“And two of your places have been burned? One in Bardston and one in Smith’s Grove?” she asked.
Silas let loose an annoyed grunt and walked away from her.
“I’m taking that sound as a yes,” she said, closing the space between them.
Silas merely nodded.
“It’s still them isn’t it? It’s the same group of men that came after me, isn’t it? They weren’t all dead.” Emmie’s heart pounded in her ears as she asked each question.
Silas took in her panicked expression. He wrapped his arms around her for a second then grabbed her chin gently and pulled it up to face him. The leather of his gloves felt smooth and cold against her cheek.
“You have no reason to be afraid. You don’t have to worry about those men anymore. They will not hurt you again,” he said softly.
“Then who’s doing this Silas, their ghosts? There are more, right? There must be. God, that revenuer was looking out the window expecting people. I thought he was expecting some cops to come take out the moonshine, but he was waiting for his friends, wasn’t he? He knew he couldn’t take you alone. He needed those men to get there before you did. That’s why he was so anxious watching out the window. God, I’m such a fool. I’ve spent all of my time afraid of the memories of that cabin. Afraid that Mr. Thomas had died at my hands. That was never the threat was it? That was never the reason you didn’t want me to think about it. You didn’t want me to put this together. You didn’t want me to be afraid of the ones that were left,” Emmie said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Wait, stop, you are putting words in my mouth. I didn’t want you to talk about the cabin because I didn’t want you to live chained to a belief that you had done something wrong. Even if your actions had left Paul Thomas dead, that was not for your conscious to bear. He was going to take you. He would have hurt you. You were protecting yourself.” When she looked down he pulled her face up to his. “It was my bullet that went through his body, my kill, my soul, my conscience, not yours.”
Emmie frowned and looked up at him. He was trying to cover her actions in the cabin with his own to protect her. She laid a hand on his chest. “I’m a strong girl, Silas. You don’t have to protect me from what happened. Because the truth is: it did happen. No matter how ugly it was, it happened and as much as you would like to take that away from me, you can’t. It’s a memory we share and we need to put it in the past together.” Silas rubbed his jaw and looked away from her, his eyes full of pain. “It’s like you said last night. I don’t need you to keep me from being afraid, Silas. I just need you to hold my hand through it, rain or shine. That is my family down there. And they are in danger. I need to be there too. Were you planning to take me with you?”
When Silas spoke his voice was deep and throaty, full of emotion. “I can’t do that Emmie.”
“Why, because you’re afraid I’ll get hurt? We’ll make a plan. I’ll be careful,” she pleaded.
“You know I can’t do that. You’re safer up here,” he said.
“No, Silas. This isn’t your choice to make. This is personal. They’ve done more than mess with your business. They’ve messed with my friend’s property. They burnt the cabin. How much moonshine was stored down in that cellar, Silas? They’ve lost a lot of money too. I know Bo Johnson. I bet he’s out looking for them right now and we’re up here like an ostrich burying our head in the sand.”
How could she accuse him of avoiding a confrontation? Silas’s teeth clenched together. She knew how to say just the right thing to set him off. Just like his brother, she was always quick to jump into action without thinking things through. Well, this was one thing she knew nothing about. If she had been one of his men he’d have laid her out for that comment. He exhaled the last of his smoke, taking a minute to cool himself down before he spoke to her.
“Damn it, Emmie. We are not hiding. Come on. In case you have forgotten, your best friend and your brother are in there, celebrating their marriage. They’ve had a hell of a time lately too. Bo Johnson is not the only friend you have that needs you,” Silas said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the house.
She attempted to keep her feet rooted on the ground but failed. He pulled her past the car and to the sidewalk. When they reached the door she tried to pull her hand away from his but he gripped it so tightly she couldn’t. When she frowned at him, he gave her a crooked grin. She turned her face away from him. He led her through the house and toward the busy dining room. He smiled as he talked to his family and introduced her to each person. A few of the people she thought she may have met before but most of them were strangers They spoke to his parents, nodded hello to the Del Grandé family, and kissed Ava and Gabe, telling them how beautiful the ceremony was.
All the while Silas never once let go of her hand, no matter how hard she tried to pull it away from him. What was he afraid she was going to do, take off walking to Bowling Green without him? She sighed. But the sound made no difference to him. He kept his hand wrapped firmly around hers with a vice-like grip.
Chapter Thirty-four
Silas rubbed his thumb over her ring. She looked down at it and then back at him. He pulled her over to a corner where they could be alone in the crowded dining room, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, “You are right. I promised to hold your hand when you were afraid. Outside just a second ago,” he pointed toward the front of the house, “when you were yelling at me, calling me an ostrich,” he grinned at the words that had made him so angry only minutes ago, “your eyes looked scared as hell.” He held up her hand that he’d refused to let her pull away and kissed the ring he’d given her last night. “So, this is me, holding your hand. Even when you don’t want it.”
Emmie cocked her head to the side and glared up at him. “You
know good and well that this is not what I meant.”
His only reply was a grin as he turned to lead her back toward the dining room table.
“Wait, Silas,” she said, planting her feet on the ground.
He stopped and turned back to face her.
“I’m not afraid for me. I’m afraid for them, Silas. Bo and his family, they are no match for the kind of people that would have an issue with you.” She leaned in and added, “I don’t think you’re a gangster like that revenuer said but I also know that you walk in a different world than the one Bo and I grew up in. He needs help.”
“The Johnsons are not as innocent as you’d like to think they are,” Silas answered.
“Silas you know what I mean.” She ran her free hand down his chest and touched the straps of his leather holster she knew he’d be wearing underneath. “The Johnsons don’t walk around with guns strapped to their bodies.”
“Emmie, I know what those people mean to you. I’m going to keep my eye on them. Which is even more of a reason you cannot come along. I’ve only got two eyes. I can’t keep a watch on eight things at once without making a mistake. I will not make a mistake when it comes to you. I need you here where you’re safe,” he said, pulling her hand down from his holster.
“Are you worried that you only have two eyes to watch or that you only have two guns to fire, Silas? How dangerous is it at home right now?” she asked.
He sighed. “I am done with this conversation, Emmie. We are here for a celebration.”
She wanted to contest, but didn’t get the chance. He took her back to the dining room without another word. He did finally let go of her hand when they were eating but kept a tight grip on her knee under the table. She could feel him there with her every moment. Taking a deep breath she realized he would be gone tomorrow. A sense of fear gripped her. Worse than what she had worried about with Bo. These men were after Silas. What if he didn’t come back to her? Without a second’s hesitation she reached down and wrapped her hand around his. He paused in conversation and turned briefly to look at her. It was like he knew what she was thinking. He shook his head and squeezed her knee. Emmie felt her throat start to burn and swallowed back her fear. She couldn’t give in to her emotions right now.
Dinner ended and the party moved downstairs. Her father’s billiards room was massive and had been converted into a fancy speakeasy. It was nicer than the one Emmie had seen at the Tealbach in Louisville. Drinks were served in proper glasses. The entrance was through a bookshelf in the library but other than that, there was no secrecy. There was no need for that in the comfort of their home.
Emmie had briefly helped Ava by sewing a tear in the lace of her dress. She’d worked hard to smile and tell Ava what a beautiful day it was. If Ava noticed her words were a lie she didn’t let on. Jemma and Silas’s mother had asked her to go back next week to work at the Bell House and Emmie agreed but wondered if she was making an empty promise. A part of her felt determined to go back to Kentucky with or without Silas’s blessing. Of course, she had no money for a train ticket but when had she ever let money stop her before? She would work it out.
Everyone around her seemed to be having a good time. Even Trick, who had been so upset earlier, was in the middle of some big story, entertaining his family. Silas was laughing with Gabe about something. Although Emmie was glad to see they were beginning to be on better terms, she couldn’t believe the way everyone was just going on with business as usual. Never mind that her world at home was burning down. Dangerous men were hurting those she loved in Kentucky. Her friends needed their help. Yet here they all were, at a party.
How could she be mad at them when just yesterday she had done the same thing? Bo’s cabin was burned down and all his goods were gone while she was out skating like a teenager, making a fool of herself. She realized the angry words she’d thrown at Trick were not as much about him as they were about herself. She needed to apologize to him.
As she was walking over to him someone caught her attention, a boy who looked familiar. He was in the corner of the room standing next to an older man. Silas walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned into him but never moved her eyes from the boy in the corner.
Silas followed her gaze. “Yeah, sorry about that. I can’t believe he actually showed up. We are second cousins.”
It dawned on Emmie who he was. He was the freckle-faced boy from the Irish speakeasy who Silas had fought. The one who’d made the crude comment about her. Silas’s words made Emmie notice something: there were very few Irish families in attendance. An older uncle, the freckle-faced family, and Silas—that was it. Surely Molly had more family here than this.
“Why aren’t there more Irish families here? Clearly you have a lot of family. You were related to nearly everyone I met the night you took me to that party in Chicago,” Emmie asked curiously.
“Molly and Al’s wedding wasn’t exactly a happy occasion for a lot of their family,” Silas answered quietly.
“Was she pregnant with Vincent?” Emmie asked, jumping to the first conclusion.
Silas laughed quietly. “No. It wasn’t like this one. Neither of their families were exactly excited they had married outside of their community.”
Emmie frowned, not following his words.
“Irish and Italians didn’t marry then. Look at my pop, he married a nice Irish girl. Look at Al’s family here, Italians marry Italians. It was an unpopular choice for their family. In the beginning, Pop didn’t care for Al. But around the time she started having babies, he began to let his anger go. I think Ma helped him see that it didn’t matter who his sister had married. As long as I can remember they’ve gotten along pretty well. But a lot of the family couldn’t see past it. It’s ridiculous but that’s why I’m surprised they are here. They were always lukewarm to Ava and Vincent,” Silas said, nodding to the freckled family.
Emmie couldn’t believe Ava had never told her any of this. As far as Emmie had known everything in Chicago was perfect for Ava. She looked over at her friend who was dancing with a wide smile spread across her face. Ava had a unique ability to see the best in life. She wished she could be more like her. For the rest of the night she tried her best. Emmie danced, smiled, and moved through the motions but her heart was already back in Kentucky.
Chapter Thirty-five
Molly and Al’s Chicago home had at least ten bedrooms. So it should have come as no surprise that most of the wedding guests stayed the night. Emmie thought it was probably best, judging by the amount of wine she’d seen consumed at the reception last night. She had no idea how they even got that much wine into their house. She probably didn’t want to find out either. Emmie had carried a glass around all night but little more than a swallow actually made it down her throat. She didn’t have a taste for the stuff and even if she did, she wouldn’t have drunk it. Emmie wanted her head clear. She needed to make a plan. Silas wasn’t going to take her back to Kentucky with him and she had no money of her own to get there. For the first time she found herself wishing she had taken a little bit of the moonshining money that Silas had tried to give her. Without access to cash you were forced to depend on the good graces of others. Right now Silas didn’t have the good graces to send her home. Her first thought had been to borrow the cash from Ava but barging in on her wedding night, asking for a few dollars probably broke some unwritten law.
Last night Silas had walked her to her bedroom, barely touched his lips to hers to say goodnight, and then went downstairs. She’d waited up for hours thinking he might sneak up to see her but he never did. She could only assume that meant he was downstairs with the others working out a plan for whatever was going to happen in Kentucky. A plan that would involve those she loved.
Emmie tied one of Ava’s silky robes around her waist and walked out into the hall. Her bare feet padded softly against the cool wooden floors. The only sound in the silent house was the creaking wood beneath her feet as she traveled downstairs. She walked to
Al’s office half hoping Silas would be in there still at work. He wasn’t. She searched the living room, the library, and ended in the kitchen. If Emmie hadn’t seen all the cars lining the driveway and cul-de-sac, she would have assumed everyone had left. Judging by the quiet house, the partygoers were still sleeping off the lingering effects of the wine.
Moving to the stove she started making a pot of coffee. Her heart panged with fear again at the thought of the fires. She chewed her lower lip, thinking about her friends back home and the danger Silas could be facing. Emmie got out a bowl and started mixing some biscuits. Surely someone would be hungry when they woke up and she needed something to do besides sitting around and worrying. She worked the batter with her hands and thought back to that awful day at the cabin. She closed her eyes and saw it all. Steve Johnson, Mr. Thomas, Will, the revenuer, and his friend named Smith: ghosts from her past moved around her as she forced herself to remember their actions.
She remembered that they were angry, uneasy, and watching out the window for something. Emmie tried to remember what they had said and if they had given her any clue as to who would be coming. They had never really told her in so many words. Will Thomas had been wearing his uniform. Surely if he was dressed in uniform they were waiting for more officers. Emmie slid the biscuits into the oven and poured a cup of coffee.
The Smith man said they had baited Silas in Louisville when they arrested her and Ava at the Halloween party. Emmie took a swallow of coffee and saw herself coming down that tunnel with him. Her eyes popped open as she remembered something that hadn’t been important at the time. Smith hadn’t delivered her to the main paddy wagon where all of the other people were taken. He had delivered her to two policemen in exchange for money. Those two policemen had been waiting for her. They were involved in the little test to see if Silas would return for her. Which meant they were likely still involved.
Come Rain or Shine (Shine On Series, Book Three) Page 17
