Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) (10 page)

“Why?” she asked him through gritted teeth.

“Sorry, Miss. It’s not personal. You just need to learn your lesson. Drinking is of the Devil. You’s a good girl, they ain’t gonna keep you too long,” he said.

“Thank you Smith,” the man in a suit called. Then he slipped the server some cash.

The police officer’s split and each grabbed a girl. Emmie turned to the man. “Oh yeah.” She gave a pointed look at the cash. “I thought this was about morals. So why are you taking money?”

The server only smiled and tipped his hat in reply. “We’ll remember who you are Smith,” Ava shouted at him.

“I’m counting on it,” he said, turning his back and walking down the street.

Chapter Thirteen

E
mmie and Ava held hands in the back of the car as they were led back to the station. Ava looked up at Emmie after they’d driven a few minutes.

“Well, at least we weren’t in the car the reporters were taking pictures of, that’s something right? I mean that’s not the kind of attention I was hoping for today. I don’t even have on a good dress,” Ava said with a grin.

Emmie snorted. “Ava, you’re absurd.”

Ava smiled. “Thank you. I try.”

They were pulled out of the car and led into some room. The men were together in one cell and women were put in another. Emmie felt sick at her stomach. How were they going to get out of this one? She and Ava sat next to each other in silence. There was one loud woman yelling at the police officer sitting a few feet away behind a desk. She’d been pulled out of the cell and, from the looks on the police officer’s face; it didn’t look like they were going anywhere Emmie wanted to be. When her adrenaline came down Emmie felt her hands start to shake. What were they going to do? How long had they sat there: an hour, a day? She couldn’t say. All she knew was it felt like all eternity.

“DeCarmilla, Talbot. You got visitors,” a man in a suit said from behind the bars.

Before they could ask any questions Ava’s father stepped around the corner, followed by Gabe’s. When Emmie saw the reactions on their faces she looked down at the ground. They were not happy. The girls were pulled from the cell, led out the back doors of the station, and ushered into a black car. The backseat was huge. It had two rows of seats, so all four could sit in the back. They drove for a while in silence before anyone spoke up.

“I’m sorry Papa,” Ava said, looking at her father. “I didn’t think that…”

The look he flashed her made her shut her mouth. “You’re damn right you didn’t think. You’re mother and I indulged you too much. We will talk about this when we get back to the hotel.”

Emmie spent the rest of the trip staring at her hands or feet. She was not looking up at either of these men. They pulled around the back of the hotel. A man was waiting to open the door. She and Ava were led to a small room with a table. It didn’t feel that different from a room she had seen once at the pig back home. The furnishings were nicer, but the feel was the same.

Silas’s father and Vince were in the room waiting when they arrived. What would Silas’s father think of her now? Good lord. She’d only had two sips from the teacup. Three tops. It was most certainly not worth all this.

“Tell us what happened.” Silas’s father spoke first.

Ava recounted the story. Everything from ordering the drink until they’d been betrayed outside.

“And did you know this man that led you outside?” Gabe’s father asked.

“No. I’d never seen him before,” Ava answered honestly.

“Actually,” Emmie started and swallowed hard as she spoke the first time to the assembled group, “I did know him. Sort of.”

“How did you know him, girl?” Michael asked, his Irish accent lilting the phrase.

“Well, I talked to him a bit last night. He was from Larue County,” she said.

“He was at the party last night?” Al, Ava’s father, asked.

“Well, yeah. He was one of the servers. He was so nice all night. He brought me several cups of punch,” she said honestly. “He seemed like a good country boy. I had no idea…”

She trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. Gabe’s father shook his head at her like he was disappointed.

“And you just trusted him immediately? So much so that in the middle of a raid you just followed him through a dark tunnel…” Marco just laughed and shook his head like he couldn’t believe it.

Emmie was annoyed. She crossed her arms and looked him right in the eye as he continued.

Marco Del Grande grinned, “You’ve got your mother’s naïve heart. Emma you cannot just trust everyone with a nice voice and a deceiving smile.”

“No. I guess not. It’s a shame my mother didn’t learn that lesson,” Emmie spit.

“Do not talk to me like that young lady. It was my cash that bought your way out of that cell tonight,” Marco said.

“You have no right to reprimand me. You cannot come in here and play Daddy now. Not after all this time,” she said as the door to the room opened. “You haven’t earned that right.”

“I have,” a cold voice filled the room. She turned to meet Silas’s dark grey-blue stare.

She bit her lower lip as he moved across the room toward her. Emmie rubbed her face to clear her thoughts. Silas was here, and he was mad. Mad might be an understatement.

“You didn’t have to come back. It is under control,” Emmie said, looking up at him.

He stood over her, looming. “I’ve not even been gone an hour and someone stops our car to tell me you’ve been arrested.”

Emmie cringed. When he said it like that it sounded bad. “I know.” She shook her head and shrugged.

“What’s this I heard about you following some man?” he asked. He’d heard that after he entered the hotel.

“You know him. I mean you met him too. He was the guy I was talking to when you came to get me. Remember the server that I got the punch from? The police officer said his name was Smith. He had dark curly hair,” she explained.

“Yeah, I remember the boy.” He rubbed his jaw and thought for a moment. His hand came down on the table next to her. She jumped out of her skin. “What the hell were you thinking? What kind of fool follows a man into tunnel?”

She stood and faced him square in the eye. “Don’t you cuss at me, Silas McDowell. You don’t scare me so you can keep your little antics for somebody else.” She shoved her chair into the table. Emmie didn’t have to sit here and listen to this. Not from some man trying to play Daddy and not from him.

“Stop,” he said, grabbing her around the waist.

“Easy son,” his father called from across the room.

“Don’t touch me right now,” she said through gritted teeth.

He pulled her closer to him but his touch was softer than before.

“She said for you to let go of her Silas,” Ava said.

Silas gave Ava a look that silenced her. She rolled her eyes at him.

Gabe stood to walk over, Silas let go of her. She walked out of the small room and was surprised to find herself in one of the kitchens. She hated that she had no idea where she was going but she walked anyway. She’d have been lying if she said she was surprised that she heard a set of footsteps following her. Just before she reached the swinging door leading to the bar, he pulled her back into him.

“I do not want to talk to you right now. You can talk to me when you will treat me with respect,” she said, never turning around.

“I do respect you. Clearly more than you respect yourself, if you’re following some strange man in a raid,” he said with a raised voice. “I’m sorry I swore at you, but my God Emmie, what were you thinking? Do you know who could have been waiting for you in that tunnel. I hate to say this but the police were the better alternative.”

“Yeah, I know,” she said because it was the truth.

Chapter Fourteen

“T
hirty-five minutes,” he said, wrapping his arms about her waist. This time he laughed after he said it and rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I know,” she repeated and turned in his arms to face him.

“Do you see why this makes me nervous to leave you? If I didn’t know that you were going to be with the DeCarmillas, I swear I’d have my father take you back to Chicago.” He gave her a crooked grin.

“I’m not visiting Chicago without you to show me around,” she said, pushing his chest.

“You sure I can’t convince you? We’ve kept Jemma outta trouble all these years, I’m sure my family could take care of you.” Although he was smiling she could tell he was serious. Testing the waters to see if she would pack up leave with his family.

“No. I need to get home. Spotty, Walter, Max—they need me to check on them.”

Silas nodded. He still wasn’t exactly sure what made him so protective of her. What made him want to take care of her… make decisions for her? He always seemed at a constant struggle. How could this girl he had known for only a few months have such a power over him? She was his soft spot… his weakness. And he knew weaknesses were bad. He sighed and rubbed his jaw as he thought.

“When are you leaving?” she asked.

“Soon. I shouldn’t even be here now.” He growled again.

“I’m sorry. Thank you for checking on me but I was fine,” she said, crossing her arms about her chest.

“You were not fine on your own…” He pointed toward the room he had exited. “If not for them you would still be sitting in jail.”

“I’m done with this conversation.” It was horrible and embarrassing. She didn’t want to relive it with words. “If you’re gonna keep talking about this you can just head back to Bardston.”

He said nothing. He turned to head back to the room where the others were.

“Silas?” Emmie asked, watching him walk away. When he didn’t stop she repeated it, “Silas? Where are you going?”

“Fine. We’re done with our conversation.” He shrugged indifferently.

“You’re just gonna leave me, like this? No goodbye, nothing?” She wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. He was leaving her alone. Isn’t that what she’d asked?

“Look, some man led you to the police. You and Ava out of everyone in that restaurant. I’m not believing that’s a coincidence. You’re done talking about it, fine. But I’m going to go ask Ava a few more questions. See you soon, Emmie.” He spun on his boots and marched back to the room.

“Wait. What do you need to know? His name was Smith. You saw him the other night. He took money from the police. He was just a coward looking to make a few bucks and I fell for him hook, line, and sinker. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? I made a dumb choice. I know it. I don’t like rehashing it. It’s not going to change what happened.” She shouted each sentence a little louder than the next.

“So, you don’t think this man was targeting you?” Silas asked, fishing around in his pocket.

“No, not any more than any other easy, naïve girl in there,” Emmie answered, walking toward him.

“Looks like he picked the wrong girls to mess with,” he said, resting his weight against his heels as he leaned against one of the kitchen islands.

It was on the tip of Emmie’s tongue to ask what he meant but she decided not to. Smith probably wasn’t even the guy’s real name. Silas had to leave in a few minutes and they would likely never hear from good ole Smith again she reasoned.

Emmie closed the last few feet between them. Silas stayed put at his resting spot on the kitchen island. She couldn’t blame him really. If the tables had been turned she would have been worried about him. She reached up a hand and tucked a long strand of hair behind his ears. It was in vain. As soon as she let go the hair bounced forward right into his eyes again. He never moved to touch her.

“I’m sorry if I let you down. I’m sorry I yelled. Don’t leave me like this… when we are angry with each other,” she whispered, crossing her arms around her chest, although they were only inches apart.

He couldn’t leave her standing like that. Even if he wanted to. She was beautiful. Her heart. Her body. He sighed in frustration then gave a little grin and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She relaxed in his embrace.

After a moment Silas spoke, “I really do have to go. Just wanted to be sure you were okay… and outta the clink.”

Emmie laughed into his chest. “I was never in the clink, not really.”

He pulled her back and ran his thumbs down her cheeks. She looked up at him with wide eyes. He leaned in for a kiss but just as his lips brushed hers, he pulled away. Moving his attention instead to the door they had emerged from earlier. She followed his eyes to see the others exiting and making their way over. Involuntarily she took a step away from him. He pushed away from the countertop he was resting against and walked toward the others. And just like this his expression was no longer soft, kind. He was chiseled stone again.