Rise and Shine (Shine On Series, Book 2) (5 page)

“Silas, have some manners. Ask her to dance,” Michael said.

“Oh, it’s okay… I’m not much of a dancer really,” Emmie answered.

“That’s okay. I am, remember? I’ll show you,” Silas said, pulling her from her seat.

On their way out the door Emmie noticed that Gabe’s parents were gone. Come to think of it, she’d never seen his mother reemerge from the door she’d left. Bless her heart. She must have had a horrible headache to miss her son’s engagement dinner.

Emmie was relieved to see a large chunk of the crowd had dispersed from the main hall also. Smaller was better. More air. Silas found a spot near the edge and pulled her in close. She felt so at home in his arms. The whiskey had relaxed her enough to enjoy the music… and the feeling of his arms encircling her waist.

Two. Three. Five songs. She lost count. Some were fast and he spun and dipped her. Some were slow and she enjoyed the rhythm of his soft steps. When the party was down to around ten couples, waiters started bussing the tables. Housekeepers began sweeping the floors, but the band played on. After an hour she felt like her feet were going to fall off. These heels were not made for dancing.

Silas took a swig from the flask hidden in his jacket. By the way he tipped it up, he was finishing it off. It was her shine. He’d drunk it the whole time they were dancing. Was it wrong that it made her happy to see him drinking what she had made in her little kitchen? Probably.

“Silas, I’m not sure I can make it much longer in these shoes. What time is it?” she asked.

He pulled a pocket watch and looked. “It’s a little after one.”

“Good night, Silas.” Emmie laughed. She hadn’t been up this late in a long time. Certainly not doing anything fun.

He laughed. “My sweet, beautiful Emmie,” he said. He voice was deeper… his shoulders were relaxed. Now she was sure. He’d drunk the whole flask. He wasn’t slurred… but he wasn’t exactly himself. She was feeling pretty happy herself. Life was good here. The music was good. The only problem was her feet.

“Seriously, Silas. Me and these shoes have seen our last dance. I’m sorry,” she said.

“Okay.” With that he picked her up.

“Silas McDowell. Put me down.” But she was laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. He put her on a table near Trick and Gabe. Ava laughed out loud at the sight.

“You sure do know how to make an entrance, Emmie,” Ava laughed.

Emmie rolled her eyes and sat in the chair. “Ouch. These darn feathers.”

Silas smiled. “Is your dress bothering you?”

Emmie turned a deep crimson remembering his promise. “Yep. The feathers keep stabbing me in the legs.”

Silas grinned, rubbed his jaw as the thought and then got his brother’s attention. He leaned in and whispered something Emmie couldn’t hear. She saw Trick nod and look at his watch. Gabe frowned and glanced back toward Ava and Emmie. She wondered what they were talking about. Surely not business this late at night? Hadn’t they taken care of that earlier?

Silas closed the space between them quickly and pulled her from her chair. Ugh. There was no way she could dance again.

“Silas I told you. There is no way I can dance again unless you’ve got some better shoes hidden around here somewhere,” she said.

“We aren’t going to dance, sweetheart,” he said.

“Oh, where are we going?” she asked as they moved past the dance floor.

He gave her one of his crooked smiles. “To take care of your feathers.”

And just like that, she couldn’t breathe again.

Chapter Six

E
mmie couldn’t say how they made it back to his room.

Or where her feathered headpiece was…

Or her shoes…

Or why there was a trail of blue peacock feathers leading from the door to the bed.

But she did know Silas was everywhere.

His hands were everywhere.

His kisses were everywhere.

He was different. Rough even. Hands squeezing and pulling every inch of fabric they came in contact with. His kisses were forceful. Hard. Biting. She could taste the apple pie moonshine on his lips. She breathed him in and then playfully tossed his hat on the floor. He grinned. He approved. His eyes darkened.

He reached forward, grabbed the fabric on her hemline, wrapped his hand tightly in the fabric and gave a hard pull. The skirt came off like it was sewn of nothing but air. A pile of feathers from her once beautiful dress lay at her feet. Had she been in her right mind she may have told him that was a horrible waste of money. But he was taking off his jacket and laying his holster on the nightstand. Unbuttoning his shirt. The ripped dress and wasted money became no more than a passing thought.

Drinking in the sight of her, Silas stood there, taking in her beauty. He had never been with a more beautiful girl. Her garter belt hung low on her hips with long straps leading down her thighs. He decided he would never again fault her for walking everywhere rather than letting him drive. The miles she had traveled paid off in those stockings. He had to touch them.

Dropping his shirt on the ground he took a step forward and pushed her down to the bed. The crimson flush he was so fond of traveled up her chest and neck. She reached for a blanket, a little self-conscious from his gaze. Silas shook his head and pushed it away. He leaned down and put a soft kiss on her knees, traveled up her thigh, reaching the top of her stocking and kissing her bare flesh. It was softest skin he’d ever touched. Making easy work of the little buttons that attached the stocking to the garter belt he slowly rolled one of the stockings down her leg.

Emmie had never felt anything like this… his hands, his kissing, the air as it hit each inch of her skin. She bit her lower lip and dug her hands into the sheets. This felt like a dream. Surely she was about to wake. Silas lay the stocking next to his gun on the nightstand. He looked so beautiful. His body was hard. She sat up and put a hand on his chest. Kneeling up on the bed her mouth met his. She ran her hands through his blue-black hair, pulling it between her fingers.

The sound he made startled her. She pulled back to check that he was okay… Maybe she had pulled too hard. His mouth came down on her with such force it pushed her across the bed. He was okay. Better than okay.

Emmie paused. She thought she heard something.

“Silas,” she whispered. He ignored her. She listened but didn’t hear anything. It was hard to focus. Love and liquor had put her brain in a fog. He trailed kisses up her neck and behind her ear, supporting his weight with his arms. She liked how they rippled as he adjusted his body over hers.

She heard it again. But if Silas did, he didn’t show it. “Silas, honestly.”

“What?” he growled.

“I hear something,” she whispered.

“Babe, come on. It’s probably cars on the street. We’re in the city, remember?” He grinned and went back to her neck.

The sound of the door hitting the wall was their only warning. Before Emmie could blink Silas was off the bed reaching for his holster. Her eyes went on the tall figure standing in the doorway. She leaned in for a closer look.

“Good God, Gabe. Are you trying to get yourself shot? What hell are you doing?” Trick asked, running in the door after him.

“Somebody better be dying, boys,” Silas said still holding the pistol.

Trick flipped on the light. Gabe took a step closer to him. His mouth frozen open. He looked startled. Like he wasn’t sure what to say.

“What the hell is going on? You two better start talking. Now,” Silas shouted.

“It’s just that I think you need to get your hands off her,” Gabe said then shook his head like he was trying to find the right words. “I mean… Emmie’s not this kind of girl. You’re drunk Silas. She deserves better than…” He waved his arms around the hotel room. “She’s better than this.”

Emmie watched as large veins began to pop out on Silas’s neck. He stood there frozen clenching his jaw. She had only ever seen him this angry one other time. That day he wasn’t drinking and he had beaten the man until his knuckles cracked open. She still hadn’t seen or heard from Mr. Thomas.

“Silas, put the gun down.” Emmie stood behind him and rested her hand lightly on his. He had forgotten it was still in his hand.

He glanced back at Emmie. “Emmie put some damn clothes on.”

He was not yelling at her over this. This was not her fault. “Well, I haven’t any clothes,” she shouted and pointed to the feathers on the floor.

Gabe shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it to her. “Put that on. This is done.”

“The hell it is,” Silas said, dropping the gun but closing the distance between he and Gabe.

Emmie pulled Gabe’s blazer around her shoulders. “Gabe, I make my own choices. Thanks for trying to help me but…”

Gabe ignored her and spread his arms wide. “She’s like family and got no one to stop her from this mistake. What if she was Jemma?”

“You came up here tonight to tell me I’m not good enough for her?” Silas shouted.

“Guys, let’s just sleep this off. We’ve all been drinking. Let’s pick this up tomorrow.” Trick put himself in the middle of the two.

Gabe ignored him and repeated. “Not tonight, Silas. This isn’t good enough. She’s been drinking, you’re drunk.”

Emmie was so confused. Had Ava sent him in here? That didn’t sound like her. Heck, Ava would have wanted her to take notes to share later. Was he right? Was the ’shine and whiskey clouding their judgment? She did know she didn’t like these two arguing over a decision she was perfectly capable of making. Gabe grabbed her by the arm and started pulling her through the door.

She tried to shrug him away. “What’s gotten into you? Stop.”

But that was all she had the opportunity to say. Gabe was caught off guard when Silas’s knuckles met his cheek. Gabe turned and gave him a lick of his own. Trick swore and tried again to get his body between the two. Emmie pulled herself up on Silas’s back.

“Stop this. Now,” she shouted in his ear tearing his arms away from the fight.

Trick finally pushed Gabe against the wall. All four were panting. Silas shrugged and pulled her off his shoulders. She fell to the floor and sat there for a second before gathering composure. She moved around the room and made quick work of gathering her feathered skirt, and stocking. She slipped on her shoes and buttoned the coat around her with as much dignity as she could manage.

“Get out before I decide to give you another hole,” Silas growled, pointing at the door.

“Silas,” Emmie said in horror. He should not talk to his friend like that regardless of what he had done. “Don’t threaten him. He’s our friend.”

“Not tonight, he’s not. Is that how this is going to be, Emmie?” Silas asked, reaching for his cigarette pack.

Emmie saw Trick whisper to Gabe and point to the door. Clearly he was pleading a peaceful exit.

“How what’s going to be?” she asked.

“You’re gonna take his side? Do you agree with him?” he yelled.

“What? I’m not taking anyone’s side. I’m taking my own side.” She frowned. She was confused and didn’t even know why she was so angry.

Silas rubbed his jaw and then fumbled with a cigarette in his hand. “Well, I’m not letting you leave looking like that… like some floozy traveling from room to room with no clothes on,” he whispered.

“Oh Ye Knight of Virtue, Gabe. How about you head up to her room and grab some clothes? She’s not walking through the hall in your jacket,” Silas barked.

Gabe opened his mouth to say something back but Trick just pulled him out the door. Silas fell back into a chair next to the bed. He lit a cigarette and pushed his hair behind his ears. His arm snaked out and pulled Emmie into his lap. They sat there in silence for a moment before either spoke.

“Well, that was odd. And humiliating. And confusing. What do you think has gotten in to Gabe?” Emmie asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I don’t know sweetheart but I’m sure as hell gonna find out,” Silas said. Emmie had no doubt… this conversation was not over.

Chapter Seven

T
rick emerged a few minutes later with a small bag. Emmie recognized it as Ava’s toiletries case. Great, for him to have that means she is the one who packed it. Which meant there would be many questions tonight from her friend. She sighed as she stood and walked to collect her belongings. Trick laughed as she spun on her heel to make way for the bathroom.