Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(58)

She didn’t wait to see if the sleeping potion would really work. Instead, she made the most of the distraction to sprint to the building and duck into the shadows. She pressed her back against the siding and dragged in a shaky breath.

Her foot slipped in a puddle of slime. The overpowering bitterness of vomit assaulted her, along with the vinegary stench of whiskey.

She clamped her mittened hand across her mouth and nose and tried not to gag. She’d heard plenty of retching earlier in the night. If rumors were true, the tavern owners often developed their own nasty brew called forty-rod whiskey, named as such because after drinking a shot, the shanty boys claimed they couldn’t walk forty rods without falling down. The concoction also made many of them violently ill.

Crouching low, Lily sidled along the building. If Stuart’s assistant had given them the correct dimensions for the Stockade, then Daisy’s room would be on the front side of the building, the third window from the west.

When Lily reached the corner, she paused and glanced around. Her heartbeat skittered like a frightened hare. Dark misshapened shadows loomed long and thin.

More demons. A shiver crawled over her skin like maggots on dead flesh.

A low screech came from the opposite side of the compound near the livery. Even though the sound resembled the night call of a barn owl, Lily couldn’t keep from wondering if maybe the winged devils were communicating with each other.

Maybe they were plotting how to foil her rescue attempt.

“Oh, God,” she whispered. But her prayer stuck in her throat.

Why had she ever thought she could visit the pit of hell on her own?

Why hadn’t she just waited?

She closed her eyes against the haunted shapes.

How easy the plan had seemed back in the safety of her room at the Northern. How easy to think God was waiting for her help in orchestrating the plan.

She’d imagined walking in, grabbing Daisy, and leaving town. She’d planned to take the girl to Molly May’s in Midland and then head back to Merryville and rescue Frankie. She couldn’t leave without getting Frankie. With every day that passed, guilt plagued her over the fact that she hadn’t done anything more to try to rescue her.

Once she had both girls, she wanted to get as far away from Harrison and Carr as she possibly could. If she could save up enough money, maybe she’d even take them back to New York. At least there they’d be safe from Carr.

And maybe she’d eventually be able to start a shelter of her own, like Molly May’s, where she could continue to rescue girls and give them a start at a better life.

But she hadn’t counted on the demons of hell conspiring against her.

“Oh, God,” she tried again. Was God close enough to hear her? “If I ever needed someone to be with me, I need someone now.”

Even as the words left her lips, a slow burning of renewed strength trickled through her blood. She straightened and glanced around again. “If you’ll use your angels to fight off the hordes of demons that live here, then I can take care of the rest.”

She listened for a long moment, not sure what kind of answer she’d expected, certainly not anything audible. When a quiet sense of peace settled within her chest, she smiled. Somehow she had the feeling God had heard her and the peace was His answer. She had the distinct impression He was very close, even though she couldn’t see Him.

“I can do this,” she whispered, creeping around the corner to the front. The windows were dark, but she found the third one from the west. Daisy’s.

Her heart pattered with new hope. She’d come this far. She wouldn’t fail now.

She reached into the trouser pocket for one of the small stones she’d tucked there. Then with careful aim, she tossed it at Daisy’s window. At the ricocheting ping, she crouched low and scanned the other windows, hoping no one else had heard the noise.

After what seemed like forever but was really only a few minutes, she stood and reached for another stone.

What if Stuart’s assistant had misinformed them? What if the third window wasn’t Daisy’s room after all?

She lifted her arm to throw one more stone, but then stopped. There was a flash of movement in the window. She caught her breath. And when the window inched up a crack, then another, and another, her heart slammed against her ribs.

Through the darkness she could make out the fluttering white of a nightshift and the paleness of bare arms.

“Daisy?” she whispered.

“It is you.” The return whisper brought tears to Lily’s eyes. The beautiful face that peered down at her was framed by the usual tangle of dark curls and belonged to none other than Daisy.

Relief fell upon Lily with such force that she nearly crumpled to her knees and sobbed.

“I wasn’t sure,” the voice whispered again. “You didn’t mention when you’d come.”

“I didn’t know.” Lily glanced around, praying no one could hear them. “But I’m here, and we need to hurry.”

With shaking fingers she found the rope in her bag and threw it up to Daisy. She instructed the girl on how to loop it through the headboard.

Then she shook one frozen foot and then the other as she waited for Daisy to secure the rope. Her gaze darted to the other windows, to the yard, and back to Daisy’s room.

A sudden flapping over the roof sent Lily’s heart into a crazy spin, and she crouched onto the ground, hoping to make herself invisible.