Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(78)

“What if we never had to leave this place?”

“I promise things will be different from now on.”

“Will they really?” Daisy’s voice was soft, but the doubt in her tone rang loudly.

“We’re older now. We’ll be able to find work. And we’ll be able to find a place to live—not as nice as this, but we’ll get our own home.”

Daisy’s eyes locked with hers, and in the depths Lily could see that her sister wanted to believe her. But the specks of too many past disappointments floated in the murkiness.

“We’ll go somewhere safe.” Lily tried to infuse more hope into her voice.

Daisy shuddered. “Preferably somewhere far away from Carr.”

As soon as they could get Frankie, they’d go. “You know he’s been kidnapping innocent girls and forcing them to work for him?”

Daisy nodded soberly. “I’ve seen him beat several of the girls until they were nearly unconscious. He’s vicious and cruel. And he never let us keep any of our earnings. Not even the extra cash men leave on the bedside table.” Daisy’s voice turned bitter. “One of the girls hid a few dollars, and a few days later Carr found it and bloodied her up with his brass knuckles.”

“Someone ought to use those brass knuckles on him and see how he likes it.”

“He’s untouchable.”

Lily’s thoughts returned to the flyers she and Stuart had handed out in their effort to start the Red Ribbon Society. Not many of the townspeople had been interested, especially when she’d explained her desire to rise up as one against Carr.

“I don’t understand why he’s so untouchable,” she muttered. “Seems like everyone could stand up to him if they really wanted to.”

But Carr wasn’t her concern anymore. Nor was the Harrison Red Ribbon Society. Stuart would have to carry on without her.

“I can’t tell you how many shanty boys Carr’s killed or had his bouncers kill,” Daisy said. “Nobody really knows, except that men disappear all the time, never to be seen again.”

A tremor of fear wound through Lily. What would happen to Connell when he got back to Harrison? What if Carr found out about his part in Daisy’s escape?

Carr would unleash his fury on Connell. And Carr would want to kill Connell once he helped rescue Frankie from the Devil’s Ranch.

Lily shivered and slid under the quilt. As much as she wanted to deny her heartache over losing Connell, she knew she couldn’t. Deep in her core, she cared about him more than any other man she’d ever met. The thought of anything happening to him terrified her.

He might have disappointed her and rejected her. But she couldn’t bear the thought that Carr might kill him.

Her cold toes pressed against the heating stone, and she pulled the quilt around her tighter. She closed her eyes to block out the image of Carr pounding his brass knuckles into Connell’s face. The damage from Tierney’s fists wouldn’t begin to compare with the broken bloody mess Carr would make of Connell.

Why hadn’t he just stayed with her, as she’d begged him to do?

Her fingers dug into the quilt against the stitches that formed into a complex pattern. The quilt was large and colorful and intricate—just like Vera’s quilt would be once she finished.

What had Vera told her about the way God worked? When things didn’t turn out the way they wanted, they could know God was still there piecing together everything the way He had planned. Was it really true? Or did it just mean she needed to try harder to help make things happen?

She wrapped her arm around Daisy, drawing against the girl to feel her warmth and to stop the trembling in her limbs.

At least she could find comfort in one thing. Even though Connell wasn’t a part of the quilt of her life, Daisy was. And that was all that really mattered.

Wasn’t it?





Chapter

23



Upon seeing the front office of the Harrison Herald, Connell’s blood ran cold.

He jumped from the sleigh, stiff and frozen after the long hours of traveling. Through the darkness of the evening, the bright light from the tavern across the street illuminated the ghastly pallor of the newspaper office—the smashed glass of the front window, the door hanging from its hinges, and the printing equipment strewn through the entryway.

During the entire ride back to Harrison, Connell had tried to convince himself everything would be fine, that his life could continue as normal, that nothing needed to change.

But one look at the Harrison Herald told him everything had changed. Nothing would ever be the same again.

With a glance at the dark shadows that lurked around the building, his fingers found the smooth handle of his knife and unsheathed it.

He pushed his way through the broken door and stepped gingerly across the disarray of papers, broken cases, and lead type.

No doubt about it. Carr had been there. He must have learned of Stuart’s part in Daisy’s escape. And if he’d learned of Stuart’s part, then he’d know of Connell’s.

“Stu?” he called hoarsely. Every nerve in his body was poised for an attack, his ear attuned to every sound, his fingers on his knife and ready to fight.

The overpowering scent of ink assaulted him. The crunch of broken glass under his boots forced him to a halt.