Page 61 of Inventions of the Heart

Laura made the loudest noise she could with her mouth covered. She doubted it was enough. And the thought of what might happen to Caleb when he found them terrified her.

“I told you your mama would die if you made any noise.” Edgar looked ready to kill whoever came through that door.

Footsteps pounded toward the office they were in. They must have heard her.

Edgar gave her a cruel smile. “That worked so well to shut Jilly up. Be careful then, Miss Laura. You’re going to need to be.”

Benteen opened the second door. Edgar released her, and all four men filed out. The door closed and locked as Laura sagged against the first door, then her knees gave out, andshe sank to the floor. The doorknob over her head turned but didn’t open.

She remembered Edgar locked it.

Caleb slammed a fist against the door.

Only knowing Caleb was right there gave her the strength to get to her knees and twist the key in the door to unlock it. Caleb nearly plowed over her.

He saw her still on her knees and bent to lift her up high in his arms. “What happened? Laura? Are you hurt?”

Laura, her head leaning against Caleb’s strong shoulder, managed, “I-I’m not hurt.”

She had to tell them, but the terror nearly strangled her.

She heard again Edgar’s ugly words spoken nearly with humor. “That worked so well to shut Jilly up.”

What had he done to her?

Movement behind Caleb finally put strength in her neck. She worried Edgar might be coming to stab him in the back. She saw Nick was a pace behind Caleb with his gun drawn. Across the vast entry hall, Mama had a security officer by the arm and was dragging him over. Old Tom was with Mama. Carl was coming hard after Nick.

“What happened?” Caleb looked past her, studying the room.

Her heart quaked when she watched Mama, watched Caleb.

She looked right at Nick and spoke low enough those men couldn’t hear her even if they had their ears pressed to the door. “We’ve got to get to Jilly. You’ve got to marry her without delay.”

Nick was holstering his gun, and he dropped it the last few inches as he tripped over his feet and slammed into the doorframe.

“What?”

“Shh!” She pressed her fingertips to Nick’s mouth.

From behind her hand, Nick’s eyes flashed with fire. Quietly, he said, “I thought you Stiles women were supposed to be smart.”

Caleb pulled her tightly against him. “I want to hear every word they said.”

“Get me out of here. It was Edgar. I’ll t-tell you everything.”

“One noise from you, and I’m going to kill your precious mama.”

She couldn’t tell.

But she had to tell.

The agony of indecision nearly ripped her in half.

Keeping silent was foolish, though. They were all in danger no matter whether she told or not, but somehow those words were powerful, and to tell what happened risked everything she most loved. She’d have to face that risk and overcome it.

Laura couldn’t stand the thought of decent, honest Parson Caleb Tillman facing such vile men. She’d seen Caleb fight and knew he was tough. But he might be too fair, too honorable. And these were the type of men to come as back-shooting cowards, who hired evil done.

Laura wanted to grab Caleb and Mama and run as far and fast as the train would carry them. “N-not here.”

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