Chapter Nineteen
THE BANGING ON THEdoor made Jeremiah sit straight up in bed.
Heart hammering, he yanked on his boots and grabbed a pistol from the gunbelt hanging by a peg on the wall. His shirt was half unbuttoned, but at least he was decently dressed. He’d been so exhausted when he’d finally fallen into bed that he hadn’t bothered with undressing.
The knocking came again, more insistent this time.
“I’m coming,” Jeremiah grumbled under his breath. He had no idea what time it was, but judging by the utter darkness inside the stable, it was nowhere near dawn.
Pistol at the ready in his right hand, he unlatched the door and opened it just wide enough to see who was on the other side.
“Hannan?” Jeremiah pulled the door open wider to let Deirdre’s brother inside. “What’s wrong? Is Deirdre—”
He stopped when Liam stumbled inside.
Jeremiah let the gun fall to his side as he rubbed his face with his free hand. Liam Hannan was drunk.
“Why are you here?” he asked. “It’s . . .” He reached for his pocketwatch before realizing it was still on the table in the back room. “It’s late. You ought to get on home and sleep it off.”
“Wiley, I . . .” Liam’s eyes couldn’t focus on him. He grabbed hold of the table nearby to steady himself. “I’m in trouble. A whole lot of trouble. It’s . . . you . . .” He shook his head, the words not coming quick enough.
Jeremiah stilled. “Didn’t you borrow enough to pay your builders?”
Liam shook his head furiously. “Isn’t the builders. It’s . . . it’s this fellow I met . . . He wants it back.”
Jeremiah tried to make sense of his words. “Wants what back? Who are you talking about?”
“This man. Dutch Rodgers. Invest—invest—up in Denver.” Liam shook his hand, as if that would explain everything.
“Your investor?”
“Him. Yes.” Liam took several wobbling steps toward him. “They’re coming here. The money. He wants it back.”
Jeremiah grabbed hold of Liam’s shoulder as he swayed dangerously far to the left. “I don’t understand. Don’t you have a fixed time to show him a profit from his investment?”
Liam shook his head again, brushing Jeremiah’s hand away. “I borrowed . . . They want it back.”
Jeremiah tilted his head to the side, Liam’s words slowly making sense. “He’s not an investor at all, is that what you’re saying? You borrowed the money instead?”
