Page 60 of Savage Secrets

“After we get Rainie.”

Every mile of that bumpy back road made Zach grit his teeth, and not from pain. He needed to be in control of this situation—and he was far from it. If he wasn’t able to hunt down the motherfucker who’d staged those attacks on the Springvale, he damn well should be taking care of Opal and Rainie.

But he was sitting here helpless.

He didn’t dare breathe a word of his thoughts aloud. Opal was shaken up enough. She didn’t need to use up any more of her energy on the likes ofhim.

She took the turn to the McMasters’ fast, skidding into the driveway. They barreled toward the garage. Nobody was outside talking or playing like they were when he and Opal dropped off Rainie the day before.

She leaped out of the truck, and he threw open his door.

“Stay there, Zach. I’ve got her!”

“No. I’m coming.” If they asked why he was bleeding, he’d just tell them it was a ranch accident, which wasn’t far from the truth.

He caught her by the hand. Together they made it to the front door of the ranch-style home. She stabbed the doorbell, and the tinkle rippled through the walls.

When Mrs. McMasters opened the door, her brows were creased. “Hi, guys. Did Rainie forget something?”

Opal froze. Zach felt every inch of her body stiffen.

“What do you mean forget something?” he demanded.

The woman sputtered. “She’s not here. Your brother came to pick her up.”

His blood ran cold and his guts turned to water.

Opal didn’t have a brother.

Chapter Sixteen

“Oh my god! What are you saying!” Opal shoved the woman out of the way and raced into her house. “I don’t have a brother!”

“You don’t?”

“No! Where is my child? Rainie!” Her cry wrenched from the depths of her soul, deep and grating with pain.

“Who came to pick her up?” Zach was firing questions at the woman. “What was his name?”

“He called himself Uncle B-Billy.” Mrs. McMasters clutched at her chest, her face stark white.

Terror pounded in every corner of Opal’s body. Guilt flowed in right behind it.

Was Opal just being selfish, letting Rainie stay here with her friend so she could be alone with Zach?

He demanded more answers from the woman. “When did he leave with Rainie? Can you describe him?”

Opal’s gut cramped. She folded in half, arms wrapped tight around her ribs. Someone had her child. Rainie must be terrified.

“Wait! You have a doorbell camera! I need to see that footagenow.”

Ellie’s mother hurried to grab her phone. She attempted to open the app and find the footage, but her hands shook so much that she couldn’t manage it.

Zach ripped the phone out of her hand. “Give me the password.”

“Uhhh…” She fumbled and then spat out a code. He plugged it into the device.

Opal was spiraling. She had to get a grip on her emotions. If she was going to find Rainie, she needed a clear head.

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