Page 63 of Savage Secrets

Colton turned to him. “We’ve had him in our sights for a while, Webb. He moves around between properties within a few counties here. It wasn’t easy to keep tabs on him.”

“Why not?” Opal cut in. “It can’t be that difficult to find a person’s address with so many websites available.”

Colton nodded. “That’s true. But he’s good at burying information.”

“You mean hiding behind his money,” Zach ground out.

On the other end of the line, Ross from the security team took over the discussion. “We’ve got people on the case. My brother’s working with the FBI too, since a child is missing.”

Opal let out a hot gasp of pain. The sound sliced through Zach’s heart. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged hertight while the guys finished the call with the assurance that they would be in touch within minutes.

Zach straightened and twitched his head for Colton to follow. What he wanted to say wasn’t for Opal’s ears.

When they were out of hearing range, he turned to Colton. “We don’t have time to spare. We have to find her. I wouldn’t put it past Feldman to hurt the child.”

Colton’s jaw flexed as he firmed it. “I know. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

“When we find him…” Zach met Colton’s stare head-on. “The son of a bitch is mine.”

He stared back for a long heartbeat. “You deserve to take over when that time comes. We trust that you’ll do what’s necessary.”

He read what wasn’t said between the lines of Colton’s words. What was necessary wasn’t always what the law dictated, but this was a child’s life on the line. Zach wasn’t messing around. He would kill for Opal and Rainie.

“You trust me.” His statement was flat.

Colton shifted his shoulders as if the topic made him uncomfortable. “We know you weren’t the one selling items off the Gracey Ranch.”

He leveled him in his gaze. “When I’m wrong, I will say I’m wrong. All that matters right this second is finding Opal’s daughter.”

When Colton’s phone buzzed again, he answered the call and the pair of them returned to stand with the others. Ledger was speaking softly to Opal. Zach couldn’t hear the words, but he knew his friend was trying to offer her some measure of comfort. For that, Zach appreciated the man’s friendship even more.

Ross got straight to the point. “Something new just cropped up. We’re concerned that there’s a new player in the game.”

“Webb here. What did you find?” Zach touched Opal’s shoulder again.

“A piece of the Gracey Ranch just got sold to a trust.”

His head snapped up.

“Which part?” Colton asked.

“It looks to be a piece that adjoins the Springvale.”

Zach’s brows drew together. His mind raced through the possibilities of what this could mean.

Colton issued a sigh. “That was Sean Gracey. He created a trust after someone mentioned it was a good idea. He sold the land to himself.”

Zach’s fists tightened. Had his former boss gone behind his back, stolen his idea of using the trust to keep the target off his back? When they last spoke, Zach felt hopeful about Gracey’s agreement to sell to him.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

But none of that mattered. Only Rainie and Opal mattered.

Chapter Seventeen

Opal sat on the porch, clutching the stuffed unicorn that Rainie loved so much. Without looking at the toy, she smoothed her hand over where all the plush fur was smashed down from Rainie lugging it around by the neck. When she was younger, she’d ripped off the long eyelashes on one eye too.

“Please don’t let this be the only thing I get to hold from now on.” Her whisper came out as a throaty cry. Tears threatened, but she forced back her emotions.

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