Page 71 of Savage Secrets

Leaping off the sofa, she ran through the house. At Ledger’s order, she’d locked the doors. Now her shaking fingers fumbled as she attempted to unbolt the door to admit Zach.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the cowboy—steadfast and strong. His jaw was set and she saw the strain in his eyes.

Whatever had taken place back at that house with Feldman—and the men who were on his bankroll—left lines of strain etched around his eyes.

She stared up at him, searching his eyes for a trace of an answer. She couldn’t even fathom what must have happened or the things he must have done.

She wanted to throw her arms around him, but something about his demeanor kept her in place.

Sensing the shift in the room’s energy, Rainie called out, “Momma?”

She had to soothe her child. She’d been through so much.

“Just a minute,” she whispered to Zach and hurried into the living room.

Rainie was still on the floor with her animals but looked up at Opal.

“Everything’s all right, sweetie. Why don’t you keep playing with Mr. Elephant? I need to talk to some people. But I’m right in the kitchen. Okay?”

She bobbed her head in a nod. “Can I have cocoa?”

Relief that Rainie seemed to be herself made Opal’s fingers tingle as she stroked her child’s damp hair. “Of course. I’ll make it now.”

She went back to her animals, arranging them in a line.

When Opal returned to the kitchen, she found the room crammed with big, muscular men who knew how to get the job done, and their solemn faces told her that they’d done just that.

She stopped, looking from face to face. Zach and the men from the Gracey Ranch were clustered at one side of the room, and two men wearing white Stetsons were speaking to the sheriff.

“What happened?” She wrapped her arms around her middle, seeking Zach’s gaze.

“It’s finished.” His gritty tone might send people running away from him. He used it to keep people at arm’s length. But it only made her want to get closer.

She drifted across the space to his side. Then she noticed his bloody jeans. “You went to the emergency room?”

“No, but I’ll go after we have this discussion.”

Her insides began to shiver with dread, the chill spreading to pop out in goose bumps on her skin.

“Feldman is in custody, Miss Vale. He confessed to ordering your father’s murder. He’s going to spend a long time behind bars,” the sheriff informed her.

She shuddered and then crumpled against him in relief. Zach brought his arms around her, one big palm cradling the back of her head as she buried her face against his chest and let the tears of relief flow.

Around her, the men talked.

“Feldman thought he could run this town. Seems like he had his uncle in his back pocket too,” Ross from WEST Protection said.

“How did he bury that information? We never found a connection between him and the county judge,” Colton said.

“Neither did we. It’s an uncle on his real father’s side. He took his stepfather’s name when he was twelve years old and the man adopted Feldman. They lived in this area until that time, then moved away shortly after the adoption. I can’t speak for his mental health, but crimes are often committed because of some trauma in the person’s background.”

Opal shook her head in total shock.

“He hid in the shadows for so long, using other men to do his dirty work,” Ross went on.

“He isn’t untouchable. Not anymore.” Zach squeezed her fingers.

“What happens now? Does he have more men out there, ready to attack us again?” She threw a frantic look toward the living room where Rainie was playing.

---