Unforsaken (25 page)

Matt felt his insides grow cold, and he grabbed Rodger by the collar and yanked him to his feet. “Where did she go?"

Rodger groaned and sagged against him, unable to stand on his own. “Eula said she went to your house ... to warn you, but she hasn't returned."

"Warn me about what?” Matt shook the man. “Answer me!"

"I tried to stop him ... I swear it."

"You mean Hannah?"

Rodger nodded weakly.

"And now you think he's after Olivia?"

Again he nodded, but Matt didn't wait to hear the rest of Rodger's explanation. With a hard shove, he sent the man tumbling to the dirt. He hadn't been home since early that morning. Anything could have happened to Olivia on her way to his place or while she waited for him, and now Sarah was probably with her.

He gathered the reins of Rodger's horse and swung up into the saddle.

"Matt, wait!” Tom Jenkins rushed forward. “Let me go with you."

He turned the horse toward the road. “Follow me, if you want, but I can't wait."

They arrived to find the house dark, but signs of Sarah and Olivia's presence were everywhere—the dishes on the back porch, an abandoned picnic basket and Sarah's favorite doll slumped in the rocking chair. Matt felt the kerosene lamp on the table and found it still warm to the touch. They hadn't missed them by long.

Tom stood in the front room and motioned to the shards of glass littering the floor. Matt ripped the faded curtain from the window and stared at the jagged windowpanes. He was torn between rage and fear, unwilling to contemplate the possibility of Sarah being at the mercy of that bastard. If anything happened to her, Matt would never forgive himself for not killing Hannah when he had the chance.

"The Carters are bound to have heard something.” Tom took the curtains from his hand and tossed them aside. “Let's go find out."

George Carter was standing outside the tiny cabin, waiting for them. “Bowen! What the hell is going on?"

Matt didn't stop to answer, leaving Tom behind to explain. He marched through the open doorway and felt weak with relief at the sight of Sarah sitting at the table.

"Daddy!” She ran toward him and threw herself into his arms, and he could feel her slight form trembling with sobs. “Oh, Daddy, we waited and waited for you."

"I know, I know.” He stroked the child's tangled hair and breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God, Sarah was all right. He could deal with anything now, as long as his baby was all right. “Where is Olivia?"

"She had to get home,” Mrs. Carter explained. “Sent the youngun down here by herself ... in the dark. Now if you ask me, that just ain't right."

Matt would have shared the woman's disapproval if not for the fact that Olivia was so fiercely protective of Sarah and would never have taken such a chance unless a greater danger presented itself. He raised Sarah's face to his and asked, “What happened, baby?"

"She said to wait here for you and...” Sarah glanced around her, a guilty expression on her face. “And not to say anything to the Carters."

"Anything about what?"

"Some man came looking for you, Daddy,” she explained. “Livvy said he would go away, but he broke the window."

Her lip began trembling, and Matt gathered her close. “It's all right, sweetie. I promise you, everything will be all right."

Matt glanced up at Tom and the Carters and found his own concerns mirrored in the grim set of their features. At last, Tom spoke quietly. “Rodger said Olivia wasn't home."

"We'll find her,” he vowed.

The gin was abandoned, as Olivia knew it would be, so far past dark, and she felt her bravado slipping as Hannah gripped her arm, propelling her up the stairs to the office. Once inside, he refused to allow her to light even so much as a candle.

"Unhand me.” She snatched her arm from his grasp. “I'm the only one besides Rodger who knows the combination to that safe. If you want the money, I have to see how to work the dial."

"What do think I am? Stupid?” he growled. “Everyone in town will notice a light burning in this place this time of night."

"Did you think they wouldn't notice a fire?"

"It would have served you right if you'd burnt right along with the place,” he said. “You got no business meddlin’ in men's affairs. Now, get that safe open."

"In the dark?"

He hesitated before reaching in his pocket for a match. He struck the match and held the tiny flame over the dial. Olivia's hands were trembling so that she doubted she would be able to work the combination.

The glow from the match suddenly died and she heard Hannah swear under his breath. He struck another match. “Hurry up!"

The tumblers clicked loudly and the heavy iron door opened just as the match died. She reached inside and breathed a prayer of thanks that her father's pistol was exactly where she had left it.

She knew better than to brandish the weapon in such close proximity and risk having the pistol snatched from her hands as well as losing the element of surprise. Instead, she fumbled through the documents stored in the safe with one hand and carefully slipped the pistol into the pocket of her skirt with the other.

"Oh, my God,” she whispered after searching the safe. “It's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"The money is gone,” she said, and the fear in her voice was no pretense. “All of it."

Shoving her aside, Hannah reached inside the safe and raked the contents onto the floor. “Look again!"

"In the dark?” she countered. “After you scattered papers everywhere?"

"All right!” he growled. “I'm lighting a lantern, but you best not make one false move."

Another match flared and he fumbled with the lamp's glass chimney. The wick glowed orange and sputtered before glowing brightly.

She knelt to the floor amid the scattered papers and feigned searching in earnest. Olivia knew to the letter exactly what was in that safe, but she made a great show of shuffling through everything. At last she said, “The cash is gone."

"You said it was in there this morning!"

"I've been gone all day,” she insisted, the weight of the pistol in her pocket keeping her from panicking. “Rodger is the only other person with the combination to this safe."

"So I'm supposed to believe he's got the money?” Hannah sneered. “I already seen Rodger today, and if he had any money, he took a hell of a beating to hang on to it."

Olivia swallowed back a gasp of alarm. “Why should I be concerned? Either way, my money is gone."

Hannah's eyes narrowed, but she didn't miss the spark of surprise. “What are you going to do now?"

"Well, I can't give you money I don't have."

"You can make Rodger give it to me."

"If you couldn't beat it out of him, what makes you think I can?"

"I'm through wasting time with you.” He turned toward the door. “Let's go."

"No."

He shook his head, as if he hadn't heard her right. “What did you say?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you,” she informed him, wishing she felt half as brave as she sounded. “I agreed to come here with you and give you the money. I can't help it if the money's gone, but I'm not going anywhere else with you."

He advanced on her, reaching for her arm. “By God, yes, you are."

Taking two steps backward, Olivia made sure she was well out of his reach before aiming the pistol right at his heart. “Get out of here, Mr. Hannah. You can take your chances with the sheriff or I'll kill you where you stand."

Olivia gripped the pistol with both hands, her finger trembling against the trigger, and he laughed. “Go ahead, lady. Fire that thing and see if you don't blow your own head off."

Her eyes narrowed, blinking back angry tears. Just once in her life, she shouldn't have to prove herself. Even her own brother thought her so incompetent that she couldn't survive without her father telling her what to do.

He laughed again, and she realized his disregard of her capability was her best defense. “All right. I'll prove it."

Chapter Twenty

It took all her strength, but she squeezed that trigger and saw his eyes widen in surprise just before the shot was fired. The force of the shot knocked her backward, dazed for a moment, and she landed hard on her back. Hannah cursed and blood stained his shirtfront, but he was still on his feet.

Olivia's ears were ringing from the blast of the pistol and from the fall, but she managed to sit up. Frantically, she began searching for the pistol. She could only pray that someone had heard the gunshot.

"You lose something?"

She glance up to find him looming over her, blood coursing from the wound, staining his sleeve as well, and he gasped for air, reminding her of a winded horse. “Well, you shot me ... but you didn't kill me.

"She won't have to."

Hannah turned at the sound of Matt's voice, and Olivia let her head fall forward in relief. How had he known? How had he found her? It really didn't matter, and she tried to get to her feet as he crossed the room. If Matt knew to come looking for her, that meant Sarah had told him about Hannah being at the farm. Sarah was safe.

With his uninjured arm, Hannah caught Olivia by the hair and yanked her to her feet. She struggled against his hold, but his fingers tightened in her hair and she feared her neck would snap from the strain. She went still at the feel of cold steel at her throat.

"Get back, Bowen,” he growled.

"Just let her go.” Matt spoke softly, but the blade was biting into her flesh and her control was slipping. “Your fight is with me. Not her."

"The fight is with me."

Rodger made his way into the room, stunning all three of them. Olivia gasped at the sight of her cousin. His face was bruised, one eye swollen almost shut, and he limped as he crossed the floor of the gin. He paused only long enough to retrieve Olivia's lost pistol and cock the hammer.

"Now let her go.” Matt reached for Olivia. “You're outnumbered at best."

"Stay back, Bowen.” Rodger leveled the gun with Matt's chest. “Stay back."

Hannah began to chuckle, twisting his fingers tighter in Olivia's hair. “It don't pay to put much faith in the boy, does it?"

"Over there.” Rodger motioned for Matt to stand beside Olivia and pointed the pistol right at her. Hannah chuckled again and released her none too gently. Matt caught her when she would have stumbled, and his arms locked around her. She felt the blood rush from her head and tried to speak. “Rodger, please. What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago.” He spared a glance at Matt. “You were right, you know. I am a cowardly bastard. Always have been."

Matt eased his hold on Olivia, moving to stand between her and the other men. “Rodger, don't do something you'll regret."

Olivia's heart was pounding so hard it nearly drowned out the sound of Rodger's morose laughter. He flexed his fingers, as if getting a better grip on the pistol. “Regret? I'm through with regrets."

In one fluid movement he turned toward Joe Hannah and fired the pistol. The man staggered backward, and Olivia knew he was dead before he hit the ground with a sickening thud. The wound in his forehead was barely visible, but a pool of blood was already forming beneath his skull.

Matt pulled her into his embrace, turning her away from the gruesome sight, and held her tight, whispering, “It's over. You're safe now."

She savored the feel of his arms around her, burying her face against his shoulder. “Oh, God, how did you ever find me?"

"Sarah told me what happened."

"Is she all right?” Olivia breathed, searching his eyes. “Tell me the truth."

"She's fine. I swear.” He brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Just scared to death something had happened to you. We both were."

She didn't know what to say to that, but he didn't wait for a reply. His lips claimed hers, and she kissed him back with all the strength she had. From somewhere way in the distance, she heard pounding footsteps and men shouting, and she reluctantly allowed him to end the kiss.

Tom Jennings and at least a dozen other men stormed inside the office, taking in the scene with wide-eyed amazement. “God A'mighty, Matt, what happened here?"

Olivia twisted her head to see her cousin standing over Hannah's prone figure, muttering to himself. Rodger looked so forlorn, Olivia feared he would turn the gun on himself. She crossed the floor and calmly took the weapon from his hand and turned to the men. “Joe Hannah abducted me and would have killed me, but Rodger arrived just in time to save my life."

Rodger gaped at her. “Olivia, that's not—"

"Don't be modest, Rodger.” Matt clapped him on the shoulder. “You saved this town a lot of trouble by killing that sorry bastard."

"That's right, Rodger.” Tom stepped forward and shook his hand. “I'll just go get the sheriff and let him know you've done his work tonight."

The other men chorused their agreement, each stepping forward to commend Rodger, and Olivia slipped away from his side and eased into Matt's embrace. “You don't mind letting him be the hero, do you?"

Matt only shrugged. “He shot him, not me."

"I think it will mean a great deal to him. Now and later."

Matt brushed his lips against her cheek. “All that matters to me is you."

Rodger sank down beside her on the top step and raked a hand through his hair. “I certainly made a mess of things, didn't I?"

She barely spared him a glance, wondering if he had any idea what his foolishness had cost her. “It's over and done with, Rodger. We'll make the best of things."

They sat watching as the sheriff concluded the investigation he felt compelled to conduct, despite concurring statements from the three witnesses. There wasn't much to say, but a lot to be grateful for.

Rodger brushed the dust from his trousers. “We can't buy that cotton. Olivia, we just can't."

She turned her head once again, this time taking in the sight of his battered face, and compassion for him tugged at her heart. Poor Rodger; she had every right to be angry with him, but he'd been bullied all his life. As a child, other boys teased him mercilessly because his mother forced him to take violin lessons, and she knew working for her father all those years couldn't have been easy.