by Asha Daniels
“Yes. I thought you’d get to know me and we could become friends. Then maybe you wouldn’t hate me as much as I’m certain you’re going to.”
“Richard, what are you getting at?” Hair stood up on the back of his neck.
“The reason I left town was because I was paid a large sum of money to get out, find a new life. For a twenty-five year old kid, a hundred grand is a lot of money. I was in love with a beautiful girl and she loved me, but her father thought I was white trash. She was young, just eighteen so you can imagine. After trying every other way he could to get me to leave, her father finally bought me off. And I allowed him to. That man was Ryland Sampson. Yeah, he was older but we were still buddies, until I fell in love with his daughter.”
Savage blinked several times, allowing the story to settle in his mind.
“I told you. I’ve done some terrible things in my life, but leaving Jessie was the worst. Granted, because we were so young, we had no way of handling the tension and we weren’t getting along, but I vanished one night after receiving the money. Never looked back, at least until hearing the news about my father from Shane. He’d kept track of me, even working with our father after I left. Kid was only fourteen years old. Dylan was like eight. Stupid thing I did, but I thought I could conquer the world. I’d also never heard that Jessie died and another thing I believe Ryland blames me for, even though she became sick, her frail body giving out after a bout of pneumonia. If only I could have been here.”
“But you came back.” What did all this have to do with him?
“I did. That’s when I was told the news. Actually, it was thrown in my face right after the deed was signed on Lone Wolf. The good Senator has a love of the melodrama. We’ve been at odds ever since.”
The story had several loose ends and Savage had no idea where it was going. “Why did Dylan plant a bomb?”
Richard inched even closer. “Because of Macy. She worked for the Senator so that’s how Dylan met her I guess. Another thorn in Ryland’s side. Treated her like another daughter.”
Opening his mouth, he heard the strangled moan coming from his throat. “What?”
“Shane told me that Dylan was in love with her, but she never had the time of day for him. She adored three cowboys who stole her heart. That’s you, Josh and Toby. Right?”
Tears sprung to his eyes. Looking away, he fisted his mouth, pushing away the agonizing cries.
“It’s all right, son. I know there was a tragic ending to the story and I don’t need to know any details, but that’s the only reason I can figure why Dylan made certain you boys were fastidiously taken through the judicial process, along with the Senator’s help. Seems Dylan and Ryland are very close. I think when they heard you were back in town, a brand new plan was set in motion to ruin you and in turn, destroy me. Course, I’ll never find enough evidence to point any fingers at the Senator. He wouldn’t get his hands dirty, but I know the man and what he’s capable of.” Richard touched his arm. “I know this is hard for you to hear.”
Hard? The past he’d never be able to get away from. Never. The same red flag was flying, a nagging in his stomach. “What aren’t you telling me? Why in God’s name am I in the middle of this? I did my time, no matter the reason or women I dated or whatever revenge scenario that your brother has in store. I wallowed in prison, harboring guilt for two years. Two years of my life stripped away from me and for what reason?” Macy had won again. He couldn’t believe this. There was no way of rationalizing the ridiculous plot against him and his friends. None.
“Hold on, son. There is another piece to this story.”
“Then please tell me. I need to get back to my life. I need to figure out how to clear my name.”
“Don’t worry about the arson charge. I’m already in the process of taking care of the situation. You have Georgia to thank for that, especially given I’m a foolish old man,” Richard’s words faded, his eyes misting.
Savage shook with anger, from a part of his past that he could never retrieve. And mostly, he had no idea how he could move forward. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his breathing.
“Savage. What Jessie never told me and what Ryland threw in my face is that she had a child. After she died, he wanted nothing to do with the boy. Sent him away to live in an orphanage. He threw away my child.”
Savage heard an echo as Richard spoke, his heart racing.
“Savage, you are my son.”
Chapter 13
This wasn’t right. The same nagging remained in Georgia’s craw, an ache that hadn’t left since she’d driven away from the lodge. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. The puzzle wasn’t fitting together.
She groaned again, her stomach lurching as wave after wave of nausea infiltrated her system. Hours had gone by without any news and she was too terrified to find Josh and Toby. And why? Because she felt like a shit. She should have told them what she’d found the minute she discovered the information, let alone confronted Richard, learning the truth. Forgiveness wasn’t an easy option. “Damn it.”
“What in God’s name is going on with you?” Jessica asked, pacing the floor in front of her. “What happened? Was there really a bomb? Was Savage the one to blame, cause if he is, I’ll find a way to beat his ass.”
“Too awful to talk about.”
“Were you able to see Savage? What about Richard? Do you still have a job? Come on. Spill it.”
Sniffing, Georgia lifted her head, glaring at her laptop. While Richard had taken the news much better than she’d anticipated, he hadn’t actually told her that she was right. What if she was wrong? “I talked with Richard and I think I still have a job. I confronted him with the information, embellishing the story, but I think I’m right. Oh God, if I am right, Savage will never be the same. He might leave, run away. I doubt I’ll ever see him again, especially if Richard tells him that I’m to blame. Oh God, he’ll be so pissed. I can’t allow that to happen. I just can’t.”
“You’re babbling again. Slow down. Why would Savage be pissed at you?”
“You have no idea what I’ve done.” The damn deputy sabotaging his own brother. Of course, he wouldn’t want the ranch to fall into soiled hands, but why go to the extreme? Then there was the very reason Richard mentioned Savage was being hired, albeit in secret. But the deputy would certainly have access to explosives and could know from his career how to use them to isolate the fire. Pieces still weren’t fitting together.
“You talked with Richard. What did he say?”
Nibbling on the end of her finger, she wanted nothing more than to talk with Josh and Toby. She had to tell them before they found out. “I have to go.”
“What? Now? Where are you going?”
She grabbed her purse and the laptop. “I’ll be back. Let’s just say that people are not as they seem.”
“Georgia. Come on!” Jessica exclaimed, following her to the door. “Tell me something. Anything.”
She darted her head toward Jessica as she opened the door, then noticed her friend’s wide eyes. Facing the entrance, the man standing on her front porch the last person on earth she wanted to see. “Deputy Marshall. What are you doing here? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”
“Georgia,” Dylan said as he nodded to Jessica. “Can we talk in private?”
“That’s Miss Taylor to you and there is nothing that will be said without a witness. Seems there are far too many secrets and lies in this place.” Georgia allowed him in, against her better judgment, leaving the door ajar. “Make it quick because I will be posting bond for Savage, an innocent man.”
“The charges have been dropped,” Dylan said quietly.
“What?” This was unexpected, especially coming from the man who was to blame. “What kind of joke is this?”
“No joke,” he said then exhaled. “I was looking for Savage. I wanted to apologize.”
Georgia snorted. “I doubt he’ll accept your apology since you railroaded him into prison in the first place.”
Dylan shook his head, obviously surprised at her words. “That’s something I’m asking the district attorney to look into. I’ve already made the call. There was testimony, several eye witnesses who had the same story, but upon Richard’s insistence, there will be a further investigation.”
She cocked her head, trying to figure out if the asshole was lying. “And what do you get out of this?”
“A clean conscience. The loss of some guilt. You may not believe me, but Shane convinced me that Savage was to blame. Said he was there, saw the whole thing in the bar and I allowed myself to accept the story, no questions asked. I arrived at the tail end, so I had no issue believing it. Besides, I hated Savage. I loathed the man for what he did, or what I thought he did according to Shane, but I had no understanding of the truth and how far Shane would go.”
“What did Savage do? I still don’t understand.” Georgia was absolutely lost, unwilling to buy into the bullshit.
“Listen to the man, Georgia,” Toby said as he walked into the room.
“Dylan is right,” Josh said, trailing behind Toby. “We made a few phone calls, just like you suggested. We have it on good authority that Shane could have started the fire and planted the convenient evidence.”
“Wait a minute. You’re working together now?” Georgia asked, trying to control her breathing.
Dylan lifted an eyebrow. “Richard found me, accusing me of the fire, of ruining Savage’s life as well as that of Toby and Josh. He said there was evidence. After we argued, I finally listened to what the man had to say. Then I realized I’d been a damn fool. I remembered having a conversation about certain bombs and all he had to do was look at the internet to figure out the rest. I always looked up to Shane. He was there when our father wasn’t. After Richard left, I was a lost little boy. I would have done anything Shane asked and I guess I did, including looking the other way. I was on my way to talk to Savage when Toby and Josh stopped me. I can’t say we didn’t almost get into a fist fight.” He laughed before sighing. “I can be hard headed.”
“We talked it out and told him about the phone call to my attorney,” Toby said, giving her a waning smile.
“I knew then that everything that’s happened the last few years has been a lie,” Dylan added. “Made a few phone calls. Started righting some wrongs. Have some other deputies looking for Shane now. I can’t be a part of this case, and in truth, I could lose my job for what I’ve done. And that’s okay. I refuse to play into Shane’s games any longer.”
“Shane? This is crazy.” Georgia blinked several times. “Why?”
“He was the witness who wasn’t called at the original trials and why? Because Senator Ryland Sampson made certain Shane didn’t need to be called to testify. Reference to some pretty big payoffs. Seems Shane was important to him at the time, especially since he worked for Senator Ryland at one point. There was enough evidence that no one questioned, including the arresting officer, which as you well know was me.” Dylan gave them a sheepish look.
“What?” Jessica hissed as she walked closer. “Shane was with me during the fireworks and after. He got the call about the fire. He was in this room.”
Georgia’s mind was reeling. “Remember what you told me, Jess, a bomb can be detonated from a distance or set to explode at a certain time.”
“Georgia is correct. The Fire Marshall is still investigating, looking for the method the explosion was detonated. Curious. Did Shane actually receive the call, or you assumed he was called?” Dylan asked.
Jessica’s eyes darted back and forth, settling on the deputy. “I went in to get us a drink. When I came back, he was on the phone and told me later he was talking to you.”
“Nope. I was having a cold one at my place at that point. No calls from my brother,” Dylan stated, his eyes flickering with rage.
“And what exactly was said?” Josh nodded to Toby.
“He was repeating that there was a fire. Then he…” Jessica’s mouth pursed, her brow furrowing. “He said, yes, the fire. A bomb, huh? Then he said, ‘and Savage is to blame’.”
Georgia exhaled. “Do you remember what time that was? This is important, Jess.”
Jessica paced back and forth, her finger in her mouth. “It was definitely before midnight. I noticed the clock in the kitchen when I was getting a drink just before the call. Five minutes to midnight. I know I heard a ring on his phone. Someone did call him.”
“I heard an explosion just before one in the morning. I asked Savage the time because I thought the sound came from late fireworks.” Georgia’s words were strangled. “He faked the call.”
“Did Shane do anything after he got off the phone?” Dylan asked.
“He… He said he had to make a few phone calls and went out onto the porch. When he came back, he told me he had to leave.” Jessica snorted. “The fucker played me. Didn’t he? I’m his alibi if anything happened. Oh, Jesus.”
“Hold on. What we have in details is nothing and could look like we’re hell bent on revenge,” Dylan commented, moving into the middle of them.
“Richard asked Savage to look into the possibility of extortion. He did and the books had been tampered with.” Georgia paced the floor.
“What?” Josh huffed. “He never told us that.”
Georgia shook her head. “He couldn’t. Richard asked him to keep his investigation on the hush hush. But the man was very concerned someone close to him was trying to sabotage the ranch.”
“And the records were all destroyed. That’s what Shane was going for,” Toby snarked.
“There has to be a reason other than some misguided hatred of Savage,” Josh mumbled.
“Insurance money. Sheila mentioned insurance money. Maybe that’s what this is all about,” Georgia said off the cuff, but she knew better.
“Sheila? She’s been with Shane for almost a year.” Dylan groaned. “And she has keys to be able to get into the lodge at any time.”
“Shit. Sheila was hovering around when I went to the lodge a few hours ago. She knows I was talking to Richard and she told me she had last night off, but I know I saw her at the lodge.” Georgia’s legs began to shake. “Savage could be in danger.”
“Possibly. I need to find him. Any idea of where he might go?” Dylan’s question was rattled.
“No. I don’t know him that well,” Georgia answered, refusing to believe Dylan had changed his mind entirely. She knew exactly where he’d be, simply sorting through the process.
“Okay. I’m going to take a drive, see if I can find him. If you hear from him, you need to give me a call.” Dylan took a step back.
“We will,” Toby answered for all of them. “We’ll take a look as well, try and call him again.”
“Wait. What did you mean about hating Savage because of what he supposedly did?” Georgia pushed.
Dylan glanced from Toby to Josh. “I need to find Savage and Shane needs to be apprehended. That’s primary right now. We can talk more later.”
She noticed the look the three men shared. Another story. Another secret. “Please find him.”
“I promise you, I will.” Dylan walked toward the door then turned. “For what little it’s worth, I’m sorry. None of you deserved what happened. I’ll do everything in my power to rectify it. I swear to you.”
When Dylan drove away, she stood staring after his car, the pain in her heart magnified.
“Why would Shane do this? Why? Working for the Senator? Makes no sense. There has to be more to this,” Josh snorted as he walked out onto the porch.
“There is,” she whispered. “Bad blood between the Senator and Richard.”
“Why? And how the fuck does it involve Savage?” Toby’s tone was demanding.
A chill raced down her spine. “Because, Savage is Richard’s biological son and the senator is his grandfather.”
Savage eased off the horse, patting the mare’s hind quarters before heading in the direction of the cave. He remained numb, uncertain of the truth. Richard’s son. He couldn
’t wrap his head around the understanding or the news. But he had no reason to believe the man lied to him. Besides, Georgia had put everything together.
A smile crossed his face as he climbed up the ridge. He needed time alone, to process if nothing else. Whether or not the charges would be dropped had little to do with his bleak mood. He’d face whatever was going to happen. At least Josh and Toby weren’t involved. How could he ever face Georgia? Thanking her seemed trite but he would explain then suggest she move on, find happiness somewhere else.
He was damaged goods.
The moment he set foot in the cave, the sweet memories of their time together rushed into his mind. The beautiful experience seemed like years ago. God, how everything had changed. He moved to the rock, easing down on the cold surface. After Richard had told him the truth, going over at least a few details, he at least knew why Dylan had been so angry, treating him and his friends like trash. He certainly wouldn’t want an ex-con as a nephew.
Laughing, the sound echoing, he lowered his head into his hands. And how to tell his friends the truth? What did it mean anyway? Richard wanted him to take over the ranch? At least nothing had been mentioned to that degree. He had no business running a dude ranch, nor did he have the skills or desire. Maybe Richard understood that. At least he’d taken a few files from the office, hiding them in the cabin. They might be enough to convict the deputy, if Richard wanted to go that far. He closed his eyes, fighting the demons pushing hard against his soul. What in the hell was he supposed to do?
He had no idea how long he’d been inside, but it was time to face reality. The single crack of a limb drew his attention. Immediately standing, he reached for his knife, cognizant that Dylan might try and hunt him down. When he heard footsteps, he moved to the side of the entrance, waiting.
The figure entered, and he had his arm around the person’s throat, pushing the body against the rocks within three seconds.
“Savage!”
The strangled word was full of such anguish. Ceasing the hold, he took Georgia into his arms, pulling her tightly against his chest. “What are you doing here?”