“And you, the best marshal in the world, are here to rescue them?”
Adam ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and turned away. “You don’t understand and I’m angry that I can’t make you realize that there’s a lot more than just you and me and Annie riding on this case.”
Stephen’s face twisted with anger. “But, of course, there’s Olivia who you’re trying to impress with this foolhardiness.”
Adam whirled around, his face as hard as stone. “How dare you think that’s the reason I’m doing all this?”
Stephen drew closer, his face equally tightened with fury. “I dare because I have a pregnant wife to think about.”
“And you think I don’t? Soon, when Gabe is done with the lands around the forest area, he will come for yours. I’m trying to stop that from happening and that of other ranchers and farmers. Do you have any idea what he intends on doing to Ruby Rock?”
“I don’t care as long as my family is safe!”
“Stop it, both of you!”
Adam and his brother shifted their gazes to the door. In their heated conversation, they didn’t hear Annie come in.
Adam hated seeing how pale his sweet sister-in-law was. He hated that they had frightened her out of her wits. But he would not allow Gabe Winters to win this one. The entire people of Ruby Rock would come to regret it if he did nothing about it. Regrettably, he couldn’t make Stephen understand that they were all going to lose their homes, their lands, and means of livelihood if he stood down now.
“I’m sorry,” he told the couple and walked out of the room with hurried strides.
With fury racing through him, he went back to the town and had Gabe Winters, Micah Peterson, and everyone that had been fingered in the case arrested. He took joy in escorting them to the jail as the whole town looked on. He questioned them alone as the sheriff wanted no part of it. They were all tight-lipped except for the banker who took delight in telling him how much he would ruin his lawman career.
Adam returned to his office, satisfied that the people were at least behind bars. Unfortunately, it was all for naught as Gabe Winters’s lawyer bailed him and his gang, stating Adam couldn’t hold them in jail when there was no proof as to their involvement in the alleged crimes.
Adam gritted his teeth and argued with the lawyer, but the bail was legal and so there was nothing he could do about it. He stormed back to his office to write another report to Washington. He swore that if they didn’t respond, he would take the law into his arms.
Gabe Winters had to go down!
Chapter 27
Kneeling by her pallet, Olivia read Psalm 56 from her bible. “Be merciful to me, O God, for man wants to swallow me up. He’s fighting daily to oppress me.
“My enemies want to swallow me up daily, for they are many that fight against me, O Most High. When I am afraid, I will trust in You. I will praise your word and—”
A knock on the door halted her words.
“Olivia,” Susie called. “You have visitors.”
Frowning because she hadn’t expected anyone to call on her, she slowly rose. Adam had told her two days ago that he wouldn’t be visiting anymore.
Her mind flashed back to the ugly incident between her and Adam. She couldn’t deny that the abrupt way he left still hurt her, even when she had begged him not to.
It had been hard to accept, but she eventually did. It wasn’t like she meant anything to him. She had always known that his job came first.
“Olivia?”
“I will be right out, Susie.”
Olivia looked down at her brown, homespun dress. While it wasn’t sewed with the finest of laces and silk and velvet, it was good enough to receive callers.
Her heart lifted when she assumed it might be Boone and Cora calling. They had promised to visit when she last saw them. With a skip in her step, Olivia crossed the small room and opened the door. It creaked and she stepped into the hallway and made her way to the other side of the building.
She met Susie about to enter a classroom to teach the children.
“Where are they?” Olivia gaily asked.
With a frown on her face, Susie said, “The men are outside.”
