Galt rode hard.
Evelyn rode harder.
Anger made poor judgment feel like courage.
She knew that.
Her father had warned her about it.
Silas had warned her too.
But she could see Galt ahead, black coat snapping in the wind, and all she could think about was the notation beside Thomas Reed’s name.
MAKE PERMANENT.
Her father had not died suddenly.
He had been removed.
Galt had stolen his last years, his farm, his reputation, and nearly his daughter.
Evelyn lowered herself over the horse’s neck.
“Come on.”
The mare surged forward.
The trail narrowed between rocks.
Galt looked back.
Saw her.
Then smiled.
That smile should have frightened her.
Instead, it made her angrier.
He disappeared around a bend.
Evelyn followed.
The trail ended.
She pulled hard on the reins.
Too late.
Galt stood beside the path, revolver raised.
“Get down.”
Evelyn froze.
“You’re predictable,” Galt said.
“People who think they’re brave usually are.”
“People who think they’re powerful usually need armed men to prove it.”
His smile vanished.
“Get down.”
Evelyn dismounted.
Galt took her gun.
Then grabbed her arm.
“You’ve caused me an extraordinary amount of trouble.”
“Good.”
He tightened his grip.
“You think Vance is going to save you again?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
Evelyn met his eyes.
“I think you’re going to make a mistake.”
He laughed.
“I already made one.”
“What?”
“Letting your father live long enough to tell you stories about courage.”
Evelyn went still.
“My father knew?”
Galt realized he had said too much.
She saw it.
“You spoke to him before he died.”
“Walk.”
“You were there.”
Galt pushed her forward.
“Walk.”
“You killed him.”
“He was an old fool who found records that didn’t concern him.”
Evelyn’s heart hammered.
“What records?”
“Your father carried freight for half this county. He recognized signatures.”
“The forged loans.”
Galt said nothing.
“He found out.”
They entered an abandoned mining trail.
Evelyn continued.
“He confronted you.”
Galt shoved her harder.
“Your father should’ve accepted money.”
“He wouldn’t.”
“No.”
For the first time, Galt sounded genuinely irritated.
“He had principles.”
Evelyn almost smiled.
“Yes. He did.”
Galt led her to an old mining cabin.
Inside were crates, ammunition, cash, and documents.
A hiding place.
An escape route prepared long ago.
Evelyn understood.
“You always knew this day might come.”
Galt tied her wrists.
“Smart men prepare.”
“Scared men do too.”
He slapped the table beside her rather than striking her.
“You have your father’s mouth.”
“And you have his blood on your hands.”
Galt turned away.
That was when Evelyn heard something outside.
Step.
Drag.
Step.
Her heart stopped.
Impossible.
Silas could barely walk after falling in the street.
But she knew that rhythm.
Galt heard it too.
His face changed.
A shadow appeared in the doorway.
Silas Vance stood there.
Mud covered his trousers.
His brace was bent.
His face had gone gray from pain.
But the rifle in his hands remained steady.
“Let her go.”
Galt laughed once.
Almost in disbelief.
“You really don’t know when to die.”
Silas stepped inside.
Step.
Drag.
“You first.”
“How did you find us?”
“She breaks branches when she rides angry.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You noticed that?”
Silas kept his eyes on Galt.
“I notice everything she does.”
Even with a gun pointed at her, Evelyn felt something inside her chest shift.
Galt drew his weapon toward Evelyn.
Silas raised the rifle.
“Don’t.”
“Drop it.”
Silas didn’t move.
Galt pressed the barrel against Evelyn’s side.
“Drop it.”
Silas slowly lowered the rifle.
“Kick it away.”
He did.
Galt smiled.
“You were always sentimental.”
“No.”
Silas’s gaze met Evelyn’s.
“I learned late.”
Galt looked between them.
Then understanding appeared.
“Oh.”
Silas’s jaw tightened.
Galt laughed.
“The mountain ghost finally fell in love.”
Evelyn looked at Silas.
He did not deny it.
Something warm and painful expanded behind her ribs.
Galt saw that too.
“Well, this becomes useful.”
He pointed the revolver toward Silas.
“Kneel.”
Evelyn’s face changed.
Silas stared at him.
Galt smiled.
“You heard me.”
Silas’s bad leg trembled.
“Kneel.”
Slowly, painfully, Silas lowered himself.
His damaged knee refused to bend properly.
He nearly fell.
Evelyn’s anger turned white-hot.
“You coward.”
Galt ignored her.
“This is familiar, isn’t it, Marshal?”
Silas looked up.
Galt walked closer.
“Fourteen years ago, you were lying in the mud exactly like this.”
Silas’s eyes narrowed.
“You remember.”
“I remember you crawling.”
Galt leaned down.
“You begged.”
“No.”
Galt’s smile thinned.
“No?”
“I asked where Caleb was.”
For the first time Galt’s eyes changed.
Silas saw it.
“So Clara told the truth.”
Galt straightened.
Silas continued.
“Caleb tried to help me.”
Galt said nothing.
“You killed him.”
“Caleb made his choice.”
“He was seventeen.”
“He was weak.”
Silas looked at him with something colder than hatred.
“No. He was afraid.”
Silas’s voice lowered.
“And he came back anyway.”
Galt raised the revolver.
“Enough.”
Evelyn moved.
She threw her weight against the table.
It slammed into Galt’s knees.
The gun fired.
Silas lunged.
All three crashed to the floor.
Galt struck Silas’s wounded shoulder.
Silas grunted.
Evelyn kicked the revolver away.
Galt grabbed her ankle.
She fell.
Silas punched him.
Galt rolled away.
Then ran for the door.
Silas reached for the rifle.
His damaged leg gave out.
Evelyn grabbed the weapon first.
She raised it.
Galt was outside.
Thirty yards.
Forty.
She could have fired.
But a voice came from behind the trees.
“Federal marshal! Stop!”
Aaron Hayes emerged with two deputies.
Galt turned toward another trail.
A second federal rider blocked it.
Then another.
For the first time in years, Josiah Galt stood somewhere he did not control.
Hayes approached with his weapon drawn.
“Josiah Galt, you are under federal arrest.”
Galt looked toward Evelyn.
Then Silas.
Pure hatred filled his face.
“This isn’t finished.”
Silas struggled upright.
“No.”
He looked at the cuffs closing around Galt’s wrists.
“It is.”
Later that afternoon, Silas sat outside the mining cabin while Hayes questioned Galt.
Evelyn knelt beside him.
“You followed me with that leg?”
“Yes.”
“That was foolish.”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve died.”
“Yes.”
“Stop agreeing with me.”
Silas looked at her.
“You’re angry.”
“I’m furious.”
“Because I followed you?”
“Because you always act like your life costs less than everyone else’s.”
Silas went silent.
Evelyn’s voice softened.
“You gave me your coat.”
He looked away.
“You slept beside the cold wall.”
No answer.
“You walked into Blackwood for me.”
“Evelyn—”
“You got shot.”
“I know.”
“And then you crossed half a mountain on a leg that can barely hold you because I did something stupid.”
“You were taken.”
“I know.”
Her eyes filled.
Silas noticed.
His expression changed immediately.
“Don’t cry.”
“That isn’t an order you get to give.”
“I’m bad with crying.”
“I noticed.”
He reached toward her awkwardly.
Evelyn moved first.
She wrapped her arms around him.
Silas froze.
Then held her.
Tightly.
For a long time neither spoke.
Finally Evelyn whispered against his shoulder.
“When Galt said you loved me, you didn’t deny it.”
Silas’s entire body became still.
She pulled back.
“Silas?”
He stared toward the trees.
A man who had faced six gunmen could not look at her.
Evelyn nearly smiled through her tears.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Yes.”
That answer surprised a laugh out of her.
Silas finally looked at her.
“I know how to survive a gunshot.”
He touched her face.
“I don’t know how to survive this.”
Evelyn leaned into his hand.
“You don’t have to survive it.”
“What do I do?”
“Live through it.”
His thumb brushed her cheek.
Then he kissed her.
Carefully.
So carefully that Evelyn understood the kiss was not restraint born from uncertainty.
It was respect.
Fourteen years of loneliness stood between them.
So did grief.
Fear.
Pain.
And still they chose one another.
When they separated, Silas rested his forehead against hers.
“You’re still going to yell at me for following you, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Thought so.”
Hayes stepped outside.
“I hate interrupting whatever this is.”
Evelyn cleared her throat.
Silas looked annoyed.
Hayes almost smiled.
“But we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Galt isn’t the biggest name in those ledgers.”
Silas’s expression sharpened.
Hayes handed him a document taken from Galt’s escape cabin.
At the bottom was a signature.
Judge Wilkins.
But above it was another.
A territorial land commissioner.
And beside it—
A date.
Two days from now.
Evelyn frowned.
“What happens in two days?”
Hayes looked toward Blackwood.
“Every disputed property in Galt’s ledger gets legally transferred through a federal land filing.”
Silas understood first.
“If that filing goes through—”
“Hundreds of families lose any chance of getting their land back.”
Evelyn stared at the paper.
Galt was arrested.
But his machine was still moving.
And they had forty-eight hours to stop it.
---