Chapter Nineteen

Zachary threw the saloon doors open with enough force to have them bouncing off the walls. The resounding echo had the piano player ceasing his pounding on the keys and the bartender Otis, dropping the glass he'd been wiping out, shattering it on the floor.

"Thomas Williamson!" Zachary roared, wondering if the goddamn bastard would have the balls to come out of whatever hole he had crawled into and face him.

Apparently, he did. Thomas came out of the storeroom behind the bar and approached Zachary warily. "What the hell are you doing here? I was told you'd left town..."

Zachary didn't waste time on words. He had used enough of those on Thomas Williamson. So, instead of speaking, Zachary simply took three large strides forward, clenched his fist, and swung. Shockwaves were sent through his arm and up into his shoulder as his fist made contact with Thomas' jaw. Thomas' head snapped sideways. He stumbled back, tripped over a chair behind him and fell to the ground.

Zachary glared down at the pitiful excuse of a man. "I warned you, Thomas. I warned you to leave that goddamn woman alone."

Thomas's small dark eyes seemed to have trouble focusing and he mumbled a few incoherent words as he laid on his back on the dusty floorboards. Zachary slid his knife from the sheath on his leg and stepped toward the man. Thomas whimpered and attempted to scoot away as Zachary came down on him, straddling him and gripping the collar of his shirt in his free hand. He jerked Thomas' head off the ground.

Zachary pressed the cold metal blade against the pounding pulse in the saloon owners' neck. "I warned you what would happen if you didn't leave that woman alone." Zachary had lost too much in his life. He wasn't going to have to worry that every time he turned his back, Thomas Williamson was going to be cornering his woman in alleys or laying those angry fists on her.

"Don't kill me..." Thomas whimpered, those dark beady eyes widening

His plea's fell on deaf ears. Zachary tightened his hold on the knife. It broke skin. Red blood oozed along the edges of the steel blade. Thomas screamed, he whimpered, he begged, he pleaded, he thrashed in a desperate attempt at escape but Zachary held firm. No one would harm Samantha. No one would take anything else from her—or from him.

Just as Zachary was preparing to slide that blade deeper and slice Thomas' neck wide open, a body suddenly slammed into his side, throwing him off Thomas and sending him sprawling to the floor. Zachary was back on his feet in an instant, with that knife ready to handle whoever had attacked him...

...Only to find Timothy standing between him and Thomas—who was now sitting up and seemed to be struggling to get to his feet.

Zachary frowned. "What the hell are you doing, Tim?"

Timothy rammed his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Stopping you from committing cold blood murder, you idiot. Jesus Christ, Zach, what the hell are you doing?"

Zachary gripped the bone handle of his knife just a little harder as he stepped forward, hoping Timothy would get out of his way. No such luck. Timothy stood firm, keeping himself between Zachary and the bastard that deserved to die. "I won't let him hurt her, Tim. I won't lose her!"

Timothy motioned toward the door. "She's just fine."

Zachary let his gaze go in that direction. There Samantha stood with her arms wrapped tight around herself. Her lips were parted and her green eyes were wide. Was that fear in them? Fear of what? Of him? Without a word, Samantha turned on her heel and all but ran from the saloon.

Zachary shook his head, trying to clear the rage clouding it. He saw the piano player cowering by his instrument. The barkeep holding his shot gun. Several women who had been upstairs had been drawn to the landing by the noise and were watching with wide eyes. Caroline and Eleanor were quick to leave the saloon, chasing after Samantha.

Thomas used a table beside him to help pull himself up onto shaking legs. The man's jaw was welted and swelling. Blood flowed from his nose and his busted lip. His eyes still seemed to be having trouble focusing. Blood dripped from the deep cut on the side of his throat.

Zachary's gaze went down to the knife in his own hand. He swallowed hard. "Shit."

Timothy sighed, his posture relaxing a bit as he realized Zachary had come back to his senses. "Ya reckon?"

Slowly, Zachary wiped his knife clean on his pants before sliding it back into the leather sheath on his leg. He stepped forward once again and this time, Timothy moved. Zachary approached Thomas who was still addled and trembling.

Zachary glared down at the shorter man. "I think it would be best if you find a new buyer for this saloon, get it sold, and get the hell out of town, Thomas."

"I... I won't bother her again.. I swear it..."

Zachary clenched his fists. "I know you won't because next time there won't be a man alive I let save you. I'll kill you and handle anyone else who tries to stop me." His gaze momentarily shifted to Timothy who simply raised his brow.

"I can stay then?" Thomas whimpered, those dark eyes pleading. "If I swear to stay away from her?"

"No." Was the man a complete idiot? "No, you can't stay. I'm a killer, Thomas. It's all I've known for quite a while now. I've been working hard to put that life behind me. Every time I see your fucking face—" Zachary rolled his shoulder which was aching from the force of the punch he'd delivered to Thomas' face. "—I find my hand itching to put a goddamn bullet in it."

Thomas' lips trembled as the man's eyes reddened. "Please... please Zachary..."

"I'm done talking. You have one month to sell the goddamn saloon and get out of here. If you're not gone by then—I'll kill you." He began to turn away but paused. "And another thing... If you speak out of turn to the ladies working here, if you use your hands and your fists to knock them around again, if I catch wind that you've put another bruise on any of them..."

Thomas swallowed hard. "You'll kill me?"

Zachary nodded. "Slowly."

With that he turned and strode from the saloon. Once outside, he took several deep gulps of fresh air. Damn. He'd damn near killed a man in cold blood in room full of witnesses! His mind was suddenly flooded with memories. Memories of men begging for their lives and Zachary refusing to spare them. Bad men. Clinton's men. But men just the same.

Zachary felt that darkness seeping in. He clenched his fists so tightly he felt blood on his palms.

Samantha had seen him—the real him. The killer. The ruthless bastard who took any life he felt needed to be taken without remorse. The fear he had seen in her eyes...

Zachary felt an empty gnawing ache deep in his middle. That fear had gutted him. He'd known. Dammit, he'd known. He had known he was no good for her. He had known that he didn't deserve that happiness. He was a failure. A murderer. A killer. Samantha was softness, light, goodness.

Zachary had only wanted to keep her safe and in doing so he'd lost her.

***

"Samantha, are you okay?" Eleanor asked cautiously.

Her hands shaking as she fastened Athena's saddle, Samantha nodded. "I'm fine."

"Are you going somewhere?" Caroline spoke up.

"For a ride," Samantha replied as she busied her hands securing Athena's breast strap.

"Alone?" Eleanor questioned. "I don't think that's a good idea...."

Samantha checked Athena's bridle before grabbing her reins. "No, of course I'm not going alone." She led Athena to a nearby stall and opened the door. Blaze looked up from the oats he'd been munching on. He was already saddled and ready to go so Samantha took his reins and began to lead both horses outside.

"Samantha, maybe you should just put the horses back and go to the hotel for a while?" Caroline offered.

"Why?"

Eleanor pointed to Blaze. "That's Zachary's horse... Zachary isn't thinking clearly just now. Maybe you shouldn't go out alone with him."

Samantha frowned. "Do you think he'd hurt me?"

Caroline's voice was cautious. "Do you? Aren't you afraid of him?"

Samantha swallowed hard. She thought of the scene she had just witnessed. Zachary's rage heavy in the air. His powerful body moving with a deadly grace and a deadly purpose as he had done as he had vowed he would—protected her. Samantha felt a jolt of longing deep within her core that made her thighs clench. She had known that Zachary was strong and able but to see him in action....

What the hell was wrong with her? He had nearly killed that man while he'd been helpless and whimpering. Then again, that man had nearly forced Samantha to be raped, had placed bruises upon her skin, had ignored multiple warnings to keep his distance, had said he'd hurt her as soon as Zachary's back was turned....

Given Zachary's past and the life he had led in recent years, there was no other response he could have had—and while it had been startling to see him so willing to slice a man's throat, it certainly hadn't frightened her.

No, it wasn't fear that had her heart pounding and left her feeling unsteady on her feet.

"Samantha?" Eleanor pulled her from her thoughts.

She smiled at the two women who were eyeing her with true concern. "Zachary would never hurt me," she promised. "Thomas should have realized Zachary was not a man to cross. He should have kept his distance when Zachary gave him the option to."

"Are you certain he won't hurt you?" Caroline asked. "We care about you and don't want to see you trusting someone you shouldn't..."

Samantha felt anger at her friends' doubts. "I am certain that Zachary would never hurt me."

"Guess we'll find out," Eleanor pointed toward the saloon. "There he is..."

Samantha followed her gaze to see Zachary and Timothy stepping off the boardwalk of the saloon. She approached them quickly, though she didn't miss the way Zachary gaze avoided her.

"Going somewhere?" Timothy asked, glancing at the horses.

"Yes. Zachary and I were about to go for a ride."

Zachary's head whipped around and he frowned. Samantha's heart ached. Those brown eyes were full of such profound sadness that it nearly stole her breath. "We were?"

Samantha nodded. "Yes."

Timothy cleared his throat. "You'll all be relieved to hear that Thomas is going to be selling the saloon, ladies, and leaving town. And you should find that he'll be a nicer man to work for until he gets it sold and gets gone."

Eleanor rubbed at a dark bruise on her forearm. "He's selling the saloon?"

Zachary's jaw tightened. "Yes. He has a month to get the hell out of town. And if he puts another bruise on any of you or treats any woman in that saloon with anything less than respect, let me know and he'll be dealt with."

Caroline and Eleanor shared a surprised expression before Caroline tipped her had at Zachary. "Thank you."

Zachary didn't respond. He kept his gaze on the dirt as he motioned toward the livery. "Go put the Athena back, Samantha."

Samantha shook her head. What was wrong with the man? Why was he avoiding even looking at her? Samantha knew better than to ask him in front of an audience. She would never get him to open up if anyone else was around hear him.

So instead, she stepped forward and shoved Blaze's reins into Zachary's chest. "You will come for a ride with me right now, Zachary Marston."

His voice was tense. "Samantha...."

She simply swung herself up into Athena's saddle and clicked her tongue. "Come along, Zachary. I won't be talked out of this."

Using Zachary's line against him, Samantha simply headed down the street. She knew he would follow after her. Zachary wouldn't want her to leave town alone.

She heard Timothy chuckling and didn't have to look back to know that Zachary had just swung himself onto Blaze's back.

Samantha was done allowing him to call all the shots in their relationship. He was going to be listening to her today. Zachary was going to come with her for a ride. He was going to let her know exactly what was on his mind. He was going to tell her what had him so sad and suddenly unwilling to meet her gaze. And he was going to love her body with all the power and passion he had showed her lived within him. 

A/N: So angry Zachary gets Samantha hot and bothered... we should tuck that nugget of wisdom away for later! Another threat has been dealt with. I'm still uncertain if Timothy will get a romance or not... i'm not sure i want to dedicate the time to writing it into Saving the Gunslinger--and i'm not sure I can make a full story of his own out of it... We'll just have to see! So probably not in this story but perhaps in a spin off or sequal of sorts?