[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Connor and Court? Hannah raised a brow and waved her gun at
James with impatience. Oh, come on now, marshal. I know you
heard it all. You know why I ve brought you here.
And you know I was only doing my job. The job the people of
this territory and Judge Parker hired me to do.
You weren t hired to arrest God-fearing men and good providers
like my brothers.
James nodded. I m sure they were only doing what they felt they
needed to do.
Damn right.
As was I.
162 Gigi Moore
Don t think you and your fancy talk is going to get you and your
boy out of this. It s just your tough luck, I reckon, that you arrested
the wrong two men. And I m aiming to get my revenge.
Before you do that, why don t you let the young un go? He
doesn t have anything to do with this, now does he?
That s for certain. It s you I want.
And you ve got me. James spread his arms wide as if offering
himself up for whatever retribution Hannah had planned for him.
Chris heard the growl before he saw Troy.
He gasped at the sight of the large gray wolf stalking toward them
out of the forest.
Hannah whirled at the noise, gun raised in the wolf s direction.
Troy prowled forward.
Hannah began squeezing the trigger.
No! Chris flung himself forward, his shoulder bumping into
Hannah s leg and knocking her off-balance.
As payback, Hannah managed to clip him on the side of the head
with the butt of her gun when she went down on one knee.
Troy howled, the sound rumbling up from deep in his throat as
Chris collapsed, dazed.
Hannah grabbed Chris around the scruff of the neck and pushed
the barrel of her gun against his temple where she d hit him.
Let him go, Hannah. You don t have to do this.
Chris didn t know how James remained so calm and realized
when he looked into the marshal s eyes, even through his blurred
vision, that James wasn t calm at all. In fact, he looked terrified, not
like he had been when Hannah s brother had held Nellie hostage the
same way Hannah held Chris hostage.
Well now, I reckon I do. Hannah s grip tightened around the
collar of his shirt until she almost choked him. Troy growled again,
and she dragged Chris with her toward the fire as James and Troy
slowly flanked her.
Three Men and a Bounty 163
You two abominations need to keep your distance, or I promise
you both I m going to fill him full of lead.
I don t think you will, honey. You would have done it by now,
James said, and Chris saw the slight tremor of his hands despite how
steady his voice had sounded.
I m not your honey. Hannah gritted her teeth and pressed the
muzzle of her gun harder against Chris head. Stay back.
Chris winced, more from the thought of Hannah turning her gun
on James or Troy and shooting them rather than from any physical
pain the gun muzzle caused.
I m staying back.
And call your animal off.
Chris knew Troy understood every word Hannah said and
obviously chose not to listen, for when James glanced over Hannah s
shoulder, his eyes widened and he shook his head ever so slightly.
Hannah didn t have time to react before Troy took a flying leap
forward and clamped his teeth down on her wrist.
She screamed and dropped the gun, furiously beating against the
wolf s large head with her free hand.
Chris scrambled back on his hands and heels, gulping down air as
James picked him up and carried him out of the line of fire.
Hannah went for the knife in her boot, raising it overhead and
quickly plunging the blade into the back of Troy s shoulder. Troy
yelped but instantly clamped his jaws back down on Hannah s wrist
with renewed vigor and strength.
Hannah shrieked and raised the knife for another attack, but a shot
rang out before she could thrust the knife again.
Troy released his hold the same second that Hannah flew back, a
red splotch darkening and quickly spreading across shirtfront.
The wolf moved haltingly, lurching over to where Chris and
James sat. He nudged the top of his head against James hand and
whimpered.
164 Gigi Moore
Lord, what did she do to you? James ran his palm gently down
the animal s pelt.
Chris got up on his knees, removing the kerchief from around his
neck. He found a tin cup of water that hadn t been overturned and
soaked the kerchief in it before coming back to tend to Troy s
wounded shoulder.
She got him really good.
She did.
Chris glanced up to catch James glance, and James hand froze in
Troy s fur. I knew you d come for me, he whispered.
Troy found you. Without him locking onto your scent, it would
have been a mite harder for me to track you. It would have taken me
longer alone, anyway.
Chris nodded and bent his head to cradle a cheek against Troy s
pelt as the animal lay on his side as if exhausted. He s going to be all
right, isn t he?
Troy s going to be all right. We all will be now.
Three Men and a Bounty 165
Epilogue
Hayden Homestead - Oklahoma Territory 1877
Choctaw tribal healer, Miakoda, stood at the edge of the forest,
waiting for his prophecy to come to pass.
When the wagon bearing his old friend Nayati at the helm burst
out of the forest edging Nayati s property, Miakoda remained
unsurprised.
Nayati pulled the wagon to a stop and jumped down from the
front seat before the wagon had come to a complete stop.
Miakoda!
I had a vision, Nayati.
Lucy and Caesar& ?
The woman and man who take care of your home and property
are inside awaiting your arrival. I assured them that you would return
soon and need the services of my healing skills. They are preparing a
room for your friend as I requested.
Nayati nodded and ran around to the back of the wagon to help
one of the white men down from the buckboard. This is Troy
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]