Grier fired, she thought of Booth, of her vow of vengeance. Suddenly, it was as though someone else was standing there. Anabeth felt a tightening in her belly, a lump in her throat.
Then there wasn’t time for thinking—or feeling.
Grier began firing blindly into the alley. Anabeth dropped to the ground as she pulled Booth’s right hand gun and fired once at the man silhouetted in the light.
Grier let out a howl and dropped his gun.
Anabeth’s finger was on the trigger. All she had to do was shoot again and one of her uncle’s murderers would be dead. But her hand was shaking so badly she had trouble keeping it steady enough to aim.
Suddenly there was a commotion at Grier’s end of the alley. She couldn’t take a chance on being caught. Her face was on a WANTED poster now. She holstered the Colt and, flattening herself against the walls of thealley, quickly made her escape. She headed for the next alley and soon found herself in back of the Town House Saloon.
She stuffed her hands in her pants because she couldn’t get them to stop shaking. It was one thing to vow vengeance. It was quite something else to shoot another human being. Anabeth took a deep breath and let it whoosh out. She leaned against the slatted wall of the saloon and let her head fall back against the wood.
I should have killed him. He shot Booth in the knee without a second thought. He’s a treacherous murderer. He deserves to die
.
Then why didn’t you finish him off? a voice asked.
Because I lost my nerve
.
Then you better find it. Or move on to Colorado.
It’ll be easier next time
.
You’re lucky to have a next time. You’d better shoot first—and shoot to kill—from now on.
Anabeth took another deep breath and let it out. This was no game she was playing. The men she had set out to kill were killers themselves. If they caught her, they would show no mercy. If she wanted to survive, neither could she.
Anabeth straightened her head on her shoulders. She would do what had to be done. Next time she would shoot to kill.
Anabeth stepped inside the back door of the Town House Saloon but stayed in the shadows beyond the patchy lantern light. It was noisy and smoky, and she did nothing to draw attention to herself. She was as silent, as invisible, as any Apache in the wilderness. Only her eyes moved as she surveyed those present in the saloon.
The one person in the bar she recognized was Jake Kearney. Without her spectacles she could see Jakeclearly for the first time. The sight of him took her breath away.
His features were hard-chiseled, a strong jaw, a sharp blade of nose, blunt cheekbones, and thick-lashed, wide-set eyes framed by dark brows. A small scar slashed through his mouth, drawing it down on one side. She felt a shiver of awareness and realized that her body was responding merely to the sight of him.
Anabeth let out a soft, soughing breath.
So this was desire
. She hadn’t expected it to be so powerful. Or so indiscriminate. She didn’t particularly like Jake Kearney. So why was she physically attracted to him? Anabeth felt confused and a bit overwhelmed. She was aware of strange stirrings in her body. She slowly, imperceptibly moved to lay a hand on her belly, but that didn’t seem to help.
Anabeth’s lips twisted at the irony of the situation. Finally, she had found a man for whom she felt the first stirrings of desire. Only she was an outlaw, and Jake Kearney was a Texas Ranger. Even worse, he knew her only as stumbling, bumbling Anabeth Smith. He hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough. This was not exactly a match made in heaven.
Anabeth was turning to leave when Jake noticed her. She stood frozen for a moment. Luckily his attention was distracted when Sierra sat down across from him. Anabeth watched Jake smile at the other woman. Watched him laugh and grin at something Sierra said. Then she watched as Sierra left the table and headed upstairs with Jake following after her.
At first, Anabeth was
Then there wasn’t time for thinking—or feeling.
Grier began firing blindly into the alley. Anabeth dropped to the ground as she pulled Booth’s right hand gun and fired once at the man silhouetted in the light.
Grier let out a howl and dropped his gun.
Anabeth’s finger was on the trigger. All she had to do was shoot again and one of her uncle’s murderers would be dead. But her hand was shaking so badly she had trouble keeping it steady enough to aim.
Suddenly there was a commotion at Grier’s end of the alley. She couldn’t take a chance on being caught. Her face was on a WANTED poster now. She holstered the Colt and, flattening herself against the walls of thealley, quickly made her escape. She headed for the next alley and soon found herself in back of the Town House Saloon.
She stuffed her hands in her pants because she couldn’t get them to stop shaking. It was one thing to vow vengeance. It was quite something else to shoot another human being. Anabeth took a deep breath and let it whoosh out. She leaned against the slatted wall of the saloon and let her head fall back against the wood.
I should have killed him. He shot Booth in the knee without a second thought. He’s a treacherous murderer. He deserves to die
.
Then why didn’t you finish him off? a voice asked.
Because I lost my nerve
.
Then you better find it. Or move on to Colorado.
It’ll be easier next time
.
You’re lucky to have a next time. You’d better shoot first—and shoot to kill—from now on.
Anabeth took another deep breath and let it out. This was no game she was playing. The men she had set out to kill were killers themselves. If they caught her, they would show no mercy. If she wanted to survive, neither could she.
Anabeth straightened her head on her shoulders. She would do what had to be done. Next time she would shoot to kill.
Anabeth stepped inside the back door of the Town House Saloon but stayed in the shadows beyond the patchy lantern light. It was noisy and smoky, and she did nothing to draw attention to herself. She was as silent, as invisible, as any Apache in the wilderness. Only her eyes moved as she surveyed those present in the saloon.
The one person in the bar she recognized was Jake Kearney. Without her spectacles she could see Jakeclearly for the first time. The sight of him took her breath away.
His features were hard-chiseled, a strong jaw, a sharp blade of nose, blunt cheekbones, and thick-lashed, wide-set eyes framed by dark brows. A small scar slashed through his mouth, drawing it down on one side. She felt a shiver of awareness and realized that her body was responding merely to the sight of him.
Anabeth let out a soft, soughing breath.
So this was desire
. She hadn’t expected it to be so powerful. Or so indiscriminate. She didn’t particularly like Jake Kearney. So why was she physically attracted to him? Anabeth felt confused and a bit overwhelmed. She was aware of strange stirrings in her body. She slowly, imperceptibly moved to lay a hand on her belly, but that didn’t seem to help.
Anabeth’s lips twisted at the irony of the situation. Finally, she had found a man for whom she felt the first stirrings of desire. Only she was an outlaw, and Jake Kearney was a Texas Ranger. Even worse, he knew her only as stumbling, bumbling Anabeth Smith. He hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough. This was not exactly a match made in heaven.
Anabeth was turning to leave when Jake noticed her. She stood frozen for a moment. Luckily his attention was distracted when Sierra sat down across from him. Anabeth watched Jake smile at the other woman. Watched him laugh and grin at something Sierra said. Then she watched as Sierra left the table and headed upstairs with Jake following after her.
At first, Anabeth was
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