shit!” The man let loose a string of curses while Ellie kicked the third man in the balls.
Free of their grip, she scrambled backward toward the man whose life she’d saved. If he caused her death, she would have to kill him herself.
“Got yourself a helluva a she-cat.” The man, presumably Gibson, lifted the rifle and aimed straight at her head. “I’d hate to decorate this walls with her blood. I reckon I’ll have to if you don’t hand over what you took.”
Elizabeth bared her teeth at him. “I’ll make sure to come back and haunt you until the day you lose your miserable life.” Anger made her reckless but she didn’t care. These men had invaded her home, threatened her and dared to treat her as though she was inconsequential.
“Leave her be.” Vaughn stepped into the light with one hand hidden behind his leg. If she was right, he held Martha’s pistol.
Gibson spied Vaughn’s clothes and laughed. “You look mighty foolish.”
“Better to look stupid than be stupid.” Vaughn gestured to the door with his other hand. “The lady told you to leave and I must insist you do so.”
“You must insist, huh?” Gibson shook his head. “Just ’cause you talk fancy doesn’t mean shit. You owe me, O’Connor, and I damn well expect to get what’s due.”
Vaughn’s jaw visibly tightened. “I told you I don’t have it. It’s gone forever. Do you need me to draw you a picture?”
“Then you best figure out a way to get what you owe me for it. I ain’t letting you out of my sight until you do.” Gibson slid toward Elizabeth. “Maybe if I take her, too, you’d be better apt to do what I tell you.”
Dread wound its way through her bones. She turned to Vaughn. “What do you owe him?”
“Nothing of consequence.”
“It ain’t nothing.” Gibson waved the gun. “We was partners and you took everything and disappeared. You owe me.”
“You stole his money, didn’t you?” She had a suspicion her guest was not who he said he was. Too many men were taken advantage of by unscrupulous people even if they were dirty dogs to begin with.
“Gibson is telling you half a story. I won’t stand here and debate this. I’ll go with you but she stays here.” Vaughn stepped in front of her and shoved the gun into her belly. She grabbed it just before it fell, tucking into her skirt pocket.
“Oh no. It ain’t that easy.” Gibson cocked the rifle. “You both go or you both die. Right here. Right now.”
“Elizabeth?” Martha’s muffled voice surprised everyone. “Is everything all right?”
“Who is that?” Gibson’s brows rose. “Another lady for us to meet.”
Elizabeth gripped the gun so hard, her knuckles hurt. “That’s my grandmother. You leave her alone.”
“You spend a lot of time throwing around orders, Elizabeth. Some man ought to teach you how a female minds her manners.” He walked toward the back of the house, toward Martha.
Now the fury took second place to fear. Elizabeth couldn’t allow her adoptive grandmother to be hurt. No matter what she had to do. One bullet wasn’t going to kill all three of them and Gibson could kill her just as fast with the rifle. She would bide her time until she could find a way to get rid of all these men, including Vaughn, the lying son of a bitch.
“I’ll go with you,” she blurted.
“No, you won’t.” Vaughn scowled at her.
“Yes, I will. Now shut up.” She wasn’t going to beg, but by God, she would be heard. “Leave Granny here and I’ll go.”
“No, you won’t.” Vaughn was like a dog with a bone, gnawing on her last nerve.
“Shut up, both of you.” Gibson grimaced at Vaughn. “Seems as though she wins this argument.”
“I won’t have it. This lady saved my life and doesn’t deserve to be tarnished by the likes of you.” Vaughn ignored her in favor of arguing with their soon-to-be captor.
“Tarnished? I wouldn’t hurt her.” Gibson’s expression said otherwise but Elizabeth kept her mouth
Free of their grip, she scrambled backward toward the man whose life she’d saved. If he caused her death, she would have to kill him herself.
“Got yourself a helluva a she-cat.” The man, presumably Gibson, lifted the rifle and aimed straight at her head. “I’d hate to decorate this walls with her blood. I reckon I’ll have to if you don’t hand over what you took.”
Elizabeth bared her teeth at him. “I’ll make sure to come back and haunt you until the day you lose your miserable life.” Anger made her reckless but she didn’t care. These men had invaded her home, threatened her and dared to treat her as though she was inconsequential.
“Leave her be.” Vaughn stepped into the light with one hand hidden behind his leg. If she was right, he held Martha’s pistol.
Gibson spied Vaughn’s clothes and laughed. “You look mighty foolish.”
“Better to look stupid than be stupid.” Vaughn gestured to the door with his other hand. “The lady told you to leave and I must insist you do so.”
“You must insist, huh?” Gibson shook his head. “Just ’cause you talk fancy doesn’t mean shit. You owe me, O’Connor, and I damn well expect to get what’s due.”
Vaughn’s jaw visibly tightened. “I told you I don’t have it. It’s gone forever. Do you need me to draw you a picture?”
“Then you best figure out a way to get what you owe me for it. I ain’t letting you out of my sight until you do.” Gibson slid toward Elizabeth. “Maybe if I take her, too, you’d be better apt to do what I tell you.”
Dread wound its way through her bones. She turned to Vaughn. “What do you owe him?”
“Nothing of consequence.”
“It ain’t nothing.” Gibson waved the gun. “We was partners and you took everything and disappeared. You owe me.”
“You stole his money, didn’t you?” She had a suspicion her guest was not who he said he was. Too many men were taken advantage of by unscrupulous people even if they were dirty dogs to begin with.
“Gibson is telling you half a story. I won’t stand here and debate this. I’ll go with you but she stays here.” Vaughn stepped in front of her and shoved the gun into her belly. She grabbed it just before it fell, tucking into her skirt pocket.
“Oh no. It ain’t that easy.” Gibson cocked the rifle. “You both go or you both die. Right here. Right now.”
“Elizabeth?” Martha’s muffled voice surprised everyone. “Is everything all right?”
“Who is that?” Gibson’s brows rose. “Another lady for us to meet.”
Elizabeth gripped the gun so hard, her knuckles hurt. “That’s my grandmother. You leave her alone.”
“You spend a lot of time throwing around orders, Elizabeth. Some man ought to teach you how a female minds her manners.” He walked toward the back of the house, toward Martha.
Now the fury took second place to fear. Elizabeth couldn’t allow her adoptive grandmother to be hurt. No matter what she had to do. One bullet wasn’t going to kill all three of them and Gibson could kill her just as fast with the rifle. She would bide her time until she could find a way to get rid of all these men, including Vaughn, the lying son of a bitch.
“I’ll go with you,” she blurted.
“No, you won’t.” Vaughn scowled at her.
“Yes, I will. Now shut up.” She wasn’t going to beg, but by God, she would be heard. “Leave Granny here and I’ll go.”
“No, you won’t.” Vaughn was like a dog with a bone, gnawing on her last nerve.
“Shut up, both of you.” Gibson grimaced at Vaughn. “Seems as though she wins this argument.”
“I won’t have it. This lady saved my life and doesn’t deserve to be tarnished by the likes of you.” Vaughn ignored her in favor of arguing with their soon-to-be captor.
“Tarnished? I wouldn’t hurt her.” Gibson’s expression said otherwise but Elizabeth kept her mouth
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