Read Online Outlaw's Reckoning by J. R. Roberts - Free Book Online Page B

travelers around a fire. They took their time in getting back, so most of the commotion they’d stirred up had died down. Most of the shades were drawn tightly over windows, and the doors were all shut. Nobody was sitting on the porches, and the area was quiet enough for Clint’s footsteps to crash in his own ears.
    â€œSo do you have a name?” Clint asked. “I don’t like to work with someone without even knowing his name.”
    The stranger kept quiet for another few steps before finally glancing over and saying, “It’s Matt Fraley.” He paused and watched Clint as though he was waiting for something in particular.
    Sensing the tension in Matt’s voice, Clint said, “I haven’t heard of you, but that’s not too big of a surprise considering how much you like to sneak around in the dark.”
    Matt laughed, but it still didn’t make him look any friendlier. In fact, his scarred face and harsh features were ill suited to a smile of any sort. “Who might you be, mister?”
    â€œClint Adams.”
    Stopping instantly, Matt squared his shoulders to Clint and dropped his hand to his holstered Schofield.
    Clint reacted out of pure reflex and stepped back while placing his hand on the grip of his Colt.
    â€œI’ve heard of you,” Matt snarled. “You’re the Gunsmith.”
    â€œThat’s right,” Clint replied.
    â€œYou’re practically the law.”
    â€œI’ve worn a badge, but not on a regular basis.”
    â€œYou wearin’ one now?” Matt asked.
    â€œWould it have mattered?”
    â€œYou’re damn right it would’ve mattered. It’s the difference between you talking to me right now and you laying dead on the ground.”
    â€œWe can definitely keep talking,” Clint said. “But you can only try to follow through on the other. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
    Matt didn’t make another move to draw his gun, but he also didn’t take his hand away from his holster. His eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed until even the wind seemed to grind to a halt around him.
    Finally, Clint said, “If I’d wanted to shoot you, I would have done it a while ago. If you know anything about me, you should know that I don’t need to trick a man to drop his guard.”
    The muscles in Matt’s jaw twitched and his nostrils flared. Then, like a passing storm, the anger and suspicion that had been there a moment ago were gone. He nodded and continued walking. “You’re right. Any man could’ve fired on me back when we were in that scrap. Hell, the Gunsmith might even stand a chance against me in a fair fight.”
    Keeping his own predictions to himself, Clint said, “And if I was working with the law, I wouldn’t be here on my own chasing you down when I could have had a few deputies backing me up.”
    Matt nodded absently.
    â€œSo where’d all that money come from?” Clint asked.
    â€œHere and there. We socked it away over more years than I can count.”
    â€œWho did?”
    â€œMe and the boys I used to ride with.” Glancing over his shoulder, Matt added, “Jed Hasselman was one of them boys.”
    Clint didn’t react much to that news. To some degree, he’d already put that together for himself. “The widow told me her husband was a bad man.”
    Grinning, Matt said, “Bad . . . but not the worst. Hell, I don’t even think he would’ve gotten into so much trouble if it weren’t for me.”
    â€œSo is that what you’re doing here?” Clint asked. “Looking in on the man’s widow?”
    Matt didn’t say anything to that.
    â€œWhat happened to Jed? Were you there when he was killed?” Clint stopped walking and waited to see the expression on Matt’s face that was like the cold edge of a sharpened blade. He didn’t have to wait long.
    â€œDid you kill