Read Online Red River Showdown by J. R. Roberts - Free Book Online

neck. For a moment, Clint wasn’t even sure if he’d been cut. He reached up to press a hand to his throat and felt his stomach drop when he felt something wet against his fingers.
    Pulling his hand down, Clint quickly took a look and saw nothing more than sweat on his hand. When he looked up again, the smaller man already had the door partially open.
    â€œOh no you don’t,” Clint grunted as he rushed forward.
    The man gritted his teeth and lashed out with the blade once to stop Clint in his tracks. He kept slashing quick patterns through the air to get Clint to keep his distance. Dark, burning eyes fixed upon Clint and watched every little move he made. The instant he saw Clint go for his gun, the man made a forward stab aimed for Clint’s wrist.
    Clint reflexively jumped back. Even though it was only one step, it was enough to knock his heel against a basket of clothes on the floor. He took half a second to look behind him and regain his balance, which was enough for the other man to slip through the door and out into the hall.
    Keeping his hand on the Colt’s grip and ready to draw in the blink of an eye, Clint moved to the door and extended an arm to push it open. Just as his fingertips made contact with the wooden surface, he felt a solid thump against the wall. When he tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge.
    Clint took half a step back and then slammed his shoulder against the door hard enough to knock it off its hinges. Fortunately, the broom that had been wedged against the door from the outside snapped in two before the hinges gave way. Stumbling into the hall with his gun held at the ready, Clint looked around for a target.
    The narrow hall was empty on both sides, but he soon heard commotion coming from the direction of the stairs. Clint rushed that way and found several doors open and several heads poking out.
    â€œDid you see anyone rush past here?” Clint asked.
    The heads eventually all shook and the faces looked at Clint with growing nervousness.
    Clint stood in the hall and listened for a sign of where he should go next. He heard nothing, so he holstered the Colt and walked up and down the hall. The few doors there were already open, and the rooms were wide-open storage areas or places where people were doing their work. Those people were all either hiding the man or didn’t have the first clue where he went. Either way, Clint knew he’d hit a dead end.
    After making his way back to the laundry, Clint checked on the three women. “Are you ladies all right?” he asked.
    They nodded.
    â€œDo you know who that was?”
    â€œNo,” the Chinese woman replied. “He was in here poking around and threatened to kill us. That’s when you came here. You saved our lives,” she added while hugging Clint around the waist. “How can I thank you?”
    â€œWell,” he said, while looking down at the rumpled pile of clothes on the floor, “it looks like I could use a new suit.”

SIXTEEN
    When Clint returned to the main card room, Mia didn’t even recognize him. She did turn to watch him enter, but her eyes lingered on his as if she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen him before. Once she got a better look at his face, she got up and rushed over to him.
    â€œClint? I barely recognized you!” she said.
    He wore a black suit complete with tailored cuffs and a jacket with tails that nearly reached down to his heels. Still straightening the collar, he replied, “I barely recognized myself when I got a look at this thing.”
    â€œI didn’t think you’d be the sort to have a suit like that.”
    â€œI’m not. I’m only wearing this until my own suit is stitched up.”
    â€œWhat happened to it?” she asked.
    â€œIt’s a long story. This place looks a lot busier than when I was last here.”
    Mia’s hand lingered on Clint’s arm as if she didn’t even realize