Read Online Zooey Pinkerton- a Daughter's Right by Heather McAlendin - Free Book Online Page A

chance to get away and start fresh. Gave me a chance to become
someone important…someone with power! Look at all this, Joshua.
Look at how easy it was to take this from someone.”
    “You had no right!” Zooey said,
unable to stay quiet. Her anger took away any pain she felt in her
arm. She even managed to stand up and face the real man responsible
for her father's death.
    “I had every right child. Your
father owed me money and a debt is always paid.”
    “You had no right to his
life!”
    Joshua placed on hand on Zooey's
good shoulder. “Enough, Zooey. He's not worth your breath. Let the
law deal with him.”
    While Jack, Joshua and Zooey
talked, Tom opened his eyes and listened. He was not as badly
wounded as he had led them all to believe. Instead, he lay there,
formulating a plan to kill two birds with one stone. If he shot
Jack, then Tom figured he would have all the power. If he were
quick enough to shoot the Sheriff as well, then his men would be
distracted long enough for him to escape… and perhaps take Zooey
with him. He slowly moved his hand to his side, where his pistol
was sheathed. Carefully, Tom scanned the men in front of him.
Franklin was watching Jack and Joshua. Even though his weapon was
on Tom, his attention was elsewhere.
    Zooey blinked. A slight movement
had caught her attention. She was sitting back down now, holding
her wounded arm. I thought you were unconscious?
    Unaware that Zooey had
discovered him, Tom continued to reach slowly for his weapon. When
it was securely in his right hand, he took a deep breath, sat up
quickly, and fired. As suddenly as he had gotten up, Tom was forced
back onto the floor, his head reeling and a deep burning spreading
quickly throughout his chest. His breathing became laboured and his
eyes began to cloud over. “No,” he moaned. “Not possible.”

    “What the hell just happened? Is
anyone else hurt?”
    At first, no one seemed to
notice Jack Duncan as he slid toward the floor. He had been hit. It
was the final shot Tom Brennan's weapon would ever make - and it
bested one of his intended targets.
    “Josh, your father!” Zooey
pointed toward the older man as he slumped to the floor.
    The Sheriff's deputies moved in
to contain Jack's men.
    Joshua stood in silence as his
father tried in vain to speak. Tom's bullet had lodged deep in his
neck and a rapid running stream of blood began to pool in his lap.
In a futile gesture, Jack reached an arm up toward Joshua, as if
trying to coax the younger man to save him. Jack Duncan's arm
dropped suddenly, and a long, gurgling breath escaped his throat.
He too was dead. Zooey moaned. She had seen enough death today.
    Joshua turned his back on the
dead man and helped Zooey to her feet. “I think you just saved my
life… and it looks like you got to avenge your father's death.”
    “I'm sorry about your father,
Josh.”
    “I'm not,” he answered coldly.
“He was dead to me long ago. He was just a living shell of a man
and now the body is dead too.”
    Zooey looked over Joshua’s
shoulder at Tom Brennan's crumpled, lifeless body. “I bet he never
thought a woman would do him in.” Zooey looked up to the ceiling,
her body convulsing as she cried. “I got him Pops. I got the
bastard that took you from me. I have the ranch back, too. I put it
right.”
    Josh wrapped his arm around
Zooey's shoulder and pulled her tight against him. “You certainly
did, Zooey. The bounty is yours as well. I'll make sure of that.
I'm sure the funds can help get the ranch going again. You'll need
some good men out here. For now, let's get than arm looked at.”
    Tears of joy welled up in
Zooey's eyes. She had stopped thinking about the bounty long ago,
but knew Josh was right. It would help her get the ranch back up
and running.
    Joshua gently pushed Zooey to
the door and then turned back to direct his men. “Franklin, take
charge and clean this up. Get the men to bring this sorry lot into
town and lock them up until we can get a judge