Crossing the Line Read Free

at the faro table scooted away and looked around for the one who’d set George off. Quickly realizing he was the target for the other man’s angry stare, he squared his shoulders to George and extended his arms to either side. “I don’t want any trouble.”
    â€œWell, you signed up for plenty of trouble when you decided to swindle me outta my hard-earned money!” Suddenly, George was stopped by a hand that slapped down upon his shoulder.
    â€œHe didn’t swindle you out of anything, George,” Clint said from directly behind the angry man.
    Struggling to break from Clint’s grasp, George grunted, “You’ll get yours soon enough.”
    â€œIf you’re angry about how that hand turned out, then take it up with me.” Since he wasn’t taken up on that offer right away, Clint spun George around to face him. “Or are you too certain that I’ll clean your clock for making that accusation?”
    Now that he was looking Clint dead in the eyes, George picked him as his new target. “All right, then. You cheated me outta my money.”
    Clint kept a straight face, but had to work hard to keep it that way. Technically speaking, George had a point. Although George obviously didn’t know all the details, Clint had gotten what turned out to be an unfair advantage. He hadn’t asked for the hints from across the room, but he’d put them to use. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Then let’s chop the pot and forget the last hand even happened.”
    â€œThat ain’t good enough.”
    â€œChopping the pot means we get our money back. What the hell else do you want from me?”
    â€œHow about some blood and a few teeth?”
    If George hadn’t been such a talker, he might have snuck in the first punch. As it was, he gave Clint more than enough warning before he took a swing at his jaw.
    Clint saw the punch coming and almost got out of its way. At the last second, he clenched his muscles and forced himself to take it on the chin. Even though he rolled with the punch a bit, he could still feel its impact rattle his back teeth. Rubbing at his jaw, he asked, “Happy now?”
    George looked happy, but in a way similar to a hungry dog that was happy to stumble upon some hapless prey. “Mister, I ain’t even started yet.”
    While Clint was willing to accept a few lumps to pay him back for the little bit of cheating he’d done, he wasn’t about to stand there and allow himself to get beaten to a pulp. An asshole like George would surely take full advantage of any situation where he could look like a big man. Fortunately for Clint, this asshole didn’t have nearly enough to put Clint down for good.
    The second punch was a short uppercut into Clint’s stomach. That one landed with a solid thump and was immediately followed by another. Clint turned and brought both arms in close to catch a piece of it. The rest of George’s fist was deflected to bounce against Clint’s ribs. Undeterred by that glancing blow, George took a wild swing that was intended to take Clint’s head off. Instead, Clint stepped away and to the side so George’s fist chopped through empty air. Even better than that, George’s momentum caused his arm to sail well past Clint’s head, leaving his upper body extended at an awkward angle.
    Unable to resist such a prime target, Clint delivered a straight right cross that cracked against George’s face and sent him staggering into another card table. When a few of the players at that game were knocked away from their seats, Clint thought the fight would spread like wildfire. Those other gamblers didn’t join the brawl, but one of them did hand George a half-empty bottle.
    â€œYou wanna take the side of some cheatin’ darkie?” George snarled. “Then you’ll get beat like one!” When George tried to swing his bottle at Clint, he