Dangerous Read Free Page A

cash.” That would be the final payment on the farm. They’d be completely debt free and her sisters would no longer have to hunt lawless men.
    “Are you hungry? Do you need the money?”
    “No,” she said, surprised.
    “Then why are you out chasing outlaws for money? It seems to me a woman like you would have a husband and a passel of kids by now.”
    The gun in his hand was pointed at her midsection and that made her uneasy. It could so very easily go off. “Who says I don’t?”
    He considered her comment, staring at her like he wasn’t certain if she was telling the truth or yet another lie. “Is your husband waiting somewhere up the road and together the two of you were going to make some extra cash?”
    “Oh, he’s waiting somewhere up the road, that’s for certain.”
    The idea sounded good, and if he were stupid enough to believe it, then she’d let him. So far, her luck with men hadn’t been good. One wife-cheating restaurant owner and nothing else. Was she ugly as sin or unappealing in some way?
    He shook his head. “Why would a man send a woman alone to capture me? None of this makes sense.”
    She smiled and cocked her head. “Maybe I’m just a lonely woman trying to get home. Maybe I’d forgotten all about our little run-in behind the sheriff’s office.”
    “Liar.” He gazed at her, his eyes a deep dark green that shone brightly in the firelight. And those dark lashes, they could flutter and set a girl’s heart quivering. “And you’re not too good at tall tales.”
    “Why, thank you. I’ve never wanted to be known as a woman who could lie well.”
    God, if she could just get out of this. If she could manage to turn the guns on him, tie him up, then drag him back to Zenith and collect her bounty, she’d never do this again. She’d never thought bounty hunting was easy, but she’d never considered how close, how involved you had to become with the criminal in order to catch them. How risky. Innocently, she’d thought it would be so much simpler. Birthing a calf was easier than catching a criminal, though probably messier.
    She’d leave bounty hunting to Meg and Ruby and go back to taking care of cows. Smelly, stinking, mooing cattle, who didn’t have the sense to get out of the rain.
    “So, what’s it going to be, sweetheart? Are you going to tell me the truth or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”
    Beat it out of her? Really? Of course, he was a wanted outlaw. A dangerous man who could hurt her. But then again, was he just trying to scare her? Inside, she was quaking, but she was determined to appear as if she wasn’t worried.
    “Tell me about the beating. What exactly would you do to me? Not that I’m lying to you, but I’m just considering all my options here.” She hoped he was trying to intimidate her and wasn’t serious about harming her. From their interaction, he seemed more of a smart aleck than a truly evil man.
    He frowned at her and shook his head. Taking a step toward her, he stood close enough she was forced to look up. “Lady, I should have known you were going to be trouble when I ran into you at the bank.”
    “Did you rob that bank?” she asked.
    “Hell, no.”
    “Are you planning on robbing the bank?”
    “There you go again, asking the questions. I’m in charge here. I’m the one with a gun pointed at you. I’m threatening to beat you.”
    Yeah, he was threatening to beat her, but he really didn’t seem the type. For an outlaw, there was something oddly decent about him.
    She shrugged. “I just wanted to know the answer to my questions. I mean, you’re wanted for robbing a bank. You could have been scouting our little bank. I have money in there. I may need to withdraw it all before I see you in town again.”
    He shook his head. “Answer my question.”
    “Could you repeat the question? I’ve forgotten it since we started talking.”
    “Why are you following me?”
    “Simple. Five hundred dollars. You’re my bounty.”
    He