Hannah Howell Read Free Page A

that to Antonie's life, steeped in violence and danger. It still did not seem right but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.
    Since he did not want anyone to know that he had saved the life of Juan Ramirez, Royal never mentioned Antonie to anyone, only listened more closely to any tales of Juan Ramirez that came his way.
    A short time after his meeting with Juan and Antonie, war exploded within the country. Royal lost all interest in Juan Ramirez and his young charge, as he and two of his brothers rode off with many another young Texan to become mired in hate and blood. His brother Denton fell at Gettysburg, while he and his brother Cole managed to survive until Lee surrendered. Bitter, scarred inside and out, he returned home with Cole after a year to find their parents dead and Patricia and the youngest son, Justin, struggling to keep the ranch together. Cole joined the Rangers, while Royal tried to forget the war by immersing himself in the fight to hang on to the ranch.
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Two
    Spring, 1868
    “What the hell happened to you?"
    Cole Bancroft eased himself into a chair and tried to grin at his elder brother. “Can I have a drink before I go into any details?"
    Royal's anger hid his concern. He had lost one brother and had no intention of losing another. By the looks of it, the wound in Cole's shoulder had come far too close in succeeding in its clear intention of killing the lawman. Scowling, he handed Cole a drink.
    “Don't you think four years of getting shot at was enough?” Royal snapped.
    “Plenty, but I've got two months left before I get out. Damn, Royal, we almost had the bastard."
    “Ramirez?” He forced away a sudden vision of wide purple eyes.
    “Yeah. Still, we did him some real damage, so that might be an end to it."
    “How'd he get away?"
    “That's the strange thing. It was the girl.” He frowned briefly when Royal gave a sudden start. “She never gets involved. Never. We were closing in for the kill when she and those two Indians, or so they looked, came charging in. No one expected it. Threw us all off. They dragged off Ramirez and one other, though he looked dead. Gave the others left alive a chance to run."
    “That when you got shot?"
    “Oh yeah.” Cole shook his head and took a drink. “I should be dead. I couldn't shoot her, Royal. I was the only one who had the chance, but I couldn't. Funny thing is, she was ready to shoot me. Hank yelled for me to shoot, but I froze."
    “Jesus. Well, she missed. You're damn lucky."
    “I'm not so sure it was luck. She was aiming right and steady at my heart, Royal, then suddenly upped her aim."
    “Did someone say your name?"
    “Come to think of it, yeah. Hank said, ‘Shoot, Bancroft, or get your dumb ass out of there.'."
    A small grin flickered over Royal's face. “Hell, and it's been at least seven years. Wonder if he'll consider that old debt paid now?"
    “Think you might stop muttering to yourself and tell me what the hell you mean?"
    “It's a long story."
    “I ain't going too far too fast.” Cole did, however, find a need to refill his drink as Royal told his story.
    “I never told anyone, as it's not a story I wanted to get around."
    “Hell no. They'd hang you. Slowly. It hasn't stopped him from hitting our ranch though."
    “Never really thought it was him.” He held up his hand to stop Cole's hovering outburst. “I don't know who, though. Just felt it wasn't him.” After staring into his drink for a moment, he asked quietly, “What's she look like?"
    “Told the men I didn't know.” Cole grimaced. “Just didn't want any of them setting out after her. She's something, Royal. Lord, is she something. Not very big, but what there is of her...” He shook his head. “Well, it's why I couldn't shoot her. Just stood there gawking at her thinking stupid things, like how can a girl with hair like cornsilk shoot a man. She dresses all in black and her horse is a big black stallion. Startling. If Ramirez is like a father to