Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) Read Free Page A

went on, "I told Hall before he left that I'd
meet him later tonight with the cash."
    "But you don't have it!"
    "I'll get it somehow. How much do you have on
you? What have you made in tips tonight?"
    "I'm not sure a few dollars."
    "Give me what you've got."
    "We need this money for food and to pay our
hotel bill."
    "I'll figure out a way to take care of that laterafter I get Hall off my back."
    Crystal was disgusted as she handed over what
cash she had. "I'm going back to the hotel."
    "Fine."
    As Crystal left, Dan returned to the poker table with her money. He hoped his luck would change. It
had to. He needed to win back enough to pay his
debt.

    If he didn't...
    Dan refused to think about the possibility.
Instead, he concentrated on the hand he was dealt.
    Crystal sought out the quiet sanctity of her small
room at the hotel. It had been a very long night. She
undressed and donned her simple cotton nightgown,
more than ready to seek the solace and peace of
sleep. At least when she was sleeping, she didn't have
to worry about Dan.
    She went to the washstand and for a moment
studied her own reflection. The woman looking back
at her seemed almost a stranger. Dan always insisted
she wear face paint to make herself seem older and
more sophisticated than she was. The reflection in
the mirror looked worldly and mature and very
tired.
    Crystal scrubbed her face clean, wondering how
she had come to live like this-working in saloons,
helping her older brother cheat at cards-but she
knew the answer. Their parents had died when she
was only sixteen and Dan twenty; they'd had no
relatives or family friends to help them. Dan had
always been the wild sort who fancied himself a good
gambler, and he'd planned to make his living that
way. At first he'd resented having to take care of her,
but when he'd realized how pretty she was, he had bought her some fancy dresses and trained
her to help him.

    It had been nearly four years now, and Crystal
had had enough. She didn't like cheating people.
    She made up her mind that tomorrow she was
going to tell Dan he was on his own. The decision
filled her with a great sense of relief as she went to
bed, and she fell asleep quickly. Soon this life she'd
been living would be over.
    Crystal wasn't sure what woke her, but she sat up in
bed and was startled to see the shadow of someone
in her room. It looked like a man, and he was
closing the door behind him.
    "Dan?"
    The man didn't answer as he locked the door.
    "What are you doing?" She started to get up, still
thinking it was Dan. "Is something wrong?"
    "Oh, no, honey, everything is just fine."
    Crystal went still at the sound of the leering,
horrible voice. The man moved close enough for her
to recognize him. It was John Hall.
    She grabbed her blanket and clutched it to her
breast, but she knew it offered little in the way of
real protection. Dan had often encouraged her to
keep a derringer with her, but she'd always refused.
Now she wished she had a gun to defend herself.
    "What are you doing in here? Get out!"
    "Now, that's no way to greet me," Hall said in a
lecherous voice as he slowly crossed the room to ward her. "Your brother sent me to you."

    "What?" Shock radiated through Crystal.
    "I just left Dan. He didn't have my money,
but he said you'd work it out for me. I was
watching you all night. You are one pretty
woman, and a piece of you might just
settle up what he owes me-if what your brother
says about you is true. He says you're still a
virgin." Hall loomed before her, tall and
threatening.
    Panic seized Crystal. She was trapped. Dan
wanted her to play the whore to settle his gambling
debts!
    "There must be a mistake-" Crystal started to
protest.
    "No, Crystal, there's no mistake. You're mine for
the rest of the night, and Dan said you'd be real
good to me."
    Hall reached out and grabbed Crystal by the
upper arms, dragging her up to him. She struggled
to break free, but she was no match