Rue Allyn Read Free Page B

opponent’s arms flailed, hands slapping, fingers gouging and scratching. One blow landed on his ear and set his head ringing.
    Damn, this guy fights like a girl.
Ev attempted to get a grip on the wildly swinging arms, but they seemed to be everywhere at once. Unable to stop the assault, Ev shot his arms straight out, under the area where the suspect flailed, and shoved at the assailant’s chest.
    The move sent the thief flying to land butt first in the dirt about two feet away. The startled expression on his face was quickly replaced by a feral snarl.
    Ev shook his head to clear it. Had he felt breasts beneath the rustler’s shirt?
    That moment of wonder cost him as the man — or was it woman? — leapt for him.
    This time Ev was ready. He gripped his attacker at shoulder and thigh, lifted, and tossed the suspect away.
    A satisfying ‘oof’ sounded as the man, or woman, hit the ground back first and lay still as stone.
    Ev stood and waited.
    His opponent was so much smaller, that standing, he — or she — wouldn’t have a chance of beating Ev in a fist fight.
    The suspect coughed and heaved in a breath, then another.
    Ev studied the face and bone structure, the slight build. The distinctive white blonde hair that straggled out from a covering bandana framing lake green eyes and a mouth too generous for any man but just right for a woman. “Geezus in a dress. You’re a female.”
    The smile that mouth formed dazzled him, but the eyes remained hard. “You noticed that, did you?”
    Her husky voice struck him like the punch he’d expected earlier. He felt embarrassment creep up his neck. “Uh, kinda hard not to when I, uh … ” he looked at his hands before holding one out to help her up.
    “Well, then let me return the favor.”
    He quirked an eyebrow in question.
    She grasped his extended hand and used it to pull herself to her knees where she hauled back and plowed a fist into his crotch.
    Ev crumpled like a wad of paper, writhed on the ground, and moaned in agony. “Why?” he managed to croak.
    “I noticed you’re a male.”
    “You all right?” An Indian dressed Shoshone style, asked the question. He held a rifle on Boyd.
    Still in pain, Ev looked from the woman to the Indian and back.
    “I’ll be fine.” She rubbed one hand at a scar on her left temple then folded her arms across her chest. Her shoulders hunched as if to relieve some sort of pain. She tossed her head in Boyd’s direction. “How’d you get him?”
    The Shoshone grinned. “He ran out of bullets before I did. When he tried to sneak off, I got the drop on him.”
    “Well I’ll be damned.” The gunman stared at the woman. “What about you, Marshal Quinn? You okay?”
    “I’ll live, but I won’t be walking for a time. What are you gonna do with us?” If he was a dead man, Ev wanted to know.
    “We’re not going to kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” remarked the woman.
    “Matter of fact, that did concern me some.”
    “Help your friend move over to that rock.” The Shoshone gestured Boyd to a nearby boulder. “Then sit down with your backs to it.”
    Boyd helped Ev hobble to the rock.
    “Here’s your gear.” The woman had removed the saddles and other equipment from both Ev’s and Boyd’s horses. Keeping the weapons and ammunition, she dropped the rest beside Ev. “We passed a way station about a day and a half walk from here. We’ll leave your horses there. You’ll find your weapons and ammunition under the deadfall half a mile east of this canyon.”
    The Shoshone helped the woman to mount one of the unsaddled horses before scrambling atop the other.
    Ev watched the two ride off.
    “Well if that don’t beat all,” remarked Boyd. I sure as hell wouldn’t leave an enemy behind me, ‘specially not with weapons he could use against me.”
    “They’re young. Maybe they don’t have enough experience to know better.”
    “That’s just plain stupid. Don’t take experience to do the smart