Hannah Howell Read Online Free PDF Page B

tell Henry why that is.” He glanced pointedly at the twins.
    “Ah, Oro and Tomás Degas. Manuel's sons.” She giggled when Royal groaned. “Oro has the scar."
    “You said you were attacked?” he asked Patricia, taking her hand in a gentle grasp.
    “On the way to San Antonio,” she replied, her voice unsteady as she recalled everything, telling the tale with Justin's occasional help.
    “You weren't hurt, were you, Pattie?” he asked tensely when she had finished, for the extent of the personal attack upon her was not made clear.
    “No, the rabbit is whole,” Antonie replied when Patricia seemed struck speechless. “The bastard died—quickly."
    “Thank you, Antonie. You and your friends must stay the night. Rest before you go back."
    “We are not going back. Not yet. We are here to give you your ranch."
    Royal abruptly raised his brows. “How can you give me something I already have?"
    “I put that wrong. I mean we are here to see that you keep what you have. That will clear Juan's debt. He told me to come here and to see to this matter. I promised him on his deathbed, so here I am, gringo, and here I stay until all is done."
    “Ramirez is dead?” Cole asked.
    "Sí." She fought down a grief she had not really dealt with yet. “It is over."
    “I am sorry for your loss, Antonie,” Royal said quietly.
    “Ah, well, he, Julio, and Manuel will give the devil a good run, eh? Now I must clear his debt."
    “There's no debt, Antonie. You could've killed Cole but you didn't, and now you've helped these two. That's more than enough."
    “No, I told Juan I would come and help save your ranch. This I will do."
    “Save it from what?” He tried to still the erotic images forming in his head as he watched her lick the sugar off her fingers.
    “From whom. I do not know. Someone close, Juan said. Raoul is in his pay. He killed your parents and is the one who keeps raiding you. There is to be much trouble for you on this drive you plan. We will be your guns."
    “Where did Juan get his information?” Royal had recently begun to think that his trouble was not all bad luck.
    “This I cannot tell you. It was not for me to know. But, if Juan said you are to have trouble, you will have it."
    “Much more trouble and there won't be any need to worry about the ranch,” grumbled Justin. “We'll lose it for sure."
    “Exactly,” said Antonie. “That is how the game is played. Enough little cuts and you bleed to death."
    “Colorfully put,” Royal drawled, hastily pouring himself a glass of the wine that Antonie, Tomás, and Oro were drinking so much of. “Just the other day I was thinking that it couldn't all be rotten luck. We were being hit harder and more often than any of the others. It was as if our every move was known. This drive now. I've only talked to a few people about it, but Juan heard of it in Mexico."
    “We've known the people around here since we were born. Who the hell could it be?” Cole wondered aloud.
    “You must think who would gain most.” Tomás began to finish off the pie.
    “Unfortunately, Tomás, that could be any one of our neighbors.” Royal suddenly became aware of the fact that even Patricia and Justin were eating anything that had been left of the desserts. “I gather you haven't had your supper,” he said dryly.
    “No,” Patricia replied and stood up. “I'll go talk to Maria, shall I? There must be something quick she can get us."
    “Yes, do that, Pattie. Careful, she's not in the best of tempers."
    “Oh.” Patricia stopped at the door to frown at Royal. “Has Marilyn been here helping?"
    “Excessively. We'll need some rooms readied, too.” Pattie nodded and left, so Royal turned his attention back to Antonie.
    “This Marilyn, she was the one sitting next to you?” Royal nodded and Antonie grinned. “She is hot for you, gringo, eh?"
    Sending a quelling look at his snickering brothers before replying, Royal said firmly, “She was being neighborly and helping with this