Lawless Read Online Free PDF

she'd need to know how to
protect herself, and she'd always been intrigued by the different weapons her
father's men had carried.  The one time she'd handled a revolver her father had
stashed in his desk, she'd been backhanded so hard she'd tumbled across the
floor, horrified to find blood dripping from her lip.  But that world was no
longer her world, and in her new life, she could shoot if she pleased.
    *        *         *
    Milo made them both a couple of roast beef sandwiches
before they headed outside.  They were heavy on the meat and light on veggies,
but hers tasted surprisingly good.  He was definitely right on the fact that
appearances weren't what they seemed.  So far, he'd proved to be quite
enigmatic and interesting.
     When he retrieved his gun holster and strapped
it around his waist, a silent thrill rushed through her.  He looked damn good
sporting a pistol.  She watched with fascination as he checked his weapon.
    Under the circumstances she'd had growing up,
she should hate weapons, but she was smart enough to recognize it wasn't the
gun that killed people.  It was the person standing behind it.  She also couldn't
deny that guns meant power.  That was something she'd inherited from her family
whether she liked it or not—she enjoyed power.  Not that she was proud of that
fact.
    With a jerk of his head, he indicated she
should follow him out the kitchen door.
    The sun had crept to the west side of the house
by the time they headed outside, leaving the sprawling backyard shaded.  A
sweet-scented breeze tickled her skin.  She folded her arms and waited near a
swing on the back porch while he crossed the yard and entered a small wooden
building.  The sound of metal banging and things being shuffled around drifted
from inside the structure.
    She glanced about his yard.  No signs of a
woman's touch out here.  It had an untamed or old-fashioned feel to it.  No
landscaping.  The grass was mowed, but wild pink roses grew up and over the
surrounding wood fence while tall grass clung to the posts.  An old hammock
strung between two tall shade trees beckoned to her.  The tool shed
commandeered one corner and a large pine sat squat in the other.  To the far
left, a vegetable garden overflowed with ripe tomatoes and peppers.  She couldn't
really picture Milo spending his time gardening, but then again, there were
many things about him that didn't fit with the descriptive labels she'd given
him.
    He emerged from the shed, a cocky grin curving
his lips, a stack of old coffee cans in his hands.  "Got 'em."
    Good Lord.  The image of him standing with his
gun slung low on his hips, his t-shirt outlining every glorious curve of his
chest, and his blue eyes lit with excitement would remain seared on her retinas
for a long time to come.  A shiver of attraction rolled through her as she
stepped off the porch and walked toward him.  "Great."  She had no
idea what to do with the pistol or with the unwanted attraction that had sprung
up like the wildflowers growing up the fence.
    Milo balanced all five cans on separate posts
of the fence and then stood in the middle of his yard.  "Come here."
    She moistened her lips, swallowing an intense
thread of excitement as she joined him.  When she stopped, he moved closer,
removing the remaining space between them.  He slid his gun out of the holster and
displayed it in front of her.  "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that
handling a weapon is serious business."
    A wicked bit of heat rushed to her cheeks.  He
was not talking about that weapon, though handling it would be serious
business, indeed.  She cleared her throat.  Sex had been off her radar for a
long time.  It shouldn't be popping up now.  "Yes, I know guns can kill."
    He blinked, then nodded.  "Of course you
do.  Have you ever fired a weapon?"
    She shook her head.
    "This is a 9mm handgun.  It holds 15
rounds in each magazine."  He wiggled a black clip before shoving it up
inside