Sam’s Creed Read Online Free PDF Page A

bristling dog. “And take Kell with you.”
    Juan laughed from behind a post. “You cannot even get your woman to obey, and you expect us to fear you?”
    “Nah, I just expect you to die.”
    Rolling to his back, dropping the shotgun beside him, he palmed the hammer on his Colt, unleashing a spray of bullets. Three bandits dropped, two didn’t. Shit.
    Return fire was immediate. He didn’t have any cover. A bullet struck him in the thigh with a hard punch and a sickening splat. Isabella screamed. He only had a few seconds to act before the pain came calling. Jumping to his feet, Sam ran for Bella, catching her around the waist as he got even, half carrying, half throwing her into the alley. Kell was right behind. Bullets peppered the building in the spot they’d been a split second before. He pressed his back against the wall. Splinters of wood flew, stinging his cheek as he shoved Isabella to the ground.
    “When I say to stay put,” Sam growled. “Stay put.”
    Pointing the shotgun around the corner, he fired blindly, relying on the scatter to do damage. A high-pitched yell told him he had hit something. The swearing afterward meant probably not fatally.
    “Son of a bitch.”
    There was a tug at his belt. He turned, another curse on his lips. He did not need an hysterical woman on his hands. Isabella grabbed his hand and slapped something into his palm. His fingers closed around familiar shapes. Bullets. He met her gaze. There was steel beneath that softness.
    “Thanks.”
    Bullets whined past the alley opening. He cocked the other barrel of the shotgun, waiting for a pause before pointing the barrel around the corner again and pulling the trigger. As soon as it discharged, he tossed it to Isabella along with the pouch of ammunition.
    “Do you know how to load that?” he gritted out.
    She didn’t waste time on words, just set to work with an efficiency that answered his questions. He shoved bullets into the chambers of his revolvers, keeping an eye on the movement beyond the alley as best he could. “It’s going to get messy here in a minute.”
    Her glance fell to the blood on his thigh.
    “It already is.”
    He was bleeding like a stuck pig. Yanking his bandanna from around his neck, he held it out. “Do me a favor and tie that off.”
    She did. He bared his teeth against the pain. “Thanks.”
    She yanked the knot tight before handing him back the shotgun. “Do not miss.”
    She was a bossy little thing. “I’ll do my best.”
    “It would be best if you succeeded.”
    Very bossy.
    Things were too quiet out there. Sam inched along the wall, being careful his gun belt didn’t scrape. A rhythmic jingle of spurs approached. He shook his head at the foolhardiness of trying to sneak while wearing spurs. He leaned back and waited. The thin barrel of a rifle extended past the corner. Sam didn’t move, holding his palm out flat behind him to warn Isabella not to make a sound. Two heartbeats passed. The gun barrel jerked. Sam dropped to his knee. Fire burned up his thigh. The man leapt around the corner. Sam fired. The bullet hit the outlaw in the heart, stopping him midleap. He dropped, a stunned expression on his face.
    Cocking the hammer again, Sam wiped the sweat from his brow with his shoulder and waited. There was no sound.
    He spared a quick glance at Bella. Her face was white and her eyes were big with terror, but she was kneeling beside Kell, holding his jaws shut. Sam added quick-thinking to bossy.
    Holding his finger to his lip, he indicated she should continue to be silent. She nodded back. Sam inched closer to the corner of the building, blood dripping down his leg in a warm flow. As soon as he took care of the last bandit, he’d have to see just how bad it was. At least the bullet had missed the bone.
    “Your friends are dead,” he called out.
    No answer.
    “I’m willing to let you live, for a price.” Something crashed to the ground. From the splintering aftermath it sounded like a crate.