Fire Made Him

Fire took his home. Hate made him a man.

“Ma,” Blaze whispered, “they’re fixing to burn us.”
Her hand squeezed his shoulder hard. “You take Rachel,” she said. “You listen to me. If it comes to it, you run. Don’t argue.”
“I can fight,” Blaze replied.
“Not tonight,” she said. Her eyes met the seventeen-year-old boy in the dark. “You’ll fight when the time’s right.”
Outside, hooves thudded and men cursed. The Hollow Creek Riders tightened their circle. Every sound pressed closer. Blaze felt Rachel’s small hands trembling in his.
“What’s he want with us?” Rachel whispered from under the bed.
“The gold,” Blaze said. He tried to sound braver than he felt. “He thinks Pa took it.”
“Did he?” she asked, wide-eyed.

Note: Each novel in the Western Justice Adventures series is a standalone story, with sprinkles of romance, that can be read out of order.