But he only met Cain Garvey's gaze, drawing his knotted fist from the pocket, his face impassive, eyes death cold.
"Throw that down here, whatever the hell it is. Now," Garvey commanded.
With agonizing slowness Garret opened his fingers, casting an object into the dirt.
Her eyes fixed upon it, locking on the thing Garret had thrown at the same instant Cain's did. She felt the outlaw stiffen, heard his bellow of triumph as the sunlight glistened upon a chunk of gold as big as Meggie's fist. His grasp on her loosened, the knife slipping inches away from her flesh.
"G-gold," Ashleen choked out, stunned. "Merciful God, it's—"
"Ash!" Garret's cry of warning made her start, tearing against Garvey's grasp. In that frozen heartbeat she knew what Garret wanted her to do, and she dived instinctively against the outlaw's arms.
Greed and gold lust mingled to slow Cain's reflexes as Garret launched himself from the edge of the rooftop.
The knife scraped across Ashleen's shoulder, and she felt blood well in its wake as she pulled free, just as Garret slammed full-length into Garvey.
She heard Garret grunt in pain, saw the knife glistening with fresh blood—his blood—the two men locked in death grips, battling viciously, their faces contorted in masks of fury and hate that had spanned twenty years.
Ash scrambled toward Garret's guns, her fingers closing about one, bringing it to bear, but even had she been a crack shot there was no way she could fire as the two battled over the knife.
"G-Garret—get away from him. The gun—I have—"
Garret's eyes shifted for a heartbeat.
That was all Garvey needed.
With a bloodcurdling cry of triumph the man drove the knife down. At the last instant Garret attempted to lunge out of its path, but even his lightning reflexes couldn't save him entirely.
A low groan ripped from his throat as the knife plunged into his thigh, the force driving him to his knees. Lips pulled back in ghoulish pleasure, Cain wrenched at the blade, tearing a cry from Garret as he battled to grasp the knife hilt.
At that instant Ashleen fired. The bullet blazed past Garvey, the outlaw wheeling on her with a hellish glare. She levered back the hammer, but before she could fire something lashed out from behind her. She spun to see a white-faced Renny, his fingers clasped around the handle of the hoe.
Barely able to stay on his feet, the boy struck at Cain, the hoe biting into Garvey's shoulder. Garvey staggered, blood seeping from a wound in one arm.
The man slammed his fist into the boy's stomach, driving him back as Garvey reached for his own gun. Ash's heart stopped as she heard Renny cry out. She saw Garret rip the knife free of his flesh and hurl himself at Cain.
Death. It groped for him with skeletal fingers as Garvey took aim.
Suddenly a movement caught Ashleen's eye. Eli Garvey reared up like some creature spawned of hell, blood dribbling from his mouth, his eyes glazed. Ash screamed as he grabbed Garret by the throat, certain he was going to kill him, but the man yanked Garret upward, hurling him out of the way as though he were Meggie's rag doll. Garret cracked into the fence rail an arm's length from the cliffs edge and struggled to gain his knees.
"Eli! What the hell—Kill MacQuade! Kill him!"
"You hurt... boy, Cain... hurt... promised not..."
"What are you? Crazy? He was gonna kill me, Eli!"
"You were gonna kill... me... heard you..." Eli slurred, staggering closer, ever closer. "Have to... kill you 'stead."
Cain turned his gun on his brother and fired, the bullet slamming into Eli's shoulder. The man faltered, then righted himself, staggering inexorably forward.
Garvey's pistol fired again, and blood blossomed on Eli's leg.
Cain backed toward the fence bordering the cliff, pulling his trigger yet again. This time the click of an empty chamber seemed to shatter the clearing. Cain's eyes widened, mouth twisting in very real terror as his back slammed up against the fence rail.
"Stop, Eli! Damn it, I'm your brother! Don't—"
"You made me kill them," Eli almost sobbed. "The pretty lady. The little girl—made me."
"Don't be a fool! Eli! Stop—"
