Reese Read Online Free Page A

rabble.
    Reese's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, merely turned and introduced the rest of the men. "You've met Jed Rourke, I assume. Or at least one of you did." He raised a brow at Mary. "Sullivan, Rico, Cash, and Miss Clancy's new friend, Nate."
    He turned back to the reverend with a smirk. Mary saw where the meeting was headed and stepped between the two. "Thank you. Now I'll just take y'all to the hotel and you can get settled."
    Clancy and Reese glared at each other like two dogs over a bone, though what the bone was, in this case, Mary couldn't quite fathom.
    She didn't want to touch Reese, but she needed to get his attention. If he came along with her, the rest would follow; she'd seen that right off. What was it about Reese that made him their leader?
    Well, that was neither here nor there as long as he could keep them in line. Because if these men got out of control in Rock Creek, they'd be worse than the men she'd hired them to chase off.
    Mary shivered and thought again, What have I done?
    Before she could go down the same road, a second time, toward answers she didn't have, Mary reached out and clasped Reese's forearm. He tensed and yanked away, hand going to his gun in one fluid movement that would have been beautiful if it weren't so deadly.
    "Stop! Right now!" she ordered, surprising herself.
    Clancy skittered back, out of harm's way. Coward. Reese turned his head just a bit, and his eyes met hers. Whereas he'd been completely civilized up until now, introducing his men as if they'd come to dance at a ball, the civility was gone, eaten, no doubt, by the animal in his eyes.
    "I'm not one of your students, Miss McKendrick. Don't tell me what to do."
    "I'm your employer." Mary swallowed the fear she knew better than to show. "I'll tell you whatever I wish. What's the matter with you?"
    "The world I live in is a bit different from yours. Don't grab me when I don't expect it. The same goes for the rest of my men. You won't like what happens if you startle them."
    "I suspect not. Now take your hand off that gun."
    He raised an eyebrow but did as she said. "Let's get one thing straight; I'm in charge here. You can try to tell them what to do"—he jerked his head at the four behind him—"but I don't think they'd be of a mind to listen."
    Mary glanced at the others. Their gazes were dark, cold, nearly feral. "Fine. You deal with them. I'll deal with you."
    "Agreed. Lead on, Miss McKendrick."
    Mary cast a glance at the people of Rock Creek. As always, everyone waited for her to take charge and do what had to be done. Reverend Clancy had disappeared, no doubt running all the way back to the rectory.
    If she'd left things to Clancy, they'd have turned the other cheek until the bandits destroyed Rock Creek, and not out of Christian charity but cowardice.
    Mary had always been an organizer and a leader. She couldn't help herself. When something needed doing, everyone turned to Mary, and she accepted the challenge. She should be the mayor—except she was a woman.
    Turning her back on the uneasy gazes of the townsfolk, Mary walked down Main Street in the direction of the Rock Creek Hotel. No one had used the place in a long time. As she'd told Reese in Dallas, Rock Creek was dying. The thought made her sigh.
    "Something wrong?" Reese walked at her side again, leading his horse behind.
    "Besides everything?"
    "That bad?"
    "If it wasn't, do you think I'd have gone searching for you?"
    "No one ever does."
    Disappointment laced his voice, and for a moment Mary felt bad. But truth was truth. She didn't think Reese was a man who needed or wanted platitudes.
    "I suppose not," she agreed.
    He glanced behind them then lowered his voice as if to keep the others from hearing. "I apologize for my behavior before. You shouldn't touch me unaware."
    Her brow creased. The man was confusing—one moment, all animal-like grace and growls, the next, gentlemanly apologies. She nodded, accepting his words, letting them go without comment.