Three Witches and a Killer: Wicked Western Witches Book 1 Read Online Free Page B

asked.
    “You heard me, Sadie. Stay calm.”
    Buck sure was worried. Suddenly, I wondered if he’d found out about the zombie I was hiding in my closet.
    Ending the call, I turned to the preacher, or whatever he was. “You know, it’s quite rude to come into someone’s town and start preaching to them.”
    His arm sprang at me faster than a rattler. Before I had a chance to defend myself, he smacked me in the forehead with two fingers. “That’s how fast the devil strikes. Your witch’s soul belongs to him!”
    Boiling hot blood rushed to my cheeks. Now I wished I’d brought along some geek dust to blow in his face. I would have loved to see him jumping around like a chicken with his head cut off.
    Decking him would have to be good enough. Clenching my hand into a fist, I reared back and prepared to box his ears, but all of the sudden I couldn’t throw a punch. Someone had a death grip on my wrist.
    Looking over my shoulder, I found myself face to face with a sheriff’s badge. “I told you to hold tight,” Buck said.
    “He hit me!” I said, still trying to pull loose from his grasp. I was hell bent on knocking that preacher for a loop.
    “Now Sadie, you don’t want to hit some old man. I know you better than that,” Buck said, adding a calming note to his voice.
    It worked every time.
    Drawing in a deep breath, I relaxed. Only then did he let go of my wrist.
    Buck was nearly a foot taller than me but that wasn’t too impressive, considering I was only a couple inches over five feet. His dark eyes always seemed to be laughing, but in a good-natured way. Just like Dad, his dark hair was never out of place. Of course, even if he’d had bed head, it wouldn’t be noticeable beneath his ten-gallon white cowboy hat.
    I’d known Buck all my life. He was a good guy. In school, he’d always been the one to step between two people fighting. It was no wonder he’d been elected Sheriff.
    Buck’s integrity and willingness to stand up for what’s right made him popular in Shadow Crossing. It also helped that he filled out his tan sheriff’s uniform pretty darn well. At least that helped with the ladies.
    Now that I was calm, Buck took out a pen and pad of paper. “So tell me what happened.”
    “Like I said, he hit me. Look here!” I pointed to my forehead. “There’s probably still a mark.”
    Buck leaned down to get a better look at my head. “Well I’ll be, there sure is.”
    When Buck turned back to the preacher, he had a stern expression on his face. Now he was all sheriff.
    “What’s your name, sir?” he asked.
    The preacher stared at him with the same cold glare he’d given me. I half expected him to attack Buck too, but to my surprise, he turned to the women.
    “What do you think, Martha … Allison? Is he one of them?”
    The two women shook their heads.
    The preached nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking.
    “I need your name,” Buck told him again.
    “Well, Sheriff, my name is Rod Gamble. I am a reverend of the Church of the New Light.”
    “Did you hit Miss Sadie?” Buck asked the preacher.
    “Not really.” He shook his head. “I was just demonstrating how fast the devil could take a soul. She’s a witch; therefore her soul is already lost. You are in danger just standing so close to her.”
    Buck rolled his eyes, but he did it with discretion. “I’ll take that as an admission.”
    “Told you so,” I said, putting my hands on my hips.
    “Would you like to press charges?” Buck asked.
    “Why hell yes I’m pressing charges!” I bobbed my head. “Take the old buzzard to jail.”
    Turning my attention to the preacher, I gave him one of my wickedest bitch stares. “You’re just lucky the sheriff showed up when he did. Otherwise, you’d be picking yourself up off the ground instead of going to jail.”
    “You see! Such wickedness,” Preacher Gamble yelled, taking a step in my direction.
    I doubled up my fist. “Go ahead! I dare you.”
    “Okay, Reverend Gamble. Turn