Outlaw Cowboy Read Online Free

the sunlight was barely needed.
    This place reminded her all too much of home, dark and grimy and old. It reminded her that Steph was still there, only sixteen and under Dad’s thumb. Hiding and cowering in the dark and dust and grime and abuse. Would Mom be more protective of her since she was the only one left? Or would it be worse, because Dad’s obsession with having a son had never materialized and he thought Steph was a glaring reminder?
    Delia swung away from the window. She had to go about figuring out how to keep herself alive here. She had no food left, no means of making a fire, and Montana in March didn’t offer much hope for warm weather.
    Once it got dark, she could probably sneak down closer to the Shaw house and steal some wood. She’d never been up to the main house, but there had to be a woodpile somewhere outside. And maybe she’d have to put her old Dumpster-diving techniques to use.
    She’d promised herself she’d never be there again, but what business did she have making any promises to herself—a poor girl with a bad reputation and a dangerous father? There was no promise she’d kept for more than a handful of years.
    Except getting her sisters out. She had to get Steph out and then…then maybe there were promises to be made. But before she could rescue Steph, she had to have a plan and she had to be alive.
    She had one blanket in her pack. One change of clothes. A tube of lipstick. A pack of gum. A dead flashlight. Two dollars and a handful of pennies. It was all she’d managed to grab while the cops pounded at the door. The only thing that had been in her bag prior to that was a lowly condom.
    She’d kept it as a good-luck charm. She should have known good luck and sex didn’t mix.
    A wave of exhaustion and defeat almost knocked her off her feet.
    How had it gotten this bad?
    Eddie. The bastard. He’d had her fooled. She’d thought she was using some dumb moron for a warm bed and some food on the table while she’d hoarded every paycheck to get Billie to Seattle.
    Instead, she’d been the one being used as the damned scapegoat when their idiotic drug ring got busted up. He’d been smart enough to fool her, but not smart enough to keep his ass out of trouble.
    The only good thing about it was she’d gotten Billie away from Dad first. Elsie, the first sister Delia had whisked out of hell, had settled herself and was thriving. Now Billie would have that chance too.
    All because Delia had spent the past ten years of her life making what she could despite her lack of a high school diploma, and using every penny to get her sisters safe. Thanks to Caleb, because once Dad had realized she had someone protecting her, he’d kicked her out. She couldn’t be home to protect the other girls. She’d been forced to stay away for their own safety, sneaking around only when she was sure she could get them free.
    For ten years, she’d worked like a dog, using any guy who came along to keep her fed and sheltered so she could afford their escape.
    Some guys hadn’t been so bad. Some had used their fists like dear old Dad. But none had ever really kept her safe, no matter how often she wished they’d try.
    This was a low point—she had to admit that to herself. If she didn’t admit it, she’d never get past it. But she had to get Steph out, and somewhere where she’d have an opportunity to amount to something—and Delia’d use whatever means possible.
    Which meant… She blew out a breath. She had to ask for help. Which meant she had two choices.
    First, Caleb. He seemed the most reasonable choice. After all, she had some blackmail material on him. Dad had woken up from being beaten unconscious, having no idea who had attacked him. Only Delia knew it had been Caleb.
    If Caleb truly was on the straight and narrow, there were quite a few things she’d witnessed him do she doubted he wanted the