Pure Desire [Pure 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) by Carolina Barbour Read Free Book Online Page A

his hat back on his forehead. Damp dark strands fell in his face and he brushed them behind an ear. “I don’t make it a habit to come into town because there is usually one or two illustrious gunslingers hanging around, aching to prove I’m not the fastest gun in these parts. It’s not a reputation I sought readily,” he said, and shrugged. “Just the way it is. I have learned to ignore the fact some don’t take kindly to my unsolicited title and want nothing more than to kill me to prove they are faster.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “A quick gun can make a lot of money. Some just feed off ego and benefit from the fear their mere presence incites when they ride into town. Then there are the overzealous illustrious types who aspire for more than notoriety. The kind of men who enjoy killing…like him, who is always itching for a fight, just so you know.” He motioned to a man standing at the bar.
    Noor glanced at the man and gave him the once-over. He did a quick assessment of his attire, black vest, boots with silver spurns, and dark leather chaps. He wore a hat pushed low over his forehead, which shielded him from getting a good look at his eyes. His appearance alone signaled danger. He had encountered his type on Sanguine in the worst parts of the city where the seediest people hung out. The clothes were different, but the mannerisms and the unsettling sensation he felt in the man’s presence told him everything he needed to know. He wasn’t going to turn his back on him. It was obvious the gunslinger ached for trouble.
    As soon as they reached the bar, an older man sitting there swirled around on the bar stool. He noticed the starched, white, button-down shirt and shiny tin star affixed to it. An authority man, he thought. He was middle-aged with thick leathery skin and intense brown eyes that examined him like a potential suspect. He turned his attention to Channing.
    “What brings you into town at this hour? Not like you, Channing.” He saw the sheriff glance at the gunslinger. His tone sounded weary, as if he thought Channing’s presence would cause all hell to break lose.
    The gunslinger was staring at them, a real mean-mug glare, clearly showing he was displeased about something. Channing ignored the man. He kept an eye on him.
    Channing leaned against the bar and faced the door at an angle where he could keep everybody in the building in sight. “Good evening, Sheriff Jacob. I would have preferred to keep riding toward the ranch, but I thought it best to stop in town first and warn you.”
    The sheriff grumbled beneath his breath. “What the hell now? You gonna tell me you and Harland are at it again? I swear ifn’ Matt Graham don’t heed my advice about his boy, he’s gonna end up dead before his time.”
    “Apparently, your advice was ignored. You might want to send someone out to Jasper Creek to retrieve Harland and two of his friends’ bodies.”
    “Ah, hell, you gone and finally got around to killing Harland? I don’t know the circumstances, but sad to say, he probably had it coming. He went too far this time, huh?”
    “He tried to hang me for an offense I didn’t commit.”
    Sheriff Jacob frowned and shook his head. “That boy’s been trouble since the day he was born. I’m just glad his mama isn’t alive to see how rotten he turned out. God bless her soul, she was a good church-going woman, and this would have killed her. Who’s your friend?”
    “This is Noor Rynoir. He happened to be passing by and came upon Harland and his cohorts. If it weren’t for him, I might be swinging from a tree about now.”
    The sheriff eyed Noor and then nodded.
    “Sheriff,” Noor said.
    The man furrowed his eyebrows deeply, creating a unibrow. “I haven’t seen you around these parts before, son. Channing said you passing through. Do you mind me asking where you headed? Where you come from, and how long do you intend to hang around these parts?” the sheriff said, inspecting Noor from