The Lawless by William W. Johnstone Read Free Book Online Page A

I’m gratified that my efforts on your behalf were not in vain.”
    â€œI’m beholden to you, ma’am. And I do not say that lightly.” The sun had restored color to his face and Kate’s cooking was adding weight to his lanky frame. “I owe you my life.”
    â€œFirst of all, you may call me Kate. And secondly, you owe me nothing. I would have done the same for any poor soul in distress.”
    â€œWill you call me Frank?”
    â€œWhen I decide that you’ve earned that privilege, Mr. Cobb.”
    The man grinned and shook his head. “I’ve never met a woman like you . . . Kate.”
    â€œThere are many like me. Unfortunately, they’re all in Ireland. Do you wish to cultivate that scraggly beard, Mr. Cobb?”
    â€œNo, ma’am . . . Kate. But I’ll keep the mustache. It’s my only vanity.”
    â€œThen you may borrow my late husband’s razor. And you will bathe in the creek with plenty of soap. And you will leave off your clothes so they can be washed. I will not have a scraggly bearded man who needs a bath and wears dirty clothes around the Kerrigan Ranch.”
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    Another week went by and Frank Cobb’s appearance passed Kate’s critical eyes, but only after she personally trimmed his mustache, telling him that a cavalry mustache was one thing, but a dead rat hanging under his nose was quite another.
    Although he still hadn’t fully recovered, Cobb did some chores around the cabin and helped Quinn and Moses with the horses. Despite his wounds, he moved easily, gracefully, with never a wasted movement. By nature, he was not a talking man, but when Kate or one of the others, including the girls, engaged him in conversation he gave them his full attention and looked straight into their eyes like a man should.
    All in all, Kate was well pleased with Cobb, not as a potential lover, but as a steady, hardworking man on whom she could depend. He’d already revealed his skill with a gun and before the month was out he would demonstrate it again.
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    Hack Rivette was scum, an illiterate, brutish thug who had sunk to the bottom of the frontier pond and was happy to exist there amid the slime and filth. He made a living by theft, robbery, and murder and had a deep hatred for all humanity—man, woman or child. His only care was the fulfillment of his own twisted desires. Barely above an animal, he was vicious, deadly, and without pity.
    That such a man would happen upon the Kerrigan cabin was unfortunate but not surprising. West Texas was a haven for the lawless element—outlaws of every stripe, gunmen, con men. Led by the carpetbaggers and Yankees on the make, they were happy to feast on the carcass of the South. Hack Rivette fit right in. He’d found his happy hunting ground.
    He rode up to the cabin and sat his horse, looking the place over—fine horses in the corral, a milk cow and chickens in the yard, and a good wagon next to the house. Rivette smiled to himself. It seemed like a cozy berth to winter and with a bit of luck, he’d also find a woman there.
    In greasy buckskins and a battered Union kepi, he yelled, “Hello the cabin!” He packed two Army Colts, and a Henry rifle was nestled under his right knee.
    The door opened immediately and Kate stepped outside, a child clinging to her dress. Normally, she would have asked a traveler to light and set, but the look of the man gave her pause and she wished she hadn’t left her rifle behind. “What can I do for you?”
    The rider grinned.
    Kate watched his eyes undress her.
    â€œI’m a simple man, lady. Bacon and eggs is what I need. Just keep your brats away from me, especially when I’m drinking whiskey. Now come here and put my hoss in the corral, then me and you will get acquainted, like.” Rivette swung out of the saddle, and then his voice suddenly turned harsh. “Do what I say, woman. Git over here and take