Read Hunter's Moon (Hunter Family Saga; Half-Moon Ranch 1) for Free Online

but there
was nothing.
    Brent was furious, and when Mick managed to
slash his upper arm with his knife, Brent's anger only
increased. A driven man, he continued to pum mel the thief, and finally managed to knock the
knife from his hand.

    Brent barely heard the shouts coming from the
entrance to the alley.
    "This is Sheriff Watson! What's going on down
there?" the lawman yelled as he ran toward the scene
of the fight.
    George, his deputy, was right behind him, ready
to back him up. They'd heard the gunshot as they'd
been out making their rounds and had come to
investigate.
    Some saloon patrons had heard the shot, too, and
had come outside to see what was going on. When
they saw the lawmen heading down the alley, they
followed them.
    Brent didn't give up the fight until he'd finally
landed a powerful blow to Mick's jaw. Only then
did he rise up over the would-be robber. He jerked
Mick up by his shirtfront, ready to hit him again,
but the man had gone limp. In disgust, Brent
dropped him back to the ground and got up to stand
over him in triumph.
    "Don't make any moves," the sheriff ordered,
bringing his gun to bear on Brent.
    "Sheriff Watson, it's all right!" Crystal spoke up
quickly in Brent's defense. "Mr. Hunter just saved
me from the other man-he robbed me." Her voice
trembled slightly.
    "Is that so?" The sheriff took a look at the
unconscious man and recognized him as the drunk named Mick. Mick had a reputation around town as
an ugly troublemaker. This wouldn't be the first
time he'd had him under arrest.

    "I don't know what I would have done if Mr.
Hunter hadn't shown up when he did." Her voice
remained unsteady as she realized the seriousness of
the threat she'd just faced.
    Sheriff Watson looked over at the stranger she
called Hunter, and nodded. "Good work. We'll take
Mick on back to jail and lock him up. Were you
hurt, Miss Opal? Do you need to see the doc?"
    "No... I'm fine." She was shaken but uninjured.
    "What about you, Hunter?" The lawman saw the
blood on his arm.
    "It's nothing. Just a scratch." Brent reached down
and picked up Crystal's purse.
    Sheriff Watson looked at her again. "Do you want
to press charges against Mick?"
    "Yes... No.. I don't know. I just don't want
him hurting anyone else." Crystal knew the thief
deserved to be locked up, but she didn't want to
involve herself with the law. The farther she stayed
away from the sheriff and his deputies, the better.
    Watson thought he understood her hesitancy. "I'll
take care of him. Mick won't bother you again," the
sheriff said with conviction. "I'll make sure of it."
    "Thank you, Sheriff." She was relieved.
    "If you want to come along with us now, one of
us will walk you home after we get him locked
up.

    "I can see her home," Brent offered, glancing at
Opal.
    "Yes, thank you," she told him appreciatively. The
sooner she got away from there, the better she would
feel.
    Brent went to her side and handed over her purse
as Sheriff Watson and George each grabbed one of
Mick's arms. George picked up the knife and then
they dragged the unconscious man bodily from the
alley.
    The men who'd come out of the saloon to watch
hurried back inside to tell everybody what had
happened.-
    Only when everyone had gone did Brent finally
speak.
    11 Are you sure you're all right?" He realized how
terrifying the attack must have been for her.
    "Yes-you showed up just in time." She
swallowed tightly, suppressing a shiver.
    "I'm glad I did," he told her earnestly.
    "So am I."
    "Is everything there?" Brent asked, gesturing
toward her purse.
    Crystal looked quickly through the contents, then
smiled at him in relief. "Yes."
    She did not show him the derringer. She didn't
want to have to explain to him why she'd been
carrying it. She closed her purse again.
    "Come on, let's get out of here," Brent said.
    "What about your arm? Are you sure it's not se rious?" She could see the blood on his shirtsleeve
now.

    Brent flexed his