Old Lady of the Apex Crown

mel

he compound like a shro

head halogen lamp cast long shadows across the

against a carburetor bracket was the

pe of iron echoed fr

hovering an inch

a steel pry bar forced the rusted

burst open with a

eeking of cheap blended whiskey,

his broken right arm bound tightly agains

and, he gripped a heavy

locks, didn't you?" French sneered, kicking a

at the front gate watching the road! Didn't

ingers closed around the heavy twenty-four-

ace, French. You can

ngs to this charter!" he yelled, hi

to Reno because your wire didn't clear! The prospects are whispering behind my back, and Hettie is c

ess fury, swinging the iron

bar smash directly into the heavy oak table, s

dred-pound weight forward, slamming his good shoulder int

ound my throat, squeezin

ur safe tonight, and then I'm going to t

d, my vision dark

roin, but before the blow landed, the e

O

g screech as Garrison's massive frame blasted thro

arrison crossed t

scruff of French's neck and

ted the six-foot-two rider completely off the floor

ool racks, knocking ir

gasp as the air was viole

, coughing hard as cold air rus

idn't draw

ted the steel-toed sole of his heavy combat bo

plied his do

CK.

sed garage as the fiberglass cast shattered, s

gh the night air, shrill,

-stained face as he clawed helplessly a

," Garrison rumbled, hi

sy hair, and drove his massive fist straight int

AC

shat

oss the drafting

unch, his head bouncing hard off the c

Oh god,

en roll-up door in her silk nightgown,

de her bleeding, unconscious

ou broke his arm!" Martha wailed, g

wiping a trace of blood from my lip, looki

steady. "Drag your garbage out of my workspa

rrified prospects forward to haul

oward the door, spitting

urs ago! Augustin Harrington is already driving into the county! When he conve

, dragging French's mangled body and

cold eyes inspecting the

ntact,

sped, touching m

roken, but the real storm was

in Har

as already on his way to cla