Free The Sapphire Gun by J. R. Roberts Page A

out and immediately drifted to sleep. That left Clint sitting with his back to a tree and a dented cup of coffee in his hand. His eyes never strayed far from Rosa, even as she laid on her side and tried to get some sleep.
    After less than an hour, she woke up again. Rosa turned to look at Clint and found him still sipping his coffee. “How do you do it?” she asked.
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œKeep your eyes open after everything that happened today.”
    â€œBecause I have to.”
    â€œI’m not going anywhere.” Holding up her hands, which were still tied at the wrists, she tugged on the rope that connected her wrists to another tree. “See?”
    â€œBetter safe than sorry.”
    Rosa got her legs beneath her and walked toward Clint. She didn’t even make it to the fire before she literally reached the end of her rope. “Could you come over here?” she asked.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause I’d like to talk rather than shout.”
    Rather than make her insist any more, Clint got up and moved closer to her. He sat down just outside of her reach. “What do you want to say?”
    â€œJust that I’m not as bad as you think I am.”
    â€œHow do you know what I’m thinking?” Clint asked.
    â€œI can see it in your eyes. You and your friend think I’m just as bad as Franco.”
    â€œSay whatever you want about being forced or doing what you needed to do, the both of you did try to kill us.”
    â€œI know and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
    Sipping his coffee and blinking once, Clint asked, “Is that all you wanted to say?”
    All of the wind was taken from Rosa’s sails, causing her shoulders to slump and her head to hang low as it had when they’d been riding. “I guess. I just . . . I just don’t want to hang for sharing a bed with a killer.”
    â€œYou’ll be handed over to honest lawmen and you’ll get a fair trial. That’s all I can guarantee you.”
    â€œWill you testify for me?” she asked hopefully.
    Clint chuckled under his breath. “I doubt that would help your case much.”
    â€œYou could tell them what you saw. You know I wasn’t the one firing at you. Franco was the one who ambushed you, and he was the one waiting to kill your friend. That’s the truth and you know it.”
    â€œIf I’m asked to testify, I will.”
    She smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I know it would help.”
    â€œNow why don’t you get some sleep?”
    Despite the fact that she could barely hold her head up or keep her eyes open, Rosa would not lay down. “Will you stay close until the trial?”
    â€œLook . . . I’ll do what I can, but—”
    â€œPlease. You need to stay close or they’ll kill me.”
    â€œWho will?”
    â€œThe people Franco worked for,” Rosa replied.
    Clint sighed and finished his last sip of coffee before tossing the cup to the saddlebag laying nearby. “It’s too late for this, Rosa. Whatever you’re trying to sell me, it won’t be enough for me to let you go.”
    â€œI’m not trying to sell you anything and I’m not trying to get you to let me go.” Shaking her head, Rosa added, “I’m probably safer here with you than anywhere else. Including jail.”
    â€œWho’s got you so frightened?”
    â€œI don’t even know how many of them there are. All I do know is that they’re a group of killers who are some of the best money can buy. They call themselves the Sapphire Club.”
    â€œSounds like a saloon I went to in Nevada.”
    â€œNot many people even know them by that name. The only time I heard about it was when Franco was bragging about where he got his gun. He told me he was one of the best they had, and if I ever thought about turning against him, they would come for me even if he couldn’t.
    â€œSome nights, I thought about