Free Love's Sweet Revenge by Rosanne Bittner Page A

scathingly, his upper lip curling when he spoke. “You that whore Jake Harkner used to fuck when he was off pretendin’ to be a lawman?”
    â€œYou bastard!” Red roared. He landed into Holt, shoving him out the door and into the now-bricked street. A man known around town for his fighting skills, he pelted Holt over and over while the rest of the men urged him on. Even Dixie screamed for Red to “beat him to a pulp!”
    Holt was no match. It took only a few punches for Red to land him flat on his back, helpless against more blows. Finally, Fenton pulled Red away.
    â€œYou’ll kill him and go to jail!” he warned Red.
    Red stood there panting, looking down at a bloodied Mike Holt. “That was for Jake—and for his angel of a daughter!” he growled, his hands still clenched into fists.
    Hearing the ruckus, Sheriff Herbert Sparks was already on the scene. “What’s going on here?”
    â€œSparky, that man on the ground there is Mike Holt,” Fenton told him. “One of them that was at Dune Hollow—that one that got released.”
    â€œArrest that sonofabitch!” Holt told the sheriff, pointing to Red.
    â€œFor beating the hell out of a filthy rapist?” the sheriff answered. “I don’t care if he kills you, mister, so I suggest you get out of Guthrie just as fast as you can, or I’ll come up with some kind of charge that warrants a hanging.” He stuck his thumbs into his gun belt, which was half hidden by his big belly. “Everybody in this town was real fond of Harkner’s daughter, Holt, so you picked the wrong place to hang your hat!”
    â€œI was new to Hash Bryant and his gang.” Holt put a shaking hand over his bloody nose. “I never came to Guthrie before what happened out at Dune Hollow. I didn’t figure anybody here would know who I was, ’cause I ain’t never been here before.”
    â€œWell, you figured wrong!” Red stormed, inching closer again.
    Holt scooted away. “I have no intention of hanging my hat here, as your sheriff puts it. Like I said, I was just on my way through.”
    â€œIt makes no sense you’d stop here, of all places,” Red answered, “unless you were trying to find out about Jake. You can bet we’ll wire him that we’ve seen you, so he’ll be on the lookout. If you have the tiniest thought of looking that man up—or anybody in his family—you’d better think twice. That’s Jake and Lloyd Harkner you’re fixin’ to make trouble for, and there ain’t a man still livin’ who ever went up against either one of them!”
    â€œ I’m living!”
    â€œOnly because Jake promised his daughter he’d not murder you in cold blood! He was a lawman then, but not anymore. If he gets you alone, you’ll never live to tell about it. Now get out of Guthrie! Go back east, or north or south or wherever you choose. Just get out of Oklahoma and stay away from the Harkners! They’ve finally found some peace, and they deserve it!”
    Holt got to his knees, then staggered to his feet. “You’ve got no right telling me where I can and can’t go,” he grumbled, looking around at all of them. He ran a hand through his hair, then found his hat and shoved it back on his head. He pushed his way through the crowd and walked up to his horse, untying it and heading up the street.
    â€œSparky, make note of that bay he’s riding. Make sure it’s not tied anywhere in town come morning,” Red told the sheriff.
    â€œI intend to do just that.”
    Red looked down at a couple of swollen knuckles. “By God, I’m getting too old for this,” he told Fenton. “But I just couldn’t help it. Soon as I realized who he was—”
    â€œI know.” Fenton put a hand on his arm. “Come on back inside and have another drink. We can wire Denver in the morning and warn