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  Haunted by war, a thief finds salvation in the arms of an angel.

  Devils on Horseback: Jake

  © 2008 Beth Williamson

  Devils on Horseback, Book Two

  On the surface, Jake Sheridan is an easygoing man whose problems roll off him like water off a duck’s back. Truth is, Jake holds so many past demons inside him, he daren’t let them out for fear he’ll never get them all back in.

  He and the Devils are hired to help rebuild a town ransacked by marauders. Everywhere they turn, they encounter secrets—enough secrets to turn the town to dust if they don’t uncover the truth.

  Only one person in town isn’t glad to see them: Gabrielle Rinaldi, the miller’s daughter. A strong and independent woman who is used to being disrespected for speaking her mind, she makes no secret that she doesn’t believe hired guns are the answer to the town’s woes. Yet she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic and charming Jake.

  In spite of himself, Jake falls hard and fast for Gabby. But she’s wary of handing her heart to a man who lives by his guns.

  When tragedy strikes, Jake and Gabby must fight to find a way to save the town—and their hearts.

  Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Devils on Horseback: Jake:

  “Hey there, darlin’. I’m wondering why you’re eavesdropping on my friends.”

  Gabby’s head whipped around so fast, her neck shouted in pain. Standing in front of her was the redhead from Cindy’s restaurant, sporting the most beautiful pair of blue eyes and charming smile she’d ever seen. Her mouth went cotton dry as her lips opened and closed without a peep. The stranger’s grin widened and Gabby felt the ground beneath her feet tremble. She’d never felt so off-kilter by just looking at a man. It was frustrating and maddening, but she couldn’t seem to grab her breath back.

  “Although as beautiful as you are beneath those men’s trousers, I think it probably still ain’t polite.” He stuck out his hand. “Jacob Sheridan, at your service. Please call me Jake.”

  Jake.

  Gabby swallowed although her mouth couldn’t possibly get any drier than it was. Dammit to hell, had she taken leave of her senses?

  She finally got her breath back. “I’m sure you understand from the look of Tanger why I don’t trust strangers much anymore.”

  His eyes reflected understanding, but they were like the sky, constantly changing with the wind. He looked down at his hand with a wry grin.

  “I guess I can put this away.”

  His three friends appeared behind him, deathly looks and menace clearly written on their faces. Gabby backed away, her heart pounding like a bass drum.

  Oh God, help me.

  She didn’t want to be afraid anymore. Gabby wanted to live her life like any normal girl, free to wear a skirt and be safe on the streets of her town. It seemed unlikely that would happen anytime soon judging by the looks on their faces. She reached into her pocket and fingered the pistol that had become part of her. The worn wood grip felt like an old friend to her fingers.

  “You’d do best to pull your hand out of that pocket, miss. We’re not going to hurt you, but if you pull a gun on a man, you should expect him to shoot back.” The man who spoke had the looks of a leader. He had curly brown hair and kind blue eyes. The pistol resting beneath his palm spoke of more than kindness though.

  The two others had blond hair and brown eyes. One was missing most of his left arm and his expression spoke of fury and pain. The other, Gabby assumed was his brother since they had a similar look to them, had eyes as cold as a mountain stream in January. He kept his razor-sharp gaze on Gabby, making shivers snake up and down her skin. That one scared her even more than the redhead’s charm did.

  “Who’s your friend, Jake?” the first man said.

  “I haven’t rightly discovered yet, but I know she’s carrying a pistol and a healthy dose of gumption.” Jake gave her a small smile. “I don’t think she’s out to do us any harm, Gid.”

  “Says you.” The one-armed man snarled. “I don’t trust anybody in this crazy town.”

  Gabby pulled her hand out of her pocket and stood straighter. If they had wanted to harm her, they would’ve done so already. She had to trust her instincts, which told her if Jake had been talking with Elmer not five minutes ago, he wasn’t imminently dangerous. If anyone in town had a reason to kill strangers, it was Cindy’s grandfather.

  “My name is Gabrielle Rinaldi.” She was proud that her voice didn’t shake as badly as her hands were trembling. “My father owns the flour mill in town.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Miss Rinaldi. My name is Gideon Blackwood. These are my cousins Zeke and Lee, and you’ve already met Jake.” The brown-haired man tipped his hat. “We were hired by Phineas Wolcott to service the town.”

  Phineas had hired them, certainly no surprise, but to hear it said out loud still affected her. Gabby digested that bit of information like the taste of a lemon, it went down but not easily. Even if they were mannerly, and obviously Southerners, these men were hired with money taken from the mouths of people in town. That simple fact made Gabby’s stomach churn, knowing how tough times already were.

  “How much is Wolcott paying you to kill people?” she asked with a ferocity that surprised even her.

  “We’re here to protect you, not to kill anyone.” Gideon seemed to be the diplomat of the group, the one who assured folks of the strangers’ good intentions.

  Gabby couldn’t stop herself, she snorted, a very unladylike noise in the quiet afternoon air. “I don’t believe that any more than you do. I just want you to know that I spoke out against hiring you. The town doesn’t have enough money to feed itself, much less to hire gunslingers.”

  “Just don’t get in the way of a bullet.” Jake’s eyes glittered with a remembered grief so deep, it was like a punch in the stomach. “I’d hate to see someone as precious as you be hurt because of an ideal.”

  “Ideals are all I have left, Mr. Sheridan. If you had any, you’d refuse the job and leave Tanger the way you found it.” With that, she spun on her heel and walked away, desperately controlling the urge to run like hell, hoping she wouldn’t feel the burn of a bullet in her back. Gabby knew she’d likely just made four enemies who were armed and very dangerous.

  As if life hadn’t already been complicated enough.

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