Page 20 of Dead Man's Hand

The force of his attack sent all three of them to the floor, Sadie still grappling for the gun. DJ climbed on top of Lloyd, pulling back his fist to hit the man in the face so hard it knocked his head back, banging it on the worn wood floor. For a moment, he appeared to pass out. She managed to get the gun away. As she pointed it at Lloyd’s head, her hands trembling, she saw the blood. Just as she’d feared, DJ had been hit.

Lloyd blinked and tried to rise. “Don’t tempt me,” she said to Lloyd over the pandemonium that had broken out in the room.

“Everyone just settle down,” the cowboy in the doorway yelled. “I’m Buck Crawford. I’m a private investigator looking for DJ Diamond. I’m here on behalf of his family. I’m not interested in whatever else is happening here.”

ARESTLESSQUIETfell over the room. DJ pushed his forearm against Lloyd’s throat as he took the gun from Sadie and pressed it into the man’s side. He met Sadie’s gaze. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, but he could tell that she was scared. He followed her widened gaze to his left arm, surprised to see that his shirt a few inches above his elbow was soaked with blood. His blood. He hadn’t realized he’d been winged.

“We’re going to get up,” he said loud enough that the cowboy PI in the doorway could hear. He kept the gun against Lloyd’s ribs as the three of them rose to their feet, Sadie next to him. She pulled off the scarf from around her neck and tied it around his wound as if she was nurse Nancy. DJ was both touched and amused. The woman never ceased to amaze him.

When he looked around the room, he saw that PI Crawford and Frank seemed to be in a standoff, both with weapons drawn and pointed at the other.

“I’m going to leave,” Crawford was saying from the doorway. “But I need DJ Diamond to come with me. Then the rest of you can settle whatever this is all about.”

“I want none of this,” Max the trucker said, and headed for the door.

Keith, who’d been sitting on the sofa counting the money, looked to Lloyd as if asking what to do. DJ shook his head at the man and jabbed Lloyd hard in the ribs. The only way they were walking out of here was if neither Lloyd nor Keith put up a fight.

Crawford moved out of the doorway to let Max leave. Bob rushed out as well.

“I’m Diamond,” DJ said to the PI, happy to have an escort out of here. “But I’m not coming without Sadie.” He motioned to her. She quickly picked up her purse and coat to move toward the door. DJ just hoped they weren’t jumping out of the frying pan into the fire by trusting the PI. But right now, it appeared he was their best bet.

Maneuvering Lloyd over to the sofa, he jabbed the man hard in the side with the barrel end of the gun and said, “Tell Keith to give me his gun.”

“You won’t kill me in front of witnesses,” Lloyd challenged.

“Willing to bet your life on that?” DJ said. “You hurt my girlfriend. I’d just as soon shoot you as take my next breath.” He dug the barrel into Lloyd’s flesh, making him wince.

“Give him your gun.”

Keith carefully took his weapon from between the sofa cushions where he’d apparently hid it when the PI had burst in armed.

“Now tell him to give me the money.”

“You’re a dead man, Diamond,” Lloyd spat, but motioned for Keith to hand over the bag. The younger man did it with obvious reluctance. “You think you can get away with this? They’ll be coming for you from every direction.” Lloyd smiled. “Even those closest to you have already turned on you. Nothing can save you or your girlfriend.”

DJ shoved Lloyd down on the couch. He held the gun on Keith and Lloyd as he reached into the bag of money, took a handful of bills and dropped them on the table before nodding to Frank. The older man slowly lowered his weapon as if to say, “Tonight never happened.”

Then DJ backed over to Sadie and the PI. He took one last look at Lloyd and Keith. They weren’t Grandville’s real muscle. Just as Lloyd had said, Grandville would be sending the big guns after them before they got out of Butte. Meanwhile, these two thugs would be smart to get out of town before they had to face Grandville’s wrath for what had gone down here tonight.

DJ grabbed the chair at the end of the table as the three of them walked out of the room. He closed the door, sticking the chair under the knob. It wouldn’t keep the men from getting out, but it would slow them down.

Once outside in the alley, DJ breathed in the cold December night air. They’d dodged a bullet. Almost, he thought as he looked down at his arm and the blood-soaked scarf tied around it. With his uninjured arm, he pulled Sadie to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into him, as they walked down the alley. He could feel her trembling. Or maybe it was him who was shaking inside. He was back in Butte and it was as if he’d never left.

“My truck is just up the street,” the PI said. “I work for Colt Brothers Investigation out of Lonesome. We need to talk.”

THROUGHTHEFALLINGSNOW,Buck saw that Titus Grandville’s car was gone from where it had been parked earlier. He must have left when he thought his two men had everything under control. Or when the gunplay started. Buck hadn’t heard him leave, but then again, he’d been busy.

He still couldn’t believe they’d gotten out of that mess back there alive. Worse, he didn’t know which side of the law Ansley’s twin was on or what he’d just helped him do. All he knew was that Titus Grandville was up to his neck in this—and so was DJ Diamond.

“I appreciate what you did back there,” DJ said. “But right now, you don’t want to be anywhere near the two of us. When those two back there report to their boss—”

“Titus Grandville.” DJ shot him a surprised look. “I followed him to the game earlier. I’m pretty sure he already knows what went down tonight and that’s why he’s taken off. As far as being involved, I’m already more involved than you know. You owe me at least time to explain why I’ve been looking for you. My truck’s down here. Let’s get out of the snowstorm.”

“You said you work for DJ’s family?” Sadie asked once she climbed in the front of the crew cab and DJ got in the back out of the weather. Buck started the engine, letting it run as the heater warmed up the car. The temperature hovered around zero as the storm cocooned them below a thick blanket of fresh snow.

Buck turned in his seat so he could see both DJ and Sadie. He wondered about their relationship. “What I have to tell you might come as a shock. I’m not sure how much you know about your birth.” He glanced at Sadie. “Or how much you want anyone else to know. I’m sorry, we haven’t officially met.” He held out his hand to her. “I’m—”

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