He Was the Deadliest Gun in the Territory — Until a Child Gave Him Something Worth Fighting For
Chapter 6
They moved before dawn.
Cole took them toward an abandoned ranch deep in the hills.
The entire time, he kept thinking about Daniel’s letter.
Trust the man who arrives when you least expect him.
Was Daniel talking about him?
Or someone else?
At the abandoned ranch, they discovered an old wooden chest beneath the floorboards.
The key fit.
Inside were copies of land deeds.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Evidence that Silas Crowe had stolen land from dozens of families.
But something was missing.
The original ledger.
Without it, Crowe could claim the documents were forged.
Cole closed the chest.
“We need the original.”
Evelyn looked at the papers.
“Daniel must have hidden it somewhere else.”
Before Cole could answer, Noah screamed.
The boy’s locket had disappeared.
Someone had taken it.
Cole searched the ranch.
No footprints.
No broken doors.
Someone had been inside with them.
Someone they trusted.
Evelyn’s face went pale.
“Martin.”
“Who’s Martin?”
“My brother-in-law.”
Cole looked at her.
“Where is he?”
“Gone.”
Cole immediately saddled his horse.
Evelyn stopped him.
“Don’t kill him.”
Cole looked at her.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
She gave him a skeptical look.
“Not yet.”
He smiled.
“Not ever.”
