The stories also said it would make her the next Elias Blackthorn …
She shook her head. It was just a story, and she was no demonic outlaw. A mob was on their heels, and who knew what else lurked out on these plains? The metal gleamed seductively, winking in the firelight, drawing her in. She could almost feel its weight in her hand and the security it would provide…
Don’t be a ninny, she told herself. She was alone in the wilderness and without a weapon. She needed that gun.
She reached down and picked it up off the velvet.
Something zipped through her blood—an arrow of heat that went all the way to her toes. She closed her eyes, feeling lightheaded.
“Miss Hettie?”
She let out a long breath. The sensation dissipated. “I’m all right.” She inspected the handgun. Despite the weight of
