Drop your weapons and release your hostages or we’ll shoot.” The man with the short, neat ginger beard leveled a pair of pistols at her, amber eyes hard.
Hettie licked her lips. She didn’t think Diablo could fire in all directions at once, though the quadrupling of its weight told her it was willing to try.
No, she told it firmly. She couldn’t risk the others. Not today, not with these men.
The weight eased. She slowly lowered the revolver. “All right,” she called. “Don’t shoot. Walker, Ling.”
The men dropped their knives and let go of the women. The moment Sophie and Jemma were out of the line of fire, the ring of soldiers c****d their weapons.
“Hey! We did as you asked!” Hettie said. Diablo was in her hand once more, the barrel pointed at Ginger Beard. He growled.
“I said put the g
