Carnal Innocence

hers in a gesture that was curiously intimate. “Shit. He’s crazy enough to kill you, too, and figure it was God’s will.”
    “Who?” She pounded on his back. “Who is it?”
    “Edda Lou’s daddy.” Tucker lifted his head a fraction. Under the circumstances, he didn’t dwell onthe fact that her mouth was ripe and full and naked. He noticed—but he didn’t dwell on it.
    “The woman who was killed? Her father is out there shooting at us?”
    “At me, mostly. But he wouldn’t worry much about hitting you along the way. I got a glimpse of him through the window while he was sighting between my eyes.”
    “That’s crazy. A man can’t go around shooting into someone’s house.”
    “I’ll be sure to mention that to him if I get the chance.” There was only one thing to do, and he hated it. “You got a gun around here?”
    “Yes. My grandfather’s. In the den, across the hall.”
    “Here’s what I want you to do. Stay down, keep quiet.”
    She nodded. “I can do that.” As he eased down her body, she grabbed his shirt. “Are you going to shoot him?”
    “Christ, I hope not.” He shimmied back, using the couch as cover, then sucking in a breath when he was forced to crawl out into the open. When he reached the doorway, he figured he was far enough away to keep any strays from hitting Caroline. “Austin, you sonofabitch, there’s a woman in here.”
    “My daughter was a woman.” Another .44 slammed through the window, scattering glass. “I’m going to kill you, Longstreet. ‘For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance.’ I’m going to kill you. Then I’m going to slice you up into pieces, just like you done to Edda Lou.”
    Tucker pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and concentrated. “You don’t want to hurt the lady.”
    “Don’t know if she’s a lady. Might be another of your whores. The Lord’s guiding my hand. This here’s an eye for an eye. ‘For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire. The wages of sin is death.’”
    While Austin quoted scripture, Tucker belly-crawled across the hall. Once inside, he moved quickly. He grabbed a Remington and with sweaty hands loaded it, queasy at the knowledge that he might have to use it.He moved to the window, eased out the screen, and crawled through.
    The next shot had him babbling his own prayer as he hunched over and darted into the bush.
    Austin had picked his spot. Not two yards from the front of the house, he leaned against a lone maple. Sweat streamed off his face and dampened the back of his camo shirt. He called on Jesus, peppering his prayers and threats with rifle fire. All of the front windows were smashed.
    He could have rushed the house and ended it. But he wanted, needed, to know Tucker was suffering. For more than thirty years he’d been waiting for a way to pay back a Longstreet. Now he’d found it.
    “I’m going to shoot your nuts off, Tucker. Gonna blow away that cock you’re so proud of. That’s the justice for a fornicator. You’ll go to hell dickless. That’s God’s will. You hear me, you heathen sinner? You hear what I’m saying?”
    With little regret Tucker shoved the rifle barrel into Austin’s left ear. “I hear you, no need to shout.” He hoped Austin didn’t notice the gun was wavering in his shaking hands. “Put down the gun. Austin, or I’ll have to put a bullet in your brain. Believe me, it’ll be hard on me. You’ll be dead, but I’ll have to throw away this shirt. It’s almost brand new.”
    “I’ll kill you.” Austin tried to turn his head, but Tucker poked hard with the rifle.
    “Not today, you won’t. Now, you toss that gun away, then you unbuckle that ammo belt. Slow and easy.” When Austin hesitated, Tucker gave him another nudge. He got a ridiculous image of the barrel sliding right through Austin’s head and poking out the other ear. “I know I’m not much of a shot, but even I can’t miss when I’ve got the barrel in your ear.”
    He breathed a little easier when Austin tossed the gun aside. “Caroline,” he shouted. “You give Burke a call now, tell him to get his ass down here on the double. Then bring me some rope.” The moment the ammo belt hit the dirt, Tucker kicked it aside. “Now, what was that about my dick, Austin?”
    Two minutes later Caroline streaked out of the house with a length of clothesline. “He’s on his way. I just …” She trailed off and stared down at the man sprawled in the grass. His face was battered and grimy with