As the dust settled after the shocking gunshot, Jed rushed to Charlie 's side, his heart pounding like a war drum. He had dragged the boy to the relative safety of a nearby alley, away from the chaos and the noise. Charlie 's limp body lay sprawled on the dirt, the vibrant crimson of blood streaking his pale forehead. Jed dropped to his knees, his hands trembling as they hovered over the boy. For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to touch him. His chest tightened, his breath hitching in his throat.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZqUbKA6KL
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpP7D1JMzJb
"God damn it," he muttered, his voice raw. "No…not like this. Not now."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡan7ojfh1As
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNGqI2URgs
Tears welled in his eyes, and he squeezed them shut, biting down on the inside of his cheek until he tasted copper. Memories flooded his mind like a river breaking its dam.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo69lTqbBd
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDnvIfYPHy
Jenny's face shimmered in his thoughts, pale but radiant as she cradled her newborn son. The baby had barely cried, his tiny hand curling instinctively around Jed's calloused finger.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpuTtUDruv
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYR8BE8kmt
"Isn't he beautiful, Jed?" Jenny whispered, her voice fragile as glass. Her dark hair clung to her damp forehead, but her smile was steady.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qZBaV8vxp
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEl4WgxAzC
Jed nodded, his throat too tight to speak. He had never been one for sentiment, but holding that tiny life in his hands had shaken something loose in him. He finally croaked, "Yeah. He sure is. Looks like his pa."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLZerJegcg
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPS1uj3xrA
Jenny's lips quirked into a bittersweet smile. "I was thinkin' of namin' him after his father."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwIN1zUhBU
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi9rU8ouEC0
Jed shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the baby and then back at her. "That's a good idea, Jenny. A damn fine idea."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlVZSfdMYs
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF9AsXnHvy
Her smile faded as her strength ebbed, her breathing growing shallow. "Jed…promise me. Promise me you'll take care of him."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlHsBBqDny
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOtmgZ2fDb
"Jenny, don't talk like that—"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBZRbTvivh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7d6nxODYij
"Promise me," she insisted, her voice trembling but resolute. "Raise him right. Keep him safe."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZWpWx3gv2
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YYsxov97D
Jed's jaw clenched, and he gave her the only answer he could. "I will. With my life, Jenny. You got my word."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVxb9pgvTP
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVujB6mfW4
Her eyes glistened as she reached up to touch his face. "Thank you, Jed. God bless you…"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7mFswydGF
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCudwLddiDk
Her hand fell limp before she could finish, and Jed felt something inside him shatter. He had buried her behind the barn under the shade of the old oak tree, marking the grave with a simple wooden cross. He stood there for hours that day, cradling the baby she'd left behind.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj9abKTrBp
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXLYqCRryF
The memory shifted. Charlie was six, all wide eyes and gangly limbs, too curious for his own good. It was late one night when Jed was roused by a soft knock on his bedroom door. He swung his legs over the bed and opened it to find Charlie standing there, clutching a threadbare blanket.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesiQv8B0c5
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF6jkrWCMQ
"Uncle Jed," the boy whispered, his voice barely above a whimper. "Can I sleep in your bed?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLL5DVvaLh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKMHSOdaAr
Jed raised an eyebrow, scratching his beard. "What for? Ain't you got a candle in your room?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zhzU6h69h
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4edv2Fdx2L
"Yeah, but it's still scary," Charlie admitted, twisting the blanket nervously in his small hands.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznhoq8nrOx
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofcWlriXPB
Jed sighed, stepping aside. "Alright, alright. Get in here. Just don't go kickin' me in your sleep, ya hear?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIgxIRBuSo
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYJLmVl5et
Charlie grinned, climbing onto the bed and curling up beside him. "Thanks, Uncle Jed."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt6fyzk19K
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLI3qMpFLr
Jed shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Don't thank me. You're still makin' the damn coffee in the mornin'."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48L9SlESKm
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs64gGkO6o
Back in the present, Jed snapped back to the harsh reality of the alley. His chest heaved, and tears streamed freely down his weathered face. He let out a shaky breath, brushing a bloodied hand across Charlie 's brow.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MC5HE4hZp
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTGfAGobNo
"You ain't dyin' on me, kid," he growled, his voice breaking. "I made a promise, and I aim to keep it."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCuR6hIItu
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcyR4MCIUf
Finally, he pressed trembling fingers to Charlie 's neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Relief washed over him like a cold drink on a blistering day when he felt the faint but steady thrum of life. Charlie was alive—barely, but alive.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcjJUWRGUj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwufkJNKTRz
"You stubborn little bastard," Jed muttered, his voice gruff with emotion, his dark humor kicking in as tears streaked his weathered face. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear? Or I'll wring your neck myself."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprzuUHNy4a
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAmxmkATSB
His hands worked with practiced care as he inspected the wound. The bullet had grazed the front of Charlie 's head, tearing through skin and leaving a nasty gash. Jed studied the angle of the injury, his cynical mind piecing together the chaotic sequence of events.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFgYRmEgVj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEExERsnqE
Damn near too close, he thought grimly. The shot had struck at a glancing angle, sparing Charlie from a fatal blow by sheer luck—or providence, if one believed in such things.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYLgR3kvFr
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiprs3h3vq6
Jed's mind churned with details as he replayed the scene. George had been standing no more than 20 or 30 feet away when he fired. At that range, with a .44 caliber revolver, the odds of hitting Charlie squarely should've been high. The revolver had an effective range of around 75 yards, more than enough for a clean shot. Yet George's haste and nerves had ruined his aim, causing the bullet to skim past its mark.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqFiM9SCde
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAwXJKMzAy
"That close, and you still botched it, George," Jed muttered under his breath, half in relief, half in anger. "Good thing for Charlie you're as steady as a rattlesnake in a hailstorm."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5UgFA77CH
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6cdg9dcLB
The .44 was a powerful weapon, designed to drop a man in one shot. A direct hit to the head should've been fatal, but the angle saved Charlie . Jed understood just how slim the margin of survival had been. The impact alone could've been enough to fracture his skull or worse, yet somehow it hadn't. The boy's luck—or stubbornness—had kept him alive.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbMMRRr59H
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhIdMj3eaz
"Hell of a gamble you're playin', kid," Jed muttered, his hands steadying now as he pressed the cloth harder against the wound. "But you're still breathin', and that's what counts."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtjrYRvhSw
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEUnYw2Tbn
The wound bled heavily, but Jed could already see it wasn't as bad as it first looked. Charlie 's pulse was weak but steady. He let out a long breath, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwCG2WWHc9
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7klcFmgMun
"You're tougher than you look, boy," Jed murmured, his voice softer now. "I'll give you that. Just don't go makin' a habit of testin' my heart like this."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprA9eQDmtl
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSugQeciiqR
Jose groaned as he struggled on the ground, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle, blood pooling beneath him. He spat into the dirt and glared at George with a venom that could curdle milk. "Come out, you *goddamned coward,*" he snarled, his voice a mixture of pain and rage.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8DvXQtQ0k
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDEMcqeHxu
George emerged from the shadows, walking with a deliberate, unhurried stride. He stopped a few feet from Jose and cocked his head, his cold, calculating eyes scanning the pathetic sight before him. "Still alive, I see," he said softly, his voice smooth and dripping with condescension. "I have to admit, I expected you to be… quieter by now."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLw7qg5lGIh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtk9jmpHt4
Jose smirked through the pain, his teeth red with blood. "Quiet? You don't know me, George. I don't shut up, not even for the devil himself."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIO32E9gslC
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstXvTR8MLN
George chuckled, a low, unsettling sound. "Oh, I've come to know you well enough, Jose. Brash. Reckless. And, if I may say, entirely lacking in foresight. Look at you now—your leg's a mangled mess, your stomach's full of holes, and you're lying in the dirt. Tell me, how do you plan to crawl your way out of this one?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYttOjki4Uf
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrg8673u97
Jose sneered, his voice dripping with defiance. "Plan? Who said anything about a plan? I'll get my revenge with or without this busted leg. Hell, take the other one too if you want. I'll drag myself to you and make sure you pay for every damn thing you've done."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8ZXlMp7C3
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQkMJW7C0F
George sighed, shaking his head in mock pity. "Jose, you misunderstand. I'm not interested in taking your other leg. I'm merely pointing out that, in your current state, revenge is little more than a fantasy." He crouched down slightly, his tone shifting to something almost compassionate. "You know, if you'd used your brain instead of your temper, this might have gone differently. But now? You're just another loose end."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo5CQPAs1n
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaBBmRTumW
Jose tried to push himself up, his hands trembling as he fought against his body's limits. His face twisted in pain, but he managed to spit at George's feet. "You talk too much, George. Just like your ants—always swarming, but never getting the job done."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB94WaIuTFj
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiUhcC3A5K
George straightened and aimed his revolver at Jose's head, his expression calm and unbothered. "Well, I suppose it's time to correct that, isn't it?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WkksSB7Te
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5GRGHT8zL
Before he could pull the trigger, a voice rang out from behind. "You always were a fancy talker, George."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLIgCoO38t
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWAERx3vjG
George froze, his eyes narrowing as he turned to see Jed stepping out of the shadows. The old man's revolver was already drawn, though it hung lazily at his side. His grizzled face bore a dark smirk, and his eyes glinted with cynical amusement.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWhesvXgSD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyprlFZ64So
"Jed," George said, straightening himself. "What a surprise. Come to rescue this pitiful excuse for a man?" He gestured toward Jose with his free hand, his tone sharp with disdain.
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzkJb9vKf4
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DpU9ZpuJq
Jed snorted, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "Rescue? Hell no. Jose ain't worth the trouble. I just came to watch you squirm a bit."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacJ5YuM2Pk
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xJ34VhXrD
"Is that so?" George's lips curled into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. "You're always so quick to mock, Jed. But tell me, do you really think you stand a chance without your friends?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZYPRmSBXD
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFNTNA2S6V
"Friends?" Jed barked a laugh. "Listen here, George, I wouldn't piss on Jose if they were on fire. But you? You're worse than both of 'em combined, and that's saying something and Charlie is my fucking nephew you just shot."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsZ2XpWRq3
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkPVeqQCW2
Jose, still on the ground, groaned and muttered, "Go to hell, Jed."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKSJES5Sx6
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkbJiAEHFJ
Jed ignored him, his focus locked on George. "You and me, no ants, no tricks. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zoc8kP63b
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf79VhtQzdY
George smirked, his demeanor calm and calculating. "And what makes you think you're any match for me, Jed? I've been perfecting my craft and my skills."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyuEdImerL
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdOydf3HCF
Jed's smirk widened, though his eyes darkened. "You might've perfected your little tricks, but I survived the Civil War, George. I've stared death in the face more times than you've changed your shirt. And I ain't scared of some smug bastard who hides behind bugs."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UnCR2MbAh
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrDbqQJ10r
The air grew tense as the two men sized each other up, their words laced with venom and the promise of violence. Jose, lying in his own blood, managed a bitter laugh. "Kill each other, for all I care. Just make it quick. I've got better things to do than watch you two flap your jaws."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21gc4k8Z1c
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzkMhRE1kb
Jed spared him a glance, his voice dry. "Shut up, Jose. You're lucky I don't shoot you myself."
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwezBQuihM
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA52o6L37U
George smiled faintly, his confidence unwavering. "Well, Jed, shall we?"
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfZ8tJSbp2
236Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVzJL5XenE
Jed raised his revolver slightly, his expression hardening. "Let's."
ns216.73.217.1da2
然後按「加至主畫面」