Gruff Garrett - The Old Lawdog - Despair and Retribution - Gruff Garrett Series, #5

Paolo Dixon's threats of his gang coming after him has come true, and in the worst way possible. His gang manages to track him down to Gruff Garrett and Alisa Pemberton's camp. Gruff Garrett is an old marshal looking to transfer Dixon back to his superiors for one last job. It's supposed to be a routine job that even an old lawdog like himself can't possibly mess up. Garrett accepted the job in the hope of retiring and ending his career on a high note.
Along the way, Garrett managed to pick up and rescue Alisa Pemberton, a lady in waiting who was running away from her abusive employers. The three of them rode together hoping to get back to the nearest town. All throughout the ride, Dixon kept warning Garrett that his gang would come after him, not to rescue him, but to kill him for a past betrayal. Garrett never took his warnings seriously and the gang pounces on their campsitetakes Dixon after ravaging poor Alisa.