CHAPTER TWO

   Once they were outside the brothel, Nix said, “You guys tell Lyons anything different and I’ll smash your faces in, know what I’m saying?”

   He had already come up with his version of the events. He’d tell William Lyons that they were sitting there playing cards when that stranger came in wanting to play the next hand. Nix refused and the stranger didn’t take kindly to that. Nix told him to beat it but the guy just wouldn’t go away. Then the stranger sucker-punched Nix in the eye and ran away like a yellow-bellied coward.

   Ryan said, “You really think William’s going to believe some guy just punched you and ran away? Why don’t you just tell him we beat the shit out of the guy?”

   “Because then he’ll think it’s over. It ain’t over, know what I’m saying? I want us all to go after the man and I don’t want Lyons telling me to back off. He’s always telling me not to beat a dead horse. Well, I have to tell him the man hit me when I wasn’t looking. Got it? You tell him anything different and you’ll see what’ll happen, you know what I’m saying?”

   Ryan and Chaps nodded.

   Nix said, “Chaps, you son of a bitch, you’ve been quiet tonight. What the hell’s on your mind?”

   “Nothing, boss,” Chaps said. He was thinking of his French horn, thinking about it dancing in the moonlight and changing into a horse galloping on the horizon. He wanted to be on that horse. He thought about riding it all the way to California to look for gold. Chaps thought about that goddamn whore who took both his virginity and destroyed his beloved instrument. Though he was filled with rage at the woman, he knew he would never do anything about it. Instead, he would wallow in self-pity until he got himself another French horn. His thoughts were interrupted by Nix punching him in the shoulder.

   Ryan laughed as Chaps almost fell over from the blow.

   Nix said, “Both you assholes better get the story straight or else, know what I’m saying?”

   “Sure thing, boss,” Ryan said.

   Nix grunted and watched as a stagecoach rode down the street. He always loved when a new batch of people came into town. It gave him the chance to recruit someone into his fold or at least give him the chance to show-off. As the stagecoach stopped in front of the hotel, Nix made sure to stand up straight and flex his muscles. If there were any ladies on board, he wanted them to see his manly physique. Then he remembered his black eye. There was no way he wanted anyone to see that.

   Nix quickly turned around and started walking. “What’re you jackasses waiting for? Let’s go see Lyons.”