CHAPTER THIRTEEN

   Nix knocked on William Lyons’ door. He didn’t like disturbing the man at his house but he was just too damned angry at that stranger to wait. Chaps and Ryan stood behind him.

   There were sounds of children playing and then heavy footsteps. The door opened.

   “What is it?” Lyons stood in the doorway. He was tall, blond, and good-looking, just the type of man one would expect to be running for political office. William Lyons was well-known for both his charisma as well as his devotion to his family and to the church. He was also known for his killing.

   Nix said, “Need to talk to you. This a bad time?” He saw Lyons’ two sons running around a table, smiling and yelling up a storm.

   “I’m with my family right now, you can see that. What the hell’s so important you can’t wait till tomorrow?”

   “I, uh, just need to talk to you about a little situation we have. With a stranger. Some guy came into town and started some trouble.”

   Lyons said, “That black eye of yours, that the trouble you’re talking about?”

   “Yeah.”

   Lyons lowered his voice. “Some cocksucker gives you a black eye and you come interrupt me spending time with my family? What do you reckon I do, go get a search party and lynch the cocksucker?”

   Nix blushed. His face now almost matched his eye. “There’s more than that, Mr. Lyons. The guy punched me when I wasn’t even looking. That’s a plain old coward if you ask me, know what I’m saying?”

   Lyons poked his head out of the door and looked at Chaps and Ryan. “Well, where the hell were these guys at? Why didn’t they do something? You telling me the three of you couldn’t handle one fucking guy?”

   Nix said, “Uh, it’s not like that…”

   From behind Lyons, children’s voices said, “Daddy! Daddy!”

   “Nix, I’m going to go back in the house and play with my boys.”

   “What are we going to do about it?”

   “We’re not going to do anything. You want to take care of it, do it.”

   Lyons slammed the door closed. Nix frowned and then turned back to walk down the stairs. Chaps and Ryan followed.

   The front door opened again and Lyons stuck his head out.

   “Fine, Nix. I’ll look into it. Just keep your ass out of trouble until I get back to you, you hear?”

   “Sure thing, Mr. Lyons. Thank you.”

   The door slammed again.