Chapter 87

"So, the rancher has taken a bride. This may complicate things," Espada drawled, more excited about the prospect of a bloody confrontation than he let on.

"This is bad news, mi hermano," he continued. "We should have made more progress. We should own every piece of land along that creek by now."

And he would, once he rid himself of the rancher and his men.

A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. He called out and one of the hacienda's guards entered. Someone had arrived to speak with him and insisted on an audience.

He nodded imperiously and the guard disappeared, reappearing seconds later with a tall, thin, grey-haired sparrow in tow.

The old woman jumped and let out a short screech when the heavy door closed behind her.

If he weren't already hungry for bloodletting, he would have laughed at the picture of the terrified little mouse she portrayed.