The Morgans by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2021-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

The general cut an impressive figure. As the Kid shook hands, he noted the tight blue trousers, flared out at the bottom over polished black boots, the short red jacket with lots of gold braid and trim, and the green silk shirt with pearl buttons. Ramirez was something of a peacock when it came to his clothes.

His face reminded the Kid more of a hawk, though, with a prominent, bladelike nose and the snapping black eyes of a predator. A rumpled thatch of graying dark hair, a mustache that drooped over his wide mouth, and lean, weathered cheeks gave him a touch of dignity. He looked like a man who had packed a great deal of living into his years. Surprisingly enough, the Kid felt instinctively drawn to him. Ramirez had the sort of natural leadership ability that created armies . . . and overthrew governments.

Unfortunately, his face also had lines of rakish cruelty stamped into it. Once he set out to gain something, he wouldn’t allow anyone or anything to stand in his way until he had his objective in his grasp. Any blood spilled in the process was just too bad.

The Kid gathered those impressions in a split second as he grasped Ramirez’s hand in a tight grip. He knew it was considered impolite in Latin cultures to look directly into a man’s eyes when meeting him, so he lowered his gaze slightly and said, “It’s an honor and a pleasure to meet you, General. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

Ramirez chuckled and said, “Very little good, I expect, if you have been in Saguaro Springs.”

“On the contrary, your daughter seems to think quite highly of you.”

“You and my daughter are . . . well acquainted?”

“Not really,” the Kid said. “We only met briefly a couple of times in town.” He smiled as he thought about the way he had manhandled Antonia as he broke up the fight between her and Peggy Cole. He wondered if she would tell her father about that. “And then of course we rode out here together today, but she was usually well out in front.”

That got an actual laugh from Ramirez. He turned to Antonia, cupped her chin with his hand, and said, “Yes, that is where she likes to be! Your . . . shopping trip . . . went well, little one?”

She pulled back a bit so he had to drop his hand from its caress. “I got the things I needed,” she said. “But there was trouble. Señor Callahan may well have saved my life, and the lives of your men.”

Ramirez’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise.

“What happened?” he asked with a harsh note of anger in his voice. “The men I ordered to stay with you were supposed to protect you!”

“It was an unfortunate situation, General,” Kern said. “The son of a man Bracken had to kill a while back returned to Saguaro Springs looking for revenge. He was about to open up on us with a shotgun when Callahan stopped him.

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