Chapter Twenty
Caked in dust and breathlessfrom the ride back to Last Chance, Beau stood in the open doorway, trying to make sense of what he saw before him. And in the half second it took him to register what was happening, he wished he’d taken up Clarence on his offer to accompany him. Instead, he’d sent the man to rouse the sheriff at the far end of town.
“Landry.” Lyon’s ugly grin fell upon Beau.
Faith’s eyes went wide. Beau wished he could go to her now. Take that gun from her hands, ask her for forgiveness, and tell her his true feelings. But that would have to wait.
First, he needed to live through this.
“You’re in my home,” Beau said in a low voice. How long had Lyon been here? His heart nearly tore open at how frightened Faith must have been.
Although clearly he needn’t have worried about her ability to protect herself.
“And for that I must thank you for leaving your letters from Mrs. Landry at your mother’s home. I spent some time with your lovely wife. But I no longer need her now that I have you. You’re coming back to New Orleans with me to face what you’ve done,” Lyon said.
Beau forced a smile, not about to let this man think he felt anything but irritation at his presence. “It appears Mrs. Landry says otherwise.” He nodded at Faith, who still held that pistol he’d seen behind the counter.
Lyon said nothing, but rested a hand on the revolver that sat on his hip, a not-so-subtle threat. Beau could see the entire situation falling apart quickly. Lyon would draw, Beau would pull his own gun in response, and what would Faith do? It couldn’t come to that. It would be far too easy for her to get hurt.
“Where is my mother?” Beau asked, remaining where he was by the door.
“That letter was a ruse,” Lyon replied. “Designed to get you back where you belonged. It didn’t work.”
Because it hadn’t arrived on time. Thank the postmaster somewhere along the way who dropped it or shoved it into a crevice in a crate or whatever might have happened to delay it for so long. If Beau had received it in a timely manner, he would have hightailed it back home and right into the hands of Lyon and Desroches’ other friends.
It was exactly what would have happened now, if Lyon hadn’t gotten impatient and come to Last Chance.
Debating the options before him and searching for one that wouldn’t lead to violence, Beau opted for trying to reason with the man. “I’ve already owned up to what I did. I spoke with the police. They agreed I acted in self-defense.”
Lyon scowled at him. “I say otherwise. You murdered a good man.”
A good man. If he weren’t facing certain danger, Beau would have laughed. Desroches was anything but good. But that fact didn’t ease Beau’s soul, not when he thought on it too long late at night. “I know what I did. I’m the one who has to live with it. But the law is the law, and I acted to keep from having my own life ended.”
“We’re not satisfied with the law, my friends and I. Fact is, you’re a cheat and a coward. And it’s time to pay.” Lyon took a step forward.
Beau glanced at Faith.Don’t shoot, he thought, hoping the words would somehow reach her. There was still an opportunity to end this without bloodshed, and if that was possible, Beau would do anything to keep Faith from feeling the same guilt he did each and every day. She’d already survived so much—too much—to add the taking of a life to that burden.
