Chapter 9Within the huge sprawling grounds that comprised the Lazy E ranch, the approach to the main house was a dusty, tree-lined road. Two guards stood beside ornate, iron gate posts. As Adam rode closer, he saw they were Aztecs. The men’s hair was little more than a stripe down the center of their heads decorated with feathers. They were armed with rifles and long knives with ornate hilts in decorative sheaths on their thighs.
The guards nodded tersely at Adam and Madison and smiled at Ellen and Elijah as the twins waved. Adam stared. The guards’ teeth were colored red, giving them a demonic appearance. Doubtless the coloration had been done on purpose as a device to make the guards appear more fierce than they already were.
The Lazy E bustled with activity as they rode in. The twins
