Life and Time of Ryan D. Ganian

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult situations. If you like it, go to www.stories-by-email.com and sign up.

Rye is a friendly cuss trying to make the best of a bitter life. Vietnam, prison, death itself all conspired to destroy him. He beat them all. Suicide was the only option open. Mama and Dad passed on while in prison, nightmares of life as POW still rags him. The way some see it, he’s worth a whole lot more dead than alive. One hundred and sixty three sections of ranchland, 104,320+/- acres, the only thing he has he cares for because his father left it to him. A parolee for a murder he did not commit, Rye is haunted by callers demanding he flee. To do that means putting his ass back in the electric chair.

Then a little miracle comes into his life. Crissy is sweet, shy, gentle and almost petite. If a man has to die by the hand of a cold, uncaring state, then he should go for a reason. Crissy would make the perfect sex slave a la de Sade.

And then there’s JW Hardin, an angelus extraordinaire--a guardian angel--who has a slight problem with bourbon and a bigger one with cheating at poker. No, we cannot all be perfect, and God is determined to save all three, even if They have to throw a little fire-&-brimstone into the mix.

And Rye’s rep is a little off. Just the same, when he’s around, fathers still stock up on rock salt and shotgun shells. Cowboys, bah.

There is one tiny problem in this. Rye is mixed-blood Mohawk and Crissy is Susquehannock of the Longhouse Gili Yu and a Pennsylvanian. In the language of her people, the word for Mother is E:tsi. It also translates as wolf bitch, and Crissy is very proud of her heritage. And the razor edge of her boot knife, the black belt in karate, her expert aim with guns, her four uncles who are all retired hit men and all eager to come out of retirement, just to say hey to ol’ Rye.

So maybe having an assassin--your own son--trying to kill you isn’t all bad after all. It’s safer, anyway. That, and the fact he was finally shot and killed, and now has to convince St. Pete to let him go home.

Recommended reading: The Rounders 3 by Max Evans.