Brian sat down at the wooden table, with his back against the wall. He never sat with his back to any kind of doorway. You never knew who was wanting to shoot you.
Brian had noticed that the saloon had gone quiet when they had entered. But, it didn't faze him. After a couple of minutes, the noise returned.
"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice growled.
Brian looked to his right and saw a face that he never thought he'd see again. He smirked. "Cousin. How have you been?"
Chris' eyes narrowed. "Fine. Now, answer my question."
Brian's hazel eyes flicked from Chris' face to the face of the long-haired man at his side, then back to his cousin's. Brian shrugged. "Just passin' through. Why are you here?"
"I'm part of the law," Chris curtly answered.
Brian raised an eyebrow. "You're shittin' me." At Chris' unchanged expression, he said, "You're serious. Who would've thunk it? You, a lawman."
"Look, Brian, I don't want you or you... friends causing trouble, here. Am I clear?"
Brian smirked. "Wouldn't think of it."
"Be sure you don't. Or, I'll throw your asses in jail."
"We'll remember that, Cousin." With that, Brian went back to drinking his beer, while Emmett started dealing out the cards for a game of poker. A minute later, Vin and Chris walked out of the saloon's bat-wing doors.
AT THE JAIL--AN HOUR LATER
The seven peacekeepers were gathered in the, otherwise, empty jail. "So, what's up, Chris?" asked Buck.
Chris sighed. "I just thought that you all should know that my cousin and his friends have ridden into town."
"Cool! when do we get to meet them?" asked JD.
"Why do I get the feeling that this is not a good thing, Mister Larabee?" asked Ezra.
"Because, it's not. My cousin is Brian Kinney. I don't think most people recognize him. But, he's the leader of the Kinney gang."
"You mean, the gang that's been able to stay away from the law for years? The gang that's been accused of robbery, murder, and everythin'?" wondered Nathan.
Chris nodded. "Well, what are we going to do, Brother?" asked Josiah.
"Nothing. Right now."
"They're wanted, Chris! We have to arrest them!" JD exclaimed in sheriff mode.
"JD, calm down. Chris knows what he's doin'," said Vin.
Chris nodded. "I know they're wanted men, JD. But, Brian's also my cousin. Family. Even though, we're not close now, we were once. And, I just can't turn him in. Not right now."
JD nodded, "I understand."
"But, if they do anything wrong while they're in our town, they will be thrown here. In jail. I've already told 'em that."
"So, we'll keep our eyes on 'em," said Buck.
Chris nodded. He really hoped that he didn't have to throw his own cousin in jail. And, he really hoped that Brian didn't do anything that would get him hung while he was in town. He didn't want to have to watch his cousin hang. He wished that Brian would give up his way of life. But, he knew that that was a fruitless wish, that would never come true.