But the most frightening thing was the revolver in his right hand.
He pointed it directly at William.
Behind him emerged a little girl.
She looked about seven years old.
Small.
Thin.
With tangled dark hair and enormous brown eyes.
Her dress was dirty.
Her shoes mismatched.
She clutched a strip of faded blue cloth against her chest.
I stared at her.
Then at William.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Same eyes.
Same dark hair.
Same shape around the mouth.
The little girl looked toward him.
Then began crying.
"Papa."
William took one step forward.
The armed man raised his revolver.
"Stay."
William stopped.
The little girl's face crumpled.
"Papa, I'm scared."
The man grabbed her shoulder.
She flinched.
Something inside me changed.
Until that moment, I had been frightened.
Confused.
Shocked by the discovery of my husband's hidden child.
But seeing that grown man grip a terrified little girl made my anger rise above everything else.
"Take your hand off her."
The man looked at me.
Then laughed.
"Well, look at this."
His eyes traveled across my body.
A familiar expression appeared.
Contempt.
He sneered.
"Didn't know the Wolf had married himself a woman big enough to fill the doorway."
I felt the old sting.
The same kind of remark I had endured for years.
But I didn't lower my eyes.
Not this time.
"Let the child go."
He smiled.
"Mind your place, woman."
William's expression darkened.
"Daniel."
The man glanced toward him.
"What?"
"Speak to my wife like that again, and you'll regret it."
The intruder laughed.
"Your wife?"
He looked back at me.
"Well, congratulations, Wolf. Looks like you've been eating mighty fine."
I stepped closer.
Not enough to threaten him.
Just enough that he understood I was not going to hide.
"She's frightened."
He stared.
"Who?"
"The little girl."
His smile disappeared.
"Stay out of this."
"No."
William looked toward me.
I could see the warning in his eyes.
But I had spent too much of my life watching cruel people become more powerful because nobody challenged them.
I wasn't going to let a little girl believe every adult in the room would abandon her.
The man tightened his grip.
The child cried out.
William's voice became dangerously quiet.
"Daniel. Let her go."
The intruder looked toward him.
Then smiled.
"Still giving orders."
William stared.
"She's my daughter."
The man laughed.
"Is she?"
The words made the room go silent.
William stopped breathing.
The man continued.
"That's what they told you, isn't it?"
I looked toward my husband.
He seemed unable to move.