3
Something told me Priest was experienced at kissing, but he wasn't experienced at kissing any woman of color. The kiss was with restraint and even I felt like he really didn't want to kiss me. I pulled back looking up at him. His eyes were dark and didn't match the restraint he was given.
"You really haven't been with a negro before." I replied. He looked down with a gentle chuckle.
"That obvious." he said. I gave him a look that confirmed his words.
"It's to be expected… white men have made it quite clear we lie with our own." I replied moving to walk past him. He got my forearm giving it a slight squeeze enough to stop me and make me look up at him. He looked at me seriously.
"I'm not white man, Miss. I'm Irish." he said. I looked him over.
"Yeah well to my people… not much of a difference. Sir." I added respectfully before moving over to the drawer to remove the dollar bills. I turned and faced him again and held out the dollars. He looked at me confused. I shrugged some looking down at the floor.
"You don't really want me." I replied. If he didn't want me, I was not going to keep his money. This wasn't like any other the other girls. My time was still valuable but not like I could do anything about it. Priest looked at the dollars before placing his hand over mine and curling my fingers over the bills.
"Keep it. I'm satisfied for now." he replied softly looking me over some. I blinked quickly confused at why he would want me to. I placed the dollars inside my dress.
Suddenly a soft tapping made us both look in the direction of the window. The older man moved over to the window and looked at it. Before I could see what he was looking down at, he came back over and suddenly pulled out a long sword from inside his coat. My eyes widened and I gasped at the sight of the blade. What in Heaven's name was he doing! He took a step closer to me and I just looked up at him shaking some.
"Minerva, you may want take cover." he replied and I swallowed some too afraid to move. He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me over to my bed. "Miss please." No one has ever spoken to softly and with concern toward me before. But I nodded and immediately got down between the wall and the bed. And like that he was gone, out of my room, door closed. I just sat there with my knees to my chest before suddenly hearing a bang as if a door was slammed open. I could hear a woman screaming and now what sounded like a scuffling and a guy yelling out. Gunshots followed right after as more women were screaming and men too. What on earth was going on! There were loud thuds and screaming and the sounds of glass breaking.
My back pressed further into the wall. As a negro you are never to be caught up in brawls of white men. You never know when you'd find yourself with a rope around your neck for just existing near it. I refused to be that victim. I covered my ears and shut my eyes remaining still. I hoped whatever was going on did not make its way to my room. The crashing and gunshots and craziness seemed to last forever.
"GIRLS! GIRLS!" I hear Shauna's voice now as the madness seemed to fade away. My eyes widened and I lifted my head. Shauna seemed close. Did that mean everything was over? "Is everyone okay?" I could hear doors opening and Shauna speaking to the girls asking if they were okay. Finally my door opened.
"Minnie!" she called out looking around. I raised my hands up so she could see me. She had her shot gun in her hand as she looked my way and moved over to me. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head and she held her hand out to me to take and I took it without question. She pulled me up and looked me over.
"Help me check on the others." she replied and I nodded and followed her from the room. There were holes in the walls and some of the wall paper seemed cut into. Two rooms down, Mary, a quiet but very popular woman, was being comforted by two other girls as she bawled. Her room was a mess. Most of the rooms down here were. There were men on the floor in four rooms not moving. Some were in the hallway sliced up in the chest and face. Blood was everywhere.
"What happened?" I asked to no one in particular. Shauna was just coming out another room.
"Priest Vallon happened." she said and I looked at her not familiar with the name. I shook my head in confusion. "He's the leader of The Dead Rabbits." I tensed and looked down. Bill did say he slaughtered some Dead Rabbits.
"A retaliation?" I asked and Shauna nodded. I looked down feeling guilty now before leaning in to her.
"He was in my room before this all started." I said lowly. Shauna looked at me seriously before looking around me and then at me.
"Go wait for me in my office." she said lowly. I nodded and turned and moved down the hall, passing Jenny as I did. "Let's lock up this place. We will have no looters here!" I moved down stairs noticing red stained the walls and paintings that were once on the wall were knocked down and smashed. Bullet holes were in the walls here as well. The entire upper floor was a mess and it seemed down stairs was just as bad. Furniture was knocked over and the walls were cut up. Girls were sticking their heads out of their rooms wondering if it was okay to leave. Some men left pulling up and fastening their pants as they hurried to run.
I made it to the bottom and moved to the back of one of the lounging rooms. Shauna's office and bedroom were in the back next to the kitchen. I entered and just stood in the middle of the room.
It was big and clean and she had a bed with long see through curtains falling onto the ground around her bed. She had tons of pillows and paintings of her family. She had a nice wooden desk with quills and paper on it. I stood in the middle looking at the long rectangle windows she had. I thought about going over to peak out until the door suddenly opened and closed. I turned swiftly to see Shauna locking the door and placing her gun against the wall. She then looked at me and moved over to me.
"I was lying to Bill when I said a regular was waiting for you. You are sure it was Priest Vallon in your room when you got there?" she asked moving over to me. I nodded looking up at her.
"I mean he said is name was Priest. He didn't tell me his last name." I replied and she looked down shaking her head.
"Your window was unlocked?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Maybe. I'm on the second floor I have no reason to lock it." I replied. She took hold of my shoulders.
"Did he say anything?" she asked. I nodded.
"He said the girl he wanted was already taken so… he asked me to fill in." I replied and slowly I dipped my hand into my dress to pull out the eight-dollar bills and handed it to her. "Said he never been with a negress before." Shauna looked down at the dollars before sighing heavily and gently taking the dollars. She counted it and gave four back to me. I smiled and took it.
"Well he sure is cheap." she teased before looking me over. "How was he?" I shook my head.
"We didn't get passed the kissing. He said he had two things to do one being a woman and the other thing he didn't say." I replied and she nodded turning and shaking her head.
"Well, all the shite that just happened here was the second thing. He retaliated against some of the Natives here." she explained. My eyes widened.
"Him. Alone?" I asked. She nodded.
"That man is quite a force to be reckoned with. He's brutal and dangerous just like his counterpart Bill." she informed. I was somewhat curious but I would keep my curiosity at a distance.
"Bill was here wasn't he? Did they fight?" I asked. She shook her head.
"No Bill and his lieutenants left a few minutes after I dismissed you. Always be careful when members of gangs come in here. You do what they say no matter how brutal they are. We can heal your wounds, but we can't bring you back from the dead if they kill you. They have nothing to lose." she informed. I nodded immediately at her words.
"What will happen to the brothel now?" I asked.
"Well we need to tidy things up a bit. No one will come around if people think this place isn't safe. Go and join the other girls in washing the blood off of the place." she said. I nodded.
"Yes ma'am." I replied moving to the door as she moved over to her bed.
"Minnie." she spoke up, and I paused and looked at her. She raised her head up at me. "What'd you say to the Butcher to get him to want to be so close to you?"
I tensed now remembering that I challenged Bill by calling him out on the fact he either couldn't read good or couldn't read at all. That would have been enough for him to shoot me on the spot if he wanted to. I looked down already fearful at the thought.
"I asked him to read the paper." I replied softly and moved do the door.
"Minerva." Shauna replied gently and I paused and looked at her expecting her to tell me to never do it again, to never speak out in turn against a customer. She looked at me almost calmly.
"You're safe. He laughed." she responded. I was heavily confused by her words wondering if that was meant to be a good thing or not. Did he laugh out of anger or humor? I did not want to know honestly. She motioned for me to go and I nodded and did so.
So Priest used my room to get in so he could have his vendetta against the Natives. Now this worried me even more. There was sure to be a retaliation again. I just prayed to God it wasn't here. I helped the other girls clean up what we could of the house.
Some of the new girls felt they shouldn't have to clean since they weren't involved. If anything, all those who weren't white should do it since that is what we were good for. Shauna had no issues smacking them around and reminding them of their place in this brothel. She had a few distant relatives come and patch up the holes in the walls and to fix the wall paper. They even removed the bodies of dead Natives so we could clean.
Sunday came and the brothel was quiet. Some of the girls were resting while others went out to do what they pleased. I wore plane black dresses with a head bonnet. Sometimes I'd wear a nice green dress or even a blue dress, but made sure they all showed my low-class status. My hair was long, thick and curly so I always had it loosely braided. I didn't need any more eyes on me than I had already and I needed no one to think I was someone to rob. I usually took this time to walk The Five Points talking with colored men and women who weren't my friends but weren't from the brothel. It was nice to be out. I carried no money on me.
As I walked, I kept to the sidewalks so I wouldn't be in any white man's way. My goal was to be out and enjoy the day, but be as invisible as possible. However, that didn't last long. As I made my way back toward the brothel, three nicely dressed men in long top hats stopped in front of me. I looked at all three of them, my body tensed. Maybe I was in their way. I moved to get out of their way, but they just moved in my way again making me even more fearful.
"Mr. Cutting would like to have a word with you, girl." One of them said seriously. I was stiff now at his words. But there was no way I could say no. Obediently I nodded and the same man raised his hand in the direction behind me and the three men walk around me leading me through the crowd. All I knew was they were taking me to my death.