8
The water wasn't very hot, but warm enough for me to scrub my face clean from Bill. Once I felt clean enough, I just gently patted my shoulders and chest. I had to consider myself very lucky to survive that man. Why pay me so much? Why want me at all? And that note. Obviously, it was from a rival gang, of which I did not know. I hoped to never know. I did wonder how good Bill was at reading. That was quite a talent in the white man's world and anyone else with that talent who wasn't white, was not well liked. That's why I didn't want all of the girls here to know I could read. I was on the bottom step just staring down at my feet. They were moderately clean so I didn't see the need to waste water on them. I wiped under my arms then my breasts and over my stomach.
Finally I reached between my legs and gently patted against my throbbing vagina. I heard the door open, and glanced over my shoulder to see it was just Mr. Heisenberg. What did he want? He was lighting his cigar when he came to the top of the steps and looked down on me. I just looked away closing my legs some.
"Is Sarah going to be okay?" I asked.
"She'll live to fuck another day if that's what you mean." he replied. I shook my head.
"It's not." I replied and he let out a low grunt in response.
"How about you? Are you going to be okay?" he asked. His tone was empty of emotion and I could tell he wasn't really worried for me.
"Why do you ask? This is the life of a whore." I replied with respect still glancing up at him. His eyes seemed so empty almost.
"You are property." he said.
"Slaves are property." I replied hissing some as I felt the stinging between my legs as the warm water seeped gently into my opening. I heard the German chuckle.
"You are… merchandise." he corrected. "And if I don't ensure the merchandise is safe then I don't get paid." I heard his footsteps coming down to me and once he was on the last step I just looked up at him. It would cloudy so no sun was shining in my face. I could see him clearly. He wasn't wrong.
"Do you know who hurt Sarah?" I asked and he looked forward releasing smoke from his mouth.
"My boys will make it right." he said. I was curious now.
"You're going to do something about it? Why?" I asked. We were whores, no one cared what happened to us. Shauna cared. Other whores in her establishment for the most part cared for each other. I finally remembered his words as we both nodded. "Protecting the merchandise."
"That's right fraulein." he replied looking ahead and biting down on his cigar some. I nodded continuing to wipe myself down. "You didn't answer my question." I nodded glancing up at him.
"Nothing I haven't handled before." I replied. Mr. Heisenberg just looked ahead and nodded slowly.
"Did he want anything else then just a fuck?" he asked. I glanced up at his legs wondering why he would ask that. What was with these gang leaders needing information from me?
"That's gonna cost you for information." I replied.
"Minerva." he said lowly, warningly almost. I scoffed very lightly.
"I jest. He didn't want anything." I replied looking up at him submissively. He was staring down at me with a serious gaze. Now I was starting to wonder what all he was hiding.
I finally stood up now and looked at him as we were shoulder to shoulder. He stood a few inches taller than me like Bill and Priest. He had no issues looking down at me, his eyes roaming all over my body. I didn't mind his eyes on me.
I dried myself off and placed the new dress over me and smoothened it down. My hair was wild over my shoulders.
"How do I look?" I asked. He nodded.
"Like a whore." he concluded and I nodded.
"Perfect." I replied before lifting the bucket and tossing out the small amount of wash water. As time went on, the day surprised us with rain and that thinned out the men. The women returned from the rich folks and were bathing outside. I was lounging in the presenting room with some of the other girls. If any men came in they just had to point us out and we would go. I had given Shauna the money I made, like most of the girls did. Mary was sitting on my lap lounging against me.
"I heard the man who beat on Sarah works down at the harbor." she said. I looked up at her as she nodded down at me.
"How you know that?" I asked and she motioned toward Ming who was sitting on the floor across from us. She looked around the room before moving on her hands and knees over to us. We both leaned in toward her. She had a round face and long stringy black hair. But it was so straight and silky. I loved it. She was in a purple stringy dress, some white make up still stuck to her face from the Chinese make up she wore for some of the men.
"I was with her and she and I were with man. He no want me so he tell me to go. He a big man. I see him at the harbor carrying big bags. I tell Shauna and German man." she explained. Mary and I looked at each other with wide eyes. Elizabeth, a red haired green eyed Irish shook her head as she came over as well to sit beside Ming.
"I've had him before. He's a brute, I think he's part of The Plug Uglies." she said. I sighed shaking my head some.
"How is Sarah though?" I asked.
"Face is swollen like a woman with child." Elizabeth responded wincing some. "She'll be in bed for a day or two. Shauna is seeing to her care." I nodded.
"Heard these Germans are going after the man." Mary replied. Elizabeth snorted.
"A man defending the honor of a whore. That would be the day." she replied. I nodded.
"No I heard that too. Mr. Heisenberg stated he and his men would handle it." I replied. Elizabeth smiled and gave the softest of giggles.
"He's not bad looking for German." she said. Now more girls were flocking to us to whisper and giggle.
"I had one of his men," Lily a brunette said with pride. "He fucks like a rabid wolf. I've never experienced such feeling before." The other girls gasped and giggled more.
"I know what you mean." I replied looking away. Mary looked down at me.
"Who have you had?" she asked wiggling her bottom against my knee and I looked up at her and gave her a look. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped and she covered it.
"You've had the German leader himself?" she asked and now all the girls were looking at me with disbelief.
"You are lying!" Elizabeth said almost bitterly but I nodded. Stefan one of Mr. Heisenberg's lieutenants came into the doorway.
"Mary." he replied giving her a look. Mary looked at him and then back at me with a grin.
"Guess it's my turn to be fucked by a rapid wolf." she said lowly and some of the girls laughed as she moved from me and over to the tall man with rimmed glasses. He held his hand out to her and she took it glancing back at me and being led away. When night came, the brothel came to life. Shauna was entertaining guests with alcohol in women in every large room she had. Music was played and men were dancing and singing. Women were all over them, smoking and drinking with their breasts hanging out. A few negro men were here, but they were doing most of the dancing. A jig doing a jig making the white men laugh was allowed. A man was just leaving my room now. He was a young man, a soldier who just wanted to be held by a woman who smelled. Glad I could help even if he did only pay me six dollars. I was moving over toward Sarah's room and I gently knocked. I peaked in to see her lifting her head up to look at me. Her face was purple and blue, her eyes shut.
"Who's there?" she asked fearfully. I quickly moved my head in.
"Sarah it's me, Minnie. Can I come in?" I asked. Her tense body fell with relief as she nodded. I quickly closed the door so the loud music didn't enter the room. I looked at her and moved over toward the bed, but I didn't sit down.
"I was just checking on you. Did you need anything?" I asked. She smiled some.
"Oh Minnie you're very sweet. I'm fine. The doctor says my face should die down from the swelling soon." she replied. I nodded and looked her over. Her neck was bruised and I could imagine the rest of her body was bruised too. I nodded.
"That's good. I won't keep you up then." I replied stepping back, my feet causing the floor to creak. She raised her hand quickly to me.
"Don't go please! I don't want to be alone right now." she replied.
"Okay." I nodded and moved to sit beside her. She reached toward my lap looking for my hands so I gave them to her.
"Sarah… what happened?" I asked softly. She sniffled some.
"He just kept getting rougher and rougher with me. When I tried to tell him to stop, he punched me. Then he just stared beating me." she replied. I could see a tear streaming over her swollen cheek. She shook her head. "I thought he was going to kill me. Luckily Jenny heard my screaming and came and scared him off. She told Shauna what he looked like. The German gang, Mr. Heisenberg said he would take care of it." I nodded slowly.
"I heard that too." I replied. She nodded slowly looking up at me her eyes blinking a bit.
"It's strange men going out of their way to protect her… I know it's all for money, but it's still nice." she replied gently. I continued to nod. I would believe it when I saw it.
"Get some rest. I'll lock your door so no one is tempted to come inside." I told. She nodded and I moved over to the door.
"Minnie?" she asked and I paused and looked at her. She was looking in my direction and she looked almost nervous to ask. She looked down at her hands before looking up at me. "When I was ill, my mother would always check on me before she went to sleep. Um… Would you…?"
I felt my heart sink for the girl who was my age and I knew she was terrified. I nodded.
"Of course." I replied and she smiled.
"Bless you." she replied and I smiled and locked her door before leaving. Once it was closed, I moved down the hall and down the stairs needing a change of this sad scene. I moved down stairs into the life of the brothel. I was mainly looking for Mary wanting to know how her wolf fucking went. I walked past many men and women who were wobbly from the drinking. I moved into the soon to be bar room, noticing men at tables eyeing each other while they played cards. I could tell on one side from the nicely dressed men, that this was clearly The Natives. On the other side were a group of men who seemed more leisurely dressed. I saw two familiar faces: one The Dead Rabbit leader, Priest Vallon and the other, Bill Cutting. What was going on here? The two men were on opposite sides of the room. The men around them looked like they were aching for a fight while they drank and played cards. Other strangers were also in the room drinking up the night. Shauna was behind the counter watching everyone it seemed. I could feel the tenseness. Mr. Heisenberg was standing behind the counter. Once I stepped further into the room Bill and Priest turned their attention on me.
Both men were giving me two different looks. I didn't want to be in the middle of either of them, so I moved to the man I was somewhat comfortable with. I moved over to Mr. Heisenberg with intent to speak to him. He leaned into me giving me his ear, while one hand rested on my lower back.
"Have you seen Mary?" I asked.
"She's in the other room. Go there and stay there." he replied lowly. I nodded glancing at the other men before turning and leaving from the room.
"Gentlemen this brothel is a place of celebration and fucking. If you don't plan to do either one of those things, I highly suggest you take this foolery elsewhere." I heard Shauna say before I left the room.
Normal POV
The room was definitely tight and every Native was waiting for their leader's command to jump the Irish dogs across the room. Bill was ready to give that order. Priest Vallon thought he could come in here after what that bastard did to his men and expect no retaliation. Not while he still drew breath, was Bill going to let that son of a whore get away with this.
Priest had his gun in his hand under the table ready to use. He was hoping tonight he would beat the man senseless to the point he popped out his other eye too. The man was a plague for the man's people, beating down on them at every turn. He would accept death happily if it meant sending the Native cunt to Hell first.
Everyone was ready, their bodies tensed and ready to scrap. The brothel owner Shauna would not stop them even in her business. Not even the German dog, she had would stop them. However, a black form parted the sea of white faces in the room. Both men noticed the slim woman come in. Priest's eyes flexed as he saw her, the girl from earlier. Bill's body silently tensed at the sight of the woman he had just fucked earlier. Both men watched as she moved across the room and over toward the tall German. Bill watched her closely noticing how she leaned in to the outsider. He then noticed he put his hand on her back, basically her bottom and the two spoke.
Bill didn't notice his lip twitched into a slight snarl as she watched the two speak. He noticed the man's posture as it loomed over her own. He was comfortable with her, comfortable touching her. Just like that she had left the room. Shauna's threat was hardly audible.
Priest couldn't help but notice the woman in pale blue dress. His mind immediately went back to the kiss they had shared. He never told anyone what happened between he and the negress. But he thought about her skin, how soft it was. The puffiness of her lips and the serenity of her eyes. Tonight, was a night that belonged to the men. Maybe tonight he wouldn't fight, but instead finish what he started with the woman. He felt his men wouldn't judge him or think any less of him. In some ways they were both outsiders, foreigners harassed by the Natives. Priest made a move to stand up, but as he did, another form caught his eyes and he looked over to see Bill had also gotten up. The two men looked each other right in the eyes and the fire of hatred surged into their bodies as they both assumed the other was preparing to lead the fight.
They didn't even hear Shauna's room before both gangs of men yelled and crashed into each other throwing fists at one another.