12

Minerva's POV

"You're foolin'." I said watching Bill carefully as he began to back me up in the nearest wall.

"Do it look like I'm foolin'?" he asked. My mind was racing and I shook my head.

"You want my time, you have to ask Shauna for it." I attempting to get around him, but he placed his arms aggressively on the wall trapping me inside.

"You know for an uppity negress, you sure don't have too many objections of being a slave to that whore house." he challenged. My chest was moving up and down from the panic I was feeling. Yeah any colored who would voice or act in a way that made them look better than a white was worth demeaning and beating down.

"I don't know what you're wanting me to say! You want my time you have to talk to Shauna!" I snapped. What was he not getting? Why was this so important to him! He knew the life of a whore and he knew you want their time you talk to their boss. I could see him getting aggravated, his jaw tightening as he leaned in to me. There was some shouting going on outside, but Bill didn't seem to notice as he was too focused on getting what he wanted out of me.

"I can pay you more than you'd make at that whore house in a week!" he snapped.

"Doesn't matter!" I stated leaning into him now with my own aggression. It was dangerous to do what I was doing. Bill could easily hit me if he wanted to or worse for me raising my voice at a white man. He suddenly pointed at me.

"You know I ain't ever meet a whore as stubborn as you!" he said raising his voice. I shook my head still the shouting from outside getting louder.

"No!" I replied.

"Fine I'll pay you double for both the teaching and the fucking! God you should be honored to be making money off of me!" he screamed, and now I was standing on the tips of my toes staring right into his face.

"YOU. HAVE. TO. TALK. TO. SHAUNA!" I shouted and immediately, the window at the front of the store opened, as three Natives were flying through them and falling onto the ground. Immediately, Bill's body was before me, gun in one hand and knife in the other. He had a gun on him this entire time? Why hadn't he used it on me. However, that was the least of my worries right now as I realized Bill was blocking me from the window. Standing on the opposite side was Mr. Heisenberg, with two guns up and pointed right at Bill.

My eyes widened as I noticed how calm he looked. On the ground around him were Native men groaning and bleeding on the ground. My eyes widened as I looked from them to the German.

"Oh boy, you sure have made quite an impression on me." Bill said. Mr. Heisenberg just stared at him, eyes dark and calm. It was like looking at Satan himself.

"Mr. Cutting you have something that doesn't belong to you and I am here to collect her." he replied, drawing the hammers back on his guns to show he meant business. The two men were quite as they stared at one another. How did he know I was here? Did he follow me? I had to look around Bill's head to see him and finally Mr. Heisenberg looked at me. "Come along Minerva."

Before I could make a move, Bill's arm shot out blocking me.

"The whore and I were having a conversation." Bill said low and sharply.

"Mr. Cutting you aren't allowed at O'Sullivan's Brothel and you are not allowed any of the girls, especially that one." he said. I was shaking with fear now and I looked up at Bill wondering why he was even bothering to stop me. "You have two choices: You can hand the girl over and take care of this window before citizens think about looting the place… or I can kill you and take the girl and no one will remember your name."

I noticed Bill's back tightened at his words and I looked at him confused at why that would strike a nerve. Bill glanced back at me and I just looked at him with fear in my eyes and slowly he lowered his arm and I almost didn't trust the action.

"Minerva." Mr. Heisenberg replied snapping me from my thoughts. I looked at him stunned before just nodding and moving over toward the door as to not step on any of the broken glass. Once outside, I could see people standing around and whispering to themselves. I noticed all the men on the floor with what looked like broken noses and bruises on their faces. I did not need that attention! I moved over to Mr. Heisenberg, who kept his eyes on Bill even as I stood behind him submissively. I could see the searing anger in Bill's face.

"You and I will be talking again that much is for sure." Bill responded and Mr. Heisenberg nodded.

"Looking forward to it." he replied calmly as he motioned toward the right and began to move in that direction. I moved with him and when we were not in front of the shop anymore, he lowered his guns and put them away into his jackets, grabbing me by the forearm and moving with a bit of speed I was not expecting. I managed to keep up until I was suddenly pulled behind a building, my back pressed against the wall.

"What the hell were you doing back there!" he said sharply. I wasn't expecting him to want to talk about this.

"Bill called me inside. I had no choice but to go! And how did you know where I even was?" I asked.

"How do you think, I followed you after Shauna sent you away. She didn't trust that you would be able to go without getting held up by someone. And she was right." he replied. I was mildly stunned by this, but it had me thinking if I was the only one Shauna ever had followed.

"Have you followed any of the other girls?" I asked and he leaned back some.

"Don't get distracted… you need to be more careful and aware when you aren't at the whore house. You're one of Shauna's valuable workers. If something happens to you then she loses business." he said.

"It's easy to say that when you're white and a man. I may be a black woman, but everyone else in the world I am not a human… I'm just property. I can be as aware and careful as I want, but there's no one to protect me or those who look like me trying to stay out of chains." I explained. Mr. Heisenberg crossed his arms some and looked down as if pondering my words.

"Let's just get you back." he replied and grabbed my arm yet again and pulled me back into the streets. After a few moments of walking, we were greeted by some other German Mercs and together we made our way back to the brothel. I spoke with Shauna in her room about what Bill asked of me.

"So the barely literate man wants you to teach him to read." she said and I nodded.

"Yes he wanted that and my body as well." I replied. She nodded.

"And he'd pay for both?" she asked. I nodded.

"I told him he would have to speak to you for any of my time." I replied. She gave a smile as she got up from her nice desk and moved around to me. She was in a long white gown under a green robe.

"Little Minerva I think he fancies you." she said. I looked a bit stunned by her words before shaking my head.

"No. The Butcher, fancying me a colored? That's insane." I replied and she shook her head.

"Not as insane as you'd think. You ever wonder why I allowed both whites and coloreds to mix in my brothel?" she asked and I shrugged.

"To make more money?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yes, but also because men are brainless to both whites and colored. Yes you and the other colored girls have no rights, but you all have a secret power and that's being forbidden." she said moving over to sit on her bed. "You see our world is not very difficult to understand. Every race stays with their own, and white men know this, hell they enforce this rule… but they also like to try to different fruits. Colored women are different from the Christian white women they raised said women to be. You are something Bill Butcher is not allowed to have a white man, and that just riles him. A white man who can't have something he feels he should have."

Her words were long and honestly confused me some. But after standing there quietly and thinking about her words it started to make sense. I nodded.

"Which is why the law turns a blind eye every time a colored girl is raped by a white man." I replied and she nodded.

"Sadly, your beauty is a curse in this world, probably will be that way forever for coloreds. So to save your soul, you're going to accept the Butcher's offer if he comes at you again." she said. My eyes popped now.

"What? For which part, the reading or the fucking?" I asked.

"Both. If he's willing to pay you for each encounter then you do so. Him reading isn't bad for business. You'll give me ten dollars after each session and we'll call it square." she said. I was completely taken back by her words.

"Don't I get a say in this?" I asked and she nodded as she began to stand again.

"Of course you don't. He is a customer but you'll just be working at his humble abode." she said. My eyes popped now for that was not allowed for any girl.

"What? Why can't he come here?" I asked as she walked around me again and over to a cup she had been drinking from.

"Because him and his boys are banned from this place. If he wants your time he will have to pay for you to come to him. Think of it as more money for yourself." she said. I was still at a loss of words.

"Shauna, why would you agree to any of this?" I asked. She tilted her head some, eyes becoming serious and she sighed gently.

"Because William The Butcher Cutting, always gets what he wants. Minnie, these walls and the men around them all fear him. This is a way to keep the peace. And don't think of it as me sacrificing you because he will be a paying customer. We will treat this like when the rich call some of us to come to their homes and perform. You will perform for him and then you return, but only during certain hours that will be safe for you to walk alone when need be." she explained. I wanted to huff and stomp my feet, but I didn't. I could see through her eyes and I knew this was just another transaction for her and a way for me to make money.

"But what if something happens, no one can guarantee my safety." I replied and she nodded.

"You are right." she said walking around some as if thinking. "You both can meet at that old saloon down the street. It's blocked off and no one goes there. If Bill comes at you again requesting your time, you offer to teach him at the Saloon. Twenty dollars to learn to read, twenty to fuck. You all meet at night and separate in the morning. If he doesn't agree, lie to save face and to get away from him and you will continue to do business here." She said. I didn't know about any of this. I've never taught anyone to read before. I gave a soft groan.

"Can't I just fuck him here?" I asked and she grinned.

"And risk him destroying my brothel. Not a chance. Besides you have much work to do anyways. He may not even be able to get you." she replied and for once I was relieved by the thought of fucking so much that I wouldn't have to see the Butcher again. So I pushed this conversation to the back of my mind and smiled.

"Okay." I replied and moved to the door.

"Oh and Minerva, we are having a big party tomorrow night. A few people from the hills will be sneaking out of their homes to partake. Sex, drugs, orgies everything ... I expect you to be at the top of your game tomorrow night." she said. I smiled knowing what these parties meant. I nodded.

"Always." I purred and she smiled with pride.

"That's my girl." she replied.

Normal POV

Markus was casually standing beside the closed door of his employer, listening as he sometimes did. If his family knew he was taking orders from a woman they would flip. But watching over the brothel was one of their many jobs. His men were still paid by many political officials and rich citizens to kill for them. Working at a brothel just meant having access to both money and whores. The door opened and the young brown skinned girl walked out immediately noticing the German.

"Spying on me now?" I asked. He just pushed himself off the wall and walked around her.

"Come along." Was all he said. Minerva already knew what those words meant.