Evie still got to work on training the duo, which included some riding lessons for the Shelby's as well. She got the gist of the type of riding they'd need to do, and made sure to run plenty of cross country courses with them. Michael was assigned to always be by her side, since she and the horses now had to be under guard after the incident. Evie poked for details only every once in a while, typically getting a shrug and a, "Tommy said."
She spent time speculating why they were in this situation, and chalked it up to the gang having pissed someone off and they're trying to get rid of the newest investment made by the Shelby boys.
"They've come along really well, Ev," Tommy muttered around a cigarette one day. He'd taken to shortening her name even more, which she didn't mind. She was sitting on a fence, watching as Arthur rode around a field, practicing his seat as Evie had instructed. He was on the gray horse - she'd named him Adie, Celtic for "little fire", thanks to his… rare, but sometimes explosive mood swings. It was really only if he got too hungry, but he'd pitch a fit that only his partner, the chestnut mare Alani, could help calm.
"Thanks, Tommy," she smiled. "The guys are riding a bit better too. I don't think they'd fall off easily."
He nodded. "I'd have to agree." He turned to look at her. "We're needing to take them out of town tomorrow. We'll be gone a few days. You'll stay here, do as you wish, but keep Michael nearby."
Evie smiled. "Yes, sir, Tommy."
The following morning she helped make sure the horses were in tip-top shape and everything they needed to have packed on hand was readily available. Tommy and John were going on this trip. She didn't bother asking where it was, or what it was for - only asking about when they'd be back so she could have the stables situated.
"Oh, while we're gone," Tommy commented from atop Adie. "Evie, you'll need to check out some more horses for me. Two more, please."
She nodded. "On it."
Once the pair had ridden off, Michael approached her. "Before we get down to business while they're out of town, I have a proposition," he began. "There's supposed to be quite the party just out of town - a hideaway thing. Want to join some of us to relax while the boss is away?"
Evie laughed. "Yes, I definitely want to!"
Michael picked her up from her house later that night, as it was on the way to the party. He was joined in the car by a number of their friends and family, and he honked the horn to call her out. She walked out the front door, locking it behind her. She'd decided to be a bit cheeky and wore one of the lovely shorter dresses that were finally coming into fashion here. Hers was from France originally, and only ventured halfway down her thighs, the rest of the distance to her knees slightly covered by ruffles of lace. The body of the dress was a silky gray and there was embroidery all over it, in shades of dark blue and purple. She had also pulled her hair out of her face with a few pins, topped with some shiny things, and donned black buckle-up shoes with a short heel.
Some of the guys whistled, but they were a bit dolled up, too. "What's the occasion?" Finn joked, an obnoxious wink added at the end.
Evie jumped up in the bed of the vehicle, taking a seat with everyone else, accepting the bottle of booze being passed around. She hit the roof of the car a few times, indicating she was ready. "The occasion? A day off, drinking, and hopefully some fucking," she laughed.
Everyone roared in agreement as they drove off, only riding another ten or so minutes before they arrived at a field with a few cars scattered about and a large barn. They unloaded, Michael surprising Evelyn by lifting her out and down from the bed of the vehicle, and they entered a rowdy party.
They all made their rounds, dancing, drinking, and gambling. Evelyn didn't gamble much but did love a good game of darts, which she did pretty well at. She flirted with a few particularly handsome men, gladly drifting away from them before they could get too excited. Michael, Finn, and the other Shelby boys primarily drank and gambled, but a fair share of ladies visited them, as well. Some of them dipped off into the shadows for what was presumably a good time, and they all were enjoying the night.
Everything was going well until Evelyn was dancing with some lady friends she'd made, and some gentlemen came up to begin harassing all of them. It began with flirting and groping, which they all deterred, but soon the group of four men were becoming aggressive, trying to move the three women outside. Due to the raised voices of the women, a few people at the party realized something unsavory was happening.
Evie got fed up with one too many touches by the tallest man, a stony-looking guy with black hair, and finally shoved him. "Fuck off!" she spat.
He slapped her, preparing to push her along, as she lifted the skirt of her dress to unsheath her dagger, pulling it out to prepare to have to cut him. Before she could bring it up to make a move, Arthur had appeared, grabbing the man by the shoulder to spin him around, before slamming a fist into his face. The man went down immediately and the crowd went into a frenzy.
The Shelbys seemed to be going at it with a group of guys all wearing the same color of vests - another gang? Evie wondered. Regardless, she slipped her dagger back in its sheath and grabbed the hands of the other two women, pulling them out of the mayhem. Once they got outside they had found some of their friends, and Evie confirmed they'd be able to leave safely.
"Where are you going?" one of them asked Evelyn, as she was turning to go back inside.
"I'll be okay - my friends are the ones who started beating up those creeps," she chuckled, returning to the chaos.
Most people that weren't involved in the spat had already left, with the Shelbys clearly dominating the remaining people. Evelyn stood to the side, a hand on her hip - it looked like she didn't need to worry about much until they had finished up. She made her way behind the makeshift bar, looking for the best spirits for cleaning and for some clean rags, expecting some minor injuries.
Michael appeared beside her soon, panting. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, his face showing his exasperation.
Evelyn shrugged. "Getting ready to clean you boys up."
A few moments later the group of creeps finally ran out, leaving the Shelbys in the barn, and only a few other stragglers - mostly people in the shadows having sex or doing drugs. Evelyn beckoned them all over to the bar, sitting them down to clean up their cuts.
"Good, I don't think any of you will need stitches," she sang. "Just don't do anything else stupid."
"A thank you would be appreciated," Arthur scowled.
"My bad - thank you, Arthur, and everyone else. On behalf of women everywhere, we really do appreciate it when people make sure we aren't raped," she said, genuinely but with the undertone of scolding.
"Were you going to cut that guy that slapped you?" Finn laughed.
Evie shrugged. "A woman's gotta do, what a woman's gotta do."
The group eventually grumbled their ways to the car, snagging some alcohol to take home. Michael sat in the back with Evie this time, sitting to her side and sliding an arm around her back. Evelyn blushed - she wasn't sure if she wanted to snap at him for possibly taking advantage of an exhausting night to make a move, or if she wanted to shut up - he might be feeling guilty she ended up in that situation, and was ensuring she was as close as possible so nothing else happened.
Their rocky drive back took them to Evie's house first, where she dismounted and waved at them. "Arthur, truly, thank you. I owe you some baked goods," she cooed.
He smiled. "I like chocolate chip cookies," he said.
The car rumbled off, the rest of the boys riding along. Evie saw Michael hold up a hand in a final goodbye for the night. She waved back, smiling, before going inside to clean herself up and take a well-deserved rest.
