26

I walked to the back room and I could hear Forrest following right behind me. There was also a door in the back room leading to the back of the bar so instead of moving to the room where everyone can hear us I walked right out the door and Forrest slammed it shut and I turned to him swiftly. He walked up to me now and I didn't move this time although my body shifted at the sudden closeness.

"You wanna tell me the truth on what Cobb is talking about in there?" he asked but by the tone of his voice I knew it was a full command. I sneered and looked away.

"It's what he said. I was arrested for questioning on my brothers bootlegging stuff…and yours." I replied.

"Hm. And what else happened?" he asked. I tensed at the question and shook my head.

"Nothing the deputy was rather disappointed." I replied. His eyes fell on mine intently and he took another step closer and I jumped a bit at the sudden reaction.

"Are you lying to me?" he asked. I frowned now.

"No. He asked me questions, I told him I didn't know anything and he let me go." I replied. He made one of those low humming noises as he looked down my body then his eyes froze at my shoulder and he tilted his head a bit and his hand came up and I watched as it touched my sleeve and began to pull it down and I knew I was caught. The fingerprints from Deputy Rakes were clear to see and I closed my eyes looking away now. Forrest looked up at me now.

"You lied with him." he stated and I felt more tears start to form on my heated face.

"If you consider being handcuffed to a bed then yes." I whispered with regret. He winced now and I saw the immediate hurt in his eyes.

"Oh Eula why didn't you say something?" he asked and I looked at him with anger in my eyes.

"Why do you care? No one would've cared no matter who I told, nobody cares about a black woman getting raped by a white man!" I yelled and I felt his large hands grip my shoulders and shake me a bit.

"I care because you are my woman, MINE! And to think I wouldn't care is an insult. Eula you will one day be my wife, the woman of my kids and I would die before I let some city boy Deputy come between what we have." he said seriously and I felt my heart beat so much fast that I wasn't sure what to do. I never thought Forrest thought so far ahead into our future to the point he was thinking marriage and family. I lifted my hands and wrapped my finger around his forearms.

"I am tired of being weak Forrest. I am tired of standing and falling. I was late because Ray and Arliss were teaching me how to shoot." I replied. He looked me over with deep eyes and his lips pierced together in a thin line.

"They don't know you were raped do they?" he asked. I shook my head swiftly.

"No. If I told them then they would tell my father and my father would kill anyone who wore a badge or who known to be a cop. He's a mobster and he plays dirty when it comes to revenge." I told and I was right. Years ago in Chicago, Arliss and Ray were ganged by a dangerous gang who were trying to send a message to my father and Al Capone. As a result father found them, tortured them, cut them up and fed them to wild pigs. Forrest frowned and looked away.

"He has to pay." he said. My eyes widened and I leaned closer to him.

"No I do not want you hurt or worse." I replied. Forrest opened his mouth to reply when Jack suddenly opened the door swiftly panting.

"Forrest two guys are here looking for Eula. I think they work for the Deputy." he said. Forrest's eyes filled with rage and he moved and began walking back into the bar and I followed with anxiety in my stomach. We moved through the back door and I saw Howard standing in front of the two men who looked mysterious and dangerous. They looked at me and then Forrest.

"We've been ordered to take the girl to Deputy Rakes. Hand her over." one of them demanded, the man on the left. I felt my body shake and Forrest slowly moved his hand to his hat and pushed it down more over his head.

"And what business does the deputy have with her? He's already questioned her." he said speaking calmly and keeping his hands on his hips which had his gun on his belt. The one on the right lifted his head.

"He has found some new information and needs her to clarify the assumptions with her brothers." he said. I felt my heart tightened and I walked beside Forrest but made sure not to pass him.

"I ain't going anywhere." I stated and out of the corner of my eyes I saw Forrest casually place his right hand in his pockets and began to shift his fingers around in it.

"You don't have a choice girl." the man on the left said. Howard frowned.

"You must not have heard her then. She said she ain't going." he said in a dangerous tone. The man on the right started to move up to me.

"I guess we'll have to drag you out." he said. The fool must've forgotten Forrest was standing right beside me. I saw his head lift up swiftly and pull his hand from his pocket and I saw the brass knuckles that were attached to his fingers and in one quick motion he connected with the man's face and blood whipped across the floor and the man tumbled down. The man on the left lifted his coat to draw his gun, but Howard lunged for him and tackled him to the ground. Forrest looked at me.

"Let's send the deputy a message." he said and I watched as the four men scuffled throwing punches at one another. Jack stayed beside me and I watched as Howard beat the living crap out of the man he was on top of. Forrest was ramming his brass knuckled fist into his man whose face was all red. He reached to pull out a gun and Forrest hit the gun out of his hand and it slid across the room and I moved over and grabbed it.

"Boys enough." I said pointing the gun at the man below Howard. Everyone froze and looked at me and the man still beneath Howard laughed.

"Well look at that, a porch monkey with a gun. You know how to use that girl?" he asked which Howard answered with another fist to his face. I frowned now and moved over towards him and slowly moved so I was behind Howard. I cocked the gun now and felt Howard get off him and I kept the gun pointed at him. I was so sick of being seen as weak because I was a female or because I was black.

"Oh I know how to use it." I replied and I pointed right between his crotch and squeezed the trigger. The shot was loud and soon filled with a loud scream from the man. Howard laughed and Forrest arched an amused brow. The man below my love coughed up blood.

"You're going to pay for that you nigger bitch. You're gonna find yourself hanging from a tree." he threatened. Forrest pulled out his gun and pointed it below the man's neck.

"I believe you just threatened my girl." he said and in seconds he pulled the trigger and ended the man. I pointed my gun back up at the man's face that was missing his balls and I felt my body shake almost. I was about to kill him. Could I take life? Question was if he had the chance would he take my life? Yes. I gritted my teeth and pulled the trigger and the bullet landed in his throat. I panted now feeling a large knot form in my stomach. I panted softly and Howard wrapped an arm around me and Jack came up and did the same. I cleared my throat and leaned in to their embrace. Forrest got up covered in blood and looked at us.

"Alright if you three are done having a moment we need to destroy these bodies." he said. Howard and Jack pulled away from me and I looked down before feeling Forrest near me and slowly take the gun from me. I looked up at him and he leaned in and gently kissed my lips.

"I love you." he replied as the others carried the bodies away. I nodded slowly.

"I love you too." I replied. Oh yes, the deputy would be next.