"Well, lookee here boys." It said. It bad the deep slur if a man who was half-drunk and had a plug of tobacco in his mouth. "Looks like Delilah's got herself a new girl." I ignored it. Not my business. "C'mere and give daddy a kiss!" He said and his compatriots laughed raucously.
"Git yur hands off me!" Deirdre shouted and I heard the distinct sound of skin impacting with skin. I whipped my head around. This big boatman, he stank like dank river water, tobacco juice and sweat, had grabbed Deirdre and pulled her into his lap and was trying to kiss her with his dribbling lips. He might have been handsome if he was sober but the drink had slackened his face and puffed his eyes making him look like a cartoon. He had about seven friends with him. All were as big as he was or bigger and all of them bulged with the muscles of the working man.
I stood and walked over to the group. "Hey, fella." I began calmly. "The lady said to leave her be. She's with me this evenin."
"Oh, yea?" The man who held Deirdre said. She was struggling but she may as well have been in a barrel. The man was stout. He leered at me. "And who are you?" He asked.
"That's deputy marshal Dodger Williams! Now let me go before you regret it!" Deirdre barked... the she headbutted the man so hard that she busted his nose, blood ran from his nostril. He threw Deirdre, rather than dropping her. She would have sprawled on the floor but I caught her and gently sat her down, placing myself between the now agitated crew and her.
I was trying not to laugh out loud, it would only make things worse, but my shoulders were shaking with the effort. "Atta girl. Your forehead ok?" She was actually grinning up at me. She nodded and I turned back. "I'll take it from here."
The big man clutching his nose stood up. "You bitch..." I whistled through my teeth. This bastard was at least six foot four and weighed about 250 pounds. His friends weren't much smaller. "You get out of the way, boy. I'm gonna teach this whore a lesson."
I clicked my tongue, irritated. Boy... he called me boy. "Look, sir. I'm a deputy US marshal. I understand your frustration at havin your beak busted but you were holding her against her will." I looked over my shoulder at her and grinned. "She was well within her rights."
He apparently couldn't give a tinker's curse about my status as a deputy (course it was just cause I traveled with Dusty but he ain't know that) because he shoved me aside and took a step toward Deirdre. To her credit, Deirdre raised her fists in what had to be the worst boxer's guard I have ever seen. She was willing to fight for herself. She didn't have to. The fella had caught me off-guard. I took the momentum of the shove and spun, throwing the heel of my foot against the man's already broken nose.
He howled and dropped back onto his set-upon. He held his face and hollered "Get that bastard!" His goons didn't hesitate. They all lunged forward. I stepped to Deirdre again and raised my hands. I try not to fight with my fists, like a normal person. Don't get me wrong. I got a mean cross but... I'm short. So, Dusty taught me a different way. I stepped into the reached of the first man, swaying away from his clumsy haymaker. I turned and snapped my elbow up, catching him in his chin. It didn't hurt him much, Just jarred him a bit. But the elbow wasn't what I was really after. As his head went back I grabbed the back of his head and snatched down, right onto my knee as I snapped it up with all of my strength. Well, not *all* of my strength. I was always afraid to tap into my gifts unless I was willing to kill. But if you have never had a knee to your face allow me to tell you it hurts. He staggered back into his friends and I snapped my leg out delivering a sidekick to his ribs that knocked the wind out of him. He gasped and clutched his gut doubling over. My next knee put him down.
"One down, six to..." I started to think but then the bumrush from the side crashed me into a table. Between me and my assailant, a blocky man who was missing quite a few teeth and who had obviously had his nose broken once, the little table couldn't handle the weight and splintered into fragments. He tucked his head into my chest and heaved punches at me. I covered my face with my arms, his heavy blows pummeling into my guard. This was a bad spot for me to be in. Even if I wasn't what I am, I'm still pretty strong for someone my size. I pushed up, using my legs and hips. This allowed me to sort of sweep myself up under his arm dragging him into a side clinch. I threw two uppercuts with my left hand, hard. He tried to stop me with his hand but I blew past his guard. He staggered away.
I took one to the jaw without warning and it was followed by one hell of an uppercut. I staggered back and lashed out with my foot pushing my attacker backward. Giving ground again, I hit the wall. I was cornered. The broke nose boatman had decided to go after Deirdre again. But now, there was space between my attackers and I. Enough that I could do what I did best. I slapped leather, my gun meeting my palm and slipping free of its holster with ease. I fanned the hammer. I didn't care where I shot them.
Two legs, a shoulder and my damned killers instinct put two rounds through one man's heart. I turned my gun on the man who had assaulted Deirdre. I lifted the gun and aimed. I had to do this properly. The 7 on one, I was justified in spraying into a crowd of bigger men, who clearly had the advantage of size strength and numbers. Now, it wasn't a fair fight. I had the drop on em.
"Everybody raise your damn hands!" I shouted. The two men standing in front of me stopped, one kneeling beside hos fallen friend, the man I had heart shot. I realized that they looked exactly the same. He began weeping, wailing against what I had done. I'd killed his twin brother. Damn. I shook off my regret. "Now, you boys harassed lady and assaulted a federal agent. I don't want any more violence."
They stood frozen when the Sherriff busted through the doors, quickly followed by his Deputy and Dusty. They came through, guns drawn so I holsyered my own iron. Dusty had em covered. "Just what in hell is goin om here?! The sherriff bellowed. All the patrons, those who hadn't fled when the brawl had started tried talking over each other. Deirdre pulled Dusty over to the side and I could hear her calmly explaining the situation to him. He nodded in understanding and stepped over to the Sherriff giving him the details. The sherriff checked with the bar owner and then stepped to me.
"Well, you are a crazy little one-eyed turd ain't ya?" He said. "But, consodering the circumstances I don't think there is any need to worry. Though you'll have to stay in town till the judge has his say." I nodded. I'd shot men. There would have to be an official proceeding. "But, you bein a marshal, least a deputy Marshal, I reckon I don't have to lock you up. Just don't leave town till after Wednesday. Judge Estes'll be back by then." He clapped his hands "Now let's get this mess cleaned up."
And so we did. Took hours to do, and Dusty, rat bastard that he was, somehow wheedled his way into supervising rather than workin. Any way, after cleanin everything up, getting the men I'd hurt to the doctor and the man I'd killed to the undertaker I sat back down on my barstool. Deirdre sat beside me and took my hand. "That's twice you've pulled my skirts from the fire, Dodger Williams. I am in your debt." I grinned at her, popping my fangs briefly, then retracting them just as quick. I was her monster after all. She smiled back at me.
Then my night took a decidedly odd turn. A woman, quite a few years older than me, in her thirties I guess, came and sat on the side opposite Deirdre. I flushed a little. She was beautiful and the way she was dressed was scarcely proper for polite company. She had on lacey stockings a frilly dress that barely covered the tops of her thighs and a corset that enhanced what were already two gifts from God and her honey blonde hair was done up in a fashion that revealed her long slender neck.
She put her hand on the small of my back and I jumped like I had been galvanized. "Hey there Deputy." She said a smile on her face that didn't match her eyes. Her eyes were fiery gray orbs and the look in them looked was like mine when I was thirsty. Tempting and predatory. Eyes meant to lure and ensnare. Eyes of a woman who knew how to trap a man. "I heard you punched out Derrick, and shot a couple of his bastard friends. I'd like to thank you for that." She ran a finger across her across her neck, and traced down along her collarbone and over the swell of her, well what sits just below the collarbone on a woman. She continued, smiling at my wide eye. She knew where theu were drawn to. "You see, I'm Delilah. I run a lovely bordello here in town. Derrick and his crew would come to town from time to time and visit my establishment. They got rougher, drunker, each time. Well this last time they roughed up a few of my girls. Sent one to the doctor to get sewn up. " She started to run her fingertips up my sleeve and I snatched away. This brazen woman! "So I want to thank you. Wouldn't charge you a dime and you could have as many of my girls as you like. One at a time or all at once. Even me if you like." What on God's earth was wrong with her? She leaned back, grinning at my reaction. "You are so cute!" She purred. "I could just eat you up. Forget my girls, I want you for myself. How about I take you upstairs and show you a thing or two?" She leaned forward, drawing my eye toward things a man ought not stare at. My God, those things were mountainous! I tried to stammer a refusal but my mouth wouldn't work.
"No!" Deirdre cut in, waspily. "He isn't interested. Thank you." She suddenly draped herself across me, drawing circles on my chest with her finger. Delilah didn't relinquish her hold and Deirdre locked eyes with her, staring her down. She had never been like this. What in hell was happening? I felt like I was suddenly in the midst of a tug of war.
"Oh, honey." Said the older woman, leaning back. "I didn't realize it was like that. I'm sorry. I thought you were just a damsel in distress. I didn't know you were his pinch." She flapped her hand dismissively. "I apologize. Well, if he decides otherwise, just ask the marshal and he can show you to my establishment." The madame stood and dragged her finger across my collarbone. "If you decide you want to bring your lady with you, I could accommodate you both." She winked at me and I nearly gave up the ghost right then and there. The idea of that made me blink, to say the least, to give a young man such an idea is just downright cruel. She said goodbye and walked out, swaying her hips provocatively, and I gues she dropped something. My god it was nothing but lace! She stood straight, winked at me again and carried on out of the hotel. I watched her go and shuddered. She was trouble on two legs and I knew it.
Deirdre then gave me such a look as could kill a man. "What was that just now?" She asked. It was almost a hiss. I could taste sweet jealousy pouring off of her in waves.
"What?! I pulled away from her twice Deirdre!"
"But you were looking at her like... I don't know just you were looking at her!" She looked like she was upset but I could feel her calming.
"God above, woman. It was just the way she was dressed. I'm not dead, mostly. So how could I not look?" I said, defensively. I began to babble over myself trying to defend, what I honestly believe was not a thing wrong.
Her anger suddenly flicked out and she shook her head. "No. You don't have to be like that." She sighed. "I understand. I just don't like it. Your eyes don't lie. So I'm going to ask frankly. Would you rather have me than her?" I laughed, hard. She slapped me with the back of her hand, right in the chest. "I'm serious, Dodger."
I grunted and rubbed my chest. "So abusive." I smiled at her. "You don't have to be jealous. I would take you over that woman, or any woman far as it goes, if I had to put my life on it. I swear with everything I have."
She nodded, satisfied. "Good. I just needed to hear it." With that we talked the night away and it wasn't mentioned again. After she left, I went up to my room. Dusty and I didn't share one any longer, I was too old for that. I took off my belts and my patch. I never slept in the thing. I tried it once and it itched like the devil the next morning. Besides, If anyone kicked in my door in the middle of the night, they wouldn't live to tell any one about it. I had a smoke, and laid down. Almost instantly I fell asleep. Taking on seven huge river sailors tends to take all the piss and vinegar out of a man.
I was having a dream about a rather large duck when someone knocked on my door. I leapt out of bed and crouched low, my pistol in my hand. I crept forward and put the barrel against the door at chest level and cracked it open, putting my right eye where I could see. It was Deirdre in a large traveling coat. Confusion was not the word for it. "Deirdre?" I asked, "it's late. What are you doing here?"
"May I come inside, please?" She asked. Then she said, "Wait are there any lights on in there?"
"No..." I said. "And of course you can come in. Just let me put some pants on..."
"Don't." She said quietly. "You won't need them. Please just let me in?"
"But..." I was about to protest. About to say a man ought not to just be in his all-together with a lady in the room.
"Just please? Dodger, I want something from you. And only you. So please, can I come in?" She looked up at me with those big brown eyes and I couldn't refuse. I uncocked my pistol and nodded toward the inside. I stepped to hide behind the door. She slipped into the room so fast it was like she was trying to hide from the boogeyman. Now, understand folks, my room was pitch black. I had drawn the heavy curtains over the windows and there wasn't a crack of light to be seen. But that didn't bother me.
"Now, what in God's name brings you out at this hour?" I asked, closing the door behind her with a slight bang. I was nervous. I knew she couldn't see me but still I was in the state of least dress I could possibly be in.
"I want you, Dodger." She told me. "Not just your heart but all of you. I want every first in your life to be mine. Your first willing victim, your first real kiss and now..." She dropped the traveling coat to the floor and my knees buckled. I joined the coat. She was in the same state of dress I was. Not a stitch. My heart definitely reached resting normal. I stammered and stuttered but she shushed me. Now, I'm not going to go into all the tawdry details, you can piece together what happened from there. A young man and woman in love both of em naked as the day they were born. There is only one outcome. But I will say this. Deirdre may have the face of the girl next door but her figure was one men would wage a hundred wars over.
It was one of the best nights of my life. We knew there would be others but in that moment we belonged wholly to each other and damn the rest of the world.