𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙼𝙰𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 - 𝚃. 𝚂𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙱𝚈

17

"Lost your thirst?" Tommy asks.

"Just show us where," One of the men say.

"Give me the cash," Tommy says. "You're going to need a shovel"

Juliet listens to a man chuckle as she tries not to move an inch.

"You thick fucking tinker. Did you think we'd let you live?"

"Make your peace, Mr Shelby"

Quietly and carefully, Juliet takes the safety off of the gun before making sure her grip was firm.

"I will make my peace my own way," Tommy says. "To barmaids who don't count"

Juliet walks out of the back room, the gun held firmly in her grip as she pointed it at the two men. One of the men moves and Juliet turns, firing the gun twice. Both bullets hit the man in the chest and he drops back into his chair as his friend pounces on Tommy.

Juliet holds the gun in her now shaking hands as she tries to get a clear shot at the man Tommy was fighting with. But to no avail as the men were moving too quickly for her shocked mind to process.

When a pistol connects with her face, it snaps Juliet back. The shock and horror at her actions was fading as she clutches her cheek tightly, a dull throbbing sensation filling the right side of her face.

Juliet watches in silence as Tommy begins to reign hell upon the man he was fighting with. He had grabbed a spittoon which was currently being used to cave the man's face in as blood sprayed in all directions.

There was a monster in the man, that there was no denying. But that night proved that there was a monster in everyone. Everyone was capable of committing heinous acts if they were just pushed far enough and the truth of that statement is terrifying.

The spittoon is carelessly tossed to the side as if it wasn't used to brutally beat a man to death before Tommy walks over to Juliet, helping her from the floor. He moves her hand away as he inspects the cut on her face which was already rapidly bruising.

Women are believed to be on this earth to bring life. Nurture and care for all life as if it was their own. For a woman to take a life would be going against nature itself and yet the sick rush of power was intoxicating.

"Why did you shoot?" He asks. "Why did you shoot, Juliet?"

"I-I didn't mean to," Juliet whispers, staring at the body of the man whose life she had taken from him with two small movements of her hand. "I didn't think I could ever-"

"Now you've seen me," Tommy says.

"And you've seen me," Juliet says, her eyes not moving from the man who was slumped unceremoniously in his chair. "Tommy, what have I done?"

Tommy wraps his arms around the woman whose hand had come to her mouth, whether it was a shock reaction or to stop herself from emptying the contents of her stomach across the Garrison floor he wasn't sure.

When the police officers walk in, Tommy's arms unwind from Juliet but he allows her to hold firmly onto the front of his jacket, he was certain that if she let go she would collapse to the ground.

"You were supposed to be here on the sixth chime," Tommy says, his voice rumbled with the thunderous anger that was brewing within him. "You were supposed to come on the fucking sixth chime. They refused to surrender. They fought well. They were brave men"

Everywhere Juliet looked she could see some reminder of the last five minutes. Blood was splattered across the floor, the wall and the bar. A morbid piece of painting that was seared into her memory forever.

"Well he looks like he was killed by a wild fucking animal," Moss says. "Still, this never happened. They were never here. Who cares?"

"Get the bodies out of here," Tommy says.

"Ah, right," Moss says, his eyes flicking to Juliet who was pale and shaking. "Are they making the lady uncomfortable? I'll leave you two lovebirds to it then eh?"

Once the policemen leave and the bodies are gone, Juliet grabs the mop bucket just getting her head inside before bile begins to rise up her throat and into the bucket.

Tommy winces at the loud retches, his left hand gently moving her hair out of the way as his right rests on her shoulder.

"It's alright Jules," Tommy says. "It's all going to be okay"