Tess (A Dark!SteveRogers AU)

Chapter 1

The saloon was filled with music, laughter, smoke from cigars hanging in clouds above the heads of customers, and a lot of drinking as night after night in Red Skull Creek would be the same.

No outsider every dared venture there.

They were told not to for the simple fact that they'd never leave.

Red Skull Creek was Rumlow territory, an area of the land where 'no-gooders' and bandits dwelled down on the river. The Rumlows themselves were feared and never really were welcomed in town nearby, not that they cared as they still went there anyway. The people rooted for the Rogers family, who they had feuded with for years.
It had started with discrepancies over land amongst other things, which had then amounted into full on shootouts. There would never really be any resolution to the problem unless one of the families was wiped out entirely.

The Rogers faction resided in the town of Coalstone, their blacksmith business thriving and were 'respectable' in some sense, compared to the Rumlows who were outlaws and robbed anyone blind. Many had tried to stop them, but they were invincible, so it seemed.

A night in Red Skull Creek wasn't complete without the usual drunks staggering around, some men brawling, ladies of the night offering up their services to any man who passed. It wasn't the sort of place that you would look at and think how wonderful it would be to settle down and raise a family in. Most of the kids in town were probabaly illigitmate anyway.

The man who now walked into the saloon looked around for any signs of who he was searching for, only to not see them. "Where is she?" He now asked, venturing to the bar and waiting for saloon owner to turn around and answer him. Of course, he would know who he was talking about.

'She' was a little notorious to all here, and when she wasn't out with them rustling cattle and looting wagons, she'd be drinking herself into oblivion.

"Upstairs, riding...second room on the right" he gestured to ceiling,

A snort came from the man, "the usual then" and made his way up the stairs to the room in question, throwing the door open and seeing a woman on her hands and knees, moaning loudly as a man thrusted into her from behind.

She looked up from under her mess of hair and made eye contact with a mischievous grin. "Come to watch Rollins?" Her voice came out a little breathless as she kept herself steady on the bed.

"Brock needs you back home, it's important". Jack told her, leaning against the doorframe and not caring about the situation that he was currently seeing. The number of times he and others had walked into this was too many to count.

"Can't...Can't it wait?" She panted out, the man still thrusting into her harder, "Tell him I'm busy..."

Rollins smirked. "Sorry Tess, can't wait - like I said, it's important".

"For crying out loud" She cursed and looked back at Rollins. "Be outside in five, thanks to you I'm about to finish before I really wanna".

"Blame your brother, see you outside". He said, closing the door as he heard her began to hear her yell as she came. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head and made his way down through the bar. Had Brock have been the one to get her then he'd have simply dragged his sister out as she was.

Tess got dressed and looked back at the man she'd met just a few hours before. "Sorry about my friend".

"Can I see you again?" The man smirked, still naked and making no attempt to get dressed as he watched her from the bed.

She snorted. "Hell no" and then walked out, going downstairs and out of the bar where Rollins was leant against a post waiting for her. "What's so urgent that Brock feels the need to interrupt my night out?"

Jack said nothing, mounting his horse as she did so with the other one that he'd brought along for her. "Well, you ain't gonna like it...that's about as much as I can say on the matter". He admitted.

Tess looked across at him, "if you don't fucking tell me then you won't be making it back to the creek".

More silence came. Rollins knew better than to go against her, knowing how it could end for him. As Brock's closest friend and ally he was as loyal to the Rumlows as anyone came.

"Brock made a deal". He now said as his horse slowed a little more so as they could talk.

"What kinda deal?" She rolled her eyes, "not one where I'm gonna have to save his ass yet again because he can't see it through?"

Even though Brock was the only family by blood that she had left, he still managed to fuck up on some occasions, usually resulting in his little sister cleaning up his mess. He didn't need to be protective over her, as he knew that Tess could hold her own, however there was still some protectiveness to be held, even if she did hate it.

"Kinda..." the horses stopped, and Jack looked around and then to Tess. "He made a deal with Steve Rogers..."

Tess stared at him, hearing something she never thought she would, and by the way Rollins was looking at her, something wasn't sitting right with her about it all. For Brock to be in the same room as Rogers was something, but it also stemmed the suspicion of desperation on his part in Tess's mind.

"What kinda deal?" She pressed, and did so again when he didn't answer, "what kinda deal Jack!"

Rollins took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. She was going to flare up at this and he knew that once they were back at the creek, that he'd need to let the siblings argue about it until their hearts were content. Brock would have the last day, he always did.

"He's giving you to him, to stop the war between us and the Rogers once and for all".

"Define 'giving'" she wanted to make sure that was she was hearing was what her worst nightmare would be. This couldn't be right? Her brother couldn't possibly have...

"You're gonna marry him Tess...deal is done, I was there when it was struck - you're marrying Steve Rogers".