Western Flower | ✅

Chapter 4 - Pay The Man

Time seemed to stand still, it looked like neither man wanted to be the first one to draw their firearm. Rose could not bear to watch, she buried her head into Ira's shoulder. Bill's cold steely gaze even from a distance seemed to have finally had the desired affect on his opponent.

The man who challenged Bill reached for his gun first, but his nerves had got the better of him. As he tried to draw his gun at a speed he faltered, this gave Bill the advantage. He drew his gun and fired off a shot, but he didn't shoot the man in the chest or the head, instead, he aimed to take out the gun from the man's hand. His opponent looked on in disbelief.

Bill then shot the hat off the man's head and then fired a further two shots at the man's fallen firearm before he re-holstered his revolver. As Bill approached the man he noticed that his opponent had soiled himself, Bill picked up the mans now heavily damaged revolver and handed it to his beaten opponent.

"Now you listen to me cocksucker! If I ever hear that you have struck a woman in this town again or threatened someone, I will put a bullet in your fucking head" said Bill calmly.

The man looked at Bill, nodded and walked off silently. The whole town was still deadly quiet, Bill then proceeded to head back to the Star Inn. The only person who had moved apart from the two men was Rose, who made her way over to Bill before he could get to the Star Inn.

"What the hell where you thinking Bill, you could have got yourself killed you stupid bastard!" Cried Rose, berating him.

With that Bill stopped, he now turned his cold steely gaze on Rose, who was taken back by the glare almost as she half-expected the same treatment. "Look I did what I thought was the right thing by you. I didn't want to see you get beaten to a bloody mess. He was drunk, so drunk I reckon he wouldn't have been able to shoot straight in a month of Sundays." Bill replied sharply.

"You listen to me William Roberts, you promise me that you will never do that again you hear?" Demanded Rose angrily, she was livid that he would risk his life for her. Secretly she was in awe.

"Since when do you care, Rose?" Quipped Bill.

"You know I worry and you know I care," replied Rose, clearly hurt by Bill's sarcasm.

Bill looked at Rose, his gaze softened. He placed his hands on the top on Rose's shoulders and softly kissed her on the forehead, looked away for a moment then looked at Rose.

"You best get the doctor to look at that cut so it doesn't get infected, I need to speak to Abraham." He murmured. Bill walked into the Star Inn in it was almost empty, apart from Amos behind the bar and Abraham Cohen who was leaning against the bar and raised his arm, almost as if saluting Bill.

"My, oh my. You fought for the honour of a damsel in distress and as they say, to the victor goes the spoils. Which is why I am going to ignore the kiss you gave one of my whores. Hell, I'll even go as far as to offer you a whiskey as well. On the house as well of course." Said Abraham.

Abraham motioned for Amos to pour two whiskeys. Bill wasn't sure how to receive Abraham's performances that he put on. He was thankful for the drink, even if it was whiskey. Bill knew that he could have easily killed the man that he had the duel with but he only killed if it was absolutely necessary. Killing is the easy part Bill told himself, it's living with the consequences that's the hard part.

"Much obliged!" Said Bill, raising a toast with Abraham.

"You're welcome, Bill. Although I can't help but wonder, you have come back to Cedar and in less than two days you have caused a ruckus, injured a man and now I see you making eyes at one of my most profitable whores and she loses her head reminiscing about a love of years passed." Abraham proclaimed.