〖❝ᴘɪᴀɴᴏ ᴍᴀɴ❞〗

তততততততততততততততততততততততত

        𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐌, 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇, 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌, 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐍. The scent of whiskey and warm food hung low in the air, the warm light making the place seem homely, oddly comforting. She placed the Mayor and his wife's meal on the counter for Mary Jane to take to them as they chatted about the rapidly expanding city. Soon, she feared that the elderly mayor, in his poor health, could not keep up, and would have to step down. But alas, coming out of the back to make Mary Jane's life easier was a mistake. A big, big mistake.

        A warm hand clapped down onto her shoulder, squeezing it with the illusion of affection.

        "Why, nice to see you again, Miss Tso!" a familiar voice rang through the saloon, loud enough to catch everyone's eyes. The piano stopped playing. Lina turned around abruptly, the heels of her boots making an awful scraping noise against the hard wood floors. She met the stranger's eyes, her own holding a scalding look of death, that could kill the cowardly. Her eyes met the face of the cowboy from earlier. The one with the black mustache and the ivory hat. The one that wore too much red and tacky boots. She shook out of his grasp, a snarl settling onto her face. She started to say something, but he mouthed hummingbird, and the words vanished from her tongue. "How are you doing tonight, Miss Tso?"

        "Excuse me Bill, but Lina should get back to work, she can talk to you when her shift is over." Sam walked up to the pair, lazily cleaning a whiskey glass with a rag, a merciful expression on his face as he winked discreetly at Lina. Thank god, Sam to the rescue, Lina thought, relief starting to relax her muscles, that had wound themselves up so tightly just seconds before.

        Bill laughed, and took hold of her arm, squeezing it a little too tight. Tight enough to enable Lina to feel her pulse and make the tips of her fingers tingle with the beginnings of numbness. "That can wait Sam," he replied dropping a quarter onto the counter. It fell with a sickening clink, and the place was so quiet that it seemed to echo, and bounce against the walls. "Lina and I, we have some business to take care of—" he stopped abruptly at the cold feeling of the barrel of a gun pressed against his back.

        "Let her go." the voice of the piano player now grabbed the attention of the spectators. But what secured their attention was the clicking of the hammer. It rang out as if it had been a cannon blast.

        A smile crept across Bill's face. "And what are you going to do about it, lunger?"

        "Let her go, or that ugly fuckin' shirt won't be the only thing stained red." he replied menacingly. Lina finally looked up at the piano player, taken aback at exactly who it was. The gambler she had taken care of many nights ago. Doc Holliday.

        The saloon doors were thrown open, Virgil Earp striding in, Morgan following close behind. Their footsteps rang out like gunshots.

        "Doc, put the gun away. Bill, let the lady go, and there'll be no trouble." Virgil spoke up. Doc smirked and lowered his pistol. Bill rolled his eyes and let Lina go. "Come with me, You know the drill," Virgil added, gesturing to Bill. Bill scoffed and scanned the place before stalking off to Virgil and Morgan, feet dragging the whole way.

        "You're lucky your dogs got here in time lunger," he threw a smirk at doc. "I'd have enjoyed killing you." Morgan smacked him in the back of the head, knocking his hat off. Virgil shoved him out.

        "Sorry for the commotion Sam. We'll take care of it." Morgan said, following Virgil out.

        "Wish they'd just find something to hang him for already," Sam muttered under his breath.

        Turning back to Lina, Doc stepped closer to her.

        "Are you all right," he spoke with his characteristic southern drawl. He smelled of Vanilla, and wine. Lina took a moment to gather her bearings before responding, squaring her shoulders and straightening her face.

        "I'll be fine, nothing that a soothing cup of tea can't remedy." She replied, voice even. A glimmer of recognition flashed in his eyes, but disappeared just as soon as it came.

        "What did he say to you? What did he say to you that made you hold that sharp tongue of yours?" he searched her eyes inquisitively. Lina was taken aback. He'd been watching, listening that whole time.

        "Nothing, just something that I hadn't thought about in a long time. That is all," She replied, voice now losing its air of certainty. He figured that he should stop prying, this information would be of no use to him.

        "I see, my debt is now paid, and I'd appreciate it if you'd not concern yourself with me any longer." he said, seemingly referencing that night about a month ago. He coughed, and walked off, leaving Lina confused, and mildly hurt. But like she said, nothing a soothing cup of tea couldn't remedy.