𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙖 • 𝙟𝙤𝙝𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙗𝙮 [complete]

••• 27 •••

Gerald L. Grim
Noble soldier, loyal friend,
loving father

♡

FINN AND I walked down an unfamiliar street as the cold air whipped against our cheeks. I told him to take me somewhere that nobody knew me, so I wouldn't have to deal with the stares. He took me down to a quiet part of town, to a small Irish pub that Maura had told him about.

"It's only the old coal miners that come here," He promised as we entered the small pub, and he was right. There was a spatter of men sitting at the small circular tables, drinking lagers and reading newspapers.

"This makes the Garrison look like a fuckin' warzone," I muttered quietly, following Finn to the bar. We sat on the hard stools and I rested my hands on the counter before immediately retracting them once I saw the brown, sticky surface. "What the fuck does a girl like Maura do in a place like this?"

Finn shrugged, "She comes with her nurse friends. She said it's cheap drinks, they don't give a fuck about serving women, and none of the men harass 'em because their dicks hardly work anymore."

"Those are actually some compelling points," I noted, just as an old man behind the bar hobbled over to us.

"What will it be, child?" He asked, squinting his eyes as he wiped a wet glass.

"Two beers," I said before Finn could order whiskey. He had gotten into the habit of drinking it and not being able to hold himself, so I gave him a glare to shut him up.

The old man nodded before pulling out two clean glasses and pouring out our drinks. He slid them both over before walking away to another customer sitting a few stools down.

"Polly will forget all about it soon, you know," Finn said while I took a sip from my glass.

I shook my head, "You should've heard her, Finn. The way she was looking at me..." I let out a breath, tapping my fingers on a dry patch on the counter. "This isn't just some stupid mistake I made. It's someone's marriage. John's marriage."

Finn didn't say anything, and I couldn't blame him. We sat and drank in silence for a few moments, before a slight commotion arose between the bartender and the man he was serving.

"Listen here, you give me all the cash you have in this place right now, or I'll shoot your fuckin' brains out," The customer threatened, pointing a gun at the frightened old man who was practically shaking.

Finn and I shared a look before I pushed my stool out. He was taller than me with tree trunk arms, but I had taken on bigger men. Before I had a chance to stand up for the old man, the customer grabbed his head and slammed it down onto the counter. I stood up and grabbed his arm, taking his gun and throwing it to the ground.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The customer snarled at me before attempting to pull away. I brought my fist back before punching him square in the nose, hearing a crack before blood gushed out of his nostrils. He let out a groan and shouted, "You fuckin' cunt!"

With that, he punched me in the jaw which made me dizzy for a few seconds before I came back to my senses. I saw Finn step forward out of the corner of my eye, but I pushed him back before he could get involved. The man then grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back, while I attempted to bring my knee up to his crotch. He moved backwards before I could make contact, his grip on my arm tightening as he contorted it. I kept in my cries while I used my free hand to punch him, but my hits didn't seem to have much of an effect on him.