Daniel and the blonde girl slowly stood up, passed by Wade, and he locked the door behind them again, leaving the others inside. The blonde girl was petite but not scared. Neither was he.


    "I won’t tie your hands," Wade said. "But I want you to stay still."


    Daniel had no intention of moving. If he’d wanted, he could have freed himself much earlier, but he waited for them to play out their theater. Or rather, Barnes’ theater. Before leaving, he turned to Jasper and winked. Jasper looked calm too.


    The blonde girl and Daniel descended the stairs slowly. She walked slightly ahead of him. She wore a long blue dress cinched with a white belt. Her back was slightly visible. It was small. She herself was dainty, walking with tiny steps, while Daniel stayed close behind her. Wade followed, holding a weapon in his hands.


    Downstairs, everything was the same, but Jake and Violet’s bodies were gone. Only the bloodstain from Violet’s head remained. The bartender, Phil, was still in his spot, doing what he always did—trying to stay unnoticed. He held a glass in his hands, carefully wiping it on all sides and occasionally glancing toward the bar.


    Bart stood by the bar’s door, laughing as he watched them. Troy was nowhere to be seen.


    "Hello again, lovebirds," Bart began. "Your friends Violet and Jake are in a better place, don’t worry. I even sent Troy to make sure they’re okay."


    "What did you do with their bodies?" Daniel asked.


    "Oh, Daniel, nothing too bad," Bart replied. "I left them for the dogs to eat outside. Troy has three hounds that only listen to him. Honestly, even I’m scared of them sometimes. He’s feeding them now."


    "He’s just a kid?"


    "So what? Other kids his age are spoiled brats, but he’s already a man."


    "Show them, Bart," Wade said from behind them. "Invite them."


    "Yes!" Bart nearly exclaimed. "To prove I’m a good guy, I’ll give you a little entertainment. You didn’t think I’d let you nap in that room, did you?"


    "What are you up to, Bart?"


    He didn’t answer, just glanced at one of the clean tables nearby, far from the blood that had practically flooded the bar.


    "You two are a pair of lovebirds, aren’t you?"


    Daniel looked at the blonde girl.


    "We don’t even know each other."


    "Wrong answer. You’re in love, and now you’ll sit across from each other." Bart raised his revolver and pointed it at them.


    Daniel sat on one chair, and the girl took the one opposite him.


    "Bravo. A real love-struck couple," Bart said, whistling and turning to Phil. "Phil, the drinks, please. Wade, be a good sport."


    Phil pulled out two glasses and filled them to the brim with wine. This time, his shelves were much better stocked than before, when there’d only been beer. He had a new wooden barrel by the bar from which he poured the wine. Wade set his rifle on the bar, took a glass in each hand, and headed toward them, laughing. He placed one in front of Daniel and the other in front of the girl.


    "Bravo," Bart said, pleased. "Now, each of you pick up your glass and clink them together. Even lovebirds need to toast. Sure, the setting’s a bit rowdy and hardly romantic, but oh well."


    Daniel took his glass, and the girl did the same. They lightly clinked them together. She seemed a little shy, while Daniel wondered what Bart had in mind.


    "Bravo, now get to know each other," Bart said. "Daniel, what do you want to know about her, huh?"


    "Bart, don’t you think this is too much?"


    "There’s no Bart here. It’s just you and Lily."


    Lily. So that’s what her name was.


    "Lily," Bart turned to her, and she looked at him with her big brown eyes, "Daniel wants to know something about your family. Your mom? Your dad? Sisters?"


    Daniel could see she wasn’t sure how or what to answer. She stayed silent, hoping it would all blow over. Bart standing next to her wasn’t helping.


    "I have a father and a mother, but they’re from another town," she said.


    "Bravo, good girl. Anything else?"


    "I have two more sisters?"


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Bravo. Daniel," Bart looked at him again, "you should be pleased. Your date’s going wonderfully."


    Daniel didn’t respond. He took a sip of the wine.


    "Now it’s your turn, Daniel," Bart said. "This question’s from me. Do you like Lily?"


    Did he like her? She was nice enough. But he still didn’t understand what Bart was planning. So he answered what Bart wanted to hear:


    "Yes."


    "Fantastic. When you two become husband and wife, you can track down her family. I’m sure they’ll want to know what their daughter’s been up to."


    "Why are you doing this, Bart?"


    "Because I’m bored, Daniel. And I think we’re doing Lily a favor. For the first time, she’ll sleep with someone she knows more about than just their name. Actually, Lily, do you even know your clients’ names?"


    Lily looked down, doing everything she could to keep from crying.


    "Don’t cry," Bart said. "Let’s keep the date going. Please, Lily, take a sip of your wine. You haven’t drunk anything. You’ll offend Phil."


    Phil heard his name and glanced over, then turned away again. Lily took a slow sip. Her hand trembled slightly.


    "Bravo, good girl," Bart said.


    "Now let’s ask Lily again," Bart continued, smiling. Something amusing had crossed his mind. "Daniel wants to know how many men you’ve slept with."


    "I don’t want to know," Daniel said.


    "Quiet, Daniel. Every man wants to know that about his wife. You’ll be married soon."


    Lily didn’t answer. She stood there, searching for somewhere to look.


    "Lily? Will you answer?" Bart was close to her now. "You’re one of Violet’s whores. I know it’s hard to count them all, but give us a rough guess. Ten? Twenty? A hundred?"


    "I don’t know," she tried to answer, barely whispering. "Really. Leave me alone. I don’t know."


    "Poor thing," Bart said, feigning pity. "She doesn’t know. Can’t count that high, huh?"


    "I didn’t have a choice?"


    "No choice? Plenty of women don’t have a choice. But they take care of kids, a husband, scrape by somehow. And you?"


    "Leave her alone, Bart! It’s none of your business," Daniel interjected.


    Wade stepped closer too, pulling out his rifle but not aiming it.


    "Back off, Wade. Everything’s fine," Bart said. "Lily," he went behind her and gently grabbed her hair. She tensed. "Would you sleep with your new friend?"


    Lily was crying now, her hair still in his hands.


    "Bart?"


    Daniel held the glass in his hand. When Bart looked at him, he stood up quickly and smashed the glass into Wade’s head. Wade staggered and stumbled back. Daniel lunged at him, grabbing the gun from his hands while Wade was still dazed. Bart already had his revolver out too, but it was pointed at Lily’s head.


    "Daniel, my friend," Bart said. "You’ve got two choices now. Either you give up and we kill you, or I kill Lily. Sorry, pal. You brought this on yourself."


    "And then I’ll kill you," Daniel said, not backing down.


    "Let’s not kid ourselves, friend. You’re not as good with guns as you’d like to be."


    Bart was right. Daniel had never held a gun before. Even now, Wade’s pistol felt odd in his hands. The metal was heavy, and the only thing he knew was how to pull the trigger.


    But Bart knew how to shoot. And Daniel could see in his eyes that he wouldn’t hesitate to do it.


    "Last chance, Daniel," Bart said. "You don’t want Lily’s blonde locks to turn red, do you? Haven’t we seen enough killing today?"


    Daniel lowered the gun. Wade was still dazed, sitting on the floor.


    "Good boy," Bart said. "Now put it down next to Wade and stand up. Go back to your chair slowly."


    Daniel obeyed. He had no idea what he was doing and decided it was better to stop while he could. He could’ve killed Wade, but would that ruin the story? So he held back.


    He pulled his chair out and sat back down. Bart still had his gun aimed at Lily’s head.


    "Bravo," Bart said, lowering the weapon. "Lily, be a dear and stand up."


    Lily obeyed. Bart set the pistol on the table behind her, reached out, and grabbed her by the waist. He lifted her and placed her on the table. She didn’t resist. Even if she had, she was far weaker than him.


    "Daniel," Bart said, looking at him. Lily was like a doll in front of him. "Sorry you have to see this on your first date with your lady, but you brought it on yourselves. And she asked for it."


    Daniel heard Wade’s laughter from somewhere in the back of the bar.


    Bart held Lily by the shoulder with one hand while unbuckling his pants with the other. Lily didn’t resist, but she cried. Wade was on his feet now, holding a gun to Daniel’s head. He wouldn’t shoot—that much was clear—but should Daniel intervene? That question nagged at him constantly.


    Lily didn’t make a sound, just whimpered softly. Bart lifted her dress and pressed himself against her. Then he leaned in and kissed her. She didn’t pull away, though her expression showed none of the pleasure Bart wanted from her.


    "Bart, you bastard… you’ll pay for this," Daniel said.


    "Oh, sure. I know. They always say that. And I’ve never paid," Bart replied, looking at Lily and brushing a strand of hair from her face with his finger. "And I won’t pay you now either, sweetheart."


    Barnes must’ve lost his mind to approve this. Daniel tried not to look, but he couldn’t avoid hearing the sounds, mostly from Lily. Wade laughed from the side, sipping wine and watching. Phil was no longer behind the bar.


    Bart stepped back from Lily and pulled his pants back up. She didn’t make a sound. She lay on her side on the table, crying quietly. Bart was satisfied, and Wade congratulated him. Daniel felt guilt gnawing at him. He wasn’t sure if he’d done the right thing. But he remembered Barnes’ words: everything that happens is dictated by a prior action.


    He’d been too late to save Lily from Bart’s rape, but could he do something now?


    He stood up slowly so both of them could see him. And they noticed. Bart grabbed his gun, and Wade raised his higher.


    "What’re you planning, you bastard?" Bart asked.


    He didn’t know. He hadn’t planned anything. He’d improvise. His goal was to kill them both. He didn’t know how.


    But the bar door swung open, ruining his already flimsy plans. Everyone looked that way. Bart and Wade too. A tall man in a cowboy hat stood at the entrance of the bar, which still bore Violet’s name. He held a rifle. Daniel thought this might be their salvation.


    But it was Reed.