Page 60 of House of Sin
I hesitated, gathering my words. “He’s convinced them that your brothel, your girls, your place here, is the root of all the town’s moral decay. Said you were poisoning Butte. He demanded your destruction.”
Bernadette’s eyes stayed fixed. “What does that mean? What are they going to do?”
My voice dropped to a near whisper. “They’re coming, Bernadette. They’ve been stirred into a frenzy, and they won’t stop until this place, everything you’ve built, is gone.”
Something passed across her expression, fury, maybe, or something colder. But what settled there was determination. “I won’t leave,” she said. “I’ve fought too hard, for too long. This is my home. If they want a war, they’ll get one. But I’ll fight every last one of them before I let them take this from me.”
I opened my mouth to protest, to try to convince her to leave, but Violet cut me off with a quick wave ofher hand. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, but there was no fear in them. “Father,” she said firmly, “you’re wasting your time. Birdie doesn’t run. She never has, and she never will.”
I stared at her, my mind spinning. I was a man of God, sworn to peace and compassion, and here I was, begging a woman who had survived hell not to stand her ground. I had never felt so powerless. “I wish I could do more,” I said, voice hoarse, “but if you stay, Bernadette, it will get worse. They’ll burn it all down.”
For a moment, Bernadette’s fierce exterior faltered. She stepped closer to me, placing a hand on my arm, an unexpected gesture. “I can’t leave, Father,” she said quietly. “This is my fight. And if they mean to destroy me, they’ll have to face me first.”
I nodded, though the gesture felt hollow. My heart ached for her, for them all. I had known Bernadette for years, but only now did I truly understand what she had endured, and what she was willing to sacrifice.
“I’ll pray for you,” I said, barely holding it together. “For all of you. Just . . . be careful.”
I stepped out of the brothel and into the streets, a pit opening in my stomach, the pain in my chestdeeper than fear. It was grief. Grief for what Butte had been. Grief for what it was about to become. And guilt. Painful, inescapable guilt over the fact that I had not spoken louder, not fought harder. Butte was no longer the caring town I had loved; it had become a battleground.
And the first shot hadbeen fired.
44
THE HOUSE KNOWS HOW YOU’LL FOLD
Ihadn’t slept much; my mind couldn’t settle and kept circling back to the way Father Cyrus had looked, to the words he spoke, to the warning he left behind.
I stayed near the window, listening, trying to hold my thoughts in place while Violet sat at asmall table, carefully drafting a letter. The pen moved slowly, each word deliberate, as she crafted the perfect message to lure Father Frederick to the brothel.
I watched her closely, worry tightening behind my eyes. Violet was eager, she wanted to do her part in this, but I couldn’t help but feel a deep, protective instinct.
Maeve, Elona, Nell, and Emil were in the back room making sure everything was in order. Tonight’s plan wasn’t just to orchestrate Father Frederick’s fall, it would also be a test of how far we were willing to go to change the power dynamic in this town, and I knew the stakes were high.
“Violet,” I began, breaking the silence, “are you sure about this? This isn’t just some game. We’re playing with fire.”
Violet paused, her pen hovering over the paper as she looked up at me. There was a dark hunger in her eyes. “I’m sure, Bernadette. I’ve never been more certain of anything.”
I stepped forward and sat across from her, looking at her intently. That fire in her eyes, I’d seen it before,in women who wanted to prove they were strong. And shewasstrong. But this was different.
“I know you want to help,” I said softly. “And I know you believe you’re ready. You’ve come through so much, and I’ve seen how hard you fight. But not all fights are the same, Violet. Some don’t leave bruises you can see, and the ones that don’t . . . those are the ones that stay with you the longest.” I paused before asking gently, “Are you sure you understand what this could cost you?”
Violet’s lips parted, but before she could answer, Maeve’s voice came from the hallway. “Bernadette.”
I turned to see her standing in the doorway. Elona and Nell lingering just behind her, listening in silence as Maeve stepped into the room slowly.
“She’s not some wee girl anymore. She’s earned the right to decide what she stands for.” Her eyes swept to Violet, lingered for a second, then returned to me. “You taught us to be strong, to hold our ground when it counted. That’s all she’s doin’ now, ain't it?” She paused, her expression softening. “I know you’re worried for her; I am too. But maybe the best we can do now is stand with her, not in front of her.”
I looked at Maeve, then back at Violet. “I know she’s strong.” My voice was firm. “I know she can handle more than most ever should have to. But strength doesn’t mean she should carry everything alone.” I reached out, resting my hand lightly on the table. “Violet, this isn’t just a clever plan, it’s dangerous. You’re not just writing a letter, you’re putting yourself in front of a man who would see you torn apart if it served his purpose. Father Frederick may be a man of God, but that doesn’t make him a good man. You’ve seen what he stirred up in this town.”
My voice splintered into a whisper. “I just need to know this isn’t about proving something. I need to know you’re doing this because it’s right foryou, not because you feel like you owe it to the rest of us.”
Violet hesitated; her pen still paused in midair. Her eyes moved from me to the letter, then back to me again. “I’m not doing this to prove anything,” she said. “And it’s not about being fearless. I’m scared, but I know what kind of man he is, and I know what he’s already done.” She looked toward Maeve, then Elona and Nell, drawing strength from them. “This isn’t just about me,” she continued, her voice softer now. “It’s about all of us. If I can pull back the mask he hides behind, even just a little . . . then maybe I can stop him from hurting anyone else ever again.” She met my eyes again. “I’m not rushing into this. I’ve weighed everything carefully. But I need you to trust me, Bernadette, I need you to believe I can do this.”
Elona, who had been quietly leaning against the doorway up until now, spoke up. “Violet isn’t asking for our permission, Bernadette, she’s asking for us to stand with her.”
Nell, standing a little further back, nodded in agreement. “She’s thought this through. We all have. And maybe . . . maybe this is the way forward. Father Frederick’s words have been closing in on us for a while now. Maybe it’s time we turn the tables.”
Emil, who had been silently watching from the hallway, stepped into the room, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. “Violet’s got a point.” He said. “We all know what Father Frederick’s done here and what he’s capable of. I won’t pretend this isn’t dangerous, but sometimes doing nothing feels like losing.” He gave Violet a nod that was equal parts caution and trust.
