Rose turned all of her focus to getting the store ready to be open for lunch. She tried not to dwell too much on all that had happened and where it had happened. Instead she worked steadily to mop up the blood splatters and broken glass and prepare lunch. By the time it was noon everything was cleaned up enough for the regulars to start milling in. The boys had been outside cleaning things up most of the day, so Rose was left alone at the counter. It seemed being closed for two days brought more customers than normal. There must have been some gossip in town because a few of the people she didn't recognize.

She knew who he was the second he stepped into the store. It was dinner time and she had just set two plates before a few of the loggers who worked up in the hollow when the door closed but it didn't slam. He was dressed like he was from Chicago. His three piece suit neat and clean, his hair greased with every hair in place. He was a thick man, and she thought it was likely the suit had to be custom tailored. His shoulders and arms were massive, he was much bigger than even Forrest. This was not a man sent to talk about problems, this was a man sent to use his fists to solve them.

He stopped in the door to take in the room and then stepped up to the counter. This close she could see the scars marring his knuckles. She could smell his expensive aftershave and she had to fight not to sneeze. She could also see he had two guns in a shoulder harness under his fine tailored jacket.

"So, you're the counter girl here." His voice was soft, softer than she expected and it threw her. It was also completely void of emotion. "I'm looking for your employer."

Rose stayed back where she was with her back pressed against the shelves as far from the counter as possible. He leered at her, running his eyes up and down her in such an obvious manner it made Rose's skin crawl. She licked her lips as she tried to think of something clever to say, but her mind was completely blank in the face of this man.

People in Harken were afraid of the Garrett brothers because they thought they were unclivilized and dangerous. Which was of course ridiculous. The Garrett's business sometimes lent itself to violence but they were not cruel nor dangerous. Looking into this man's eyes she saw that this man was exactly what the town feared the Garrett's were, more to point what they feared Forrest was. She knew something about men who were cruel and capable of violence. This man was to be feared.

The kitchen door swung open and Arthur swaggered out. He stepped up next to Rose, his shoulder in front of hers. At the same moment Peter and Forrest came in the front door. Rose exhaled a breath she had not realized she had been holding. She placed a hand against the shelf behind her to steady herself, she felt almost shaky with relief.

She did not recognize this man. He was not someone who worked with her brother. He really was here for the brothers. It was not her fault. In the wake of that relief she realized this man had not come to negotiate with the brothers. He was here for retaliation.

"I'm the man you're looking for," Arthur said cockily.

The man looked Arthur up and down in the same leering, sexual way he had looked at Rose. Then he snorted and shook his head. "You're too pretty." He glanced over his shoulder and with only a glance at Peter his gaze leveled on Forrest. "You've got some pretty pieces of ass here," he said motioning to both Arthur and Rose.

Arthur made a noise like a growl low in his throat and she saw him rock forward onto the balls of his feet.

Forrest looked casually at the man in front of him and let his eyes drift from Rose to Arthur and back to Rose. He subtly shook his head. For some reason she felt like she understood him perfectly. She reached out and placed a hand on Arthur's forearm. Pulling back on his arm a little she forced him onto flat feet, and she hoped bought him a few seconds of clear headed thinking.

The man continued to watch Forrest. "So," he said after a moment. "You're the boss."

Forrest gave the man a humorless smile. "I'm the man you're here to speak to." Was all Forrest said.

"You presume to know my business?" the man asked, his voice was still the same unnerving steady calm.

Forrest shook his head. "Never said that. You're a man from Chicago." Forrest looked to the room beyond pointedly then back to the man. "I just said I'm the man you're here to speak to."

The man narrowed his eyes. "I'm here to speak to the boss."

"We don't have a boss," Arthur snapped angrily.

The man from Chicago snorted and shook his head. "I assure you, you do." He turned back to Forrest. "I think we should have this conversation in your office."

Forrest took a step towards the large round table. "Welcome to my office," Forrest said with a dramatic sweep of his arm.

Rose found herself watching Forrest, not the stranger. The drama was something she would have expected from Arthur, not Forrest. There was also something different about the way he was carrying himself, and the way he spoke. It took her a moment to realize he was being more aggressive. For the first time he actually seemed dangerous.

Forrest dropped down into the chair that put his back to the kitchen. Arthur and Peter took the seats on either side of him, leaving the stranger to sit on the opposite side of the table alone. Rose snapped into motion and quickly poured four glasses out of one of their best jars. She brought the glasses to the table on a tray, and wished she had dressed in a nicer dress that day.

As she set the glass first in front of Forrest, then Peter and Arthur and lastly their guest she realized this was all about posturing. They needed to appear strong so this man wouldn't think they could be easily run over. Once Rose presented the glasses she turned to Forrest.

"Can I get you anything else, sir?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the floor as though she were still afraid of him.

Forrest flicked his fingers in her direction, dismissing her. Arthur narrowed his eyes at Forrest, but Rose was thankful he didn't comment. Arthur didn't understand what was happening here. He didn't see it. It's why he would never be in charge.

The man took a long swig from the glass just as Forrest did. It was the first time she had ever seen Forrest drink.

"This is good," the man said. "Better than the liquor you stole from us."

Forrest set his glass back on the table with a loud click and calmly folded his hands on the top of the table. For all those to see, it appeared as though Forrest was perfectly calm. But Rose could see the tension in his shoulders, the tightness around his eyes.

She picked up a rag and wiped the counter in slow circles. Her eyes on the table and not her work. Two men came up and left money on the counter. Quietly telling her they didn't need change before they slinked out the door. One other man left money on his table before practically running from the room. Peter followed the leaving customer's with his eyes, but didn't acknowledge it. Instead he seemed to work to keep his focus on the man in front of them.

When he saw he wasn't going to get a reaction from Forrest he continued.

"I'm here to get that back."

Forrest snorted. "Hard to refill a glass that's already been drunk."

"So you drank it." The man from Chicago asked, taking another sip from his glass.

Forrest gave him a grim smile. "If it makes it easier for you to think of it in that way, then yeah. We drank it."

The man nodded. "I assumed that's what happened to it. So since I would assume you also found drinking it rather profitable. I'm here to collect that profit as is owed to my employer. Or, my employer is willing to concede to it being a signing bonus and welcoming your operation under the umbrella of our much larger one."

Forrest sat back in his chair. Rose knew he was shocked, but it didn't show on his face. Arthur jumped to his feet, slamming his hands on the table top.

The man from Chicago had his guns pulled before Arthur stopped moving. One pointed at Arthur, the other pointed at Peter. But it was Rose who pulled the gun from behind the counter. She cocked it loudly, drawing his attention to her.

She stared him in the eyes, letting him see all the anger she felt burn through her eyes. For some reason she felt as though this man understood what she was capable of better than most. He turned his head back to the table, but he kept an eye on her out of the corner of his vision.

"We don't have a boss. I already told you that." Arthur said firmly, refusing to show any fear or discomfort with the man pointing a gun at him.

The remaining customers slid out of the door unnoticed.

The man turned his attention back to Forrest. "You going to let this little one speak for you?" He emphasized his words by pressing his guns forward with his words.

Forrest smiled, but it had too much teeth. He opened his hands in an exaggerated shrug as though he were apologizing. "When he speaks the truth."

The man from Chicago shook his head. "So there's no misunderstanding between us. You refuse to return our wares, you refuse to pay for them, and you refuse to accept our invitation to join our enterprise."

Forrest smiled again. "So it would seem."

The man's calm exterior seemed to melt away into something hard as granite. "That's too bad. I've been given very specific instructions if you refuse."

Rose was watching him closely and took another step closer to him. "I will be cleaning your blood from this floor before you have a chance to finish whatever you think it is you are going to do here."

The man turned to her, his guns still steady Arthur and Peter. "Well," he said turning back to Forrest, flashing a sickly smile. "At least one of your pieces of ass has a brain." He began backing away from the table towards the door.

Rose watched him, keeping the gun trained on him. She found it curious he could walk all the way across a strange room without taking a misstep.

"This is a mistake hillbilly," the man said once he reached the door. "I'll be coming back for you all. And next time, you won't see me coming." He turned to Rose. "You too sweatheart," and he winked at her before he pushed his way backwards out of the door and took off. By the time Arthur and Peter had reached the front porch with their guns drawn he was roaring away in a car.

Forrest stayed seated at the table. Once the sound of the engine faded down the hill she laid the shotgun on the counter top and laid her hands flat against the damp counter. The moisture of the counter matched the moisture on her shaking palms.

Arthur and Peter returned. "Looks like he borrowed a car from someone in town," Arthur reported. "Looked familiar but I can't place it. First the Klan, now this...gotta say brother. Things are getting a little intense."

Rose moved to begin clearing the tables left from their customers who had fled.

Peter frowned at her. "Hasn't been too good for business that's for sure." Peter agreed as he too started clearing tables.

"We had some new customers today," Rose commented idly. Forrest was staring hard at the table and she assumed his brothers were giving him a minute to sort out what all had just happened.

"I imagine they are here because of you," Peter said with a strained smile.

"Me?"

"Well perhaps not directly, but I imagine the new people are here because they heard about what happened with the Klan. Town gossip straight from the sheriffs office."

Rose nodded. "I guess I never thought that would happen when we went to the sheriff."

"One of the reason we normally don't." Arthur was still in a foul mood and he snapped his words at Rose in an unkind voice.

Forrest turned to glare at Arthur and stood. He scooped up all the glasses from their meeting including his own, which was only missing his first sip.

"So what are you planning on doing boss?" Arthur snapped angrily.

Forrest turned and gave his brother a disbelieving glare.

Rose stepped forward. "Arthur," she said laying a hand on his bicep. "You have to know that man's who goal was to divide us."

"Divide us? You mean like you? Did they send you here to do that to us as well? You think by pulling a gun you are going to prove yourself worthy of him?" He snorted in disbelief.

Rose stood there, her mouth open, looking as though she had been slapped.

Arthur spun on his heel and slammed out of the door. She heard the truck crank over and disappear up the hollow.

Rose didn't move, she couldn't. She felt embarrassment burn through her. She had always known she wouldn't be welcome anymore once it came down to this. She couldn't look at either Peter or Forrest. She felt their shock as well, but it wasn't like her own. She stared down at the plates in her hands uncertain what to do with herself now. She very slowly set them down and moved to the stairs with every intention of returning to her room and packing her bag. She couldn't stay here now. Not like this. Not knowing what Arthur truly thought of her.

"Rose," Peter called after her, but she didn't look back. Forrest stood, stopping him as Rose disappeared up the stairs.

"Let me."

Rose was sitting on her bed, wiping fiercely at her eyes when her door opened.

She glared up at whoever opened it. "You forget how to knock?" she demanded angrily.

Forrest arched a brow and whistled under his breath. "I'm beginning to think we are having a poor influence on you."

Rose turned away from him, blushing furiously and then was angry for being embarrassed by her behavior.

"Arthur didn't mean that," he said from the doorway.

Rose sniffled. "Yes he did."

Forrest stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Well, maybe he did in that moment. But I guarantee you he is regretting it right now. That man insulted Arthur and he wasn't allowed to retaliate. He threatened all of us and Arthur wasn't able to stop that in it's tracks as he normally does. He is out of sorts against that type of man. Arthur has never fully understood what else is out there and what they are capable of. He just now is understanding the danger we are facing from both the Klan and Chicago. And Chicago is his fault."

Rose nodded. She did know all that. "Rationally I know that." She said dabbing delicately at the corners of her eyes.

Forrest nodded. "Good, I'm not going to have to stay up all night sitting on the stairs now am I?"

Rose glared at him, for the first time feeling real anger directed at Forrest. At his assumption he understood her and his dismissal of her feelings so easily.

"Leave me alone please," she snapped.

Forrest smiled at her then, a full real smile, as though her anger entertained him. "Are you throwing me out of your room?"

"Yes, I want to be alone. It has been a hard couple of days and I am exhausted."

"You slept almost a whole day after what happened with the Klan."

"It took that long for me to get to sleep."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Nightmares," She said uncomfortably.

Forrest came into the room and sat on the bed. "You saved our lives you know."

Rose snorted. "Peter told me this exact same thing here just this morning when I woke up."

"Peter was in your room?"

Rose turned to Forrest then and saw something in his face that might have been jealousy.

"Yes, he came to check on me."

That seemed to make Forrest feel better. "Of course he did." He said, and turned to go.

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked in a small voice.

"Probably help Peter finish cleaning up downstairs and close up shop for the night. Again."

"No," Rose said. "I mean about the man from Chicago, and the Klan?"

Forrest shook his head. "I'm not sure."

She touched his forearm. "That man," she said. "He's a mad dog."

Forrest nodded. "He's unhinged."

"No, Forrest. I know cruel men, I have felt their cruelty first hand. That man is cruel and crazy and he likes it."

Forrest stared into her eyes. She could see his anger on her behalf and a sadness there she did not understand. He gave her a grim smile that she thought was supposed to make her feel better. It didn't. He reached out and gave her hands a squeeze before he stood and turned to leave. "I think we are going to go into town for dinner, if you want to join us."

"Sick of my cooking already?" she forced out a mirthless laugh.

Forrest smiled with her. "We thought it would be prudent to get the gossip from town after the Klan's attack and the sheriff's investigation."

Rose nodded. "That's a good idea," she said with a smile.

Forrest winked at her and for a moment looked very much like Arthur. "That's why I'm the boss."