“I’m sorry, Jonnie, there’s nothing I can do.” Said the large white man as he leaned back in his chair and stretched towards the ceiling.
“So, that’s it then?” asked Jonnie, frustration in his voice. “You’re just gonna drop us like that?”
The big man frowned slightly as he leaned forward and put his hands down on the desk in front of him.
Stetson (who was sitting beside Jonnie, to the left of him) took off his long-billed burgundy fedora and stared down at it for a few moments, then let out a sigh, almost sounding defeated.
“You’ve been a customer of ours for a long time; you’re the most loyal customer we’ve had, Borris.” Stetson paused, never looking up from his hat as he shook his head. “Our father worked for you for over a decade, and you laid him off…”
“You know I didn’t have any control over that: I had to do what the company told me to do.”
“But you could’ve stuck up for him.” Stetson said softly.
“It wouldn’t have done any good, they would’ve had my job too if I’d pushed.”
Stetson frowned, his nose scrunching slightly. “Sure… I understand.”
He stood up and shrugged, a smile growing on his face.
“Nothing we can do to change your mind on this? We really need your business, Borris: mom and dad are struggling, and we are too.”
Borris shook his head, closed his eyes, and let out a long, deep breath.
“I really wish I could continue buying moonshine from you boys and your dad…” the big man sat back and put his hands up. “it’s out of my hands, Stetson.”
Stetson nodded as he reached down and patted Jonnie on the shoulder, chuckling and smiling as he spoke. “Of course… I understand.”
Stetson turned, put his fedora back on, walked to the door, and twisted the deadbolt lock.
No sooner than he had done it, and the sound of the lock clicking was heard, Jonnie sprung out of his chair and across the desk, like a frog jumping from one lily pad to another, running his right elbow into Borris’s face and tackling him to the floor.
Borris shouted and pleaded as Jonnie rained one punch after another down on him, holding the big man’s throat with his left hand and driving his right fist into the big man’s face, again and again and again, several times over.
Stetson frowned, tilted his head slightly to one side and closed his eyes momentarily, pleased with the sound of Jonnie’s fist running into Borris’s face. Then, Stetson reached under his black suit jacket with his right hand and drew one of his Colt 1911 .45 ACP caliber pistols.
Stetson turned, the 22-year-old young man humming to himself as he casually walked back over to Borris and pointed the gun down at the man’s head, Jonnie stopping his assault and standing up beside his younger brother as he rubbed the knuckles on his right hand.
“I don’t give warnings, Borris.”
Borris put his hands up in a defensive position, crossing them in an X over his face as he pleaded through blood.
“Please… please… I…”
“Lucky for you, though, my father does and he’s who’s in charge.” Stetson pulled the gun back and smiled. “So…” he turned and opened the top drawer on Borris’s desk, pulled out a slip of paper, then turned and walked to a safe in the wall on the left side of the room.
Within seconds, Stetson had the safe opened, and he was filling his pockets with money and deeds to lands that were rich with oil, some even currently producing oil.
“We’ll accept all of this as back payment and you get to live this time.” Said Stetson.
“We know you have thugs you like to try and send out to intimidate people and do your dirty work too.” Said Jonnie as he stared down at the big man.
“I’m begging you to send them to the farm, Borris: please send them.”
“Come on, Jonnie: we’ve got what we needed.” Said Stetson, motioning towards the door with his pistol.
“And Borris… about Jonnie’s invitation; I know you’re not that stupid…” Stetson reached down for the doorknob, turned it and opened the door, Jonnie exiting the room first. Stetson smiled, turned as he closed the door, poking only his head through as he slowly pulled it the rest of the way shut. “but I wish you were… I really do wish you were.”
Appalachian Post 
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