Johnnie and Stetson Hargrove backed the truck up until they felt the gentle bump of the loading dock, then they exited the truck and walked up to the small wooden door just to the left of it and knocked.
Within moments, their knocks were answered by a large white man who spoke with an Italian accent.
“You want something, yes?”
Stetson nodded as he took his long-billed burgundy fedora off his head and squeezed it in his hands.
“Yeah, let us come in out of the cold.”
“Stetson.” Jonnie snapped. “Try to act like you have some manners.”
The large man stuck his hand out and laughed, shaking Stetson’s and nodded as he spoke again.
“I like you my very small friend; you come in and talk with me now.”
“Of course.” Said Stetson with a shrug.
Once inside, they followed the large man to his office watching him walk in before a tall, white man, with glasses, stepped in front of them.
Stetson smiled and gestured with his head towards the large man that had just entered and that they’d been talking to.
“You wanna get out of the way so we can do business?”
The tall man scoffed and shook his head.
“I’ll decide if you get to come in or not.”
Stetson put a finger up and took and took a deep breath in, but before he could say anything, Jonnie stepped up beside him and put his hand on Stetson’s shoulder.
“My little brother isn’t the greatest with words sometimes.” Said Jonnie with a smile of his own. “We’re here on behalf of our father, Rocky Hargrove; he’s a very well-known man, perhaps you’ve heard of him?”
The tall man nodded. “I hear that your daddy is a pretty respectable man.”
Jonnie smiled a little wider.
“Yeah, he is… So, we just wanted to…”
“Leave.” The tall man said plainly.
“Excuse me?” asked Jonnie with a slight frown.
“Leave.” The man repeated.
“Luca, I invited them in.” said the Large man from behind them.
“Yeah, Luca, so get out of my way.” Said Stetson.
“Stetson, stop.” Jonnie urged firmly.
“You better listen to your big brother kid.” Said the tall man.
Stetson sniggered. “Who are you anyway?”
“I’m the gatekeeper.” Said the tall man.
Stetson grinned. “Is that a fact?”
Suddenly, Stetson’s right foot shot upwards like a bolt of lightning, and he struck the tall man in the groin, causing him to lift off the ground a bit, his eyes rolling back into his head as he feinted.
Stetson placed his fedora back on his head, looked down at the man and tipped his hat brim.
“Hello, Gatekeeper, you just met the battering ram.”
He and Jonnie walked into the room, Stetson sitting down in the chair across from the large man that had let them in and Jonnie stopping to lock the door.
“Usually I’m the diplomatic one, but that all goes out the window if I think I’m in danger or someone wastes my time.” Said Stetson as he took his blue topcoat off, revealing his two Colt M1911 pistols, both resting in their holsters on either side of his ribcage.
The big man simply chuckled and held a hand up.
“Easy, easy my friend: I would not have invited you in if I did not intend to do business with you.” He reached down, opened a desk drawer and pulled out a large paper bag then handed it to Stetson.
“I hear that your flavored Moonshine is the stuff of legend.”
Stetson nodded. “People like it because it tastes good and you can drink it all day.”
“I want 500 cases by this time next week.” Said the large man.
Stetson nodded as he stopped counting the money in the bag and looked back up at the man.
“You’re gonna need to give me 4 more bags just like this one then.”
“Consider this down payment.”
“How about I consider it severance pay and we leave the room without you.” Said Stetson.
The big man and Stetson stared each other down for a few moments and then the big man burst into loud boisterous laughter and stood up, walked to his safe and pulled out several bundles of cash, piling them up on the desktop in front of the brothers.
“This is so you know I’m serious.” The big man said. “Count it and if it’s too much, you keep it for yourself and buy something nice; I’ll do business with you: I like a man who is strong and stands on business; I feel I can trust these kinds of men more.”
“If blunt honesty and no bull is what you want, then Stetson’s your man.” Said Jonnie.
The large man chuckled as he nodded. “Yes, I think he is The Man.”
Appalachian Post 
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