Barlow Faces Off Drunks for Ben

Barlow was not a man to mess with when facing an adversary!

Excerpt from my novel, Warm Embers Burn Deep.

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The men were trappers and drunk. The stablemaster, Beedy, was among them and had informed them of the “black slave boy” who was sleeping in his stables. These pro-slavers decided to go and have some fun with the kid, but Barlow was leaning on the door beside the stables, waiting for them.

 “Hiya, pals!” he said while leaning unconcerned against the door. He yawned and shook his head slightly. “Watcha up to at this time of night?”

 At first, the drunkards seemed a bit confused by the man who stood before them, but then a couple grew a bit cocky.

 “Heard you got a n***** here,” one said while waving his bottle in the air.

Instead of denying it or becoming defensive, Barlow shrugged and admitted it. “Sure enough,” he mumbled sleepily.

“We wanta see him dance,” another said, and a few of them laughed.

 “Can’t,” Barlow said calmly. “He ain’t the dancin’ type, and I got a lot of work for him to do tomorrow.”

Barlow gave Beedy a determined look while still pretending to seem disinterested in the entire proceedings in front of him.

 Beedy must have gotten the message loud and clear despite being inebriated. Barlow was really no one anyone should mess with, even when he seemed like he didn’t care. He had been in many a wrestling match with him over the years, all in fun, but still was one determined cuss when standing against an adversary. He had also seen Barlow when he was not in a good mood as well, and he knew the danger signals that could rile the trapper.

Beedy made a lewd joke and led the men back down the street to the bar. He knew better than to mess with anything that “belonged” to Layn Barlow.