"The world will tell you that in order to solve your problems, you gotta find the solution. What they don't say is that all the solutions they provide usually only cause more problems."

— Forbidden Fruits

CHAPTER TWO

»»☆««

Marinette got herself a glass of what the bartender liked to call wild west whiskey. Well, she hadn't actually gotten it herself because she needed to keep her identity a secret, but she was still able to choose the drink—even though Elias instantly recommended she get something else. But Marinette had always been too stubborn for her own good.

Her brother was right, of course. The drink was absolutely disgusting and burned her throat like hell, but that was beside the point. The point was that she wasn't even allowed to drink, simply because she was the mayor's daughter, and her father was totally okay with drinking so long as his daughter never partook in it. The point was that she wasn't allowed to do something that her brothers had all been allowed to do when they turned twenty-one.

The point was that she, as a woman, deserved the same perks her brothers received simply for being the opposite gender. And she was tired of allowing her father to control her life.

"I bet if mother was still alive, she would have brought me here herself." Marinette said as she twirled the leftover whiskey around in her glass. From across the table, Elias had a glass of his own which he'd barely touched. In fact, he seemed to be frowning into his glass more than he cared to be drinking what was in it.

"Ma was never a drinker." Elias said absently. "You woulda never seen her in the saloon."

"And I suppose that's because father told her she couldn't?"

"You supposed right."

"The fact that he thinks he could control his wife and now his daughter like that is just so wrong." Marinette gruffly spoke before she downed the last of her drink. "Like he has some kind of... authority over me where he thinks that gives him the right to control my life."

"Hmm, I think you might be forgettin' somethin'," her brother pointed out, "He does got authority over you." For the first time that evening, she watched as Elias took a long sip of his whiskey. Her eyes widened slightly at how easily he downed it. "But if you got hitched, you and I both know Pops wouldn't be able to tell you what to do anymore."

Marinette rolled her eyes at that. "You think marriage would be my freedom? I'd only be taking orders from another man, especially if the marriage was arranged. Father would have a say in it if that were the case."

"Then marry a man of your choosin'."

"There ain't any good fellas here worth my hand."

A slight smile pulled at her brother's lips as he took another swig. There was no argument on his end, so she could only assume that he seemed to agree with her assessment. "Then maybe your best bet would be to leave this god-forsaken town."

"And leave my brothers behind who clearly need me?" She decided to match his teasing, smiling into her empty glass. "What would you boys do without me?"

"Get into less trouble, that's for sure." Elias chuckled.

Marinette chuckled as well. "None of you need me to get into trouble."

They lapsed into a more comfortable silence after that, minus the ruckus throughout the saloon as other drunk men laughed amongst each other. She watched her brother, who seemed to be in a much better mood since they first arrived. He was actually smiling now, seemingly enjoying his whiskey, whereas before he had seemed incredibly tense and not exactly thrilled to be at the saloon sharing a drink with his sister.

His smile quickly fell, though, the moment he spotted something behind her. Out of instinct, Marinette turned to look over her shoulder to indulge her curiosity. She stopped, however, the moment Elias reached forward and took hold of her hand.

Their eyes met across the table. His gaze was stern. "Don't look."

She opened her mouth to ask him why, only for those words to fall dead on her tongue as the saloon suddenly fell into a dangerous silence. Her shoulders involuntarily tensed as the only sound that could be heard now were the eerie thumps of a newcomer's footsteps.

No one moved a muscle. No one said a word. All they did was simply watch.

Marinette remained focused on her brother's eyes. She did as she was told and didn't dare look over her shoulder, but she did remain entirely focused on his expression. And boy, did Elias look anything but friendly in that moment.

The man everyone seemed to fear ordered himself a drink. Not even the bartender said a word to him. His drink was served, and not a second later the glass slammed on the counter, the man demanding for another. After his second drink was served, he drank and left as fast as he came. He didn't even pay his bill.

As soon as he was gone, voices slowly began to fill the saloon once more.

Elias let go of her hand, but his jaw was still set.

"Who was that man?" Marinette asked quietly.

Elias huffed out a breath through his nose in annoyance. He shifted a bit in his seat, his gaze going off to the side. "Do you see that poster over there?" He gestured where he wanted her to look with a jerk of his head, and instinctively, Marinette's eyes followed to a wall in the back of the saloon decorated with different wanted posters.

"Which one?"

"The one with the largest reward." He answered.

Her eyes instantly focused on the poster with the largest reward. $1,000,000. There was an image that could hardly be helpful, but it was enough to make out a figure dressed in black, a ringo hat hiding his eyes. It was hand-drawn and faded. This criminal was wanted dead or alive and was definitely wanted very badly if whoever caught him would be given a reward as grand as that. She had a feeling her father really wanted to see this man in chains... or perhaps hung from a noose.

Her eyes lowered to where his name was printed on the poster.

Chat Noir.

"It was him?" Marinette's eyes widened in realization. Chat Noir was indeed quite a famous name in their town. Everyone knew of that name. "The famous bandit whom no one has ever seen what he looks like with their own two eyes? He just walked in here... just now?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't see his face?"

"Nah. That bastard had it hidden well."

"Why did you not fetch the sheriff?"

"Do you really think anyone around here is brave enough to counter that man?" Elias downed another swig of his whiskey. She swallowed the lump in her throat simply watching him do so. Idly, she wondered if it burned. "Everyone fears him, and with good reason. You've heard the legends; I know you have."

Yes, she had. There wasn't a single person in Deadwood who hadn't heard of Chat Noir. No one knew his real name—only the silly name he'd dubbed himself with. He was like a terrorist who loomed over their small town like a dark shadow, feared by all who knew what he was capable of. He was known for his petty thieving... but he was also known for the blood on his hands.

"Yes, I've heard them." Marinette said.

In the legends and stories concocted about him, Chat Noir was known to be a masked man driven by gold. He always wore black, and usually, his face was covered with a red bandana. His eyes were always covered by the visor of his hat—whether he wore a ringo or a top hat, and no one who told the legends about him could ever say what color his eyes were... because no one had ever seen them and lived to tell about them. Chat Noir was usually a thief, but if someone were to get in his way, there was no doubt that he would shoot holes through their spleen. He was like a ghost, feared by all but seen by none.

And that was why he could easily enter the saloon, get a drink, not pay for it, and walk out unharmed. Because he knew no one would approach him.

Her eyes darted to her left when four men all suddenly stood from their table and exited out of the saloon together.

Elias set down his glass, his eyes also following them. "They've gone to tell the sheriff."

"And what good would that do?" Her question was rhetorical. Marinette shook her head in disapproval as she watched them leave. Frowning, she finished what little she had left of her drink, which was basically a drop. Her glass had been empty a while ago. "He's probably long gone by now. They won't find him."

"What the people in this damn town haven't realized yet is that you don't find Chat Noir," Elias said with as much seriousness as she believed he could muster. "He finds you."

Marinette's eyes wandered towards the entrance of the saloon, where Chat Noir had entered and exited only a moment prior. She swallowed heavily as she simply stared.

"And what happens when he finds you?"

Elias downed the rest of his drink in one swig at that. He slammed the glass on the table, startling her.

Then his eyes lifted to hers, cold and hard. "Dunno. Nobody ever reappears to tell the story of their one-on-one encounter with Chat Noir."

»»☆««

The ride back to the Manor was quiet and rather unsettling. For Marinette, her twenty-first birthday was meant to be one she would never forget—and what an accomplishment that had been. The only thing that left her unsettled was the reason why she would never forget it. Not because she had disobeyed her father, and not because she had gotten a taste of alcohol, but because Chat Noir had unknowingly crashed her evening, leaving her worrying if he had seen her in the saloon. For any man to have known the mayor's daughter was in the saloon that evening would have been a catastrophe in itself, but for Chat Noir to know?

If he cared, that was like inviting death onto your doorstep and praying it didn't kill you.

Her brother remained awfully quiet the entire ride home, which wasn't unusual for Elias on occasion. However, it was easy to tell that he too silently worried over the same thing she did. Neither of them spoke about their worries as they rode in silence. There was nothing that needed to be said. Since Chat Noir had made an entrance, they had to be cautious.

"Good. Y'all are back just in time! Pa is slowly wakin' up." Jasper was the first to greet them at the barn, relieved to see them (but mostly her) well. She found herself smiling even despite her unease. "Did you have a good time?"

Marinette nodded, her smile hopefully enough to mask her unease. "Yes, I did actually. Thank you again, for your help in getting me there."

"Anythin' for my little sis." Jasper grinned.

Elias quickly and silently dismounted, gently tugging on his horse's reigns. The beast slowly trotted after his master into the stables. Marinette watched him pass with a frown on her face, and Jasper too followed his brother with his eyes, confusion etched in his features.

"Elias?"

Their dark-haired brother paused in his step. He didn't turn to look over his shoulder. Instead, his shoulders tensed as he gruffly answered his brother's unasked question. "Chat Noir made an appearance at the saloon."

Jasper's eyes widened at that, fearfully so, might she add. He turned to look at her, his irises holding a worry beyond her comprehension. "Did he see you?"

Marinette shrugged, unsure of it herself. "I wouldn't be able to say. He didn't act as if he did."

"He doesn't need to." Jasper wrung his hands together nervously, though his tone countered his anxiousness. It held determination. "It's all a game to him. That cunnin' son of a gun enjoys the thrill of the fun. If he saw you—"

"He most likely knew you weren't supposed to be there." Elias finished his brother's thought. "You are the mayor's daughter, and everybody knows that. Even Chat Noir."

Marinette frowned at that, even if it were the truth. "Why does it matter if he knows?"

"No one was supposed to know you were at that saloon." Elias bit out rather harshly. His tone caused her to lean back, astounded that he would ever use such a tone with her. He huffed out a heavy breath through his nose, his nostrils flaring to exemplify just how angry he was. Where was his anger directed at? She wasn't entirely sure. "Do you have any idea what could happen if that got out? If Pops found out? You wouldn't be the only one with their reputation at stake."

"That is not what this is about," Jasper interjected before Marinette could comment on the matter. "This is about Marinette havin' a potential target on her back when it concerns Chat Noir. That is more important than a silly reputation."

"'Silly?'" Elias shot his brother the ugliest glare she'd ever seen him muster. "My whole life is ridin' on my reputation. Do you have any idea what could happen to me if someone found out I took my baby sis out to go drinkin'? I could lose my meat business!"

"And I could lose my scholarship," Jasper countered, "But I'd do it again if she asked me to."

Marinette offered her brother a fond smile, which Jasper instantly matched.

Elias scowled at the interaction. "Then you are a fool." He turned his back to them a moment later, resuming attending to his horse. "As much as I love you, Marinette, what happened back there cannot happen again. I got my own future to think 'bout, and now I gotta worry 'bout that bloody bandit possibly takin' an interest in you."

"What?" Marinette blanched at that. She already detested simple men trying to win over her affections, but the most famous bandit in all of Deadwood? "Why would he take an interest in me?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Jasper answered with an apologetic smile. "He might be a bloody bandit, but he ain't blind. You are a beautiful woman, lil sis, and any man with eyes can see that."

Marinette folded her arms over her chest, a frown pulling at her lips just at the idea. She could only imagine the scandal that would arise if Chat Noir actually took an interest in her. A part of her wanted to laugh at the idea. A man such as himself may have had thieving and blood on his hands, but surely he wouldn't be brave enough to consider asking for her hand in marriage? He would have to be delusional to actually think he could stand a chance, let alone gain her father's approval and blessing for such a union.

She scoffed at the notion. She would never marry a man of the likes of him anyway.

"Whatever his intentions may be, we can't risk pretendin' it didn't happen," Elias said as he removed his horse's saddle. He placed it on the rack underneath where her own saddle hung. The space was still empty due to her mare still remaining tacked. "We should tell Jesse and Cody 'bout this too. Five minds on the matter will be better than three."

"Surely we don't need to tell them?" Marinette proposed with a nervous smile. She knew her brothers better than they knew themselves (no matter how much they denied that fact), which meant if Cody were to hear about this, he would be the angriest of them all.

"Why wouldn't we?" Elias raised a skeptical brow at her.

"Because I can already picture Cody's rage and Jesse's overbearing lecture."

Elias furrowed his brows. His forehead crinkled too much for a man as young as himself, a sign of prolonged, evident stress. "I don't feel right not tellin' em." He said, folding his arms across his chest. "They're our brothers, and they have a right to know what's goin' on."

"They're just going to throw a fuss over something that might not even be anything to worry over," Marinette insisted truthfully, "And anyways, I already got an ear full from you. I do not need it from two more overprotective brothers."

"She has a good point," Jasper interjected, his pointer finger raised.

Her dark-haired brother still seemed unsure. Nonetheless, he seemed to consider her request. "Perhaps, for now, I won't say nothin'," Elias concluded with an emotionless expression. "But if somethin' does end up happenin', I will tell our brothers whether you like it or not."

"Fair enough." Marinette outstretched her hand. She could live with those conditions because she was almost certain nothing would happen. Marinette had been a well-known person in their community since the day she was born, and Chat Noir had been terrorizing Deadwood since the beginning of time itself.

Elias slowly outstretched his own hand, the siblings sharing a firm shake of truce.

Chat Noir had plenty of time to show an interest in her. If he hadn't yet, why would he start now?

_______________________________

THE SECOND CHAPTER IS HERE WOHOO!

I apologize for taking so long to update. I was desperately in need of a break.

Buttttttttt I'm back now and hopefully to stay!

Thank you all for your patience 🤍

See ya in the next chapter!

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