Gustav’s hands upon her was an unexpected –and unwelcome– gesture. Memories returned with a vengeance, of enduring the touch of her master, of fighting her own instinct to let him do as he wish. For a moment, Victoria was lost in the memory, familiar dread pooling in her gut.<br/><br/>But then she remembered where she was, and struggled against his grip. “Let go!” she snarled, and then gasped as she fell hard against the door and her air escaped her lungs. Dammit, had he always been so strong? He was miner, but still! Fabric screeched as she strained against him, anything to free herself from his maddened grasp.<br/><br/>Finally, she had the good sense to slammed her booted heel into his foot. His grip faltered, and she tore herself free, pushing him to the ground as pain distracted him. “Get out!” she yelled, her voice carrying through the brothel. Angry fingered twists in his collar, and dragged him out the room and towards the stair, “Go on now, get!”<br/><br/>~*~<br/><br/>“Xia” she introduced, loud enough that the handsome fella at the bar could hear too. She eyed the woman, Cassie, and wondered if she might be amenable to the fairer sex. Some girls did for pay, and some for fun, and Xia let herself get hopefule. Always hard to tell for sure, and risky to ask, but alcohol always seemed to ease out the truth of the matter.<br/><br/><i>“Afternoon, ladies. This a private game, or kin a fellah join in?”</i><br/><br/>“Plenty o’room,” Xia acknowledge, shuffling the deck. Cards flashed out into neat piles before the others, but before Xia could check her hand, commotion erupted from upstairs. Xia Turned her gaze that way, just to see Miss Vickie tossing the German fella out. Shaking her head, she let out a nervous laugh, “That damn cave in is turning the town crazy.”