𝔴𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 𝔰𝔲𝔫 ⟡ ʀɖʀ2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟹

We talked for a while at that saloon. Many men tried to come up to her but she was quick to shut them down. Saying she needed to respect me as a man who was giving my best shot at courting her. Never thought I'd have a girl who was willing to make me feel like I was going to be lucky enough to be sweet on her. She was surely doing so right now. When nightfall began to come along, she didn't seem to hesitate to invite me to the nearby hotel within Valentine. I only hoped that I wouldn't need to send something to camp to let them know this girl was yet to kill me. She explained how she was from New Austin, but came to West Elizabeth in search of a new life with her mother. Now, she was planning on a move to Saint Denis for her future husband, but, with that going sour, she wasn't sure if it was worth staying in West Elizabeth and was more considering going back to New Austin. Had to admit, I didn't want her to go anywhere right now. Near Blackwater was where she was claiming to be from and I didn't exactly want her to know that I was apart of "Dutch's boys", the ones she kept talking about when it came to the Blackwater Massacre. The one that sent us on the run up into the Grizzlies West in Ambarino. I feel as though she would lose her interest in me all together knowing that I kill people for a living, well, maybe not all the time but I am a murderer. I know that for a fact.

"So tell me, Selina--- Why here in Valentine? Why now?" I question as we're making our way up to her room, removing my hat as I knew that I wouldn't want to wear it at any given point while we were still speaking to each other.
"Thought it was worth the stop before heading back west to be with my mother once more. I never get to see many places and I thought this would be fun. I mean, not much seems to happen here in Valentine. Not one bit. But what is life if it isn't worth the adventure?"

She was a woman of wisdom and I found that to be extremely attractive. It made me think, already, as crazy as it was, her joining our gang and perhaps seeing more of the places around. Feel as though she would enjoy it, but would she like the lifestyle? The amount of running we all did, god forbid we did become exclusive. I didn't want to be like John and Abigail with little Jack. Having a family and trying to be in a gang, don't think I'd have the heart to keep my son or daughter within this sort of environment. Granted, we did keep Jack away from a lot of the bullshit, he was always with his mother, heard the story of when John ran out for the first year because he didn't believe Jack was his, they all did their best to help out. A screaming baby isn't that great, but they did their part as a gang to help raise him. John still has issues, though, from what I can tell, Selina doesn't seem like she is too much of a whore. Though, she did admit that she was supposed to be married and did have multiple men that liked her in that way. I wouldn't know, didn't want to know either. I didn't want to taint this perfect image I had of her.

"Guess you must be right, Ms. Hinton. Not much of a life if you're not on the edge sometimes."

She smiles as she opens her room door, allowing me to step in behind her. Not the biggest room but she did have a nice bed and a good place to eat and change clothing. I wanted nothing more than to sit there and tell her who I was, see if she would run off now. It would kill me to let such a pretty lady out of my sight though. I'm sure she'd go back to her Army fellow though. Could only wonder what made her change her mind about everything with him. Not sure how much they get paid in that job, probably a hell of a lot more than me.
Her green eyes are soon to turn and focus on me once more.
"Tell me, Asher, where are you even from? Suppose I never got around to asking you where you come from as well." Her story was a hell of a lot more interesting than mine. Though, she is sort of casually undressing right in front of me and I knew I needed to sort of contain myself within the drawls as I tried to look away in that given moment.

"Ah, I'm from West Elizabeth, been there all my life... My parents, they... They was killed by some of them Skinner Brothers that are up there currently. Horrible business. Shit happens, myself and my best friend just needed some place to go. We kind of found it I suppose. Never been down to Mexico, never been to New Austin, none of that. New Hanover is a new place as well. Just wonder where the next part of our journey is gonna take us. Lemoyne doesn't seem bad, but in a sense, who really knows."
"Who was your other friend, raspy voice, blue eyes?"
"Oh, he's--- He's a guy we met, nice man. Never hurt no fly. Just an overall, simple man."
"Doesn't seem like it, saw those guns you all carry. Told you can be nothing but honest with me Mr. Sanders. I might be a lady, but I can take blunt words if needed."

I didn't want to say it, I truly didn't. But I knew if I didn't say anything, she'd keep on going on and on about the situation. If I was to lie, I knew it would hurt a hell of a lot more to have her find out the hard way. Couldn't bear much of those thoughts in my mind when it came to her.

"Listen... You tell me if this makes you uncomfortable and I won't hesitate to walk right out this door and leave you be."

She seems confused, her lustfulness doesn't grow more, if anything it's more of a bit of fear hearing my words and the way I was going about everything with her in the given moment. I clear my throat as I finally look down to the ground with a bit of shame hanging, my head just shaking slightly, had to admit, in this moment. I did wish myself and Nathan were homeless rather than fucking bad criminals right now. It would make this a hell of a lot easier.

"I'm one of 'Dutch's boys' I was in that massacre. I had to run when they did. I've got a price of my head in West Elizabeth, so does that guy and my best fella. I'm a part of all that bad mess, wanted, whether I'm dead or alive. That's what I do for a livin'. Not no army man, not no saint. Just tryin' to make it out here. I won't hurt you... I promise. I genuinely think you're a nice girl. Don't want no harm to come to you."

She seems stunned for the moment. Her talking all that bad about Dutch and his gang when in reality she was talking about me and everyone else I personally knew. I didn't take it to heart. I knew Dutch was a bad guy, but to everyone in that gang, he was a wholehearted person with nothing but the best intentions for us. She blinks a few times as if she's trying to still process my words and it makes me begin to put on my hat before she's quick to come and stop me. We're close now and I'm a bit stunned to have her touch me like this. I wasn't thinking she would stop me, yet, she has.
"Mr. Sanders... I will admit, I don't usually like men like you. Outlaws--- I'd like to believe will become a thing of the past one day. We'll all just be civil people within this society. But, there is something about you that screams that you want something else more than being the bad man you are. I can see it behind those brown eyes of yours. You're much too good for this business and so are your friends. Pure hearts shouldn't be doing this."
She read right through me and that was hard to do sometimes. I just nod in agreement with her. I knew we were probably the last of the outlaws. Between the other gangs and us, we weren't much of what was left.
"What do you want from me, Sel? You know everything you could possibly know, how do I know you ain't 'bout to run outta here on me and tell the law we're here?" She shakes her head with a smirk. Just eyeing me up and down.
"Because, Asher. I find you extremely attractive... Think you're wearing a little too much to be within my presence right now." She began to unbutton my shirt and at this moment, I knew exactly where this was going and I wasn't going to stop her.
This right here was exactly what I needed in my sad life right now.