𝔴𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 𝔰𝔲𝔫 ⟡ ʀɖʀ2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟷𝟻

Woke up with the worst headache I think I've ever had. I knew I was drunk as piss last night, but Jesus Christ, this was a whole new level of drunk. It's pounding and I feel as though there's plenty of pressure behind my head. I can barely move without feeling like I'm going to hurl. "Ahhh, fuck." I groan out as I turn onto my side. I'm literally in the middle of the ground just outside the plantation house. My breath hitches while I try to stand but my stomach is saying otherwise and I'd rather not puke all over the ground. Never fun to have to try to clean that shit up when it's covered in dirt. I sigh deeply as I just stare up at the cloudy sky, looking like it's gonna rain today. Which sucks. I know I'll have to get up at some point when it happens.

"There he is, all woken up and lookin' like hell." Nate exclaims while walking over to me with some coffee. "Here, get some of your energy back. Big day today."
"The hell do you mean big day?"
"We're doing the bank job today."
"What now?"
"Dutch... Wants to rob the Saint Denis bank today."

Now I do feel like vomiting, but I stand now with the adrenaline running through my veins. "Today? Really?"
"Yes today, I said that already. You feelin' alright, Ash?"
"No... No I'm not--- Who all is goin'?"
"Well, Hosea, Dutch, Abigail, Lenny, Charles, Micah, Bill, John, then you and I."

At least Sadie and Selina weren't involved in any sort of way. I still cared about Sadie in many ways, we did put all the sleeping together behind us now of course. Never speaking on it again. Shit happened. Doesn't matter now. I'm sweet on Selina, Sadie still sweet on her dead husband. Better to look at things like an older sister and brother in a sense. Weird, but it's the wild west. Nothing much is weird nowadays.
I shouldn't be scared. Though... I am. That's the worst part about everything. I could die today, I knew I could.

"Sel know 'bout me goin'?"
"She does. Her only hope is you comin' back to her and your child. You know how it goes."
"Fuck, here I thought Dutch was gonna leave me outta it."
"He could never. You're a son of Dutch, just like me... We just need to survive."
"Survive. Yeah, just like every other bullshit plan that good ol' Dutch comes up with."
"Damn, here I thought you were still trustin' him."
"My trust is gone, just like my life might be. Let's just go get ready."
"Sure as hell feelin' better now, ain't ya?"
"No, I feel like shit still but I gotta do this now don't I?"

I walk into the plantation house to gather up my suit, Nathan not too far behind. Three piece suits of all things, hair has to be nice. Facial hair, trimmed. What kind of bullshit job is this? Since when was looking like proper gentleman part of the deal?
I look myself over as if I'm staring at myself for one last time. Crazy and bad business I was involved in right now and how I have been. I just shake my head before I turn and walk out of the house. Soon to spot Selina waiting for me just outside. I try to give her a smile but it just doesn't feel possible at the moment. Smiling at her when I was going to be staring death within the face. But yet, she still manages to smile at me. I don't know why and I don't know how, but she does. She gives me her bright smile and I swear I could probably shed a couple tears just looking at her.
"Ms. Hinton. My beautiful girl. It's mighty nice to see you right now."
"Is it now, Mr. Sanders? You... You look handsome."
"I... I suppose I do."
"Chin up, loverboy. You'll be fine. I know you will. Ain't never met a man more tough than you."
"Not even Buck?"
"No... Not even Buck. You, you're somethin' far more. I just know it."
She comes up to me and places a kiss on my lips, then it's just a long embrace between us. I knew I had something much more to fight for now. Her, our kid, everything in between. I was risking the future against my will. Dutch wouldn't put Selina in this, knew he wouldn't. But me, it didn't matter. I was here first and I knew exactly what I was signing up for.

"Asher! Let's get goin'!" I hear Arthur shouting near the wagon where Hosea and Abigail were waiting, as well as the rest of the other boys on their horses. I didn't wanna leave her, I swear to god I didn't.

"You'll be back, Ash. Know you will." Sadie states while exiting the plantation house, leaning against one of the pilers. "I'll make sure she's alright. Have some girl time. Just get back here when it's all over."

"What she said, Asher. Come back to us safely." She mutters before pointing down to her lower abdomen, making me smile in the slightest bit. "Boy! Swear to god you don't get over here, I'm gonna lasso you up and drag you all the way to Saint Denis, now, let's go!" I hear Arthur call out once more. I shake my head with a slight chuckle, kissing Sel once more before running off and hopping onto my saddle. One last look at her before we're riding off to Saint Denis. If this went south, I had to escape. First sign of trouble and I was out of there. I swore up and down about it. I'm not being taken away from the girl I love so damn soon.
I also knew damn well, I wasn't going to no Tahiti with Dutch and the rest of these fools who were believing in him. There was just no way.