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chapter five, it's a deal
THE JOURNEY BACK TO CLEMENS POINT felt long and was not something that Anna particularly enjoyed. From time to time, she would wince at the burning sensation of the rope that rubbed harshly against her bare skin. And it certainly didn't help that the outlaw himself decided to badger her with questions, especially ones regarding her association with the O'Driscolls.
"So what did you do to get on Colm's bad side then?" Arthur inquired, occasionally glancing at the girl behind him as he rode back to camp.
"What's it to you?" She retaliated.
"Just trying to make conversation, is all."
Anna sighed heavily. "If anything, this is my brother's mess. I was just unfortunate to have been caught up in it all."
"Yet you're still riding with him?"
"He's my brother—"
"Doesn't mean you have to follow him around like a lost puppy." He intervened, causing Anna to roll her eyes. "It's important to look out for yourself. I don't see why you need to get dragged into all his troubles."
"Yes, I understand that he can be reckless at times but he's doing his best to look after us. It's not easy living in a world riddled with selfishness." Anna reasoned, her tone a little curt. She could see where Arthur was coming from and it sounded like Anna had no reason to still be riding with Elijah. But Anna knew well of the effort that her brother was always putting in to provide for his people and in return, she wanted to do all that she could to support him—even if it meant having to justify his negligent actions every so often.
"Well, the world certainly isn't fair."
"That part is painfully clear." The girl huffed. "Anyway, Elijah is, and always will be, family to me. Not that you care to hear about it."
"I said no such thing." He protested.
"Yeah, yeah." She muttered dismissively. "What about you? You got any family, other than Dutch and the lot?"
Arthur shook his head. "Not exactly."
"How long have you been riding with them?" She queried.
"About twenty years."
That's quite a while, Anna thought to herself. She assumed that with a big gang like his they would've made a lot of money by now. Probably enough to get them somewhere far and away from the law. But then again, Anna had been in America for almost twenty years of her life, working hard to survive, and was still stuck in the poverty pit. If anything, achieving the American dream was merely a myth for those who had no money.
