The Viper (A Red Dead Redemption II Story)

Chapter 6: "Saint Valentine"

"I never wanted a quiet, sensible sort of love. I wanted to be devoured."

- Beau Taplin

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I set my father's letter down. I'd be meeting him and Hosea at the saloon in Valentine this evening. I'd been waiting to hear from him, after seeing Arthur at Colm's cabin I knew it would only be a matter of time. Jim had agreed, saying I'd probably be getting that watch back sooner rather than later.

We'd begun packing up camp, having made the decision to stay at the hotel in town. It would enable us to enact a decent alibi for our activities, avoid any unwanted visitors, and I could have a damn bath.

It's been maybe two full days since I killed Colm. Without their fearsome leader, it seemed the gang had more or less broken up. So far only Jim had dealt with a small group of men looking to avenge their leader. All the more reason to move camp, I thought. Between Arthur Morgan and some newly laid off O'Driscoll boys, sleeping somewhere with a lock would be good.

I frowned. The less I see of Mr. Morgan, the better off me and my poor heart are. I'd already berated myself for my clumsy move at Colm's cabin and for my reaction to seeing him.
Stupid heart, nothing's changed. He probably still views me as the damn pest I always felt like around him. He never felt anything for me, I was barely cold in the ground and he was off chasing another lady.

I shake my head. Stop obsessing over it. My father and Hosea wouldn't dare bring Arthur Morgan to our meeting anyway.
They know how I'd feel about that. And how Jim would feel about that.
For a man with his reputation, he was fairly even tempered. But nobody put Jim in a mood like Arthur Morgan. They haven't even met– and though he'd been merely a ghost to us these last eight years, there was a part of Jim that feared my love for Arthur would return, and take me away from him for good. It was a touchy subject.

"Ready, doll?" Jim called, having finished packing our saddlebags.
"As I'll ever be," I called back, closing my bag.
"I like going drinking with Dutch and Hosea, we have a good time and usually end up singing." Jim replied, mounting up.
I laughed at that as we set off for Valentine.

It's true, our monthly meetings tended to get the four of us good and drunk. Ever since Jim and I started, we'd gotten in the habit of writing songs together whenever we had the time, on long rides and such, and Hosea is always excited to hear them.
About a year ago, Dutch and Hosea had brought John Marston to the monthly meet. I'd missed that son of a bitch so much as he'd been like a brother to me growing up.
Anyway, it had given our little meeting a more celebratory air, due to that sweet reunion. We'd all about drank our weight in whiskey, and ended up back at our little camp drunkenly singing songs into the night. I smiled at the memory, it'd be good if tonight went that well. But I had a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that a certain gunslinger was going to appear, whether anyone liked it or not.

We arrived in town, and obviously, I was out of my disguise. Jim and I were not trying to draw any attention to The Viper in town.
We would stop by the sheriff's office later, in all our famous bounty hunting glory, and solidify our cover story as a married couple. I smiled, it was surely entertaining to play both sides of the game. I loved to charm the pants off the lawmen. I was my father's daughter through and through.

We hitched up in front of the hotel, and rented a room and ordered baths. Jim took our bags up while I made my way to the bathing room.

I always try to dress up when meeting Dutch and Hosea, as they like to see me at my best. And they worry less if I'm not armed to the teeth and wearing bloodstained clothes.
Easier to maneuver about town, too. No second looks here when a lady looks like a lady. I thought to myself, as I relaxed in the warm bath.
Drying off, I dressed myself in a simple lavender sheath dress. It was well-made, figure hugging, and not inappropriate. Simply adorned with a few bits of lace and a satin ribbon, it wouldn't draw too much unwanted attention.
I headed up to the room, to ready my hair and face, and try to coax Jim into taking a bath as well. 

---

"I'm coming with ya, Dutch!" Arthur Morgan said, angrily. "I need to see 'er! Explain myself, get back in her good graces!"

"Arthur, I promised her. Hosea promised her. You can't come with us." Dutch said, almost apologetic.

"How the hell am I supposed to fix anything if I ain't allowed near her!" Arthur said pacing.

Dutch rolled his eyes at the show of temper. "What is there to fix? She's with dear Jim McCleary now. They've been practically married for the last four years." Dutch lit a cigar, puffing slowly.

"Ava is married?" Arthur asked, incredulously.

"No, I said practically married. Jim would've asked me first, and invited me. Hosea, John, and Miss Grimshaw too." Dutch smiled at the thought, "I would've walked my baby down the aisle."

"John? Marston? Miss Grimshaw? They've known about Ava? They've seen her?" Arthur demanded, his voice getting louder.

Hosea winced, "Ah, they only saw eachother twice." He pushed thinking, "For all our secrecy, Miss Grimshaw could tell something was going on from Dutch's suddenly happy behavior. And Ava wanted to see John, so we brought him."

"Twice!? Marston saw her twice?"

"Well yes, one time we got good and drunk at the saloon, and the other time was when John came with us on our yearly hunting trip. Should've seen the look on his face," Hosea said, chuckling. Dutch laughed at the memory, mounting his horse.

"This is crazy. This is insane. How I was in the dark about so muc-" Arthur began pacing.

Hosea looked on, amused, from where he sat on his horse. "You're missing the point, dear boy." He said mildly, stopping Arthur in his tracks. "You cannot come with us, but if you were to follow us, well, How were we to know?"
Arthur grinned, before walking towards his mount.

Dutch shook a finger at Hosea, "Bold move, my old friend. Bold move."

Hosea looked at Dutch, "It may be the only way she'll come home, Dutch. Her feelings for him haven't changed regardless of her involvement with Jim."

"That's what I'm afraid of."