𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍; 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍

TWO

IT was Wednesday and Mrs. Cumberland was packing her daughters things. Anastasia's parents had yet to tell her the news she'd already knew. Her father had been extra mean to her and she had a nasty bruise on her cheek bone to prove it. The bruise was so fresh it was a deep purple.

"Anastasia, you should be excited. You're going to live with a man that is far wealthier than we are and you'll be giving your family more income." Mrs. Cumberland lectured.

Not being able to hold it back the young woman shot back, "Is everything just money to you?"

Her mother scoffed and yanked Anastasia's wrist up, holding it firmly. "Don't you ever speak to me like that again."

She ripped her wrist out of the woman's grasp with a glare that no one had ever seen on her face. "What does it matter? You're obviously not my mother, if you were you wouldn't treat me like this. Not like we actually look alike anyway so if I really wanted to I could escape without anyone knowing, but I'm being a good daughter by sticking around. I'd really appreciate it if you cut me a little slack."

Her father had been walking by right at the moment and he stalked towards her angrily. Let's just say afterwards she had bruises going up her rib cage.

That night she laid on her bed and silently cried herself to sleep. She didn't want to live with Angelo Bronte and she would do anything to get out of it.

Anything.

***

ANASTASIA woke up bright and early Thursday morning and got dressed into one of her nicer dresses. Her hair went into a bun like it always did. Her blue eyes that usually sparkled were dull that day. She gave her goodbyes to all of her maids and the cooks. As she was pulling away from a hug she heard the front door open.

Anastasia let out a sigh and slipped on her nice white gloves that matched her white and lavender dress.

"Anastasia, come here!"

The woman walked towards the door to see the men that had been there a few days before standing beside her parents. John's eyes widened when he saw the nasty bruise on her cheek. The others noticed soon afterward but tried not to act as if they did.

She picked up her suitcase that was by the door and was about to exit before Mr. Cumberland grabbed her elbow.

"Don't mess this up." He spat through gritted teeth.

She nodded and he let her go as she left through the door the men followed. They'd helped her into a carriage.

John watched the woman as she looked out the small window with a small frown on her face. He felt dirty for doing this but he wanted, no needed Jack back. He wasn't too sure with the way Dutch had been lately that they could go back for her but he'd pitch the idea to him.

John wasn't sure why he felt so guilty about this deal. Maybe because she was too sweet? He wasn't sure.

Soon enough they were at the Bronte mansion and Arthur helped her out of the carriage. He felt guilty too, he hadn't actually talked to the woman but he was starting to see that messing with innocent people was wrong. Arthur didn't have much longer and he was trying his best to do the right thing. So he decided that after they got little Jack back that he would help her with or without Dutch's permission.

Hosea had felt terrible for the woman as well. He wished he could help but wasn't sure how.

Dutch on the other hand felt no remorse. He didn't care. He wanted to help get Jack back so that he could keep John around. Micah had already told him that John was disloyal and if he could keep the man around he could eventually get him killed so that they wouldn't have a rat problem.

Once Bronte landed his eyes on the blonde haired beauty he knew he'd made the right choice of offering her as an option to pay off the Cumberland's debt to him.

"Well aren't you a sight?" He asked moving some of the blonde pieces that framed her face. "Now what happened here?" He pressed his thumb down on her bruise causing her to take a quick step back bumping into Arthur.

"Sorry." She muttered to the outlaw.

Bronte reached his arm out and grabbed her arm, tugging her forward. He then turned to one of his many men. "Bring out the boy."

No longer than a minute later they came back with a little boy that immediately bolted to John for a hug. Anastasia assumed that he was his son.

John shot her an apologetic look before they all left.

***

Anastasia was scared.

She didn't know what Angelo had in mind when he decided she was good enough to trade for. Especially since she knew her parents owed him a great deal of money.

After the outlaws had left, one of Angelo's men led her to a room that she presumed was her new room. It was slightly bigger than her old room.

Anastasia didn't bother unpacking because she was planning to get out of there as soon as possible. She wanted nothing to do with any of this.

The woman decided that she wanted to sit out in the warm weather a bit to clear her head. So much had happened in so little time so she needed some fresh air.

She walked down the wooden stairs and was about to exit through the back door until a hand reached out and grabbed her arm

She jumped and nearly smacked them in the face.

"Where are you going?" She heard a gruff voice ask from behind her.

She turned cautiously and pulled her arm from his grasp. "Outside?"

He nodded and followed her out and watched as she sat on the dock that led out to the swamp.

Anastasia felt slightly annoyed because she just wanted to be alone. But she would take what she could get.

So she sat there and thought about all that had happened. Once she grasped it she didn't know what to think she almost felt numb but also had a burning determination to escape.

She was going to escape no matter what.

A/n: I'm sorry it's short but I'm hoping to make the next chapter longer <3