"Davey, Mac, Jenny, Sean and now Kieran," Grace muttered, her fingers tracing Arthur's veins on the back of his hands. "Too many people in a short time, Arthur. Who's next? Me? You?"
"No one," Arthur sounded confident. His arms squeezed around her body, comforting her. "Maybe if we never met up with Colm, none of this would have happened."
"That ain't true, it's Colm. If any man can hold onto a small grain of tension, it's him," Grace sighed, her fingers stopping as she looked out into the field they sat in. They both needed to get away from camp for a few hours at least, what happened today was a nightmare. "I just don't want us to suffer like Kieran from Dutch's past. Dutch caused all of this, killing Colm's brother."
"When we get enough money, we'll be out of this shithole. Away from Colm, the pinkertons..."
"Until the time comes where it all bites us in the ass," Grace grunted.
"Grace, come on," Arthur sighed.
"No... no," Grace began, turning slightly to look up at Arthur. "Today was fucked up. Dutch would never decapitate on of Colm's boys and ride them back to their camp. Colm is capable of anything, he proved that today. Arthur..." Grace trailed off, turning back away from his and resting her back against his chest once again. "This is getting too dangerous. I-I don't want to die, not over this."
"I understand," Arthur breathed. There was silence for a moment before Arthur continued. "Dutch isn't to blame though. Colm did this, Dutch tried to make peace but Colm keeps coming back for more. Yes, they have a rocky past but if anyone is to blame, it's Colm."
Grace felt guilt for blaming Dutch but she couldn't help it. If Dutch had never killed Colm's brother maybe there wouldn't be a gang feud.
"Thanks for helping me put up those posters, again. I needed to take my mind off of Kieran," Grace thanked for the hundredth time. After they had helped clean up the camp, Grace asked Arthur to ride with her to Saint Denis to put up the posters for the horses.
"It's fine," Arthur chuckled lightly, telling her that for the hundredth time again.
"And you'd be happy to help me with selling them too?"
"Of course, I like acting as your bodyguard," Arthur joked. Grace laughed. "See? I made you laugh. Keiran was a good man, he saved my life. He wouldn't want us all to mope around and feel sorry for him. He hated Colm just as much as we all do."
"Except some of us still held the fact he was an O'Driscoll against him. I feel bad to think that he was treated badly by some of us. Sure, I treated him poorly when he first got dragged around with us, we all did because we were afraid. But, I realised I shouldn't treat him that way, I wouldn't like to be treated like that so I gave him a chance. Why would he want to stay with people like us?"
"Because we became his home. He was happy to be with us. Compared to Colm, we are good people. Compared to good people, we are bad. It's funny how things turn out." Arthur chuckled. Grace nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I guess so. You're good in my eyes though," Grace grinned, leaning her head back on Arthur's chest to look up at him. He smirked, grabbing her chin with one of his hands, keeping her eyes on him.
"That'd be the first," he joked before pressing his lips against her forehead. Grace's eyes fluttered shut from his touch, her eyes opening softly once he had finished. She grinned again, reaching a hand up to cup the side of his face.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," she sighed before sitting back up and turning her body around to face him, her legs crossed in front of her. He grinned, Grace knew he had felt touched from that. "And I don't want to imagine what it would be like to lose you."
"Grace..."
"No, this is going to get us killed. Whether it'll be Colm or the Pinkertons, or some enemy Dutch happens to make-"
"I ain't going anywhere, never," Arthur cut her off. Her eyes caught his, staring at her with passion. "Today has shaken you up. Things will get better."
"Arthur, I'm being realistic. Maybe we should get out before anything-" Grace stopped talking when Arthur got to his feet. She looked up at him, frowning before he began to walk back to his horse. "Arthur!" Grace called out angrily as she scurried to her feet, hurrying after him. "Don't you walk away from me!" She demanded when suddenly he had stopped and spun around, his face looking down at her. Grace held her breath.
"No... no. Grace, if you can't handle this life you need to leave. Mary left and look where that got her. She was happy. You shouldn't be with me, I'm holding you back from greater things." Arthur muttered. He held his breath. "You need to leave. You're right, this is getting dangerous."
Grace frowned as he began to turn his back to her. She quickly reached out for his arm, forcing him to stop, his back still to her.
"I ain't leaving you! You sure as shit know that," Grace snapped at him. He stayed with his back to her. She gently let his arm go, her own falling by her side as she looked at his back, her eyes watering. "You said you weren't going to leave me."
"I don't want to leave you, Grace. You're scared of all of this. Mary left for the same reason that you want to."
"Don't compare me to that bitch," Grace spat in disgust. She always hated Mary. Mary was never cut out for this life but yet she still hung off of Arthur like a flea. "I'm not scared of this, I'm scared that I'll have to bury you or you'll have to bury me."
Arthur finally turned around, pulling Grace in close to him. She shut her eyes as she felt his arms wrapped around her, burying her head into his chest, her hand rested beside her head.
"That won't happen, I mean it. I love you, Grace," Arthur muttered softly, calming her down. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek.
"I love you too."
The camp was quiet that night, everyone kept to their own, grieving in peace over the fallen Kieran. Grace twirled the bottle in her hand as she sat on the log by the fire, listening to Javier playing a tune while singing in Spanish. Grace guessed it had been a sad song he was pulling just by the emotion on his face and the sound of the guitar. On one side of her was Sadie and on the other was Abigail, both had a bottle of their own too. Grace had managed to convince Abigail to have a drink with them tonight to honour Kieran. Grace took a sip from her bottle, the three of them listening to Javier play. Grace hadn't seen Mary-beth since she returned with Arthur, she knew his death would have affected her. Grace knew she was sweet on him.
"He's in a better place now," Abigail chirped out. Grace nodded in agreement. "Tilly told me he was living on borrowed time and I guess she was right, poor boy," Abigail sighed before taking a sip.
"I know the O'Driscoll's killed Jake but... Kieran weren't so bad," Sadie muttered before taking a gulp. "I didn't talk to him, I think he thought I blamed him for my Jake's death but it weren't him."
"No one deserves to die like that," Grace agreed with them both. They both nodded with her. She held her half empty bottle out in front of her. "To Kieran," she cheered. Abigail and Sadie tapped their bottles against hers, Javier pausing his song.
"To Kieran," he cheered as well before going back to his song. Grace gave him a respected nod, appreciated his respects to Kieran. The three women took a sip from their bottles.
"Tomorrows a new day, I suppose," Abigail nodded. "And I don't want to wake with a hangover," she chuckled before getting to her feet. Sadie and Grace laughed at her joke. "It was fun though. I don't get to hang with you two often because of Jack but now John has really stepped up... I'm proud of him. Jack needs him," Abigail smiled at the thought of her lover becoming his father. "Well, I better make sure John has gotten Jack to bed and they aren't off causing trouble. See you both in the morning," Abigail waved to them. Sadie and Grace said their goodnights to Abigail before Abigail walked towards the house for the night.
"I want Colm dead, Grace," Sadie sighed, burying her head into her hands. Grace's brows furrowed down as she placed a hand on Sadie's back, supporting her friend. "I don't think I can be okay with knowing he is alive."
"He will get his serve one day," Grace sighed. She wished they could go kill Colm for everything he has done. The pain he has put everyone through is cruel. "I promise."
"When the day comes... will you and Arthur help me? I want to kill him," Sadie asked. Grace kept silent as she took in everything. Sadie wants to kill Colm herself but she wants to help of Arthur and her. Grace nodded softly.
"Of course, but we can't do it now. Hosea is planning on robbing the Saint Denis bank. I say we get that out of the way first before going after him. It will take a lot of planning," Grace nodded. Sadie looked up at her, giving Grace a smile.
"Thank you, Grace. I'll be watching their every move so when the time comes, I know where we go," Sadie agreed. Grace nodded, agreeing that was a good idea.
"As long as you don't get caught."
"Oh, I won't," Sadie chuckled before getting up off of the log. She said goodnight to Grace and nodded over at Javier before walking over to where her gun was lent up against Pearson's wagon and headed out on guard.
"I don't blame her for wanting to kill Colm," Javier agreed with Sadie as the two of them watched Sadie walk across the small bridge. Javier moved off of the ground and sat down on the log beside Grace, resting his guitar beside him.
"Yeah, I would too in her situation," Grace nodded, handing him her bottle. Javier took it and took a drink from the whiskey bottle before handing it back to her. She took another sip from it.
"Got to give it to her, she is strong. I didn't know she could fight like that today. All that blood on her, I've only seen that much blood on one woman before and that was you," Javier coughed. Grace chuckled.
"I guess that's what life has done to her. She had to become strong."
Javier nodded in agreement before changing the subject, wanting to lighten up the conversation.
"I overheard Lenny and Arthur talking before. They're heading out to Saint Denis to help Dutch rob that train station," Javier informed. Grace nodded, knowing what he was talking about.
"I know the one, Angelo Bronte told Dutch all about it," Grace added. Javier raised an eyebrow.
"So it was his idea?"
"Yep."
"I don't trust him," Javier began. "Someone who agrees to take a kid under his wing... a stolen kid. I don't trust him."
"No, I don't like him either. I agree with you. Dutch seems confident though, so we'll see what happens," Grace agreed with him. She got up from the log. "Thank you for playing tonight. It was good having some peace after today," She thanked him. Javier nodded at her and she turned towards the house, turning in for the night.
_________________________________________________________
Just thought I would remind everyone that none of the artwork or photography (unless stated) is mine. I will be crediting all the artists of the artwork in the end of the book. ♡
- Codi