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Charles' POV
The bright solar rays beat down on the group as we trotted into Emerald Ranch, deciding it was best to stop and take a short rest. Nyx and Kieran were still nowhere to be seen and as we sat at the saloon I began to wonder if I'd ever see Nyx's beautiful face again. I knew she probably hated my guts and doesn't want anything to do with me at this point, but the empty space in my heart desperately needed some sort of sign telling me there was still hope for us.
"Charles, now is not the time to act so gloomy." Sean huffed, glaring at me over the rim of his glass. John rolled his eyes, swishing his drink around nonchalantly.
"I've ruined my whole relationship with Nyx, Sean. You couldn't show a little remorse?" I grumbled in a dull tone. The redhead smacked my shoulder harshly with an unimpressed scowl.
"Ye brought this upon yeself." Sean retorted, his green eyes trailing over to Arthur across the saloon. The brunette was seated alone in the corner, staring into his bottle with his jaw clenched tightly. "Both of ye did." Arthur ignored the Irishman's comment, seemingly lost in deep thought.
"I'm going to get some air." I mutter, pushing my chair back and standing up. As I made my way to the door, it swung open loudly. My breath hitched audibly as my gaze pierced the familiar chocolate brown eyes of lost love. She looked slightly different from the last time I saw her; now wearing a brand new outfit and donning dark bags under her eyes. My mind raced extremely fast as I searched for something to say.
"Charles..." Nyx breathed out meekly, staring up at me with eyes as wide as saucers. I took a step forward, allowing for a sad smile to grace my lips. It faded instantly as the girl flinched back, knocking shoulders with Kieran who immediately stepped in front of her with his arm out as a form of barrier. There were visible tears that began to spill down her cheeks and I furrowed my brows, feeling my heart shatter into thousands of pieces.
"Nyx, I'm s–"
"Back off, Smith." Kieran interrupted. "She doesn't want to talk to you." I glanced back at the boys, who raised their brows in surprise at Kieran's boldness. Nyx held onto Kieran's arm securely, causing an odd feeling to erupt in my gut.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I had no right to treat you that way and turn on you so quickly, it was wrong. I can't live without you Nyx, I've tried! I want you to know that, even if you hate me, I still lo–"
I was cut off by a sharp, aching pain in my jaw. A groan escaped my lips as my head knocked back from the force, my hand grasping the swelling area. Blinking, I stared in shock as Kieran shook out his fist, his teeth gritted angrily.
"Okay, I deserved that." I admitted, lowering my head sadly. Sean nudged past me, smiling softly at Nyx and Kieran.
"You're alive!" The small brunette girl exclaimed, wiping her tears and rushing past Kieran to give Sean a friendly hug. "Harley went out looking, we think she was looking for you–"
"Yes, yes. I was captured by the O'Driscolls and held hostage in their camp. Harley found me and made a rather stupid trade, a hostage for a hostage." The Irishman informed, patting the girl's shoulder with a frown. "We're on our way to get her back."
"You know, I still don't get why she would go there by herself just to save you." Arthur pointed out in annoyance, squinting at the redhead. Sean glanced back at him with a blank expression, his eyes shielding his emotions from us.
"We're a lot closer than ye think, Ar'ter." He replied, earning a wide-eyed look from both Nyx and I. The brunette outlaw furrowed his brows in confusion, his blue eyes flickering from Sean to me to Nyx and then back to Sean. The redhead smirked before changing the subject.
"Anyway, we're just heading out now. Yer welcome to join us. Bit of a journey, t'ere in Annesburg." The Irishman informed Nyx and Kieran, who exchanged glances before silently agreeing to join. I wasn't surprised that they decided to tag along, this is Nyx's best friend after all. I just wished I could talk to her without Kieran constantly butting in. Why did he even care? He doesn't like her... Does he?
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Harley's POV
It has now been almost a week since I became a prisoner of the O'Driscolls. My hope was wearing thinner by the day as I began to think that the gang wouldn't come get me. A sharp hiss tumbled from my chapped lips as searing pain encased my injured shoulder. The blood-covered bullet I had dug out moments ago now sat on the wooden floor between myself and the fireplace. Blinking away stubborn tears, I finished cauterizing my wound and wrapped it up with a bandage. It was a miracle that it hadn't become infected in its time of neglect.
The plan now was to stealthily steal back my various weapons before sneaking away from the camp after sundown. I knew deep down that it was a terrible idea but I was tired of sitting around like a damsel in distress.
It's time to be my own damn hero.
•
Night had just fallen over the O'Driscoll camp, presenting me with the opportunity to make my escape. Colm lied next to me in bed, sound asleep with his disgusting hand draped over my waist. I just about gagged as I slipped out from his grasp and placed a pillow to disguise my absence. The floorboard creaked dangerously in the otherwise dead silent cabin as I slowly creeped out the front door. A small breath came from my nose as I began to weave through the camp, darting between cabins, rocks and trees. I had heard whisperings during my first couple days that my weapons were kept in one of the basements – more specifically – the basement that had once imprisoned Nyx. Biting my lips, I made note of the timing it took for the guards to pass by the stairs. After waiting a couple of minutes, I quickly maneuvered my way over and down the stone stairs into the dark abyss of a basement. Squinting, I began to gather my weapons from a nearby table, allowing time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the figure within the shadows. I spun on my heel, my nose inches away from a beaten face. My hand flew over my mouth, silencing any form of gasp or squeak that would have otherwise escaped. The man was unconscious; chained up against the wall like Nyx had been before. His face donned numerous bruises and cuts, his torso was also bare and bloody. I gulped, taking a small step forward to further examine the figure. My fingertips slipped under his chin, the rough dark stubble tickling my skin as I gently tilted his head up.
"Holy shit..." I breathed out, my chocolate eyes widening at the sight. A feeling of familiarity arose in my gut as I quickly began to pick the locks on his chains, desperately wanting to get him out of here. Once he was free, his motionless body weighed down on my good shoulder as I carefully dragged him up the stairs. Before walking out, I poked my head up from the staircase to check the locations of the guards. Once the coast was clear enough, I hauled the dark-haired man into the shadows of the night.
I continued through the thick trees until I finally stumbled into the town of Annesburg, whistling tiredly for my trusty steed. Sterling came galloping into view, giving me a rush of comfort and relief. After hoisting the rescued man onto his back, I climbed on and set out for Saint Denis in hopes that we could lay low for a while.
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Nyx's POV
"Come on, pipsqueak!" Kieran called teasingly, gesturing for Zaliver and I to pick up the pace. He had given me that nickname not long after our first kiss, playfully pointing out how short I was compared to him. I rolled my eyes with a smile, allowing Zaliver to run faster and pass the rest of the group. Charles and I exchanged awkward eye contact as I passed by, causing an embarrassed blush to dust across my face. "How are you holding up?" Kieran questioned once I reached his side, his eyebrows scrunching slightly in concern.
"I've been worse." I shrug, offering him a half-hearted smile before adverting my eyes to the scenery ahead.
"It's okay to be scared, you know." The brunette said in a more hushed tone, his gaze fixated on me. "Being scared means you're about to do something really, really brave." A comforting smile brought warmth to my heart as I examined his features. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Charles staring daggers at Kieran.
"So, is there something I'm missing here?" Arthur spoke up, coughing a little bit. I blushed, glancing back at the group of outlaws.
"Quite a bit." I replied, avoiding any eye contact with Charles. "Let's just say, being kicked out together has brought us, well, closer." An awkward silence fell over all of us as we continued to journey towards Annesburg. We knew Harley could manage until we got there, therefore we would be heading down to Saint Denis first to stock up on supplies.
Please be alright, Harley...
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Harley's POV
I had set up a small camp by the waterfront just outside Saint Denis. The cold metal of my hunting knife glimmered in the moonlight as I sharpened it, ignoring the harsh noise it made. The bright flames of the campfire warmed my hands while my gloves lay tossed to the side. Above my head, the stars twinkled softly in the midst of darkness.
A sudden groan could be heard from the tent, drawing a relieved sigh from my lips. A few moments passed before the flaps opened to reveal the dark-haired, beaten man. I twirled my knife in my hand, watching his expression light up at the sight of me.
"H– Harley?" His raspy voice pondered as he hesitantly sat on the ground next to me.
"Its been a while hasn't it, Grey?" I chuckled, unpacking some cooked fish from my bag and handing it to him along with a health cure. "Want to tell me how the hell you ended up imprisoned in the O'Driscolls' basement?"
"It's a long story..."
"Well, we've got plenty of time." I respond, smirking at the man. Dark stubble covered his chin, jaw and top lip, giving him a bit of a rougher look than what he had a year ago. His piercing silver eyes mimicked the moon, consisting of darker grey specks and the odd bluish streaks. His black locks were messy and unkept with a few curled ends here and there.
"Well, I've been on the run for a while, I had left camp not long after you and Nyx. I've been lying low, skipping from town to town taking the odd job I could find. The most recent, however, happened to lead me close to the O'Driscoll camp – the closest I've been since my escape. Unfortunately, I was ambushed and captured. Colm recognized me instantly and threw me in the dungeon, subjecting me to regular beatings." He explained, running a hand through his messy hair. I nodded in understanding, shooting him a sympathetic grin. "How is Nyx, by the way?"
"She's alright, a much stronger fighter than when you last saw her. We ironically joined the Van der Linde gang a while back after bumping into to of their members. Kieran's there too, if you remember him."
"The Van der Linde gang? As in Dutch Van der Linde?" Greyson gawked, leaning back on his hands.
"That's the one. They're decent people, much nicer than the O'Driscolls. However, they did find out Nyx and I were originally O'Driscolls and kicked us out, along with Kieran. Anyway, my... friend got captured by Colm, who wanted to trade him for me. So I made the trade and set him free, obviously landing me in the camp once again."
"Did Colm hurt you?" Greyson suddenly asked, now eyeing my shoulder. Through the bullet hole in the shoulder of my shirt, it was possible to see my bandages. "I'll kill him."
"No, this wasn't him." I chuckled. "It was just some of his boys I ran into along the way, who I already killed. Thanks though." I smiled. "Come on, we should treat your wounds before they get infected." We stood up and entered the tent. Greyson settled on the floor as I gathered medical supplies. "This is gonna sting." I warned before pouring some alcohol onto his various cuts. He hissed, grabbing my wrist to stop me. I froze, watching as his expression relaxed before I continued. Once finished, I bandages his major injuries.
"Thanks." The dark-haired man said, giving me a half smile before resting into the sleeping bag. I shrug, brushing off the appreciation with a smirk.
"Get some rest." I left him in the tent before going to put out the fire and began to pack up the camp, only leaving the tent. Greyson was already sound asleep by the time I returned, his fluffy hair sticking up in all directions and a soft smile plastered on his face. I grinned at the sight before settling down on the floor next to him, not having a second sleeping bag for myself. I didn't mind though, as I stared up at the ceiling silently, waiting for sleep to overtake me.
Don't worry Nyx, I'm not alone anymore...