Six years had passed, and we had moved around a few times, always taking advantage of the opportunities that the local area had offered us. We stayed quiet in some places, as other gangs had already made a name for themselves, but we were now settled somewhere in Montana, after robbing our first bank a couple of months back. John had grown up together and had become firm friends and drinking buddies. He had kept his word about looking after me and we were somewhat inseparable.
The whole gang had taken me in and shown me how to live off the land and fend for myself. I had brought my talent for horses with me, thankful for the years I spent watching my father before he turned to the bottle. I kept house within the camp under a watchful eye of Miss Grimshaw and learnt how to cook. Dutch had turned out to have mastered the knack of raising a tearaway teenage girl, despite his initial reluctance. He spent hours with me, reading and teaching me everything he believed was important for a young woman to know about the world. I had even managed to pick up some books in each nearby town and learn a new foreign language.
In return, I would partake in his elaborate schemes, finding out key information and often posing as an innocent young woman to coax men into telling me their secrets. I had no qualms in using my female 'talent' to gather everything needed to find the next big job. Both Dutch and Hosea had blessed me with charisma and as a result, deception and manipulation became second nature to me on these jaunts. I could find out the best places to rob or flush out any rick folk passing through town who may be vulnerable to a robbin'.
Hosea had been the one to raise me with kindness, taking the time with both John and I to impart his wisdom for when he 'wasn't around'. He had been the first man to show me compassion and sensitivity and I loved him for it. When I was eighteen, I decided to take Hosea's surname as a gift to him. Arthur told me stories about a woman Hosea had loved called Bessie and how he had left when Arthur was around 15 years old to try and go straight. He was gone for around a year before she passed and returned to Dutch and the others. I wrote him a letter, explaining I would be forever grateful to him for giving me some resemblance of a family. It was the only time I had ever seen him get emotional in front of others so openly.
Although Dutch always insisted I help out in the various jobs he planned, Hosea still hated me taking part in anything that put me in danger, as did Arthur. We had grown close as Hosea always put him on what he so eloquently called ' babysittin' duty'. He was usually the one who came to my rescue when situation went awry, often resulting in a scuffle or worse. Arthur never complained about the inconvenience of having to ensure I was okay all the time on top of his other responsibilities, but it had made him extremely protective over me and my wellbeing, something that Hosea welcomed.
In between Hosea's long and arduous fishing lessons, Arthur had been the one to teach me how to shoot and hunt. I had spent a lot of time in his company, so he confided in me more than others. I had always wanted him to see me as a woman, rather than the innocent little girl he once found in a cabin. He hated me flirting with other men and often I would find myself looking over to him sitting at the bar from across the saloon when men were ogling me, his eyes burning holes into mine. We had chemistry, but it would often over spill and result in tempestuous arguments. He never acted on whatever feelings he may have had for me, but we knew there could be something there if we both wanted there to be.
I knew he had a son with some waitress up North and that every so often he would disappear for a few days to check in on them. When he was younger, he had also had a relationship with a girl called Mary on and off for a couple of years. Even though they were sweethearts, she was never any good for him and soon enough she had left him high and dry. Since she had left, he had been even more possessive over me and miserable during our outings, making it near impossible for me to do my job. It was only a matter of time until something happened…
Apologies for the time its taken me to write this chapter, its taken me a long time to refine as writing is still something I am practicing. I hope you like it!