"Are you sure about this?" asked Julia with the razor in her right hand.
Arthur was seated on the chair next to his cot, his body was covered by a big cloth while his beard was already white from the shaving cream.
"Sure. Just don't slice my throat if you can" he said tilting back his head and looking at Julia who raised a brow at him.
"Don't give me any reason to" she joked preparing herself for the task.
"Okay" laughed Arthur, making Julia smile.
It had been three days since the man had woken up and for three days, Julia had mocked him about his long beard. So, Arthur suggested her to shave him since he didn't have the energies needed for the task.
"Alright, stay still" said Julia sighing and gently she passed the razor from Arthur's middle neck to his jawline, in one smooth motion.
It was easier than she thought if Julia had to be honest.
When the man suggested her to help him with shaving his face, she wasn't sure she could do that, thinking that she could have hurt Arthur.
But after a couple of times, she got the hang and sped up, doing a reasonably good job. Or at least that was what Arthur told her once she finished.
"Alright. Now let me see those bandages, see if we need to change them" Julia said cleaning Arthur's face from the remaining shaving cream.
"Miss Grimshaw helped me with them three days ago. They're fine" said the man waving at her before he rubbed his face enjoying the feeling of his smooth skin.
"If you say so, but if the wound itches, then we need to change them" Julia said giving him a threatening look.
"I'm fine" chuckled the man.
"Okay" smiled Julia.
Julia helped Arthur get back to his cot and then covered him even if the man told her he wasn't cold. But of course, Julia won't listen to him.
Arthur wasn't the type who needed attention, but at that moment, he loved that Julia had eyes just for him.
Sometimes he would get jealous if he saw her talking with Charles, touching him or smiling at the man who seemed more confident with her than with the others. And the fact that she had offered him to run away with her once she got all her money back, made Arthur even more jealous.
"You should eat more. You've been a week without eating" she said sitting on the chair next to him.
"I'm fine" repeated Arthur sighing almost exasperated.
"You always say that. You would say that on the point of dying" mocked Julia making the man laugh.
"Maybe you're right" he said shrugging.
Julia looked at him in the eyes and the same did the man. She stretched her hand and caressed his jawline and cheeks, enjoying as much as Arthur the feeling.
"Do I look good?" asked the man, his eyes still on Julia.
"I prefer you when you keep it a little longer, but yes. Better than before for sure" she said lowering her hand and caressing the little scar he had on his chin.
"Some fight at the saloon?" she asked looking at it.
"Something like that" sighed the man, lowering his eyes.
Julia hummed, bringing his hand on the hair behind his neck a little longer than two weeks ago.
"What about the hair? Should I cut them too?" asked Arthur raising his eyebrows at Julia making her chuckle.
"Nah, I like them" she said continuing to touch them making Arthur shiver.
Julia noticed that but said nothing and instead just smiled.
"Miss Grimshaw threatened me to cut them in my sleep" said Arthur looking at the camp and noticing that Dutch was walking towards them.
"Don't worry, I'll protect it from that old crone" whispered Julia in his ear, before the man reached them.
"Morning my dear friend. I notice some change" said Dutch bringing his usual cigar to his lips.
"It was time" said simply the man glancing at Julia.
Dutch gave her a knowing look that made her smile a little embarrassed.
"Of course. My dear, would you excuse us for a moment?" asked the man and Julia nodded at him.
"See you later" she said to Arthur before she got up and got out his tent.
While she was walking away, she turned and looked at the two men, noticing that Dutch was probably mocking Arthur who answered in an exasperated voice while his cheeks grew a light tint of red.
Julia shook her head smiling and headed to the main campfire where she sat on the log.
A couple of minutes had passed when Sadie reached her, seating next to her.
"Thought you were with Arthur" said the woman adding another log to the fire.
"Dutch needed to talk to him" answered Julia looking over at Arthur's tent where the two men were still talking.
"I see. Anyway, I need to talk to you" said the woman turning her head to Julia and giving her a serious look.
"What, you need a rifle this time?" she joked making Sadie chuckle.
"I would like that, but I'm better with guns. But this is not what I wanted to talk to you" she said giving Julia another serious look that she couldn't ignore.
"What's going on, Sadie?" she asked frowning.
"I was in town the other day and I heard a couple of men talking about a group of shady men at the border. From the description, they seemed O'Driscolls" explained the blonde woman while Julia rubbed her forehead realizing what she wanted to do.
"You sure about it?" she asked looking at the flames.
"Yes" answered Sadie in a decisive voice.
"So, what you had in mind? Go there and kill the lot of them, like that? What if we drew more attention to the camp? We already have a lot of troubles" said Julia sighing.
"They killed my Jackie and if I have to, I'll kill every last of them" replied the woman with an angry tone.
"I don't know" sighed Julia shaking her head.
"Think about what they've done to Arthur. Maybe the man who shot his arm is there" Sadie reckoned.
Julia sighed but soon after smiled at the woman.
"You know how to convince a vindictive bitch, don't you?" she asked rhetorically.
"I know that I'd like to hear the same if you had to convince me" said Sadie with a proud tone.
"Alright, but no one has to know what we're doing" said Julia standing up, followed soon after by Sadie.
"Fine by me" the woman replied before they headed to the horses.
Once Julia reached Wind Catcher, she petted him a couple of times on the neck.
"Hey, awesome. You feel like taking a walk?" she said before she got on him and still petting him, she led Sadie out of the camp.
"We need to go north of here, right?" Julia asked as they got on the road.
"I believe so" answered Sadie, fixing her hat on her head.
"Alright. Let's hope those bastards are still there" said Julia, more to herself than the woman.
They stayed silent for a while, focusing more on the road and the few men who passed by and looked over at them.
Julia noticed how Sadie would tense up every time she saw someone coming towards them and how she would stare at them until they were far enough.
Julia thought it was normal after the shock the woman lived.
"So, you and Arthur?" Sadie said, catching Julia off guard.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, acting numb.
"Oh, come on, Julia! Everyone can see what's going on with you two" exclaimed Sadie exasperated, making Julia shook her head.
"I'm just repaying him for when he took care of me. It's not what all think it is" she replied but couldn't stop a smile.
"Pft. 'Course" whispered the blonde woman.
"I admit that I like him more than when we were younger" Julia sighed, looking over at Sadie who raised an eyebrow at her.
"He can't stop staring at you. He doesn't just like you" she said, pressing on the last two words.
"Oh, shut up" Julia chuckled moving her eyes on the road.
"Listen, I've been married for a long time before I turned out a widow. I know how love is and whatever you and Arthur have, it's pretty close" Sadie said more seriously, making Julia look over at her for a moment before her smile disappeared from her face.
Even if it was like Sadie was telling her, she wouldn't, she couldn't allow herself to feel anything for Arthur because she knew it wouldn't work.
He was too attached to Dutch and she was too attached to her duty and promises. Most of all, that particular one.
"I can't afford love right now, I have..." Julia said, shaking her head, but before she could finish, Sadie interrupted her.
"A promise to keep yeah, I know. But think about you for a moment and ask yourself what's you really want" said again the woman glancing at Julia who looked at her and nodded.
"Just...let's take care of those O'Driscolls" she said, changing the subject.
"Alright" answered Sadie.
They were still following the road and almost reached the border with the Heartlands when they saw some smoke in the distance and some horses.
"There. You think it's them?" said Sadie catching Julia's attention.
The woman pointed at the little camp in the distance and Julia took out the binoculars from her satchel.
"Let's see" she said scanning it.
She saw some men, with ugly faces and rough attitudes. One of them was talking to another, who pushed him and yelled something at him.
"Yeah, it's them...or at least they look a lot like them" said Julia lowering the binocular.
"Let's gonna ask them" Sadie said spurring her horse and Julia soon followed her, putting away the binoculars.
Once they reached them, the two men who were arguing, stopped, and looked at them as five more got out their tents.
"Are you Colm O'Driscoll's men?" asked Julia.
"Maybe, why?" asked one of them, with a sharp, perky nose and ugly teeth.
"Because if you are, it's gonna be your damn last day on this earth" answered Sadie before Julia could.
She looked at her amused by her answer even if she knew it was provocative.
"Listen, sweetheart. It's better for you if..." started the man, but before he could finish the sentence, Sadie put a bullet in his chest.
The man fell back on his back and yelled in pain looking at the hole in his chest before his eyes closed and his head fell back.
"You whores!" yelled another man starting to shoot.
Julia and Sadie got down their horses that ran away and started to shoot back at the man, taking cover behind a tent.
"It's them" said Julia making Sadie laugh in a sadistic manner before they both got out and started to shoot.
Julia hit one of them in the neck but before the man died, he shot, missing for a couple of inches Sadie who had run behind some crates.
Julia moved in turn and shot another one in the head while Sadie killed one of them who was hidden behind a tent and was about to shoot at Julia's back. Then, the blonde woman ran towards another one and shot him, hitting his arm. The man did to run away, but Julia shot him in the back.
The last two surrendered, throwing away their pistols and raising their arms in the sky, pleading the two women not to kill them.
"Please, we don't want any trouble. Just let us go"
"Did you let my Jackie and me go?" asked Sadie shooting the man in the groin.
He kneeled with his hands between his legs as the blood stained his pants and Julia was sure his screams had reached Rhodes. But she didn't kill him, not yet. She wanted Sadie to take her revenge on them, so she could do the same for Arthur.
The other man started to cry, and Julia was pretty sure he had peed his pants too, scared to lose his balls as well. But Sadie was more merciful with him and just shoot him in the head.
The other was still yelling and rolling on the ground and when Sadie turned, she shot him three times in the face, so that no one could recognize him anymore.
A heavy silence fell upon them as Sadie lowered her gun and looked around, breathing deeply.
"You okay?" asked Julia.
"They deserved it" the woman said, her voice slightly broken.
"They sure did" said Julia putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Bastards...you think Colm will blame Dutch for this?" asked Sadie looking at her.
Julia sighed shaking her head.
"It can be, but I've got an idea" she said walking to one of the tents and with her knife, she cut a piece of it and then walked to the man who was on the ground.
She used his blood to write a message with big letters that didn't seem to be feminine, and then she signed it with two letters.
"LR. Who is it?" asked Sadie frowning.
"Lemoyne Raiders. It's their territory, after all, they had all right to kill them. So, Colm won't suspect about Dutch" explained Julia, putting the message near the dead man, using his arm to block it.
"You're dangerous, you know that?" said Sadie with an amused look.
"People keep telling me that" smiled Julia.
They looked around for a moment before they called their horses once again.
"Better go back to camp" said Julia looking over at Sadie who was still looking at the dead men.
"Yeah, okay" she replied getting on her horse.
They got on the road and followed it back to camp in silence until they saw the camp in the distance between the trees.
"Thank you for coming with me" said Sadie looking at Julia who nodded.
"Whenever you need, I'll help you. I know what it feels to lose someone you love" she replied.
"I never asked you who was that you lost" asked the woman and from the look she gave Julia, she knew it was a question.
I fell in love with a boy, back at Conhope when I worked as a prostitute for some years. He was the Mainor's son and he didn't want him to marry a whore. He combined a marriage with the daughter of a powerful man who had reached the town. He didn't do anything to stop his father nor did he tell me. One day he just showed up with his new, pretty wife. He was dead for me" she explained.
"And then what happened?" asked Sadie carefully.
Julia sighed, tilting back her head.
"I killed his father" she said eventually.
"Damn" whispered Sadie.
"Yep, that bastard deserved it" said Julia smiling proudly at the blonde woman.
"From that day, I never considered to fall in love again. Never happened again, to be honest" added Julia shrugging, and she avoided looking at Sadie, who smirked at her words.
They reached the posts and got down from their horses, looking at the others who seemed not to give two shits about where they've been or what they did.
Julia stopped Sadie by her shoulder, making her turn her head at her.
"Better if Dutch doesn't know about our...little revenge" she said looking at the man in the distance, who was discussing with Molly as usual.
"You think he won't thank us?" asked Sadie turning her head to the man.
"Not right now" Julia said drawing back her hand from the woman's shoulder.
"Okay, sure. It'll be our little secret" said Sadie, smirking and winking at Julia.
The next Julia spent all the morning helping Miss Grimshaw while paying a visit to Arthur's tent every now and then to ask the man how he was feeling.
Arthur watched her work, and, in the meantime, he wrote in his diary and drew Julia while she was helping Kieran with the horses.
When she finished, she reached the man and let herself fell onto the chair next to his cot, exhausted from the hard work.
"You okay?" chuckled the man peering at her from his diary.
"Sure, just working from the six in the morning" sighed Julia stretched her legs and putting her feet on Arthur's cot.
He didn't mind and instead continued his sketch about Julia.
"What you writing?" she asked tilting her head to her side to look at the diary that Artur quickly moved closer to his chest.
"Oh, just what happened these past few days" he said without lifting his eyes from the diary.
"Anything about me?" asked Julia, smirking when she noticed the man's cheeks grow red.
"I-I...w-well..." he stuttered closing the diary.
"Don't worry, you don't need to tell me" Julia assured him chuckling amused.
"Alright" sighed the man shaking his head.
"I'll just take your diary while you sleeping, and read all you wrote about me" added Julia looking at the camp.
"You wouldn't" said Arthur giving her a threatening look.
"Oh, I would" smirked Julia staring back at Arthur.
He shook his head again and frowning he scratched his shoulder, just above the wound.
"Does it itch?" Julia asked putting down her feet.
"A little" answered the man.
"Let me see it" she said sitting down next to Arthur's.
She gently started to unbutton his union shirt and initially, Arthur tensed up as her hands moved quickly on them, her eyes fixed on his chest.
He stared at her, waiting to see a disgusted expression on her face when her eyes fell upon all the scars on his flesh, but that didn't happen and he relaxed against her touch instead.
Julia gently unwrapped his torso from the bandages, peeling carefully the last piece that had stuck on the healing wound, gaining a moan of pain from the man.
She glanced at him for a moment, the time he just waved his hand to let her know it was okay. Then she lowered her eyes on the wound that was red and throbbing.
It has to be cleaned Julia said looking at Arthur, who sighed and nodded.
She prepared some hot water and a clean cloth with what she cleaned the area all around the wound, carefully not to rub harshly at the tender skin.
Arthur stared at her the whole time: her brows frowned, her eyes focused on his skin, the gentle yet confident movement of her wrist. She knew what she was doing, and that made Arthur relax even more into her touch.
When Julia finished, she wrapped some new bandages around him, smiling at him every now and then when she had to move closer to the man so she could reach the other end of the bandages.
Their faces were so close that if Julia had lifted her head, she could have kissed him.
The thought wandered in her mind for a while as she finished working on Arthur's bandages, but in the end, she leaned back and smiled at him.
"Thank you, Miss" Arthur thanked her in a low, almost seductive tone.
"You're welcome, Mister" she replied in the same tone.
Then she patted his shoulder, keeping her hand on him before she stood up, and with an unconvincing excuse, she walked away.
Three days had passed since then and Arthur had started to feel better so that he could get up. He didn't leave the camp though, even because Julia wouldn't allow him, nor Dutch. The man would complain about the restrains with Hosea, who limited himself at chuckling, making Arthur even more frustrated.
That day, Julia woke up pretty late and once she got out of her tent, she took a cup of coffee and walked towards Arthur's tent, finding it empty.
So, she looked around a little nervously, thinking he had left the camp when, walking towards the lake, she saw him seated on a chair while writing on his journal. She instantly relaxed and smiled at the scene while sipping her coffee.
After a while, she saw reverend Swanson, who seemed soberer than he had ever been in his life, talking with Arthur who nodded at him before the man went away.
He passed near Julia and instantly, grew paler making Julia frown.
"I don't bite, reverend" Julia joked.
"I'm not so sure about it, Miss" replied the man resentfully.
Julia raised her brows at him as he walked away more quickly.
She shook her head and then walked towards Arthur who had raised from the chair and now was looking at her.
"How you feeling?" she asked patting his chest.
"Good. I was actually thinking about going to town" answered the man and Julia gave him a look.
"If I stay here one minute longer, I'm gonna kill myself" he added exasperated.
"You're right. But wherever you go, I come with you" said Julia poking the man on his chest.
"Pretty kind of you" smiled Arthur and Julia rolled her eyes.
"To keep an eye on you, knowing in how many troubles you would get yourself in" she said, crossing her arms on her chest.
Arthur huffed.
"Right" he said before his eyes moved on Dutch, who had reached them.
"Arthur...Julia. How are you feeling?" asked the man putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
"Good" he answered nodding while looking at his feet.
"Bill, Micah, and Sean are in town. The sheriff called for them for an important job. It seemed we impressed him. Would you mind reach them? See if they need any help?" said Dutch ignoring Julia's look.
"Of course" nodded Arthur again.
"You sure, I mean...you've been recovering" said Julia putting a hand over his arm.
"I'm sure" Arthur smiled at her.
"Alright. I'll come with you, then" she said looking at Dutch who nodded.
"The more the better. Let me know how it goes" he said before he walked away.
Julia and Arthur reached their horses and without saying a word they got on them and left the camp, heading to town.
"What the Grays want from us? And what made them ask Bill for help?" asked Julia looking at Arthur who sighed and shook his head.
"Guess we'll know that soon" the man answered shrugging.
"And Micah is there too" Julia added frowning.
"Yeah, I don't like him eighter" said Arthur giving her a look.
Once they entered the town Julia noticed right away something strange...there was no one around. The streets were empty, the shops closed, and the usual stands weren't there anymore.
She was about to call Arthur, who was ahead of her, but then they heard Micah's voice resound in the air.
"You-you're looking real nice today, Bill" the man mocked.
"Shut up" answered the other annoyed.
Looking around Julia spotted them seated on the stair of the bank, closed as well. They quickly reached them and got down their horses, catching their attention.
"We been waiting for you, Arthur" said Micah before his eyes went on Julia.
"But not for you" he said pointing at her.
"Dutch's alright with it. Knock it off" said Julia before the man could add anything else.
Sean chuckled making Julia smirk at him.
"Alright...come on. Let's get going" said the man getting up and leading them to the saloon.
Julia and Arthur exchanged a look before they both followed the man.
"What's the plan?" asked the man while walking.
"We're meeting a couple of the grays at the saloon. They spoke to Bill about a job...needing security" explained Micah, walking backward for a moment and giving Julia a look that she returned.
"After the farce of stealing the horses for them, why we doing this?" asked Arthur and Julia found herself to agree with him.
"'Cause we need to stay in with them...and they're paying" said Micah again while Julia noticed a couple of men near the coffins shop.
One of them was smoking a cigarette, while the other was sweeping, but when they passed by, she noticed the two exchanging a look and then stare at them.
Julia frowned while looking at them and then moved her eyes on the street ahead, noticing some other men spread across the few shops and alleys.
"So what kinda security they want?" asked again Arthur.
"We're about to find out" answered Micah a little exasperated.
As they passed the gunsmith, Julia noticed a man behind the shop who was staring at them and looking around and above her head, she noticed others on the balconies.
Something wasn't right and she wanted to tell Arthur who, with the others, were ahead of her.
"This seem to be legit, Bill?" asked Arthur to the big man.
"Sure" the man shrugged.
"Dutch said we was to keep on dealing with them until we find this gold" said Micah.
"Can we trust them?" asked Sean.
"Can we trust anyone?" replied Arthur, looking back at Julia and when he noticed her worried look, he stopped and frowned at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice.
"Something isn't right. Look around" she whispered back, squeezing his arm and pulling him so they wouldn't stop walking.
"Let's just see what they say" Micah said exasperated, rolling his eyes.
"They said there was some...big misunderstanding about them horses" said Bill looking at Arthur, who was looking around just like Julia had told him to do.
"And...what about burning their fields?" asked Sean frowning.
"They don't know we had anything to do with that" said Micah.
"Oh, that so?" asked rhetorically Arthur, nodding at Julia that he agreed with her.
Something wasn't right for sure.
"Yeah" answered Micah irritated.
"If you really think that, Micah, you're a real idiot" said Julia absentmindedly while glancing at the man leaned against the porch of a near house.
"Excuse me?" he asked annoyed looking at Julia who ignored him.
"They think it was the Braithwaites. Listen, I know these gray boys a bit now. This is on the level" said Bill.
"We're stuck in the middle of some ancient feud, but instead of playing both sides we're being used by both of them" said Arthur, now more angrily.
They were about to reach the sheriff's office when Arthur abruptly stopped making Julia bump into his back.
She looked up at him and he peered from his shoulder.
"Get ready" he whispered at her.
Julia looked back at her and took out her pistols.
"They were saying that Catherine Braithwaite..." Bill started to say, but Arthur interrupted him right away.
"Hold up...this don't feel right" he said, in a low, hoarse voice.
Sean was the only one who didn't stop and instead walked a little further, turning towards them.
"Now it don't feel right? I could'a told you that-"
He couldn't finish the sentence that his head blew up, and his hat fell from his head and before it could reach the ground, a shooting began.
Micah quickly shot at Sean's murdered who was on the roof of one of the buildings while Julia and Arthur turned and shot a couple of men behind them.
"Shit" exclaimed Arthur, grabbing Julia by her arm and pulling her towards some crates.
"What the hell..." said Bill turning and ducking a bullet just in time before he ran the other direction where they had gone.
"Get down!" shouted Arthur, pushing Julia down with him.
"You alright?" asked at her who nodded.
They killed Sean... her mind realized at that moment as she was staring at nothing in particular.
"Dammit" shouted Bill.
"Sons of bitches" he added.
Julia looked over at Micah who was continuing to shoot and the same was doing Arthur next to her.
Julia brought the gun to her forehead and took a deep breath before she peered out of the crates and began to shoot.
She hit a man on the shoulder and then on the chest; she killed another on by hitting him in the neck and another one who was on the roof, by shooting right at his head.
The only thing she could hear was the shooting and the bullets flying all around her while in the background Arthur and Micah were shouting something she couldn't understand.
As they had killed the first lot of them, they decided to get closer to the sheriff's office, where there were more of them.
Julia couldn't understand who they were. They seemed to be Grays, but there were so many of them that she thought some of them were bounties hunters.
"We need to get closer!" yelled Micah at Julia and she nodded running towards a building and hiding just before a bullet could hit her in the chest.
She quickly looked over at Arthur, afraid he could have been hit, but the man was alright and instead was fighting like she never had seen him do before.
He was angry for what had happened to Sean, she could see that, and the thought made her heart ache despite she found the young man annoying.
A white rage hit her as she thought about him, and coming out from behind the building, she started to shoot at every man she saw, killing them ruthlessly.
The shooting ended as it had begun and they all looked around and then at each other, noticing some survivors running away.
"See that? Those cowards are running away" laughed Micah.
"Looks like most of 'em" answered Arthur looking around.
His eyes fixed on Julia who, like him was still looking around, waiting for another assault that didn't arrive.
"Not all of them" answered Micah gesturing towards the sheriff's office.
"Sheriff Gray..." growled Arthur heading to the small building.
"Where's Bill?" asked Julia realizing with dismay that the man wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"We'll find him later" replied Micah neglectingly.
Julia gave him a stern look that the man ignored while they reached the building.
"Sheriff Gray! You need to get a hold on this town, it's going to hell!" yelled Micah and if Julia wouldn't have found him so unbearable, she would've laughed at his words.
"Who do you think you are? Bunch of two-thigs from God knows where? You're so dumb to think we don't know what you been doing" said the man from inside his office.
His voice was quivering, Julia could hear that and that made him even more disgusting to her. But what she found even more annoying, was the fact that Dutch had been so stupid not to predict that this would've happened soon or later.
"Come out, sheriff. It's over" repeated Micah.
"We put down worse than you...a hundred times over. This is the Grays' town. Always has been, always will be!" shouted the sheriff, still inside the building.
"If you don't come out right now it'll be the Deads' town, sheriff" replied Julia with calmness.
"You are nothing but a whore!" shouted the sheriff and Julia shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Alright, that's it, sheriff! Come out!" said Arthur, visibly annoyed by the man's comment on Julia.
There was a moment of silence, in which the three of them exchanged a look.
"You want us to come out? We'll come out" said suddenly the man with a new wave of courage in his voice.
The door burst open and the first one who got out was Bill who was covering sheriff Gray as other three men got out and positioned themselves, pointing their guns at them.
"Oh...Bill..." moaned Arthur shaking his head.
"Guns on the ground now, all of you" said the deputy pointing his gun at Bill's head.
"Don't do it!" shouted Bill.
"You know we can't do that. You put the gun down, sheriff!" said Arthur angrily.
"I'll blow his brains out!" yelled the man, his voice was quivering again.
Julia was tired of words, so she took out her pistol and put a bullet in sheriff's head while Micah and Arthur took care of the others.
"Shit...thank you Julia" said Bill looking down at the dead sheriff, who had a bullet right in his forehead.
"Do me a favor, next time try not to get caught" replied Julia putting away her pistols.
"Alright..." murmured the man coming down the stairs of the porch.
Turning around Julia saw Arthur reach Sean's body and kneeled near him looking at him with a defeat expression.
"He was a good kid" he said with a sigh.
"Well, how the hell was I to know?" asked Bill gathering his rifle from the ground.
"Let me see...they set us up once before...they didn't like us...we destroyed their farm...should I go on?!" shouted Arthur looking at the man.
"Go easy on him, Morgan, he was out trying to find a lead, same as you, same as Hosea" said Micah catching their attention.
"Yeah, with the difference they wouldn't let this happen! I told Dutch to let this go, but no! He wanted to rob these fools that have nothing but a name! And Sean's the one who paid the price" replied Julia pointing at Sean's dead body.
"Oh, don't lecture me. You're exactly the same, you wanted their money and you would have killed everyone here to have it. You're no better than us, just acting high and mighty all the time because you, like them, have just a name and a bad reputation! said Micah with the only purpose to make Julia angry.
"You want to find out about my reputation?" she said turning towards him with a threatening look.
"Stop acting like a tough guy. You're not tough and as sure as the sky's blue, you're not a man either" mocked the man.
Julia never wanted to punch someone so hard, but right at that moment she did, and she did nothing to stop herself from doing so.
Her knuckles found the man's nose so easily she asked herself if this wasn't meant to be. She who beat the hell out of that piece of shit.
Micah stumbled back, his nose was bleeding and a fierce look into his clear eyes, but before he could reach her, Bill had stopped him from his shoulder as Arthur grabbed Julia from her waist, stopping her from jumping on the man once again.
"You are so dead!" he yelled at Julia.
"Next time keep that shithole you have as a mouth shut! Or I'll shut it for you forever! You hear me?!" she bit back.
Micah had tried to free himself from Bill's grip, who just tightened more on him.
"Stop, both of you!" shouted Arthur, pulling her away and when he left her, Julia looked at him and instantly calmed down.
"Bill, get the boy's body back to camp" Arthur commanded.
"Okay, cowpoke" hissed Micah walking towards his horse while Bill took Sean's body.
"Bury him proper someplace quiet" Arthur added following him to his horse.
"Alright Arthur" answered Bill putting the corpse on his horse before he got on it.
Arthur watched them go away and then turned to Julia who had reached her horse, petting him.
She turned and look at Arthur, who nodded at her quiet question before he got on his horse as well.
Julia followed Arthur out of the town, her eyes on him all the time until he stopped near the woods beyond the road they had tread so many times during those last few weeks.
Arthur stopped and got down his horse, petting its neck before he reached the ruins and sat on them, taking off his hat and rubbing his forehead.
Julia did the same, but didn't sit, just stood there a few steps from him, looking at the ground as the previous events showed up before her eyes again and again.
She sighed and looked at the woods, enjoying the calmness in the air despite the fact she knew everything had gone to hell.
"You alright?" asked Arthur to her and moving her eyes on him she nodded.
"Are you?" she asked in turn getting closer to him.
Arthur didn't answer, just lowered his head and looked at his feet.
"He was like an annoying little brother to me...and even if I don't want to admit it, I had fun riding with him. This is a goddamn mess" Arthur said without looking at Julia.
She was impressed by his words, so deep but simple at the same time. She actually realized how aware Arthur was about their condition, about what they were and what they did. And most of all she realized he didn't want any of this, that he just never could choose, just like her. Just like anyone else.
So, she stepped closer to him and hugged him by his shoulder.
Arthur was taken a little back by her gesture, but then he leaned his head against her warm chest, feeling her heartbeat still a little racing for the shooting, and wrapped his big arms around her waist.
Julia leaned her cheek against his soft hair as she looked around, waiting for something to come, but it didn't happen.
So, they stayed like that for God only knows how long, enjoying the warm and comforting touch of the other, wishing it could never end.
...
HI EVERYONE!
I'm sorry for the late, I've been trying to write and post as soon as possible but here where I'm spending my holidays, the internet is like an oasis in the desert: difficult to find and most of the times it doesn't work as it should.
But, hey! Here I am with a fresh new chapter that I hope you liked.
I'm a little in a rush because I have to prepare my suitcase (tomorrow I'll be back at home), so I'm gonna leave you.
I'll post the next chapter ASAP hoping that everything goes right for once.
KISSES!