"She's lying," Dutch stated with frustration for the third time. He was fiddling with one of his shiny rings with his elbows resting on what passed for a meeting table. Arthur, Hosea, Dutch and Micah had been discussing what Cassidy told them about the O'Driscoll Boys having almost no money left after some local lawmen forced them from the West. No one bought it, Colm never gave up that easily when money was involved.

"Well that much is obvious," Hosea responded, glancing back at their prisoner. He had trouble understanding her, she was hiding behind a hateful personality that felt unnatural to him. He saw a girl who was grasping for some sense of identity until it corrupted her core. Of course, he figured that wouldn't be easily explained to his current company.

"She ain't gonna talk, she'd be more useful to us dead I reckon," Arthur commented, flicking ash off the end of his cigarette. He had no sympathy for her unlike Kieran, at least he'd only been with the O'Driscolls for two months. Something about Cassidy brought out the worst in him, even if he wasn't much different at her age or now on his worst days. She was a reminder that he wasn't above the people he looked down upon, and that angered him.

"Simmer down there, cowpoke. I say we keep her around… imagine how Colm would feel if he found out his daughter is on our side? We just gotta show her that she can have a better life with us," Micah added zealously.

Dutch scratched his chin thoughtfully, could Micah have a point? Colm would lose it if his only legacy turned against him and he'd never see it coming. The thought made him smile slightly.

"I like how you're thinking… still, we can't trust her yet. I'll go have a word with her, see if I can't have a civil conversation with her," Dutch said. He was off before Arthur could object to the idea. He ran his fingers through his black hair, feeling the stiff texture of pomade. He grabbed a stool and took a seat across from Cassidy, giving her a small smirk instead of a harsh glare.

"Colm told me you were a persistent sort of man, you'll chase a dream until you've sunk your claws into it," Cassidy said abruptly. "If you intend to charm me, don't bother."

"Charm? No Miss O'Driscoll, I just want to chat. Is there anything wrong with a bit of harmless chatter between a man and a woman?" he asked even though he'd already answered his own question through his tone.

She raised an attentive eyebrow, suddenly interested in where this conversation was going. "Go on then, it's not like I have anything else to do."

Dutch smirked again, feeling satisfied with himself. "I've known your father for a very long time. How come we've never met?"

A memory popped into her head. A tall, dark-haired man patting her on the head before disappearing into a dimly lit cabin with a younger version of her father. That was Dutch, no doubt about it. She must've been around fourteen then if she had the timeline right.

"We have once, maybe twice. Colm told you I belonged to one of his boys I think," she said.

Dutch thought hard about this, he had a faded recollection about a young girl being at Colm's camp when they were still working together. He never questioned her presence or bothered to speak with her.

"So you grew up around all those… fellers, did Colm keep you safe?" he asked, unsure if he wanted to know what might've happened to her.

Something shifted in her blue eyes, the look of a woman who judged her own experiences because she didn't like to be a victim. "I think you know safety is bullshit in our line of work. And if you're asking if any O'Driscoll boys forced themselves on me then that's a foolish question. It started before I was a woman and stopped when I became one."

Dutch frowned, even he knew that wasn't something anyone should have to go through, O'Driscoll or not.

"Did… did you ever meet a woman named Annabelle?" he asked softly, his voice sounding mournful.

Cassidy froze, she knew that woman. She remembered the beautiful red locks that framed her sharp jawline, and those sly green eyes. Annabelle was like a more beautiful version of Dutch's current lover, Molly. She could still hear the posh accent of the city girl echoing like a ghost from her past. She was the first woman Cassidy met who wasn't a whore, who showed genuine kindness towards her before Colm slaughtered her like a farm animal.

The dynamics between Cassidy and Dutch shifted ever so slightly, the sturdy wall that divided them began to lose its strength.

"She was one of yours?" Cassidy finally asked after a prolonged pause.

Dutch nodded weakly, it was painful for him to remember the only woman he'd ever truly loved. "I had a special place in my heart for that wonderful creature… I'll never forgive Colm for what he did to her."

She scoffed harshly, irritated by Dutch acting like he hadn't murdered Colm's brother a week before Annabelle was killed. "You must've known that Colm takes the saying an eye for an eye literally."

Dutch grimaced. "Your Uncle attacked me, Annabelle was innocent. That's not what I call fair."

For once, she agreed with him. "I suppose that's true, she… she was a good woman, she offered to help me leave Colm if she escaped." She left out the part where Colm killed her after Cassidy begged him not to. That was the only time she felt sickened by the man who raised her. She knew he was a monster, and that meant his killer blood ran through her veins. A seed of doubt was planted deep within her that day, eagerly awaiting a drop of water or even a glimpse of sunlight to grow into something extraordinary. She felt that hopeful craving in the pit of her stomach as she looked at Dutch now.

Dutch's lips parted, he sharply inhaled. He felt overwhelmed by the reminder of how kind-hearted Annabelle was. She was too good for his world. "I imagine your life would've been much different if that happened."

Cassidy hummed in agreeance, refusing to indulge the idea of another path. This was her reality now, there was no way to undo years of bad deeds. Was redemption even possible for her? Maybe, but she didn't feel like trying that hard, at least not yet.

"Look, I know you've got every reason to hate me and just about every member of our big ol' family. Trust don't come easy to me or you, but I think we can find a way to… coexist. What if I agree to let you walk freely around camp if you tell us the truth about Colm's money?" Dutch asked, eagerly awaiting her response afterwards.

Cassidy thought this through carefully, she saw this as a potential opportunity to escape. It was a risky move to attempt a getaway when Dutch was compromising with her. She knew that failing would be better than staying here like a submissive child.

"I'll need a horse then," she said.

…

Cassidy rode on the back of Arthur's horse between John and Charles, holding the map Colm had given her before he left for Six Point Cabin. He distinctively marked the spot where he was planning on hiding the money, though she couldn't be certain if it was still there. She slipped it back into her pocket when she was certain they were heading the right way.

"How much money does your daddy have anyway?" John asked abruptly.

She sent him an unimpressed look. "Call him Colm unless you want another scar on that ugly face of yours. To answer your question, I haven't got the slightest clue. Colm don't share such details with anyone, including me. He said as long as we've got booze and food then numbers should be the last thing on our minds."

Arthur glanced back at her, inserting himself into the conversation. "I guess being a selfish bastard makes you stupider than most folks."

Cassidy smiled cautiously at his comment. She always hated how Colm was so protective over his money. Without thinking, she moved her hand from Arthur's shoulder to his side. He internally stiffened at her touch, shocked by his own reaction and shameful of how it made him feel. He excused it by telling himself it was primal.

"I don't get you O'Driscoll. Why are you helping us out? Colm hates rats more than Dutch does," Arthur said, trying to distract himself.

"Self-preservation is the O'Driscoll way, you know. Colm ain't gonna be pleased with me for betraying him, but he'd be even more angry if I got myself hurt or killed. Then I'd be useless to him," she answered. Saying this out loud made her think about how Colm would threaten to feed her to the wolves whenever she sprained an ankle or took a bullet in the arm or leg. Injury is weakness and weakness is as useful as a dying animal, he'd say.

Charles, who was as quiet as one man can be, finally spoke. "Sounds like you're less of a prisoner with us than you were with Colm."

Cassidy didn't like to be the subject of anyone's observations, especially when it was personal. Her anger boiled like a forgotten kettle, steaming past its own limit. "It speaks? Here I was starting to think you took a vow of silence."

Charles didn't answer, he shook his head to himself. It took a lot more than that to faze him.

"How far is it now, O'Driscoll?" John asked impatiently.

She checked the map again, pinpointing their current location with her index finger. "Take a left into the forest up here… the money should be a few miles out from Six Point Cabin."

The forest was dense, flies whizzing about in search of manure or an animal corpse. Sun rays snuck their way through small gaps between leaves, blinding you if you looked directly up. Cassidy was secretly hoping they'd bump into an O'Driscoll patrol since she couldn't possibly outrun these three on her own. To her disappointment, the only signs of life were birds singing and deer prancing away from them.

She scanned the area for one of her father's usual hiding spots. He liked caves and hollow logs most of the time. After a few minutes of searching, she saw a log covered in moss, old enough that the grass was covering its sides. She jumped off Arthur's horse without a word.

"Where do you think you're going?" Arthur asked, sounding annoyed as he followed her closely.

"Keep following and you'll see," she said. She squatted, reaching inside to feel spiderwebs before touching a metal box, which she dragged out. Arthur firmly pushed her aside, preventing her from touching the lockbox. She knew Colm kept a gun in there, she was planning on using it to steal one of their horses. All her plans to escape felt hopeless, but something was stopping her from putting her usual amount of effort in. Not fear, a new feeling, one that made her uncomfortable.

Arthur shot the lock, inspecting what treasure Colm was hiding. He put a black pistol into his spare holster, then digging through a few shiny gold bars and some cash. "Looks like there's a few thousand here… not bad. I was expecting more, is this all?" he questioned without looking at Cassidy.

"Looks like it…" She faintly frowned. Colm talked about money like they had plenty. This was hardly enough to keep the gang going, and if he found out that Dutch had stolen it, he'd start a war between their gangs.

Colm had been a bad man since before she was born. To now find out he was a liar filled Cassidy with a severe sense of disappointment. That seed of doubt was on the edge of flourishing after witnessing how the Van der Linde gang operates. They were thieves with honour, unlike her old gang.

That evening…

Cassidy stood tall on the edge of camp, watching a blood orange sunset cast a warm glow onto the valley below her. She knew they were watching her like a hawk since she was now allowed to walk around camp. At least she was away from that damn tree, she figured. She wanted to feel the urge to run, to fight, to hate the people who surround her. That fiery passion was fading now, and even she couldn't explain why. Maybe a taste of a different life was sweet after being stuck for so long. Maybe it was just a phase, one she'd grow out of once she returned to the O'Driscoll Boys. For now, she was pleased with the view.

"I'm glad to see that you listened to my advice," Micah said, joining her after pretending like he wasn't watching her from afar moments ago.

"At least part of it. I'd be a fool to not survive this… situation," she said, eyeing him up.

He slithered his hand onto her shoulder, purposely swiping his thumb along her exposed skin. "I can help you do more than survive, you know."

She smiled slyly, playing hard to get came naturally to her. "Careful now, Mr. Bell. I don't think your boss would approve of you getting cozy with an O'Driscoll."

He backed away gradually, taking a few more steps backwards. "You'll be needing a new last name soon then."

Cassidy gulped once he was gone. She knew something was bound to go wrong once Colm figured out where she was, if he doesn't already know.

A/N: Thanks for all the feedback last chapter! I think the point about Arthur seeming out of character actually made sense to me… I am trying to have him and Cassidy start at a low point before changing into something else. I'm going to be more mindful of Arthur's behaviour from now on! But please be patient, this is the Arthur who did a lot of bad shit in chapter 2 of the game so he's not an angel for sure. Please don't hesitate to keep on posting feedback, it's always helpful to me and I don't take it personally.

Disclaimer: I do not own RDR.