I do not own AC story line, it belongs to Ubisoft.
I own all the rest tho :)
Arlette managed to stay for a few more minutes, sitting down besides Connor. She politely refused the food, considering he seemed to be starving, God knows for how long he kept his stomach empty as a rucksack. So the girl just stood there, quiet and serene, in a confortable silence between the two of them, the kind of silence Connor liked.
"What do you plan to do now?"
Arlette moved her eyeballs towards him in a confused glance, noticing that Connor gently poked a piece of brocolli with his fork, "Now that you aren't going to get married." he mumbled, moving his brown irises to meet her sky blue ones. Sharing a short staring contest, Arlette noticed a sparkle of hope shine on his eyes and that made her stomach flutter while a red blush took over her face, "I do not know...Probably wait for Robert to come back from Dublin and then,live our lives as before just...without mum..."
Connor frowned, lowering his eyebrows slightly "It won't be easy." he said softly, he knew what was like. When his mother died, it took him long ten years to finally notice she was gone from his life. Arlette took a long breath, letting the air gently leave her nostrils, a sad smile upon her features as she shook her head negatively, "No, no it won't." she whispered, running a hand over the fallen strand that fell right in front of her eyes, before sending Connor a small smile, "But...I know I won't be alone. I'll have daddy, Robert,Adrik...and you."
The Assassin moved his gaze towards her with an surprised look, "Me?" Connor asked, genuinely surprised, blushing slightly as Arlette touched his cheek. He shouldn't blush after all that had happened with them, not after the kiss...kisses. Arlette smiled shyly, placing the hand back on her lap before nodding her head "Of course...my life has been hell ever since I can remember." she paused, "None liked us when we got here, I never had any friends...they were all scared of me somehow, they walked away from us when we walked on the streets..."
Connor frowned, looking at his empty plate as Arlette whispered her past experiences, "Daddy is an accountant, but people still walk away from him on the streets. It's not about status anymore...they just...despise us." she said quietly, clutching the fabric of her dress while fighting back the tears. A lot of things were happening right now and that wasn't the moment to cry, "I should go." said Arlette, standing up from the seat and quickly wiping a hand over her right eye, praying to God that Connor had not seen it.
"Now?" the Assassin rose from his seat, the chair made a muffle sound against the wooden floor as Connor moved it to the side, "I mean, you just got here." he fumbled with his hands awkwardly, it was getting hard for him to stay away from her. As much as he tried to fight, Achilles had said that love is the most powerful force known to mankind and one day it'd win the battle inside his wanted to scoff as his mentor's words, but Achilles was right, love was going to win, sooner or later.
"I know, but Nathaniel is waiting for me outside...and daddy might need me with him." she said softly, sending him a reassuring smile, "We'll see each other tomorrow...remember?" he nodded in response, he couldn't really wait for it. Just them, talking and relaxing after all that had happened on the past weeks...
They really needed that.
"I know." he said softly, "I'll walk you out, then. It's the least I can do." Connor offered Arlette a kind smile, and the girl smiled back at him. The two walked to the front door where the Assassin watched as the Irish female stood on her tip toes, giving him a gentle peck on the lips and blushing a bright shade of red, "I suppose I see you tomorrow." she whispered, giggling shyly as Connor pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead as a response.
He watched as Arlette walked away, back to the wagon that was in the distance. With a long,slow sigh, Connor went back into the homestead, closing the door gently. It was now that he finally could admit it to himself, that he was in love with that petite, shy and young irish woman and was now ashamed of it by any reason.
Arlette arrived the wagon, smiling to herself as she approached the wagon that was awfully silent except by the yellow and beige colored horses eating the snow covered grass around them. That was odd, Nathaniel rarely left the wagon, if not never left..."Well...m-maybe he went to drink some water...or or..." she wanted to fight back the horrible thoughts on her mind that something happened to him. She slowly moved around the wagon, her foot hitting something that almost made Arlette lose her balance.
When the girl lowered her gaze to the floor, a loud gasp darted past her lips, eyes wide and scared. It was a boot, not any boot but Nathaniel's boot. Arlette whimpered, shaking like a dry leaf as she opened the bushes where the man was lying, with a horrible feeling deep inside her gut. "Oh my God..." she whispered in horror, placing her hands against her mouth as tears leaked out of her eyes.
Nathaniel was dead.
With one single shot on his skull, eyes still wide and horrified. He was holding his pistol, apparently he tried to defend himself but was too slow to press the trigger, "Oh my God, oh my God..." she whispered, feeling nausea taking over her, vomit going up to her throat as she backed away.
Run.
RUN!
Her mind screamed at her, but before she could move, two arms locked her in place, one sweaty hand clamping over her mouth. Arlette screamed, wriggling her body, trying to get free from the captor's grasp but he was way too strong. Her blue eyes widened in horror, tears pouring freely now, she kept looking on the direction of the homestead but it was way too far from the spot they were in, "Got 'er boss." the man holding Arlette announced, groaning as the girl continued to shake on his grasp, trying to free herself.
"Hello Arlette."
That smooth,sly voice...James. Her eyes widened even more as the blond man appeared on her line of sight, holding a pistol on his hand while leaning on the golden cane, "Fancy meeting you here. Such a coincidence, no?" his smirk deepened as he nodded towards Nathaniel's corpse, "Too bad your friend did not wanted to let us get you..." he clicked his tongue, shaking his head as if in pity, "Poor man, he had yet so much to learn."
Arlette sobbed against the huge hand pressed against her lips, her eyes moving from the Homestead to James. Oh God, she was so close, she could call Connor but would he hear her calls for help? In the distance they were, she doubted it. James narrowed his eyes, approaching Arlette with a menacing glare,"Now listen, I don't want you screaming, kicking, or even moving as we get back to your house. Am I clear?" he asked, smirking as the girl nodded, "Good. Now get her in the wagon."
The ruff man lifted Arlette up as she weighed nothing, carelessly throwing the girl inside. With am ubearable pain on the back of her head, Arlette was ready to scream for help, but a piece of cloth was wrapped on her mouth, "'Ello." said the other ruff man, grinning stupidly down at her with a few of his teeth, fastening the knot on the back of her head before tying her hands together.
Arlette groaned, glaring at the man, even if he couldn't hear it because of the gag, she was cursing him in every language known to man, "Ehehe, she's cute boss. Can I have her after we are done with this?" the man asked, closing the door to sit beside James, "No." James said firmly, "But you can have fun with her after we get the money, then we'll get rid of her."
As the wagon disappeared in the distance, Adrik made his presence known by walking out of the bushes, ears flat on his skull as his pupils were slit in warning. The cat followed the wagon back to the Cunningham's house, hiding behind the oak tree by the front door, hissing silently as they took Arlette inside the house.
"She's fiesty!" the older twin commented as he held the girl, chuckling when she tried to hit him with the back of her head, "But too weak for Bubba here." he sniggered, holding her up as they entered. James tapped his cane, smirking at the empty house with a proud glance, "Quiet isn't it? It's almost...dead." he chuckled, pointing the end of his cane to Arlette, "You are used to dead people aren't you?" the girl narrowed her eyes, "Your mom, the woman who was supposed to see you get married, then Nathaniel, the man who was kind to you, who always helped you on your little escapades." he chuckled dryly, tilting his head in mockery, "Then your father."
Arlette widened her eyes, shaking on Bubba's strong grasp as James pursed his lips, "Is he dead? Oh no. Not yet." the blond man said, grasping her chin with his thumb and index finger, "Badly hurt, but not dead. You see," he began, twirling his cane around as he walked in front of the twins, the said men following him as lost puppies, "He didn't enjoyed out presence here, can you believe he even tried to lock us out?" James ended his phrase with a mocking laugh, shaking his head as they walked up to the steps, "Oh your father, such a strong and noble gentleman. That worked so hard since he was 14." he placed a hand over a doorknob, "That tried to defend his family but forgot to defend himself."
When the door slowly opened, Arlette widened her eyes, screaming against the gag. Arthur was there, tied to a chair, his shirt ripped and bloodied, head leaning back as red cuts and purple bruises covered his face. His lower lip was swollen, blood seeping out of the wound as he breathed, "A-Arlette..." he whispered, trying to move his head but he was too hurt to do so. Arlette cried, losing all her strength to fight back against the bulky man holding her captive.
A keening sound was the only thing she could muster, followed by tears of despair, "Aw, now now, don't be like that." James smirked, clutching Arlette's jaw with his hand, his mouth moving to her ear, "I wouldn't want to see my fiancée crying."
Arlette screamed, managing to kick James on the shin and wriggle violently against Bubba, who apparently was having a hard time holding her, "B-Boss! Are you alright?!" the other twin asked, about to land a hand on James' shoulder, but it was slapped away harshly. James groaned while standing up, glaring at Arlette with his icy gray eyes. The girl felt a violent impact against her left cheek, her head whipped to the side as her 'fiancée' still had his hand on the air after that slap, "You little bitch." he snarled, sending a look to Bubba, "Lock the girl. We are going to need her later."
Bubba threw Arlette on the floor of her bedroom, unwrapping the fabric on her wrists and mouth, chuckling as the girl tried to scratch him, "Aw, so cute, can't wait to have my fun with you."
"YOU BLOODY BASTARD!" she screamed, kicking the air as Bubba laughed, quickly leaving the room and locking the door. Arlette screamed, punching the door with her small fists as tears dripped down her cheeks, "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT OR I SWEAR I'LL END YOU!" another laugh came from the other side, apparently Bubba was the one responsible to keepin an eye on her. The red head screamed again, punching the door so hard that splinters penetrated the soft skin of her palms, "Let me out...let me out..." she sobbed, slowly sliding to the floor and sobbing even louder. Her blurred vision moved to the window and the blue eyes got wide with hope.
Arlette ran to the window sill, desperately trying to open it but James locked it with the only key they had, "YOU MONSTER!" she screamed, her bloodied hands leaving marks on the glass as she tried to pry it open, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" her voice faded and she was now exhausted of what had just happened. She clenched her eyes shut, choking out a sob while sitting on the floor, legs being held below her chin, "Connor...Connor please..." she rocked herself back and forth, hiccuping silently, "Please...help me..."
Adrik sat upon the window sill, yellow eyes following James as he walked around the house, eating what the Cunningham's had as the other man, whose name was Mitch apparently, locked the maids on the basement. The cat's pupils slit when James made eye contact with him, one cheek puffed with food and eyebrows up in amusement, "Hello kitty." he smirked, before disappearing from the black cat's view.
Hissing towards the sly affection, Adrik leaped out of the the sun was setting, the cat decided he had to find some way to help his master, he knew that Connor would only arrive on the next day.
He had to make these men stay on the house.
And keep Arlette alive.
...PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!
I'm back on college and things have been really busy for me. But hey! Chapter 18! :D
Hope you guys enjoy it!
Reviews are love :3