*Author's Note*

Thanks for all of the follows, faves, and reviews.

So, it's been a while, but I FINALLY updated this book. YAY! Anyways, this is a very heavy and angsty chapter. Have fun reading.


But I Chose Wrong

Bad Frank POV:

I stopped at the hitch post in front of the porch of Billy and Mariah's cabin. I didn't bother pullin' him off the back of my horse, figurin' that Mariah and Sarah'd just ask me to bring him to town to the undertaker. I didn't like havin' to deliver the news of Billy's death an' Mo's kidnappin' at the hands of the demon Hatfields to the McCoy women, but it had to be down.

I dragged my bad leg up the porch steps, causin' a thunk to echo out with every step I climbed, and walked over to the front door. I knocked three times and waited for an answer. I heard shufflin' on the other side before thee door opened. Sarah McCoy stood in the doorway with her boy on her hip. "Sherriff Phillips, d'ya got word on Billy and Mariah? I haven't seen them since last night."

"What, Mariah's missin'?" I asked, feelin' sick to my stomach.

"Yes." Sarah nodded. "I had a bad headache and went to lay down. Mariah told me she thought she heard somethin' and took the rifle to go check it out. Billy taught her how to shoot in case somebody unwanted came 'round while he was out wit'cha and Moses." She explained, bouncin' her boy up and down on her hip to keep him amused.

Oh no, now I know how Billy and Moses got jumped on. Hatfields snatched up Mariah and used her as bait. Billy would've dropped his gun if he saw his women at the end of Hatfields' guns. Moses tho, well I think he might've tried to fight and that's how Billy got killed an' he got kidnaped. Clearin' my throat, I broke the sad news to Sarah. "Moses never came back to the Pikeville Saloon after leavin' with Billy last night to come back here. I found Billy this mornin' not far from here, dead with a knife in him. Both Mariah and Moses were misssin'; I'm thinkin' the Hatfields took your sister to get the jump on Billy and Moses."

"Moses would've fought to get Mariah and Billy free while Billy would've done whatever those devils said to keep my sister from harm."

"I agree, the same thought came to mind."

"Moses, if hurt, might get patched up by his sister, but I doubt her in-laws will just let him go. They'll prolly torture him just cause he's your deputy."

"Don't worry your head none, Missus McCoy, 'bout Moses. Boy's a good special deputy; I'm sure he'll find a way outta his prison and will get your sister out as well." I assured the dark-haired widow who now had a missin' sister and dead brother-in-law added onto her burdens. "I'm gonna get back to town to tell Lawyer Cline and Mister McCoy what happened; I'll bring Billy to the undertaker and make sure arrangements are made."

"Thank you." She gratefully told me. I started to turn around, only for her to make me stop wit' her words of, "Billy was gonna be a pap, ya know. Mariah hasn't had her flow in a couple months. He didn't know yet, but she planned on tellin' him soon."

Poor Billy McCoy, robbed of his fatherly rights. Lookin' over my shoulder, I promised the young women, "I'll find his demon killers an' I'll get 'em. I'll get Moses and Mariah back too."

"Thank you, Sherriff Phillips." She told me, causin' me to tip my hat at her 'fore walkin' off. I had others to bring bad news too.


After bringin' Billy to Mr. Goodpasture, I went to Lawyer Cline's office. He was sittin' at his desk, lookin' thru a folder of papers, while Mister McCoy was on the leather sofa drainin' his flask. Useless old drunk. "Lawyer Cline, I got some bad news for you an' Mister McCoy." I announced my presence while makin' my way over to the seat by the lawyer's desk.

"What is it, Sherriff Phillips?" Lawyer Cline asked me while McCoy just rolled his eyes at me and sneered.

"Moses never returned to the saloon last night after leavin' with Billy. I found Billy dead nearby his cabin and Moses was missin'. I went to the cabin to tell Sarah and Mariah what I found, but Sarah said that Mariah went out last night with a gun Billy left her to check out a noise."

"Oh dear, are you saying that Mariah walked into a trap set by Hatfields and was used to disarm and lure Moses and Billy?"

"Yes, that's what I'm sayin'. Gun was by Billy's body and a knife in his chest. Your nephew was missin', but a large blood trail led 'way from the scene of the attack."

"Now I got 'nother dead son I gotta tell my wife about? How is this fair? How, Perry, how?!" Mister McCoy howled out, spillin' whiskey out of his flask as he waved his hand wildly in the air.

Perry slammed his folder on his desk and narrowed his eyes at the drunk on the sofe, only to say in a sharp seethin' snap, "Now, Randall, I know this isn't fair, but at least the boy's spirit is in heaven and his body is at undertakers. I'm the one with a missin' nephew, who I pray is shown some mercy due to his sister, but I highly doubt it'll be so."

"I'm gonna track the blood trail, see if I can find a lead t'find Moses with." I announced, standin' from my chair by his desk.

"Please, bring back both Moses an' Mariah if you can, Sherriff Philips."

"I'll do my best to bring 'em back." I promised the lawyer. Turning to McCoy, I told him, "Sarah told me her sister, Mariah, is a couple months 'long in expectin' her an' Billy's baby. Thought ya should know that I won't just be rescuin' your daughter-in-law, but your gran'baby as well."

"They weren't married legal, baby's just a bastard." Mister McCoy scoffed cold heartedly 'fore bringin' his whiskey flask to his lips.

"Ol' Rand'l, don't say that about your own grandchild. Dear lord, what the hell's wrong with you?" Perry barked at the man as I made my way towards the door. The sooner I got outta this office the better. Both these men are nuts. No wonder Mo moved into the whorehouse when he was 13-years-old. I would've too.


Moses POV:

I blinked my groggy eyes open, only to be meet wit' a dimly lit room. Hell, it was as if I was in a cave. My side hurt like a bitch too. I made to get up, causin' a thick wool blanket to fall from my chest; revealin' me to be shirtless. I nearly jumped out of bed as I was startled by a feminine voice sayin', "You shouldn't be tryin' to get up. Uncle Jim says Nova had to cauterize your wound last night."

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, turnin' my head towards the voice. I saw that a blonde hair girl, who was around my age give or take a couple years, was sittin' in a chair knittin' and keepin' an eye on me.

"Betty Hatfield, Cap's little sister." She answered as her eyes left me and went back to her knittin'.

I was taken aback by her round cherub face, bright blue eyes, and pin straight light blonde hair. She looked like an angel, not the little chubby cheeked girl I remember her as. "Last I saw you, hell, ya were a lil girl. Now you're grown."

"You're tryin' to flirt wit' me; mean to say I'm pretty, but don't how huh?" She giggled as the door to the room opened up.

"What's so funny, girl? Boy in here could be dyin'." Uncle Jim asked, his voice loud and boomin' as he walked into the room.

"He's fine, Uncle Jim. In fact, he's tryin' and failin' to flirt wit' me." Betty said in a half-teasin' tone, causin' me to groan and shake my head. How embarrasin', she's tellin' Jim Vane of all people how I can't talk to a nice girl. He's gonna be on my ass 'bout that, old crochety goat.

"Aw, now Betty, be nice to him. He's our spy, not a sweet-talkin' gentleman here to court ya." The old goat cackled, causin' Betty to just smile and nod.

"Got a shirt I can borrow?" I asked Jim, causin' him to give me a funny look.

The large man looked me over, only to say, "You don't plan on leavin' yet, I hope."

"I can't stay here. It's too dangerous." I told Jim, cause I did plan on leavin'. I had to.

"You can't go, not when your skin's as grey as death itself." Betty told me, her eyes lookin' at me with concern as she knitted what looked like a hat. Or maybe it was a sock or a small scarf, who knows.

"Boy, ya better listen to Betty here and just stay put."

"But-" I began to protest, only for Jim to cut me off with, "At least til ya don't look so much like death no more." I shook my head and flopped back down on the bed. "Don't worry, it won't be long 'fore we send ya out to do more spy work 'gain."

"I'll stay one more day, then I gotta get outta here." I meant it, after tomorrow I was gone whether the Hatfields wanted me gone or not. I didn't belong here, even tho my sister was here. I did too much; had too much blood on my hands.

"See, Betty, he's a good spy for us. Wants to get back t'work bein' our eyes and ears in the McCoys viper den." Uncle Jim told his niece, earnin' him a simple nod as she quickened her movements with the steel blue knittin' needles in her soft hands. Lookin' at me, he said, "I'm gonna let your sister know you're alive. I'll let Anse and Cap know that you'll be leavin' soon to get back to spyin'."

"Thanks, Jim." I simply told him as the man made his way over to the door.

As soon as he left the room and shut the door behind him, Betty paused in her knittin' and told me, "You know you're stayin' in his guest room. He seems to like you; made my mama drag me outta bed last night to keep watch over ya while he went back to bed."

"Thank you for watchin' me. That couldn't have been easy, waitin' for me to either wake up or die."

"What happened last night?"

"I killed my best friend when he turned on me."

"Cause of Robert E. and Mariah." Betty stated, not asked, as she looked at me with pitty in her bright blue eyes.

"Yea, cause I helped them get away." I nodded.

"Mariah's knocked up." Betty sad matter-of-factly as she knitted with ease.

"What?" I blurted out, nearly chokin' on my words, as my eyes turned into a pair of blue saucers.

"Saw her gaggin' outside her and Robert E.'s cabin this mornin'." She explained, only to toss in snidely, "Only God knows who the baby's daddy is."

I hung my head and ran my hands thru my hair while mutterin' out, "Holy hell, what have I done?..."

"I reckon what you had to do." Betty shrugged.

"Shut up, Betty. Don't tell me that. I had a choice, and I chose my sister's dumbass brother-in-law over my best friend. My best friend who's most likely Mariah's baby daddy cause they were common law."

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened. Billy was a McCoy." Damn, she doesn't get it does she? He wasn't just a McCoy; he was my best fuckin' friend. He was like my brother; he wasn't just another evil McCoy. I cared about him. Damn bitch, he wasn't just a McCoy.

"He was my best friend since we was little. He didn't deserve to die at my hands, and he didn't deserve to be left like a fool by Mariah." I nearly wailed as both grief and guilt overtook me. Turnin' my back to her, I snapped, "Leave me alone, Betty. I'm fine; don't need you watchin' over me anymore."

"You're not fine, Moses, but I'll leave ya be for now." Betty sighed.

I heard her skirt rustlin' as she stood up from the chair. Her heeled boots clicked on the wooden floor as she walked over to the door. I also heard the door slammin' shut as she left too. I looked over to shoulder to confirm that she was indeed gone, only to see her knittin' abandoned on the chair by my bedside while the rest of the room was empty. Looks like she intends on comin' back to keep me company 'gain. Hopefully not. I'm a fuckin' mess, she doesn't need to befriend somebody that betrayed an' killed their best friend.

Reckon Sally was right 'bout me. I killed Billy when I had a choice not to. I had a choice to stop his death, but I chose wrong.