“Yeah,” Isabelle lied. “How about you? Did you ask Quincy about the food?”
Isabelle was trying to distract herself as well as Sarah. Food was a much safer topic of conversation.
“I did,” Sarah replied. “I explained that it was for the baby, and he agreed.”
“That’s wonderful.” Usually, asking for a hearty meal wasn’t a big deal, but for them, it was. Isabelle could not remember the last time she had a delicious meal. Actually, she could; it was the night before they were abducted.
Chapter 29
Deadshot watched Rider carefully. Nobody had bothered following them after the shootout in the saloon. Not wanting to take any chances, they had traveled for a couple of hours before stopping. By that time, it had already been dark, and they had to set up camp by the light of a lantern. Luckily, they had found a spot with many trees and were able to quickly collect some branches and start a fire.
Both of them had grown quiet, the adrenaline of the fight having worn off. Deadshot was hungry, and he was pretty sure that Rider was too, so as soon as the fire was ready, he put some water to boil. Now they were busy eating some of the bread rolls that they had bought at the bakery. They had added some tinned meat and beans, and it tasted delicious.
The kid looked all right, but Deadshot knew what it felt like to kill a man for the first time. Deadshot did not regret all the lives he had taken during his time as a bounty hunter, but all those deaths by his hands still left a mark on his soul.
“How are you holding up?” Deadshot asked as he checked on the coffee. It was almost done, so he prepared the cups.
The kid shrugged and took a bite of his bread roll. After he ate a few more bites, he finally answered. “I’m all right.”
“You sure about that?” Deadshot wasn’t convinced.
“Positive,” the kid replied. “I mean, it feels strange knowing that I killed a man, but if I didn’t, he would have killed you or me, and he was a bad guy, so it’s okay.”
“It is definitely okay. In fact, it is good. The world is a much safer place for it.” Deadshot removed the pot of coffee from the fire and poured the scorching liquid into their cups. He handed one of them to Rider. “Just so that you know, you were great in the fight.”
A huge smile broke out on Rider’s face. “I think so too.”
Deadshot couldn’t help but laugh at the kid. “Just don’t get too confident. You still have a lot to learn.”
“I know that,” the kid replied. “But I’ve got the best teacher, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to be just as good as you one of these days.”
Deadshot raised a brow, smirking. “Is that so?” He knew the kid was joking, but the way he fought really was impressive. If he kept on training, he might actually get to be as good as Deadshot.
“It sure is,” the kid stated. “Maybe I’ll even get to be better than you.”
“Maybe,” Deadshot agreed. “Just don’t forget me when you’re rich and famous.”
All playfulness vanished from the kid’s face. “I’ll never forget you. You’ve done so much for me,” the kid said. “You know, I’m hoping that my mother and sister are still alive out there somewhere, but we both know that they might not be. There was no way I would have been able to figure any of this out on my own. You are all I have now.”
Deadshot almost choked on his coffee. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Not knowing what to say, Deadshot simply didn’t say anything. Instead, he drank his coffee and watched the kid.
“Do you have any family?” the kid asked.
Deadshot had been avoiding talking about his past, but for some reason, he felt compelled to answer the kid. “No, my parents and brother were killed in a raid when I was eight years old.” It felt strange talking to the kid about himself, but now that he had started, he might as well tell his whole story. “I went to live with my aunt and uncle after that. I was raised with my nephews and nieces, but we weren’t very close. They were nice people, good people. They took care of me like I was one of their own, but I never felt like I belonged. That is why I became a bounty hunter.”
The kid sucked in his breath, clearly shocked by what he had just heard. “I... I didn’t know,” he stuttered. “I’m so sorry.”
Deadshot shrugged, not wanting to get emotional about it. “It’s all right. Happened a long time ago.”
“I guess, but it’s still horrible.”
“True,” Deadshot agreed. “Back then, I always wished for somebody to help me find the men who had killed my family. Your situation kind of reminded me of that time in my life. I think that’s why I decided to help you.”
“So they never found them?” the kid asked.
Deadshot shook his head. “No, they simply disappeared.”
The kid slowly sipped on his coffee, obviously contemplating everything Deadshot had just told him. “Did you ever try to find them once you became a bounty hunter?”
