“I never knew the man’s name, and I never saw any wanted posters of him, but his face is ingrained in my memory. I was always looking for him, but I never found him.”
“I wish I were as strong as you. Everybody kept telling me that I had to accept that my mother and sister were dead, but I simply couldn’t do it. I had to know, and now we’re out here chasing a ghost.”
“We’ll find him,” Deadshot promised. “Even if it is the last thing I do, we’re going to find that bastard, and I’m going to make him pay for what he’s done to you and your family.”
“What if they are dead?” the kid asked. “What if we find him and he confirms it?”
Deadshot let out a long breath. “Then you decide what you want me to do with him. We kill him, or we bring him in and let the law deal with him.”
“He should die,” the kid stated without hesitation. “Whether he killed my mother and sister or not.”
“If that’s what you want . . .”
“It is, but I meant after we find him. What if I don’t have any family left? What do I do?”
That was a tough question, and Deadshot wasn’t sure how to answer it. The kid was fourteen, which was an in-between age. He wasn’t a child anymore, but at the same time, he wasn’t an adult.
“Sometimes we have to grow up fast,” Deadshot finally replied. “If your family is dead, it’ll be up to you to live for all of them. I can’t tell you what to do, but I know you’ll figure it out. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
“That doesn’t help much,” the kid said with a small smile. “But I guess you’re right. I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.”
“Life isn’t easy, kid,” Deadshot informed him. “Whether your mother and sister are alive or not, your life is never going to be the same again. It is up to you to make the best of it.”
The kid took both of their empty cups and refilled them. It was late, but they were still wide awake. Soon enough, the exhaustion would kick in—it always did after a fight—but for now, Deadshot was happy to talk to the kid. He had been alone for so long that he hadn’t even realized how much he missed companionship.
“Sugar?” the kid asked, knowing that Deadshot didn’t always add it to his coffee.
He shook his head and took the cup. “No, thanks.”
The kid added a heaped spoon to his and then focused his attention back on Deadshot. “If you could do it all over again, would you?”
“Which part?” Deadshot asked, taking a sip of his coffee. It was strong and bitter, just like he liked it.
“Becoming a bounty hunter and spending your life on the road.”
Deadshot didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes, in a heartbeat.”
The kid nodded. “Don’t you ever regret not getting married or having children?”
“No regrets,” Deadshot replied honestly. “I mean, of course, I’ve wondered what that would have been like, but ultimately, if given the choice, I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Does that mean you’re happy?”
Deadshot shrugged. “I’m not unhappy. I might not have lived the life most people choose, but I’ve done a lot of good. Helped a lot of people. I think that counts for something.”
After that, they both fell silent. A lot had been said, and Deadshot felt strangely at ease. That night, he fell asleep, imagining all the ways he could make Quincy Calaway pay.
Chapter 30
Quincy felt really proud of himself as he looked at the groceries on the kitchen counter. Despite the fact that it was a cave, they had a fully functioning kitchen. They hardly ever made proper meals, though. Without a woman there to do the cooking, they had resorted to eating easy meals. Food that didn’t require a lot of time or effort was their daily staple.
Brian had looked at Quincy like he was crazy when he sent him to the nearest town, which was a few days away, to buy a bunch of groceries. He wasn’t crazy, though. Sarah was hungry and craving a decent meal, and since she was carrying his child, she would get what she wanted.
The fact that Quincy was actually starting to care about her happiness bothered him quite a bit, but he tried to push away his worries as much as possible. She was going to be the mother of his children; it was okay to care about her.
“What’s going on with you?” Brian asked, scowling.
“Nothing.”
