Sweetest Sin (Dutch Van Der Linde Fanfic)

♤ 15. ♤

~

Derek who arrived in another part of the woods, heard a nervous neigh of a horse nearby and due to its big size he assumed it was Faith who looked lost and still skittish

"Geez girl, there you are!" He sighed softly and gently took her reigns, Faith recognized him and huffed softly as the small boy petted her muzzle

"Tifa's gonna be throwing a fit but I just had to find you" he laughed happily. Once Derek lead Faith back the way he came into a clearing. Faith's nervous neighs set off sensing someone near them, Derek didn't know that and tried to calm her while taking small glances in the shadows of the meadow and trees surrounding them

"Whoa, whoa, girl it's okay, there's no one here-"

Then a pair of hands grabbed Derek, roughly by his mouth and blows of fists landed on the poor boy til having the wind knocked out of him, Faith let out frightened neighs and ran off once again but toward the woods Derek walked from and a small trail of blood slid down Derek's chin as his blurred eyes saw three black figures around him, despite having heavy blows on him and being weakened he struggled in the grips of the men

"Let me go you assholes!" He yelled weakly and one of the thugs kicked him in the face, knocking him fully unconscious, one of the thugs looked the mustangs way and groaned but the other man spoke up in Italian

"Leave her, she's not what we're after"

"Understood"

Then the men took Derek and dragged him into the woods

~

Upon hearing her sad voice, Bill who was keeping watch, looked back toward the manor and saw Tifa looking around and shouting for Derek...her little brother?

Bill's eyebrows frowned as he made his way to her, though he had hoped she wouldn't be startled by him, they didn't know each other very well, but she was kind to him when she greeted him and was never annoying or picking on him, besides Bill felt like he owed her because he harassed and pestered Kieran back at horseshoe, it was the least he could offer besides his condolence he said to her earlier

Tifa put her hands around her mouth "Derek!" She called out, and sighed softly "Come on, little brother...where are you?" She whispered to herself, then as a few bushes rustled, Tifa jumped and took out her gun aiming it straight toward the sounds

"Who's there?" She asked with her voice wavering, soon Bill revealed himself with one hand raised a bit

"It's me, Bill" he said as he came into the moonlight that now was covered by the moving clouds above, Tifa sighed of relief

"Oh mister Williamson, I'm sorry.." she said as she lowered her gun and put it in her holster

"No apologies needed, I heard you hollering your brothers name is he missing?"

Tifa approached him sadly by a few steps "yes...have you seen him at all?"

Her eyes had hope as Bill nodded to her

"Sure. He was heading towards the woods back there" he said turning side ways and pointing to the thick dark part of the woods

"I thought he was gonna go take a whizz so I didn't think nothing of it, but he has been gone for a long while"

Tifa looked down sadly "he probably went looking for Faith...my horse"

Bill looked at her as she continued "she ran off during the shoot out earlier...she's very skittish"

She expected Bill to be angry as he usually was but his eyes were calm and understanding as he listened to her

"I understand, here, I'll get Brown Jack and we can go search for them both right now?"