Wanted (Jack Kelly x Reader)

.4.

--ᴊᴀᴄᴋ--

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙽𝙴𝚇𝚃 few days were the start of the waiting game. Normally it didn't take all too long, but considerin' our limited options and the whole 'boy' thing, it would probably end up taking longer than either of us would like. Whether Y/N admitted that or not was the question, which was a whole 'nother kettle of fish-- I'd the sense she wasn't much of the type to come running or even stand still and let me catch up. No, this was going to be a game, only I had the advantage. 

I knew she wanted to play. 

The game begun in earnest twelve days after she'd told me her name, at night. The bottom of the wagon blocked any chance of seein' stars, and most nights I'd move out to a clearer spot (especially since I'd let on that I knew to Y/N, just as a show of trust y'see), but the clouds were moving in and I didn't fancy getting soaked well and proper. Tomorrow was looking to be a hard day, since we were planning on hurrying to cross the river before the rest of the companies ended up there and created a backlog of the ferries. 

So I'd just moved to the edge of the cover of the wagon and laid my bedroll out again. I was almost asleep when she'd started talkin'. 

"My parents're dead." Her voice cracked slightly on the last word, and I knew it must be recent. At least, to her. I didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt and make her change her mind.

"'T first I wasn't going anywhere-- figured I'd just settle myself up nice and proper with the money 'n land they'd left, live my life. Turns out a girl can't inherit, not 'ntil they're married."  Her voice turned bitter now, and I winced slightly. 

"...so that became my plan," Y/N said, and I felt myself choke on my own spit. I rolled to my side to prevent that happenin' in the future, facing her fully now. She was facing me too, which surprised me a little... but if she'd finally decided to make a move who was I to stop her? 

"To get married?" I asked, just to make sure I hadn't heard her wrong. 

"Yeah." She laughed, and I raised an eyebrow all along. "'most had it all set up too, was fixing to tie the knot in a month when dear ol' Uncle Riley came along. Nixed the engagement, on grounds of bein' my guardian, and control of the money fell to him. Well, not quite." 

This was better'n any of the penny bloods some of the boy's'd brought in from the scamps who'd just come off the boat-- I was completely hooked, even more so than I'd be just on her voice alone. 

"Since the money was legally mine and he was my uncle on my momma's side, he couldn't touch it." A note of self satisfaction entered her voice.

"You... don't sound too choked up 'bout your marriage bein' cancelled," I noted, just wanting to clear the waters and not wanting to complicate things if she had a beau back East. 

"Believe me, I'm not," she smirked, propping herself up on an elbow. "He was nice, sure. Pretty to look at. It wouldn't have been all bad. But... eh." 

"So if your uncle couldn't've touched your money why'd you run?" I couldn't grasp the idea of running away from money. Money was safe. Even if she couldn't get to it, all she'd have to do was outwait her uncle. 

"Because he wanted me to marry his pawn, tie me up nice and pretty with all those legal words and sign it all over to him." She sighed, dropping back onto her back to look at the wagon bottom. "Finnigan Murphy, basically worshipped my uncle; he was his 'junior partner' y'see... and believe it or not I'm not all bad lookin' as a girl. As I'm sure you've imagined." 

I wasn't sure how I was s'posed to take that comment, so I just kept my mouth shut and nodded dumbly. 

"So Finn had no objections. Which meant I had to disappear. Ergo, why I'm here." A half smile flitted over her face and she turned back to look at me. "Took what I could and got out of there. Figured once I've made my fortune for myself I'll go back... maybe buy him off, or just wait 'til I'm 18 and he's got no hold." 

"Can't he just... take your money? Call you dead?" 

She was shaking her head before I even finished, and I winced at my probably-obvious question. 

"My parents locked up their will pretty tight. If I'm declared dead it all goes to charities. He's got nothing to gain from that. So? Your turn, cowboy. Since we're sharing, what's brought you West? Can't be the pretty girls, I'm sure there's hundreds more in New York." 

My expression dropped, and my eyes darted to the dirt between us. "Maybe another time," I said, starting to roll over. She took the hint, laying down and getting comfortable again. 

"Y/N?" I said softly, before either of us could fall asleep. "Murphy doesn't seem to fit, an' I don't have the right to call you Kelly quite yet--" A choked noise came from her sleeping spot, but I kept talking before she could say anything. "So what's your full name?" 

She was quiet for a minute, and I didn't think she was gonna tell me, just for the comment. "L/N." She said, undetectable emotion in her voice, but I'd no sense of it at the time. 

"Y/N L/N? From... Virginia?" I said, heart sinking as I remembered the last headline I'd sold. "Heiress to... oh, darlin', we've got a problem." 

"What?" She said, shooting up, surprise and fear visible on her face even in the dark. 

"Your uncle's looking for you. Put out a reward... he's sayin' you've been kidnapped."