𝘊𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘙𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌 | ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴅʀ2

Chapter Twenty

"Miss Klein, do you know anything about your grandfather having a cigar cellar on his property?" Dutch asked, his hands on his waist as he stood over her.

Rosalie laid on her stomach in the tall, dry grass, her gaze narrowed down the sight of her rifle, barrel pointed at the glass bottles in the distance. "Can't say I do. He and I haven't talked much, to be honest. There was the first time I met him, and then briefly at the garden party." She said.

Dutch glanced from her, then to the glass bottles in the distance. "Well, are you going to see him anytime soon?" He asked, somewhat impatiently.

"I will today. Why?" Rosalie asked, finger dusting the trigger as she adjusted her aim toward the bottles.

"I heard from my contact. I met him a few days ago when you and John robbed that stagecoach. Colm and Cormac have been busy plotting. While they're waiting for them O'Driscoll boys to bring in pounds of tobacco and rum from the Caribbean at the end of this month, they're also plannin' to blow up the cellar on your grandfather's property," Dutch said, squinting at her from underneath his hat.

Rosalie pushed herself up on her elbows and relaxed the grip on her rifle, looking up at Dutch underneath the brim of her hat. "So... I'm assuming you want me to find out where it is, and we'll do a stakeout?" She asked, raising a brow.

Dutch grinned at her in approval. "Why, yes. How did you know?"

Rosalie smiled back at him. "Why, only because your genius has rubbed off on me, Mr. Van Der Linde." She teased.

Dutch wagged a finger at her and laughed. "Now, now, I think that genius came all from you, Miss Con woman."

Rosalie only grinned in response.

He sighed and placed his hands back on his hips, looking up at the sky with a pondering expression. "It's odd, not having Arthur around, but you have proved yourself useful, Rosalie. I'm glad this business with Colm and Cormac will be coming to an end soon." He said.

Rosalie blinked up at him. She was glad for it too, as she had been taunted throughout her nights with restless hours where she would wake in bouts of sweat, Cormac's face lingering in her mind and cackling at her misery. Dutch wanted them dead just as much as her, and while he had emphasized Cormac to keep her motivated, she knew the person he really wanted was Colm.

Did he too have nightmares or terrifying thoughts about what happened to his lover at the hands of Colm O'Driscoll? Rosalie didn't know, as she never thought it would be proper to ask, but if she grappled with her own struggles of rest, she wouldn't be surprised if he did too.

Especially when she thought back on the hunger in his eyes, that night all those weeks ago when he promised they would deliver justice for those that were wrongfully murdered.

"I'm glad it'll be done with soon too," Rosalie said, as that was all she could think to say.

Dutch looked down at her again. "Now that you have this oh-so-wealthy family, do you still think you'll take me up on my proposition? About stayin' with us." He said.

Rosalie snorted and returned her gaze to the sights of her rifle. "Me? In a fancy house? I don't think so. Attending that garden party was difficult enough. All I could think about was getting a nice score from them." She paused. "Besides, it's not as though I've been given an invitation to stay somewhere permanently. It would be strange to ask."

Dutch slowly nodded, a look of thought crossing his face. "I understand feeling not belonging. But... a life of luxury. Wouldn't that be something...? Nice clothes, high status, people looking to you for your opinions and approval." He hummed as though he was thinking out loud.