Loyalty Divided

Chapter Twenty Two

Evangeline gave Arthur a reassuring smile before heading inside with Copper at her side. Arthur took a deep breath and approached Dutch, sensing the tension that lay ahead.

Dutch led him into the main room, where the warmth of the fire did little to ease the chill in the air. Hosea was already seated, his face lined with worry. As Arthur entered, Dutch closed the door behind them and turned to face him, his expression stern. "Glad to see you're back, son," Dutch began, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Nice of you to finally rejoin us after your little escapade."

Arthur's jaw tightened. "I had things to take care of, Dutch."

"Things to take care of?" Dutch scoffed, stepping closer. "You mean running off with that girl again? You think that's more important than this gang? Than your family?" He paused, then added with a snide smirk, "I imagine you two were quite... busy. Must have been quite the reunion."

Arthur's temper flared at the insult to Evangeline. "Don't you dare talk about her like that, Dutch. She's done nothing wrong."

Dutch sneered. "Done nothing wrong? She's a distraction, Arthur. She's pulling you away from what's important. You should be here, helping us, not off gallivanting with some girl."

Arthur's fists clenched at his sides. "She's ain't just some girl. She's important to me, and I'm still here, ain't I? I'm still pulling my weight, doing what needs to be done."

Before Dutch could respond, Hosea stood up, his expression stern. "Dutch, that's enough," he said firmly. "Evangeline is a good girl. She's practically like a daughter to me. She's been nothing but supportive and has done her part around here. You don't get to talk about her like that."

Dutch's eyes narrowed at Hosea. "Supportive? This is about loyalty to the gang, Hosea, not about playing house."

Hosea stepped closer to Dutch, his eyes never leaving his. "This gang is built on loyalty and trust, Dutch. Arthur's loyalty isn't in question here, and neither is Evangeline's. She cares about Arthur, and that should be enough for all of us."

Arthur glanced at Hosea, gratitude and respect evident in his eyes. "Thanks, Hosea," he said quietly, feeling a sense of relief that someone was standing up for Evangeline.

Dutch took a deep breath, clearly trying to rein in his temper. "Fine," he said curtly. "But remember, Arthur, this gang comes first. Always."

Arthur nodded, his anger still simmering beneath the surface. "I know, Dutch. I know."

"We need to discuss the bank job," Dutch began without preamble.

Arthur frowned, his brow furrowing. "Dutch, we've been over this. Robbing a bank right now is too risky. We've been lucky so far, but this is pushing it too far."

Dutch's eyes flashed with frustration. "We need the money, Arthur. We can't keep scraping by like this. One big score and we're set. We can move on, start fresh somewhere else."

Arthur scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Where have we heard that before? Every damn time, Dutch. Every time you say it's the last one, and we're going to be free."

Dutch stepped closer, his anger palpable. "This time it's different, Arthur. I can feel it. We're so close."

Arthur shook his head, frustration etched on his face. "Close to what? Getting us all killed? You're chasing a dream that's gonna get us all hanged."

Hosea interjected, his tone firm but calm. "Dutch, Arthur's right. We need to be smarter about this. We can't afford to make reckless decisions now."

Dutch looked between Arthur and Hosea, his face contorted with a mix of anger and desperation. "We're hitting that bank. Next week. No exceptions and no traitors."