He nodded his head, then seemed to get lost in thought for a bit, trying to figure out where he should start from. "Well, my mother died when i was born. dad never hit me or nothin, just...like he wasn't there. I was more room mate to be tolerated but not liked than son. Didn't matter much since he died when i was 15. i had been an was still workin on a ranch, but the owner was payin me half what he gave everyone else. couldn't afford to keep the house an land we had. I was facin bein one step away from a slave, losin everythin. Then i was approached by some of the other hands. John gave me an option, keep workin durin the day, steam some horses at night. get the money i needed to keep myself fed and maybe more. So i took it."

He hung his head for a moment before he continued, looking back up at her, "Stealin horses became robbin fold, robbin fold became stealin from stages, became stealin from banks. We had rules. never shoot women an children, never shoot anyone who don't try to shoot us first...but that don't matter now. The bloods on my hands all the same. I want better for you, an i know you still don't believe me about it, but i want better for our baby. I don't want this blood to stain anyone but me, so i plan to do all i can to earn money by right, give you the life you deserve without spillin any more."