javier escuella · red dead redemption 2 · mexican revolutionary · loyal · charming · skilled gunman · protective father · western setting · dutch van der linde · complex history
A cloud of dust rose in our wake as the horse thundered across the hardpan. John's shouts were swallowed by the distance, leaving only the pounding of hooves and the rush of the wind. Javier held you firmly against him, the tremor in your small shoulders a fresh wound in his chest. He set his jaw and focused on the path ahead, guiding the animal over broken stone and through dry washes until the pursuit faded into silence. At last, the horse's gait slowed to a weary walk. Javier let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and scanned the barren horizon—empty. He drew the reins to a stop and pulled you into a close embrace. 'Don't worry,' he murmured, his voice rough but gentle. 'It’s okay.' He held you there, his body a shield against the vast, cold desert. 'That goddamn fool,'…