Shit.
Fuck.
Motherfucker.
He should have read these earlier.
What am I going to tell her?
After everything that she had gone through, he wasn’t sure how this was going to go over. He looked up, out over the surrounding trees from the front porch contemplating just what he was supposed to do.
She was still inside passed out on the couch after eating herself into an ice cream coma. He had tucked her in and come out here to sit, too much on his mind to sleep, even with her wrapped in his arms.
The events of earlier were playing like a loop in his head, so he had come out here to read the file that Dominic had tried to use. He could see now why the man had been on edge, but it didn’t matter anymore.
All he could do was figure out what the hell he was going to do with it.
“Somethin’ on your mind?” He heard Branson say before he saw him walk around the edge of the cabin.
For a man that was as big as he was, he sure was fucking sneaky.
“Saw ya sittin’ out here.” Branson answered his silent question and he nodded back.
“Heard you had a run in with the sheriff,” Branson said, sitting down next to him on the steps, his big frame taking up almost the whole staircase.
“Yeah, that was interesting.” He scoffed.
Just another thing to figure out.
“Probably not what you’re thinking. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s a good guy. Looks out for the town. Has even helped me out a time or two.”
Interesting.
“He called you I’m guessing.”
“Yup,” Branson said.
“Hmmm,” he murmured.
“The guy you punched is a regular at the bar in town, and it’s not the first time that he has stepped over some boundaries. People all over town are always reporting him. You just gave the sheriff the excuse he needed to haul him in.”
That made sense now.
“So, he really is a good guy.”
“Yep. He’s not looking for an in, I can promise you that. Although, he has been known to look the other way a time or two.”
Mark nodded, relieved that he wasn’t going to have to have Dominic bail him out.
“What else is rolling around in that hard head?” He chuckled at Branson’s very apt description.
“I just found out that Winter’s family is still out there.” He lifted the folder from his lap and waved it slightly before letting it fall to the steps beside him.
