Page 30 of No Going Back

CHAPTER 10

Back In Action

Sean couldn’t have been prouder. Branna had been rock solid throughout the interview with the two FBI agents. She’d gone through her story multiple times, reliving the nightmare she’d endured since Prince Hawley had demanded protection money from her father.

Marcus had sat with her, so they were both on the video screen. His friend had been professional and competent. Neither had surprised him, as Arrow was the best leader Sean had ever worked with in any field.

Troy and Piper had cleaned up the kitchen and left so that they wouldn’t make Branna any more nervous than she was.

Even when her eyes had become shiny with emotion, she’d maintained eye contact and stayed strong.

“You’ll make an excellent witness on the stand if this goes to trial. Thank you for the information and the statement.” Shanice Williams looked at her colleague. “Anything else you need, Jorge?”

Guerrero shook his head. “That’s all for now. Thank you, Ms. O’Dea. This gang has been spreading its power with its vicious approaches. Your information will help us enormously. Please contact me or Shanice if anything else comes to mind or if you have questions.”

Branna nodded.

Jorge spoke again. “All right. We had someone contact your insurance company to let them know you are not a person of interest in the fire and that it was arson aimed at destroying your livelihood. They expect your call tomorrow or the next day and will go ahead with your claim.”

Branna’s eyes widened. “Thank you. I didn’t expect that. I really appreciate you going out of your way to help me.”

The action surprised Sean as well. The agents were more proactive than he’d expected.

Jorge smiled. “We appreciate your help with this. We want to keep Miami safe from people like Hawley. If you run into any problems with your financial institution or getting identification, let us know if we can help.”

They all signed off, and Marcus shut down the program with a grin. “You impressed the hell out of them, Branna. I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing your parents or brother, but I know they’d be proud as hell of you.”

Her eyes misted up again, but she smiled. “Thank you. Now what?”

Marcus rose. “Now, you leave it to us. Your involvement should hopefully be over until charges are made and things move toward a trial. Take a few days off and get more sleep. You’re probably depleted in pretty much every way. So, rest and eat and find something fun to do.”

Branna thanked him and stayed in the kitchen with Jabba while Sean walked Marcus to the door. “What are the odds that Hawley will figure out where she is?”

Marcus shrugged. “Small, but not zero. There are always ways to find people, and scum like Hawley tend to have good networks of people around the country. He’s probably also got at least one cop in his pocket. Depending on what is in any of the reports, he could have access to your name. Maybe even your truck’s license plate, although getting a new truck was smart and should slow him down. Have Branna stay off social media and keep to the farmhouse as much as possible until he’s arrested.”

Sean nodded and locked the door behind his friend. When he turned, he found Branna leaning on the doorjamb, watching him. Jabba leaned into her side like he was on protection detail. “Did you hear that?”

She nodded. “I think that’s good advice. My only social media was for the pub, so that’s not a problem.”

Sean didn’t have any social media either, but he knew that wasn’t common. And he knew Prince was going to be extremely frustrated by that fact. He’d bet the clown loved sharing photos of himself, acting like a big shot.

“Why don’t we take the mutt outside and check out the stars?”

Branna smiled. “That sounds normal. And perfect.”

Sean grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa in the living room. “That couch might be older than we are.”

Branna laughed and agreed. “It fits with the kitchen appliances and bathroom fixtures. But it’s a great home.”

Sean nodded. He loved the farmhouse, and his mind was already spinning with ideas of how to bring it into this century without ruining the old-world charm.

He opened the front door and Jabba bounded down the stairs into the snow. He took Branna’s hand and led her onto the porch. The night was clear and cold.

Leading Branna to the edge of the porch, he stood behind her and wrapped them both in the blanket, stepping close enough that they were touching.

She leaned back into him, and for long minutes, they simply watched the night and the gigantic dog playing in the snow.

Sean had thought he was used to the stars. He’d been traveling on lonely highways between jobs, and the clear nights were his favorite time to drive.

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