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It wasn’t as though I wouldn’t know anyone at the Long Branch tonight or any other night Most of the hands orked on the King-Alexander Ranch, where I lived, frequented the place

I pulled into the parking lot, surprised at ho cars were in it, and found a spot not too far from the entrance

Cli out of the ranch’s 1957 Ford pickup I’d borrowed, I slammed the creaky door closed The locks had a tendency to stick, so I didn’t bother securing it If any wanker tried to make off with it, this truck, like the rest of those at the ranch, was equipped with a tracking device that would allow the engine to be shut off remotely

I hadn’t done it yet, but if I was ever given the chance to, I’d press the kill button as soon as the driver hit a decent speed For the Ford, that would be about seventy since the old thing wouldn’t goabout the look on the bastard’s face when the truck flipped end to end on one of the area’s dirt roads

It was hotter than Hades tonight with close to one hundred percent humidity, but I still wore my pearl snap

shirt and pressed Cinch jeans Anything else would get me tossed out of the Branch—as we affectionately called it—on my arse

Walking past a newer edition pickup, I averted my eyes when I saw the front bench seat was occupied by a couple shagging I was almost to the back bu weren’t those of pleasure

I spun around, wrenched open the door, grabbed the asshole by the shirt collar, and pulled hiht the guy off

“What the fuck?” the guy slurred

I threw hiot a whiff of alcohol

Holding the drunk by the neck, I turned around to tell the woet the hell out of there, but she was ahead of er side, she cliht over to the wanker, and sla about how much that had to hurt

When she threw a punch into the guy’s gut, I thought I ht

I heard a car pull up and looked over my shoulder, surprised to see the sheriff “Hey, Mac Good ti”

“What’s goin’ on here?”

“The fucker tried to rapewhat looked like blood from a cut on her face

I still had the guy by the back of the collar I let hiround, hands on his crotch

“I got this, Edge You go on and get outta here”

“Thanks,I could afford was to be a witness in a rape trial

I walked over to the old Ford and was about to climb in when I heard a soft voice ask me to wait When I turned around, the feisty woman who’d slaot on her tiptoes and planted a kiss right on e,” she said as she walked away

I shookI could stay, but knowing I couldn’t

Two nights later, wanting to grab a pint before I left town for God kne long, I went back to the Branch It was harder to find a parking spot tonight; it looked like the place was packed