the surrounding counties."
"I just don't get it. I have never thought of killing a dog as a means of status. I’ve seen a lot of things during wartime, but most of my men saved dogs. They certainly didn't kill them for sport or popularity." Marshall remembered several of his men giving what little food they had on them to dogs who would follow them as they trekked across the mountains.
"These bastards see their dogs as warriors, gladiators who, with every win, increase their standing in the community. But, the more realistic reason is money. Gambling is huge at every level of fighting. Winners can win big, from a couple hundred dollars to a couple hundred thousand dollars."
Marshall thought about it for a minute. This gave him a really good place to start. Katelyn had been helpful and he had been an ass to embarrass her about their night together. It just really irritated him that it seemed to mean more to him than to her. But, he should apologize and they should talk about that night. They needed to clear the air.
"Thank you. That gives me a place to start the investigation. Look, Katelyn, I also wanted to talk to you alone so that we…"
"Katelyn, dear, this nice young man came to check on me and then asked about you."
Marshall watched as Mrs. Wyatt walked through the door. Who was this nice young man? The second his black polished loafer came through the door, Marshall knew who it was. Son of a… he balled his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes.
"Ahmed."
"Marshall."
He watched as Ahmed came into the room and his eyes similarly narrowed. So, it must be true. Katelyn was dating Ahmed.
"Hello, Ahmed. It's so nice of you to come check on us."
"Anytime. It is my pleasure."
Crap. Ahmed smiled, he actually smiled. He was playing dirty. Marshall knew he had lost when a silly little smile came across Katelyn's face and for a minute she didn't look like the ice princess he was used to.
"I'm sorry, what where you going to say, Sheriff?" The silly smile left her face as she turned to him.
"Nothing. It's not important. Goodbye."
He walked out of the room with anger boiling in his stomach. Good riddance. It wasn't like he was competing for her or anything. He didn't want a snobby silver spoon ice princess. Even as he told himself that, there was a part of him that knew he was lying.
Katelyn turned from where she had watched Marshall stalk out the door. That man infuriated her more than any other man she knew, and that was saying a lot. Ahmed was still standing near her and she felt his strength radiating off of him. He had smiled at her and she had gone goofy for a minute.
He was a handsome man in a dark and mysterious sort of way. His black hair was cut straight across the nape of his neck. It was a little longer on top, which he kept slicked back. He had a perpetual five o'clock shadow that made him simultaneously sexier and more dangerous.
His black suit was impeccable. Under that black suit, he was thick and strong in a way you develop from working hard your whole life. But, that smile is what melted her. His normally tight lips and serious face transformed in those few seconds he smiled at her. For those brief seconds, he looked soft and caring.
Here was a man the total opposite of Marshall. He was trustworthy, loyal, secure, and he obviously cared about her and her family. This was the type of man she needed to be thinking about, not Marshall.
"How are you doing? Your grandmother told me about you saving little Alice." His smooth voice enveloped her as he moved toward her.
"Tired. And worried about all the dogs we didn't save. Nana said there were lots of them."
"I want you to take some of my men. I worry about you and your family. My men will keep you safe."
Katelyn moved over to the couch and sat down. She gestured for him to have a seat and felt the cushion dip as he sat down, bringing her slightly closer to him.
"I'm more worried about these dogs than I am about myself. The place was so bad,
"I just don't get it. I have never thought of killing a dog as a means of status. I’ve seen a lot of things during wartime, but most of my men saved dogs. They certainly didn't kill them for sport or popularity." Marshall remembered several of his men giving what little food they had on them to dogs who would follow them as they trekked across the mountains.
"These bastards see their dogs as warriors, gladiators who, with every win, increase their standing in the community. But, the more realistic reason is money. Gambling is huge at every level of fighting. Winners can win big, from a couple hundred dollars to a couple hundred thousand dollars."
Marshall thought about it for a minute. This gave him a really good place to start. Katelyn had been helpful and he had been an ass to embarrass her about their night together. It just really irritated him that it seemed to mean more to him than to her. But, he should apologize and they should talk about that night. They needed to clear the air.
"Thank you. That gives me a place to start the investigation. Look, Katelyn, I also wanted to talk to you alone so that we…"
"Katelyn, dear, this nice young man came to check on me and then asked about you."
Marshall watched as Mrs. Wyatt walked through the door. Who was this nice young man? The second his black polished loafer came through the door, Marshall knew who it was. Son of a… he balled his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes.
"Ahmed."
"Marshall."
He watched as Ahmed came into the room and his eyes similarly narrowed. So, it must be true. Katelyn was dating Ahmed.
"Hello, Ahmed. It's so nice of you to come check on us."
"Anytime. It is my pleasure."
Crap. Ahmed smiled, he actually smiled. He was playing dirty. Marshall knew he had lost when a silly little smile came across Katelyn's face and for a minute she didn't look like the ice princess he was used to.
"I'm sorry, what where you going to say, Sheriff?" The silly smile left her face as she turned to him.
"Nothing. It's not important. Goodbye."
He walked out of the room with anger boiling in his stomach. Good riddance. It wasn't like he was competing for her or anything. He didn't want a snobby silver spoon ice princess. Even as he told himself that, there was a part of him that knew he was lying.
Katelyn turned from where she had watched Marshall stalk out the door. That man infuriated her more than any other man she knew, and that was saying a lot. Ahmed was still standing near her and she felt his strength radiating off of him. He had smiled at her and she had gone goofy for a minute.
He was a handsome man in a dark and mysterious sort of way. His black hair was cut straight across the nape of his neck. It was a little longer on top, which he kept slicked back. He had a perpetual five o'clock shadow that made him simultaneously sexier and more dangerous.
His black suit was impeccable. Under that black suit, he was thick and strong in a way you develop from working hard your whole life. But, that smile is what melted her. His normally tight lips and serious face transformed in those few seconds he smiled at her. For those brief seconds, he looked soft and caring.
Here was a man the total opposite of Marshall. He was trustworthy, loyal, secure, and he obviously cared about her and her family. This was the type of man she needed to be thinking about, not Marshall.
"How are you doing? Your grandmother told me about you saving little Alice." His smooth voice enveloped her as he moved toward her.
"Tired. And worried about all the dogs we didn't save. Nana said there were lots of them."
"I want you to take some of my men. I worry about you and your family. My men will keep you safe."
Katelyn moved over to the couch and sat down. She gestured for him to have a seat and felt the cushion dip as he sat down, bringing her slightly closer to him.
"I'm more worried about these dogs than I am about myself. The place was so bad,
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