Someone beside them cleared their throat and the two looked up to see the mayor watching them with a hard to read expression. “You got to say anything?”
“Nice of you to finally ask”, Frank gave back hoarsely. “Believe it or not, but she tried to seduce me, she was after a fuck. When I refused, she attacked me, pretty much like my girl demonstrated. I didn’t fancy having my eyes gauged out by her fucking fingernails, so what was I supposed to do? I knew I was in a heap of trouble the moment she cast herself at me yelling for help.”
The mayor didn’t say a word, but his jaws worked so hard his teeth gnashed.
“Your innocent, beautiful daughter has a birth mark on her left ass cheek”, Steve said after having walked up to Frank’s other side.
The mayor looked up sharply with widening eyes. “What?”
Steve shrugged. “She never mentioned anything about having been raped by two men, has she?”
“No.”

A heavy, uncomfortable silence followed that admission. The mayor finally sighed and shrugged. “There’s nothing for it. I’ve made a complete ass of myself and my position believing in a woman’s word because she’s my own flesh and blood.” He looked over his shoulder at said woman, his flesh and blood, and his voice was hardly audible. “Go home, Molly. And if I don’t find you in your room when I come for you, then god may have mercy on you because I sure as fuck won’t.”
“But daddy...”
“Don’t ever call me that again. Believing in your words has almost turned me into a murderer. I almost hanged an innocent man who would’ve left a widow and a fatherless child because of your lies. I’ve seen that birthmark when your mother shifted your diapers as an infant. I guess we should’ve smothered you instead.” Then he turned around to look at Frank again and he suddenly seemed to have aged a decade or two. “I can’t undo what I did to you. I won’t insult you further with worthless apologies. But will you accept some caps and ammunition as reparation? It’s the only thing I can do.”
Frank cleared his throat and shrugged. “My pride says no, but my common sense says it’s too valuable an offer to refuse”, he rasped. “So, yes.”
“Good. Where do you lodge?”
“Nowhere”, Amanda fell in. “We are about to leave town, actually.”
The mayor nodded. “Which direction are you taking?”
“South.”
“Good. Wait at the edge of town, I’ll send someone over.” With that, the mayor turned around and left, and around them, the mob slowly dispersed. None of the men so hungry for Frank’s blood a few moments ago looked at them. Within minutes, they were alone.

“Jesus.” Frank coughed hoarsely and shuddered. “I thought I was done for. I owe you one, girl.”
“You don’t owe me anything.” Amanda looked worriedly up into his pale and dirty face. “Did they beat you?”
“Not terribly”, Frank gave back.
Amanda took another deep breath and gave in to the urge to embrace him again, clamping her arms around Frank like a vice. He stiffened for a split second before returning that embrace. They silently held on to each other for a moment before he let go again.
Amanda then took his arm and Steve rested a hand between Frank’s shoulder blades. “You need anything, buddy?”
“A piss”, Frank replied. “And a motherfucking smoke.”

After having managed the former, the latter proved to be a problem insofar as Frank’s fingers were still so stiff and swollen from a night spent bound behind his back that Steve had to light the smoke for him; Frank could hardly keep a grip on the cigarette as he smoked. They slowly made their way back to where Steve had tied the brahmin down, discovering to their relief that everything was still in place. In mutual silence they headed for the edge of town, just down the road they had arrived upon a few hours ago, and waited.