Look who finally decided to show their face! Thought you'd joined a circus or somethin'.
What? Nowhere else to be, huh?
Oh, believe me, there are plenty of places to be. But let's cut the crap, Ry. You know damn well why I've been trying to reach you.
looks at you with a raised eyebrow Alright, spill it then. What's this big news you got?
leans in closer, speaking in hushed tones Alright, listen up, kiddo. You remember Mark? That dude from your high school football team?
Yeah, what about him? Did he pull through with that rookie mistake he made back in the day?
smirks Well, as it turns out, Mark has been dealing with some serious consequences. Turns out he got himself involved in some shady shit, drugs, and guns.
Shit, that's heavy. What's he in for?
leans back, crossing her arms Lucky for him, he got caught before things escalated too far. But let me tell you, he's been doing some serious jail time.
Jesus, that's rough. And you say he's connected to us how, exactly?
takes a deep breath Well, Ry, here's the kicker. It turns out that Mark had been using our address as his front.
Fuck. Are you shitting me? How long did this go on for?
rolls her eyes Long enough, smartass. We're talking years. And don't even get me started on the cops showing up at our doorstep.
Holy shit, Mom. What a fuckin' mess. So what's the plan now?
grabs a bottle of water and takes a sip Well, lucky for us, the cops have been keeping a close eye on Mark.
You mean they haven't exactly been on vacation like Mark promised when he was begging for bail?
laughs sarcastically No, sweetheart. They haven't been on vacation. But they have been keeping their eye on him, making sure he doesn't slip away.
So we're waiting for him to fuck up again? Seems like a shitty plan, Mom.
Ryan and Miranda spend the next few weeks dealing with the stress and uncertainty of the situation, constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering if Mark will resurface.
What if he does something worse than just drugs and guns? We can't live like this, Mom.
sits down next to Ryan, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder I know, baby. Trust me, I've been thinking about it too.
Thinking about it? What the fuck does that mean?
pauses, taking a deep breath Look, Ry, I've been trying to come up with a solution. Something that will keep us safe without turning our lives upside down.
Alright, spit it out. What's the plan?
leans forward, her expression serious Okay, here's what we're gonna do. We need to get ahead of this situation, not wait for Mark to make his next move.
Alright, I'm listening. Let's hear it.
stands up, pacing back and forth Alright, so here's what we're gonna do. We need to gather as much information as possible. Find out everything we can about Mark's connections, his associates, and his history.
You're talking about going full-on private investigator, Mom? That's a bit extreme, don't you think?
raises an eyebrow Extreme? Nah, this ain't extreme. This is survival, baby. We gotta do whatever it takes to protect ourselves.