Page 17 of Laying it Bare on the Run

“No, he told me how old he was. I just found it hard to believe. But I guess sometimes you really can’t tell because I’m going to be thirty in a few months and you guys think I’m younger too. So thank you for that.” I snatched a mozzarella stick and took a bite.

“At least I don’t have to worry about our old man here robbing the cradle then.” Mike shoved an entire half a pretzel stick into his mouth.

For the next hour or so, the guys shared funny stories of busts gone haywire – leaving out names to protect the non-innocent – and succeeded in taking my mind off of my troubles and getting me to laugh along with their crazy antics.

The guys ordered sodas this round and me another one along with chips and salsa and another basket of mozzarella sticks. My bladder had reached its capacity so I excused myself to use the restroom. Cannon shot me a questioning look but I shook my head. Yes, the bar was a bit more crowded than it had been when we had first arrived but I was feeling pretty calm and wanted to have a slice of normalcy. He was really sweet. But I could handle the short walk to the restrooms on my own, hell I’d gone a much longer distance solo for two months.

I strolled to the back of the bar to the short hallway where the bathrooms were housed. When I finished, I stepped back out into the hallway and the lights clicked off. I wasn’t afraid of the dark, hell I’d spent many nights in almost complete darkness to avoid detection. But something felt off. Thankfully, the women’s room was at the end of the hallway closest to the rest of the bar, while the men’s room and an emergency exit were at the other end.

However, before I could make my escape, a large hand grabbed me around my upper arm and dragged me back down the hallway. “You’re coming with me.” The gruff voice demanded.

My mouth opened to release a scream but his other hand slapped over it, lessening its effectiveness. The noise that escaped me was muffled at best. So I did the next best thing and stomped on his foot, shot my elbow into his side, and jerked around like I was being electrocuted. During my struggle for freedom, I couldn’t get a good look at my ‘would be’ kidnapper. He had a ball cap drawn down low over his eyes and a hood over his hair.

When I was finally able to yank myself free, I sprinted down the hallway and around the corner with so much momentum, when I ran into Cannon I sent us both tumbling to the ground. “I’m so sorry.” He didn’t respond at first because a shrill alarm pierced the air. My attacker must have fled through the emergency exit. My heart pounded with fear and adrenaline.

Some staff raced down the hallway and thankfully a few moments later, the sharp sound ceased. Joe, Mike, and Ben ran over to us.

Cannon sat up and pulled me into his lap. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Someone tried to grab me back at the bathrooms. I think once I managed to get free, he fled and set off the alarm.”

Cannon glanced up at his friends. “Go see if you can find anything.”

The three of them rushed to the back of the bar.

“Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Cannon ran his hands over my face and down my arms. “Did you get a good look at him?”

“No. Someone had clicked off the lights before he grabbed me. I don’t know if it was some random drunk or someone I need to be concerned about. He also had his ball cap pulled down over his eyes and the hood of his sweatshirt was up over his hair.”

Cannon stood and helped me to my feet. Then we walked over to our table and he sat down, pulling me into his lap again.

A big burly guy with graying hair came over to us. “Is she okay, Cannon?” The man extended his hand and Cannon shook it.

“I think so. Thanks, Barry.” Then Cannon wiped a stray strand of hair from my face. “This is the owner of the bar, Barry Benson. He retired from the force about fifteen years ago. Great cop and an even better friend. That’s another reason we come here often.”

“The cops are on their way.” Barry chuckled. “Well, I mean some more cops are. Did your buddies go after whoever set off my alarm?”

“That was their intention. Did someone steal anything or appear extremely intoxicated?”

“No. We’re a little more crowded than the usual Thursday night but nothing else seemed off.” Barry scratched his gray beard, his blue eyes troubled. “I couldn’t even tell you who is missing now. Been off of the force for far too long I guess.”

Cannon’s friends walked through the front door along with two uniformed officers. After they made their way to our table, one of the uniformed males asked me a bunch of questions, while Cannon’s friends led the other officer to the back of the bar.

Once everything died down and the police had my statement, I sagged against Cannon’s chest. “This isn’t going to bring me unwanted attention is it? I mean more than right now?”

“No. They’ll keep your statement on file and look into this but unless they find the perpetrator and you want to file charges, your part is done.” He kissed the top of my head.

I dismissed his actions and calming gestures again. I really wanted it to mean more than comfort but I knew it wasn’t possible so it was best not to dwell on them.

Cannon’s friends returned to the table after the other officers left.

Mike gave me a curious look. “Well, you’ve brought us a bit of excitement two nights in a row. Can she come out with us all of the time? What are you guys doing tomorrow night?”

“Shut it, asshole. I think she’s had enough.”

Yeah, I probably had more than enough, which explained my immediate reaction. I burst into loud raucous gut splitting laughter. My breath came in quick gasps between my unstoppable giggles and I had to hold my stomach because the shaking caused it to clench in pain. But I didn’t care; it felt too good to let loose a laugh that felt so invigorating.

The rest of them joined in and it was several minutes before I could speak.

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