Chapter 3
“Jesus, Monroe,” Dotty muttered as she sidestepped a large puddle that had a suspiciously strong smell to it. “Pretty sure that was pee on the ground.”
“I guess someone really had to go,” Monroe said, trying to sound cheerful.
But even Monroe seemed cautious as they walked up to the door.
The Uber driver had asked them several times whether they really wanted to be dropped off there, which seemed to be a bad sign.
They came to a stop at the entrance and looked up at the sign.
Rabid Dog.
“Interesting name,” Dotty said. “This is quite possibly the worst-looking bar we’ve been to yet.”
“I know, but we’re running out of places,” Monroe said dejectedly. “I’ve begun to think that I’ve dragged you both to Montana for no reason.”
This was their third bar tonight and Addie was starting to get a headache from all the noise and people. Her anxiety was through the roof and she really had to pee.
She glanced back at the puddle on the ground.
Gross. Addie wasn’t good at peeing in public bathrooms; she tended to freeze and couldn’t go. But she was nearing desperation, her bladder so full that it hurt.
“Hey, we got to visit Montana,” Dotty told her, bumping into Monroe gently. “We’d probably never have come otherwise. And you had to show the court that you spent some time looking for him.”
Addie nodded and leaned against Monroe’s other side.
“Yeah, I guess so. Well, let’s go in and then we can go back to the hotel and get some sleep.”
Right.
Addie just hoped she could hold on until they got back to the hotel. Somehow, she didn’t like her chances.
“Wow,” Ralen muttered as he stared over Cash’s shoulder.
“What is it?” Cash asked. “Is shit kicking off?”
“No, but it’s about to. These guys can sense new blood and it’s not gonna be pretty.” Ralen scowled.
Cash turned and immediately saw what he’d been looking at. Standing in front of the bar were two women who really didn’t belong here. One was tall with strawberry-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was dressed in an expensive-looking black skirt and blazer.
She had a disgusted look on her face as she glanced around, which really wasn’t going to endear her to anyone here.
The woman standing next to her was smaller with sleek, midnight-colored hair that fell right down to her ass. As she turned to peer around the bar, Cash stared at her in shock. She was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.
The beautiful woman wore a tentative smile and a look of hope on her face that you just didn’t see in bars like this.
God, the two of them were going to get chewed up and spat out.
“Well, you were hoping for a bit of excitement,” Ralen told him. “Seems like you might get your wish.”
Cash groaned. “Yeah but I was hoping to get some bruised knuckles, maybe spill a bit of blood. I was going to throw myself into a fight to stop fucking thinking for a moment. And now I’m gonna have to protect two lost women. Why the hell did they walk through the door?”
Ralen shrugged. “I don’t know, but is she not the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen in your life?”
Cash studied the woman with the midnight-colored hair as she tried to get the bartender’s attention. When the guy finally turned, his eyes grew wide with shock.
“Yeah, I guess she is,” Cash said. “That’s not gonna help her get out of this situation, though, is it?”
Then someone moved away from the taller woman and surprise filled him when he saw there was a third woman standing there.
She must have been hidden behind them. She was even shorter than the dark-haired one and had pale blonde hair.
Fuck.
She looked absolutely terrified.
“Shit. There’s a third one?” Ralen said as he downed his beer. “They’re going to eat her up.”
Cash nodded. “We should go over there and tell them we’ll walk them out and wait with them until their ride comes.”
He’d also be giving them a stern lecture. This wasn’t the sort of bar where you went slumming. This was the sort of bar you came to die in.
At least if you couldn’t defend yourself.
These three were lambs to the slaughter.
Especially her. Cash watched as she tugged on the tallest woman’s arm. The other woman bent down to hear what she was saying. The small one pointed at the toilets.
Do not split up.
He gave a sigh of relief as the three of them headed toward the bathroom.
“Right, we better go and make sure that they’re planning on leaving now,” he said to Ralen.
But as they moved across the room, two large men stepped in front of them.
“What are you two pretty boys doing here?” one of them boomed as a drip of sweat worked its way down his dirty face.
The other one had the hugest nose he’d ever seen in his life. It was so wide that it took up most of his face. It was a wonder he could even see past that huge honker.
“Pretty boys?” Ralen said loudly.
“Damn, that’s the nicest thing that anyone has said to me all year,” Cash said with a wide grin. “Pretty boy? Yeah, thanks, guys. You know, you two make the cutest couple.”
They stared at each other in confusion, obviously trying to understand what he’d just said. As they were trying to rub their two brain cells together, he and Ralen stepped past them and headed toward the bathroom.
“One,” Cash said, anticipation building inside him. This was what he’d been waiting for.
“Two,” Ralen added.
“Three.”
“Hey! You two fuckers! Get back here!”
Cash shook his head. So predictable. He turned just as a meaty fist headed toward his face.
Oh, it was on.
Come on, come on, pee already.
She had to go. She knew she had to go. But nothing was happening.
This was why Addie hated using public bathrooms.
“Addie, my phone isn’t working in here,” Dotty called out. “I’m going into the hallway to order an Uber. I will be right there if you need me.”
“I’m coming with you,” Monroe said to Dotty. “I want to check where the next bar is.”
“Monroe, we need to go back to the hotel,” Dotty protested.
“Don’t worry, it’s the last one I’m going to drag you to . . .”
Their words trailed off and Addie was alone. Just her. In a disgusting bathroom. There was toilet paper on the floor and grime on the walls that she didn’t want to look at too closely. It stunk of pee and mold.
Shoot. She wasn’t going to be able to pee if she kept thinking about how bad this place was.
Finally, she felt her bladder give in. A sigh of relief escaped her. She knew from past experience that if she held on too long, she’d give herself a UTI.
After washing her hands, she moved to the door. A loud yell and some cheering made her pause. What was going on? Was there some sort of sports game on?
Someone else yelled. That didn’t sound like he was happy.
Thump!
It felt like the entire building rattled.
Holy. Heck.
What was going on? Should she go out there? Addie glanced around the bathroom. There were only two stalls in here with a small window above the grimy sink. There was no way that she could get through that. And even if she could, she couldn’t leave her sisters. They were out there.
Nope. She had to go find them.
Gathering her courage, her fingers tapping lightly against her thigh, she took one breath in, then another without letting it go. Then she let it out slowly, feeling herself calm slightly.
But that calm dissolved as she walked out and saw the chaos in the main room of the bar.
Oh God.
It looked like everyone in the bar was fighting. She’d never seen anything like it.
And, yeah, maybe she’d lead a sheltered life. But still, surely most people went their entire life without seeing a forty -person brawl?
Something came flying toward her and she ducked with a squeal.
“Woman! Get out of here, now!”
Addie glanced over to see an extremely gorgeous man step out of the fray and point behind her. What?
She didn’t understand.
“Go, now!” Coming closer, he grabbed her shoulders and turned her.
Addie wanted to protest, to ask him what the heck he was doing, but that was brave Addie.
And, unfortunately, she was imaginary.
He shoved her lightly in the back. “Be a good girl and do as you’re told. Leave.”
What the heck?
Had he really just said that?
But when she turned to see if that had really happened, he was already gone.
Yeah, she’d definitely imagined him and his sexy voice and take-charge attitude.
And the way he’d told her to be a good girl.
What an idiot she was. Men didn’t talk to her. Especially not men who looked like that. Tattooed and dangerous and sexy.
No, those sorts of men just stared straight past her. After all, she wasn’t sexy in her tartan skirt, black tights, knee-length boots, and chocolate brown cardigan.
Oh, and she had an old brown backpack on her back. Inside her backpack was a flashlight, her phone, wallet, and Snaggles.
She’d taken a few steps down the corridor before she realized that she was actually doing what he’d told her to.
Sheesh. Addie was a people pleaser, but she didn’t usually blindly obey complete strangers.
Except . . . what else was she going to do? As she spun back, it seemed like the chaos was getting worse. Then a huge man stepped out of the fray close to her. He had blood pouring out of a gash on his forehead. His face was craggy and pockmarked, his build enormous.
Fear filled her because she just knew he was about to see her. And then it all happened in slow motion.
Or that’s what it felt like to her.
His gaze caught hers, his mouth opened, and a creepy look filled his face before he lunged.
Now, Addie might not be good at much but she was a good runner. Turning on her heel, she raced down the hallway. She heard him lumbering behind her.
Then there was a loud thud and the floor shook beneath her feet. She glanced over her shoulder to find the guy on the floor with someone on top of him, pummeling away at his head.
Under normal circumstances, she probably would’ve stopped to try and help, but these weren’t normal circumstances and that asshole didn’t really deserve her help.
Turning, she ran toward the emergency exit at the end of the hall. Well, she assumed it was an exit. There was no sign on the door. But it was thick and heavy as she pushed on it and walked out into a dark alleyway.
Oh God. Every awful story that her mother had ever told her about what could happen to her out in the big, wide world filled her head. This was it, wasn’t it? This was how she was going to die.
Alone, in a dark alleyway that smelled like pee and vomit.
Stop!
You have to be brave.
She had to find her sisters. They could be somewhere in the middle of that brawl. She had to make sure they were all right.
Somewhere, deep inside, she must have some courage left.
Addie forced her feet to move as she quickly walked along the alley. Should she call the police?
Sure. And how are you going to talk to them?
Her throat felt swollen; her voice was gone.
As she walked around the corner of the building she saw a large metal gate blocking her path. Grabbing hold of the handle, she attempted to open it, but it wouldn’t budge.
Shoot.
Turning, she headed back through the alleyway and along the back of the next building. She crept along slowly and quietly.
As well as being a fast runner, she also excelled at being very, very quiet.
As she got closer to the corner of the building, she heard a strange noise.
Peering around, she could see a number of vehicles parked in the lot next to the building.
She headed down the side of the building, stopping as she saw something in the corner of her eye.
Addie quickly crouched behind a truck.
Glancing around the corner of the vehicle she saw a man step out of the shadows. He was carrying something over his shoulder.
Something that looked very much like a body.
Oh my God.
That couldn’t be right. Was she hallucinating? She closed her eyes and opened them.
Nope. Still there.
What should she do? She should move, right? But what if he saw her?
Well, she didn’t want to stay here, staring at someone carrying around a dead body. Standing slowly, she took two steps to her right. The person paused and she froze. Her heart raced.
Oh God.
Did he see her? Hear her? But she hadn’t made a noise.
Then he moved again, heading toward a car with an open trunk which they heaved the body into.
This was her chance. They had their back to her. She could run . . .
Or she could hide.
Addie decided to take option two after she heard yelling coming from the bar.
She didn’t think she could get past the guy and around the building without him seeing her.
Plus, the yelling should cover any noise she made moving.
So, putting her foot on the bumper, she climbed over the back of the pickup truck closest to her.
Realizing there was a tarp in the open back, which she hastily drew it over her.
Please don’t let him have heard her.
Please.
Addie kept herself as still as possible, her mind racing.
Could he hear her breathing? He was going to find her at any moment, weren’t they?
Oh no. Oh no.
Tears ran down her face as she wished she could grab Snaggles out of her backpack. But she was too scared to move. Too scared that he might find her.
Please. Please.