Page 91 of Chasing Kaylee Kringle

Johnny chuckled. “Ah, your little friend was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was pretty cute how puffed up she was when she first walked in, talking about how Ansel had better stay away from you. But you see, that night wasn’t about you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked breathlessly.

Johnny clucked his tongue. “We can talk on the drive.”

“No,” she hissed, fighting against him. “Tell me what you mean.”

Johnny slammed her back against the building, knocking the breath from her. “Stop your fucking squirming.” She whimpered, and for whatever reason, the sound seemed to relax him, and he smiled. “Fine. You wanna know? Your friend’s little FBI boyfriend was skimming from us. Stole over a hundred thousand dollars, like that was going to go far.”

Her stomach plummeted. Elasia hadn’t died because she’d threatened Ansel or Wyatt’s job. They killed her because her boyfriend was a thief.

“Did she know? What he was doing?”

“Said she didn’t, but you can never be sure, you know?” His flinty gaze skewered her. “People lie.”

Kaylee jerked against his grip. “My date is going to come looking for me.”

“Yeah, seems like a sweet guy. We should probably get out of here, though, so I don’t have to kill him.” Johnny kept a hand on her and lifted his shirt, revealing the metallic glint of a gun.

Kaylee scoffed. “Rick would end you.”

Johnny’s eyes flashed with irritation before he chuckled menacingly. “Is that so?” he asked, dropping his shirt. “Maybe if we had more time, I’d test your theory. So how is this? Maybe lover boy could take me on, but there are other people you care about. Some of them may not be able to end me. Maybe the sweet little blonde sitting in a chair inside, eating cake like it’s the best thing in the world.”

Kaylee’s heart surged into her throat. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

“That’s a good girl,” he said, leaning over her, and she stiffened, his lips brushing her cheek and leaving a wet imprint. “Remember, be quiet. Don’t disappoint me.”

Johnny kept ahold of her arm, dragging her across the gravel. Kaylee couldn’t keep up in her heels, and when she kicked them off, she bit back a whimper of pain as the sharp rocks bit into the bottoms of her feet.

“Hurry up,” he snarled.

“I can’t. I don’t have shoes on.”

Johnny stopped, bending over to wrap his arms around her, and tried lifting her. Fear ratcheted through her, and she knew that as soon as he got her away, even if he took her to Ansel, she was dead anyway. Kaylee swung a fist, catching Johnny upside the ear, and he dropped her, stumbling to the side and hitting a nearby car. She landed on her back in the gravel and immediately started scrambling backward, cursing her dress and bare feet.

Johnny straightened, rubbing his ear as he glared at her. “You got some fire in you. I didn’t expect that; you were always such a mousy little thing.” He took a step toward her, advancing like a predator stalking its prey, and panic ripped through Kaylee like a bullet, her heart beating so hard against her chest as if it wanted to escape. She had never spoken to him before tonight, as he always sat silently, watching the goings-on at the bar. Now those observant eyes stared straight into her soul, branding her for the devil himself.

Kaylee glanced over her shoulder to the building’s entrance, but he was too close, and there was no way she could outrun him.

“Don’t worry, Kaylee. I’m a forgiving guy. I’ll only punish you a little, leaving no marks. Got to have you in perfect condition for your talk with Ansel.”

Kaylee scowled. “I don’t wanna talk to him.”

“It’s not really a choice,” he said, advancing on her as she continued to scoot away. “Who knows, you might be able to work something out and go on about your life.”

Kaylee didn’t believe that for a second, but she played along, biding her time as she inched closer and closer toward the cars.

“Do you really think you’re gonna be able to get away from me?”

“Excuse me,” an elderly voice called. Kaylee looked past Johnny’s shoulder and saw Jolene tapping her way with her cane across the gravel toward them. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and Kaylee sucked in a breath.

The blond man turned around, and Kaylee couldn’t see his expression, but his shoulders were tight, his presence menacing. Kaylee wanted to cry out a warning, but without a weapon, she wasn’t sure what to do. Kaylee looked along the ground in the gravel, but all the rocks were small. She saw a truck with a toolbox in the bed and started shifting toward it. Johnny must’ve heard her move because he whirled around.

“Where do you think you’re going, bitch?”

Kaylee watched Jolene raise her cane behind him. “Sonny, that’s no way to talk to a lady.”

“Get outta here, you old bat, before I—”