Running in Place (Mending Hearts) Read Online Free PDF Page B

I take a deep breath in preparation for the absolute hell that’s about to break loose.
    Wrapping my fingers around the leather of her boot, I squeeze like a vise out of frustration. “Tatum. Get your ass off the bar. Now.”
    She looks down at me, her crystalline blue eyes glazed over as her long dark hair falls over her shoulders. “I can’t help it, Noah. I’m a sexy bitch,” she laughs. “And I need to dance — as every sexy bitch should.”
    As her hips begin to sway slowly to the beat, cat calls begin to break loose throughout the bar and Dickwads Number One and Two fall into place right underneath her while flashing dollar bills.
    How dense are these motherfuckers?
    Slamming my towel over the sink, I release her from my grasp, once again forced to leave my station behind the bar to try to find Trace. Maybe he can talk some sense into her drunken ass, although it’s highly doubtful. She’s evidently on a mission tonight.
    “Noooooooah! I need you!” My teeth grate and my jaw clenches as my eyes close in an effort to fend off the inevitable. Turning slowly to Ryder who could not be further up my ass tonight for some reason, I’m once again reminded to never, ever, ever sleep with chicks from work. Ever. Or to take them up on ride offers because I’m undoubtedly stuck with her shit for the rest of the night.
    “Ryder,” I say as pleasantly as possible. “I will be with you in one second . I’m in the middle of an emergency right now, but I promise, I will get with you as soon as everything calms down.” I chance a glance at Tatum over Ryder’s head. She’s still standing on the bar, but she’s no longer dancing. Still as a statue, her eyes gaze over the crowd with her mouth wide-open. My stare follows across the bar in the path of hers, until they land on a gap-toothed hillbilly douchebag with his arm around some platinum blonde chick’s waist. Cash.
    I quickly cast my glance back to Tatum, whose mouth is no longer open, but tightly sealed with her lips pressed together in a thin line. Then, I watch as her crazy switch flips. Her eyes ignite with fury as she turns her back to the crowd in front of her and jumps behind the bar — pretty deftly actually — the adrenaline no doubt fueling her new-found coordination. After opening the door where the reserve liquor is stored, she reappears a second later, with a devilish and eerily calm smile spreading across her face as she exits from behind the bar. Sadie attempts to grab her shoulder, but Tatum shrugs her off as she strides toward the exit. A whirling flash of silver catches my eye as she tosses an object into the air, catching it in the palm of her hand just before the front door slams behind her. My eyes lose her at that point, but the irony that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is now blaring over the sound system seems to serve as some kind of sick warning.
    This is so not good.
    Once again, I push Ryder to the side, gently of course, hearing her huff as I book it towards the exit door as fast as my work boots will carry me. Throwing it open, I end up in the parking lot, my eyes frantically searching the rows of cars for any sign of Tatum. Sadie’s high-pitched shriek catches my attention. “Tatum O’Connell! Do not do this! He’s not worth your ass goin’ to jail!”
    What the fuck?
    Swiftly turning the corner, I skid to a halt when I see Tatum standing in the bed of a navy blue, 4x4 Chevy Silverado truck, her fingers curled around the grip of the baseball bat that’s supposed to be tucked safely behind the bar with an inebriated, lopsided smile on her face.
    “Noah! Get her out of there, please! She’s gonna hurt herself!” Sadie pleads, once again with the damn puppy dog eyes. Just as I open my mouth to try to talk some sense into Tatum, three things all happen at once, seemingly in slow motion.
    Several footsteps are heard behind me followed by “YOU BITCH!” As I twist my body to see Cash running up, still with his arm around bouffant Barbie