“Okay,” I grumbled. “Fine, but I want to be there when you tell Granny.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” He glanced at his phone, then back up at me. “What are you doin’ here? You never come out this way.”
I wasn’t aware that he’d been tracking my lunch habits. I considered telling him what was going on but decided the fewer people who knew at the moment, the better. “I decided to try something new.”
He glanced toward the door then back to me, leaning his forearm on the table. “I heard Kate Simmons escaped from the funny farm, and yet you’re prancin’ around like you’re going to a May Day parade. What are you doin’, Neely Kate?”
I wrinkled my brow. “Prancin’ around? What the Sam Hill are you talkin’ about?” I shook my head. “Never mind. Look.” I reached over the table and covered his hand with mine. “I know you’re worried, but Jed and Joe have it covered.”
“You need to go. You shouldn’t be here. Where’s Joe now?”
“In here somewhere. I’m safe.” Wait. Why hadn’t he asked about Jed?
“Well, I’ve got a bad feelin’. I’d feel better if you left.”
The worry in his eyes convinced me he was sincere, but I wasn’t ready to go yet. “Okay. I’ll find Joe and leave, but first I’ve got to go to the restroom.”
The corners of his mouth tugged down in disapproval, but he said, “Fine, but promise me that you’ll leave as soon as you’re done.”
“Love you too,” I said in a mocking tone just to antagonize him and slid out of the booth. As I stood, I caught a glimpse of Joe glaring at me from the end of the lunch counter by the door, his face partially buried in a menu. So that’s why I hadn’t seen him when I walked in. He was hiding behind the door. I headed toward the back, but I was still looking over my shoulder, so I didn’t see the man directly in front of me. I bumped into his chest, and he grabbed my arms to steady me.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I regained my footing.
“No problem,” was his gruff response, but his eyes didn’t look all that friendly. He looked to be in his late thirties. He was tall and his thick, beefy arms stretched the short sleeves of his dark T-shirt. His brown hair was cut fairly short, and he wore a short, dark beard.
Muffy released a low growl from inside my purse.
Keeping his gaze on me, the guy’s eyes widened in shock and his hold on my left arm tightened. He released my right arm and started to drag me to the back door.
“What do you think you’re doin’?” I asked, getting pissed.
“Shut up and do what I say.” He lifted his shirt with his left hand to show me the butt of a gun sticking out of the top of his jeans.
I was pretty sure I’d just figured out who Franken was meeting.
I shot a glance back to Joe, who was already out of his seat.
The man saw where I was looking, then grabbed a table with his free hand and tipped it over, sending food, plates, and drinks flying and blocking Joe’s path.
Witt jumped out of his booth and tried to get around the overturned table, but a waitress carrying three plates of food stumbled in the pandemodium. Her plates landed on Witt, covering him in gravy and spaghetti sauce.
The restaurant was in chaos now. My captor took advantage of the distraction and didn’t even try to hide that he was abducting me as he pulled me past the remaining tables toward the back door. I tried kicking him in the shin, but he was dragging me too quickly and his arms were so long my foot couldn’t reach him. Still in my purse, Muffy stuck her head out of the opening and released a low snarl.
My abductor shoved the back door open with his shoulder and dragged me outside, then reached for a fifty-five-gallon barrel a few feet from the door with his right hand and started wrestling it to block the now-closed door.
As I continued trying to pull free, I turned toward him, hoping to get a good kick at his shin, but his long outstretched arm held me far enough away I couldn’t reach.
Think, Neely Kate. Think.
Fisting my right hand, I twisted and tried to smash it into his arm, but his grip on my left bicep was tight enough to keep me from connecting. My fist slid down the side of his forearm.
He cursed, clearly frustrated with my squirming while trying to move the barrel. He gave me a hard shove to the ground, slamming my back into the building as I landed on my butt, momentarily stunned. My purse landed on the ground next to me.
Now that he had both hands free, he had no trouble positioning the barrel to block the door.
I came to my senses enough to realize I needed to dig out my pepper spray or try to get away. Muffy was still in my purse looking none the worse for wear, but my pepper spray had to be buried beneath her, and I didn’t have time to rummage around. Still on the ground, I started to scramble to the side, hoping to get out of his reach, but he noticed my movement. He was quick for a big guy. Leaning over, he grabbed my wrist and tried to haul me to my feet as I dug my heels into the gravel.
Muffy bared her teeth and released a loud growl, then sprang out of my purse. With a huge leap, she sank her teeth into his wrist and held on tight.
He shouted and swatted at her, trying to get her off him, but she dug in even more, releasing vicious sounds that scared even me. My kidnapper released his hold on me and lifted his arm as he tried to shake her loose.
Terrified for Muffy, I found a rotten piece of wood next to the building and used it to whack the guy in the shin.
He let out a yell and I barely escaped a vicious kick with my awkward backward crab walk, but he was concentrating more on Muffy, who was still hanging onto his now-bleeding wrist.
“Neely Kate!” Joe shouted as he rounded the corner out of breath, with his gun in his hand. His jaw dropped open when he saw Muffy, but he quickly recovered and pointed his gun at the man, shouting, “Stop! Sheriff’s department!”
Witt ran around the corner seconds later, his shirt covered in stains, but he didn’t stop, instead running straight toward me. Hooking his hands under my armpits, he dragged me further out of reach then up to my feet before pushing me behind him.
“Get this dog off me!” the man shouted, still trying to shake her free. Muffy’s feet dangled and I tried to get around Witt to save her.
“Neely Kate,” Witt snapped. “What the hell do you think you’re doin’?”
“Muffy!” I screamed. “Come!”
Muffy let go of his wrist, dropped to her feet, then bolted for me.
The man tried to make a run for it, but Witt took off after him as Joe shouted, “Freeze!”
If he was talking to Witt, my cousin ignored him, leaping for the suspect and tackling him to the ground.
I dipped to a squat and scooped Muffy up into my arms, holding her close with my shaky arms. “Witt!” I called out. “He has a gun!”
Joe ran over with his own gun still aimed at my kidnapper, but Witt had managed to get the guy face-first in the dirt and wrestled his arms around his back.
Whipping out his handcuffs, Joe tossed them to Witt. “Would you do me the honor of cuffing this son of a bitch?”
The look on my cousin’s face was deadly. “With pleasure.”
Chapter 17
Witt hauled the guy up to sit on his butt. Then Joe squatted in front of him and tugged the guy’s gun out of his waistband and tossed it toward the cars parked behind the building.
“How do you know Neely Kate?” he asked, pointing his own gun in the man’s face.
The guy glared up at him. “You’re supposed to read me my rights.”
Joe looked him over with an even expression. “Who said you’re under arrest?”
The guy’s gaze shot up to me then back to Joe with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“How do you know Neely Kate?” Joe repeated.
“Who says I know her?” the guy asked with a smart-ass grin.
“Give me five minutes with him,” Witt said. “I’ll get what we need.”
“That’s police brutality,” my kidnapper said in a smug tone.
“Except I’m not the police,” Witt said through gritted teeth.
“Witt,” Joe cautioned.
Witt looked like he wanted to punch someone, and it wasn’t Joe or me.