THE LOST CAUSE BAR #wattys2017

Chapter 8

                 

It is nowhere in sight I think as I look around the upturned room. There are no noisy nails scratching the wooden floor, no shuffling or rustling.

            "We have to find it." I shout, terrified of the beast, of him find and cornering me when I am here alone.

            Sawyer searches the base boards as I sit and watch from my perch on the bar waiting for our tools of conquest to show. Devin walker back in with not only a hoe but an axe as well. Perfect. I walk up to him and reach for the ax. His grip tightens instead of releasing the item I want.

            Our eyes lock his gaze leery and mine a glare. "Please give me the axe." I ask almost politely.

            He hesitates, "You are going to use it on the rat, correct?" his carefully asked question gave me pause.

            "Who else would I use it on?" I pose the question rhetorically.

            His sigh of relief startles a laugh out of me. "I may not like you very much but I don't hate you enough to injury you plus I don't fancy a stint in Huntsville for my crimes when it comes to you. Now Sawyer or the man with the big jacked up truck from the other night I would kill to protect them."

            "Ahha," sounds from the backroom. I jump down from the bar going in search of the afore mentioned bartender.

            "What? What?" I ask waiting with my weapon ready and expecting the vermin to run out at any minute.

            "I found his nest, a hole in the base boards we'll make  trap here and leave it alone fro a while," is Sawyer's response.

            "I don't care please just make it go away," I plead.

            I hear a noise behind me causing me to freeze, my back to the door. I am the closest to the door, which mean I'm the closest to the possible rat. The boys are busy discussing the trap to set unable to hear the small disturbance.

            I close my eyes open my mouth to call out to the guys, panicked that the little paws will run up my leg.

My fears aren't unfounded apparently because in the next moment something grabs my side causing me to scream out.

Finally the pair in front of me look to me with sides eyes at first but they settle in anger.

"Wyatt why the hell did you have to do a thing like that?" Sawyer accuses "Wyatt" of this atrocious act.

" I don't know it only seemed fair since she scared me last night almost making me run her beautiful self over with my truck."

Then it clicks the man behind me is the same one from the parking lot last night that I accidently walked in front of so distracted by the Devin situation to care where I walked.

I turn around to defend myself against the man with overly high truck, "That was not my fau..Who are you calling beautiful?" My brain catches up with his answer but not quick enough to prevent the sudden change in direction. Then my eyes roam his figure, I didn't get to see much last night other than his outline but boy do I thank whoever invented Wranglers.

"You are kind of se...cute." I can't stop myself from stepping in it today.  The loud laughter from behind me furthers my embarrassment.

"I think I'll go now. Devil you have keys, please lock up after you set the trap." It comes automatic to rile him up that is intentionally stepping in it.

"She really doesn't like you does she?" I hear one deep voice as Devin before the door swings shut.

No not particularly.