“There he is,” John said, but she was already moving, weaving in and out of the crowd toward the spot where Sonny had disappeared. She didn’t want to take the time to text the deputies, worried that he would slip away while she was busy on the phone. John would just have to sit on him while they waited for the cops to arrive. The tiny smile that touched her mouth at the mental image disappeared quickly as the patrons seemed to pack in tighter around her. Over the sound of the music, there was a muttering rumble, and Molly increased her speed, elbowing her way through the thickening crowd. From the glares and sneers being directed her way, she figured this group must be Sonny fans, and the sooner she and John could get out of Dutch’s, the better.

One of the bikers, a guy almost as big as John, stepped into Molly’s path, bringing her to an abrupt halt. With an impatient sound, she tried to skirt around him, but he shifted, blocking her again.

“Move,” she demanded impatiently, locking away the slight tremor of nerves that wanted to make her fingers shake, and the biker narrowed his eyes at her. With him right in front of her and others pressing closer on all sides, Molly felt as if the oxygen in the bar had thinned, and she fought to keep any sign of her growing unease from showing. Although she normally wasn’t claustrophobic, the tension of the crowd, the sour smell of alcohol and anger, seemed to shrink the space. It was too hot, too close. A tickling drop of sweat ran down her lower back.

Before the stranger could say anything, John leaned over her shoulder so that his face was just inches from the biker’s. Molly suddenly felt as if she could take a full breath again. Although John was just slightly taller than the other guy, he managed to loom over him, his expression so ferocious that even Molly had to stop herself from shying away from him, even as she felt the urge to move closer.

The stranger hesitated, his gaze flicking between Molly and John, and she took the opportunity to swerve around his bulk and head for the spot where she’d last seen Sonny. Although it was too loud in the bar to hear anyone’s footsteps, she could feel John at her back, a wall of safety protecting her from the hostile patrons. He’d apparently gotten away from the biker without an unpleasant altercation.

The crowd had massed around the entrance to the bathroom hallway, and Molly muttered rude things under her breath as she worked her way through the throng. She wasn’t sure if the hostile glares she was receiving were because she was chasing Sonny or because she was throwing a thousand fouls worth of elbows. She didn’t care either way, still pressing forward, needing to get clear of the crowd.

A hand on her arm had her swinging around, fist clenched and ready to swing, when she realized that John had her in his grip. She didn’t punch him, but she stayed tense, the aggression of the bar patrons putting her on edge. In just the few seconds she’d stopped pushing forward through the crowd, they’d closed in, one woman even getting close enough to step hard on her foot. Mentally thanking her steel-toed boots, Molly shoved the woman away as John tugged her behind him.