Realizing that her hand was still outstretched, reaching for his neck, she dropped her arm to her side. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.” The answer was more of a grunt than a word as he pushed up into a seated position, his gaze never leaving her. “What about you? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Resisting the urge to help him, she kept her hands to herself with a great deal of effort. She watched him as he moved, taking in the flash of a grimace before he smoothed his expression into neutral blankness. Even when he was obviously in pain, he kept his attention locked on her, his gaze roaming her body as if checking to make sure that she’d been telling the truth about not being injured.

His concern warmed a part of her, even as her own worry had her fighting the need to hold him upright as she checked for hidden injuries. Only when she’d reassured herself that he wasn’t going to fall over unconscious or start spurting blood from some yet-unnoticed wound did she stand and turn toward the open door.

The alley and the back of Dutch’s could be seen, since the door had swung open completely when the explosion had sent Molly and John flying. Some debris and remaining parts of the bar’s back wall were burning sluggishly, illuminating the blackened hole leading into the men’s bathroom. Water sprayed from broken and twisted pipes, hitting some of the flames with a hiss of steam. Curious faces peered at her through the new hole in the wall, and she could hear the excited chatter of the bar residents. From the lack of panic, she assumed that no one in Dutch’s had been seriously hurt by the blast.

At the faint sound of sirens, she glanced back at John, who’d gotten to his feet. He appeared to be relatively steady, so she closed the door leading to the alley, shutting out the view of the damaged bar. They’d had enough encounters with law enforcement for one day. Besides, there was someone else in the building. She’d seen a movement just seconds before the explosion. If they could track down Sonny Zarver after all, it would make braving the hostile bar crowd and the explosion worth it. They needed to show something for this hellacious night. The toe of her boot hit something that skittered across the floor. She frowned at it until she realized it was a piece of her Taser. The rest of its remains were scattered across the corridor, and she sighed. It had been her favorite.

As she moved past John, he lifted his eyebrows in a quizzical look but didn’t question her. Instead, he fell in behind her as she moved down the hallway. His lack of argument made her wonder if he’d hit his head. It wasn’t like him to obey passively. She gave him another sharp look over her shoulder. His eyes seemed clear and focused, and he appeared to be walking in a straight line. Concentrating on making her way deeper into the building, Molly forced herself to quit obsessing over John’s possible injuries. If Sonny was still in the building, their lives could depend on her not being distracted.