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"No," she yelled over her shoulder and hurried out the door.
Feigning dejection, he leaned over and righted the chair. All eyes were on him. Some held sympathy while those behind the counter tipped their head in understanding.Good. The plan seemed to have worked as Cinnamon escaped without anyone stopping her.
Kaleb straddled the chair and cradled his head in his hands. He'd never been so afraid in his life. He didn't want Cinnamon in the line of fire. Since he didn't know who all was involved in the robbery, he needed her to leave without suspicion.
After a few minutes of calming his racing heart, Kaleb stood and moved to the back of the coffee shop where Mayson kept his office. No one made any movements. Maybe they thought he was using the restroom. It didn't matter. The sooner he got to Mayson and assessed the situation, the better.
Though he wasn't trained in combat or police work, he couldn't leave his friend to deal with a dangerous situation by himself.
Knocking once on the office door, Kaleb waited. No answer. He pounded again. He glanced over his shoulder. A man shot him a look, eyes narrowed. Kaleb ducked his head and turned to the bathroom. He waited a few more minutes before attempting another knock.
Someone had to answer at some point. If not, he'd take matters into his own hands and ram the door down on his own. He wasn't going to let something happen to Mayson or anyone else in the coffee shop.
As casual as he could muster, Kaleb rapped his knuckles against the door.
"Yes?"
"Mays, I need to talk."
Mumbled voices reached Kaleb. He moved his hand to the doorknob and gave it a subtle turn. It didn't budge. Kaleb bit back a breath of frustration.
"Mayson?" he tried again.
"Come back later, Kaleb."
"I need to talk, man. It's about Cinnamon." Kaleb tried to make his voice sound desperate and worried. He sucked in a gulp of air and waited.
Still no answer came. Kaleb tossed a look over his shoulder. Big Man must've gotten tired of waiting for Kaleb to leave the bathroom as he was nowhere in sight. Without giving it a second thought, Kaleb took a few steps back, lowered his shoulder, and ran for the door.
Pain exploded in his arm and neck as the door flew open. Two sets of startled eyes peered at him.
Mayson bolted from his chair. The man next to him swung the gun on Kaleb. Before he realized what was happening, he reared back. A burning sensation ripped through him before everything around him went dark.
Chapter Sixteen
Everything happened so fast. By the time Cinnamon reached the police station, word had already spread something was going on at A Whole Latte of Love. She only had to confirm it was a robbery, and everyone sprang into action.
Riding in the back seat of the police car felt odd to Cinnamon. She'd never been in the back of one before, and it didn't sit right with her to be there now. But Officer Fraser insisted since she was an eyewitness to the happenings inside.
The car screeched to a halt. Officer Fraser let her out, cautioning her to stay away from the front of the building. Keeping her distance was more difficult than anything she'd ever done in her entire life. Cinnamon itched to run into the coffee shop, throw her arms around Kaleb, to make sure he was alright.
Pacing back and forth like a caged lion, Cinnamon kept her eyes glued to the scene unfolding in front of her. Icy fingers squeezed her heart when she saw the customers scream and duck for cover. Her hand flew to her throat, her eyes scanning those on the ground in the shop, searching for Kaleb.
He no longer occupied the table where she left him. "Come on, come on. Where are you?"
Before she realized what happened, police officers stormed the small coffee shop, ushering the hostages out of the building. Cinnamon held her breath, hands pressed to her abdomen, waiting for Kaleb to appear in the midst of the crowd.
"Lord Jesus, where is he?" Cinnamon continued to search for him, remaining behind the yellow tape the police put in place. Somewhere down the road, an ambulance sang out its presence. Her heart picked up speed.Please don't let the injured person be Kaleb, God.
Finally, Mayson emerged, a grim expression on his face. His eyes roamed the crowd and landed on her. His jaw tightened as sadness filled his eyes. In four large steps, he stood before her.
"Where is he, Mays?" Cinnamon grabbed his arms and squeezed. "What happened?"
"Mr. Ingram," Officer Fraser appeared out of nowhere, "we need to take your statement."
"Give me a minute please. I need to speak with Cinnamon."
Compassion softened the lines of the officer's face. "Make it fast. We have the gunman and his cohorts in custody."
