Mikayla POV
My pulse was a drum in my ears as I fòrced myself to move. The kitchen swallowed me—pots clanging. Vents hissing. Voices shouting orders I couldn’t make sense of. Someone called my name, but the sound felt distant… warped by panic. The heat from the ovens made my skin slick, my stomach twisting with every step.
I needed somewhere to hide. Somewhere small. Somewhere safe.
I stumbled to the back of the kitchen and yanked open the door to the tiny office John used for doing administrative work and where he kept the bar’s cash box. I slammed the door shut and pressed my back against it, my chest heaving, as tears spilled down my cheeks before I could even stop them.
A soft knock made me jump, my hands trembling as the door opened, but I let out a deep breath when I saw it was M
