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Elle gestured to the monitors. “Still working here.”
“Fine.” Megan huffed. “But we should really read through all those messages first, so we can censor anything X-rated before the cops get here.”
“I’m sure that’s your only reason for wanting to read Ryan’s messages.” Elle stretched out her arm and pointed at the door. “Go.”
“You used to be way more fun,” Megan complained as she left the room.
As soon as she disappeared, Elle brought up the messages and started at the beginning. Not because she wanted to get a kinky kick out of reading Ryan’s romantic notes, but because she wanted to know who this Sarah had been to him.
And what she’d done to get them both kidnapped.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ryan was running as soon as Sarah screamed. The petrified sound ripped straight through him, causing more damage than any bullet ever had. In the few seconds it took to reach the tunnel, the screaming had stopped and a cold, terrifying silence replaced it.
A spike of panic impaled him when he didn’t find Sarah where he’d left her. A split second later, the beam from his flashlight swept over her huddled form on the floor in the room opposite. She was facing into the darkness, partially hidden by the wall.
“Sarah!” He fell to his knees beside her, wrapping an arm around her shivering shoulders. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
There was no response. No recognition at all. She was frozen in place, staring at the floor in the darkness.
“Stats,” Ryan cajoled. “Talk to me. You’ve got to talk to me.”
Suddenly, she started to shake violently. A low, desperate moan escaped her that made him break out in a cold sweat.
Grabbing the flashlight, he quickly scanned her, hoping the problem would be obvious. Hoping she hadn’t broken under the stress of their situation and gone catatonic in the darkness. His mind threw random options at him. Were there bugs? Was she injured? Had the bloody rat come back? And then the light hit the floor beside her.
Ryan let out a long breath. “Fuck.”
No wonder she lost it.
“Okay, okay.” Ryan’s training kicked in, and he took charge. With a gentle but firm hold, he grasped her chin and forced her eyes away from her hand. “Look at me. Sarah, do you hear me? I’m right here, and I need you to look into my eyes. That’s an order.” His tone was steel. It was a command, nothing less, and he expected obedience. “Sarah, look at me. See me. I’m right here.”
Slowly, she began to focus on him instead of on the horror inside her head. She blinked. Once. Twice. A flicker of recognition ignited the gold in her eyes. Then suddenly, they were liquid.
“Ryan? There’s…there’s…” It was barely a whisper.
“I know, Stats, I know. I’m going to fix it for you, and I need you to be strong for a couple of minutes more. Can you do that for me?”
Her bottom lip trembled as silent tears escaped to run down her cheeks. “It’s around my hand,” she whispered.
“I’ll get it off,” he promised.
Carefully, he moved his hand to cup her cheek, brushing at the tears with his thumb. “I need you to stay very still while I do this. Okay? I want you to keep looking in this direction, and I want you to count to one hundred, out loud, for both of us to hear. Can you do that for me?”
Those cute little frown lines appeared between her brows, and she nodded once.
Still, Ryan wasn’t convinced she actually understood what he was saying. It was obvious she was struggling to focus on him, and he didn’t want her to slip back into a dazed state.
“Say it back to me, Stats. You’re going to keep looking in this direction and count to one hundred, out loud.” Hopefully, concentrating on counting would keep her mind off him freeing her hand.
The tip of her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips as the muscles she’d been holding so tight started to tremble.
“Don’t turn around. Keep facing this way. Count to a hundred. That’s good, really good. It will help me a lot if you can do that for me. I’ll be right here beside you the whole time. Okay?”
The tears were coming faster now.
Slowly, his gaze still on her face, Ryan stood. “Let’s hear that counting.”
