Page 68 of The B-Team

“Stats?” He ran a hand down her back.

Her only reply was a soft, muffled snore.

Ryan grinned at the ceiling as he held Sarah close and once again fought the urge to laugh.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Katrina woke in a panic. She jumped to her feet and stood beside the bottom bunk, where she’d lain down for a nap. For a second, she saw the plain walls of the tiny room she’d been kept in for almost a year. She felt the cold wooden floor beneath her bare feet and the weight of the shackle tight around her ankle.

With her heart thudding out of control and breathing shallow and fast, she slowly looked down—to find warm socks on her feet and a generic gray carpet on the floor.

“Not my prison,” she whispered. “Not my prison. Not my prison.”

She curled her toes, the soft wool of her socks reassuring her that this was now. That she was out of that room where she’d been imprisoned. That she could leave this space any time she wanted. There were no shackles. No armed guards. No cameras.

Unsteady on her feet, she stumbled the few short steps to the nearest wall and flicked on the lights.Allthe lights. The shadows disappeared, taking the worst of her bad dream along with them.

“Panic room. Not hell,” she said aloud, but it didn’t help. There’d been many a time while locked up when she’d talked to herself. She needed to hear other people.

Forcing herself to breathe deep and steady, she walked over to the bank of security monitors on the far wall and turned up the volume.

There were two cops in reception, engaged in a heated discussion about a soccer match. Another officer was in the first-floor kitchen while two were going through the flats in the attic that were kept for any staff who needed them. The last one was in the armory, near the panic room in the basement, cataloging Benson Security’s weapon stash.

“Okay,” she said, her voice sounding much steadier this time. “You’re in the panic room. It’s three forty-five, so Ryan and Rodrigo will be here in fifteen minutes. You need a coffee, Kat.” Although, adrenaline helped sweep away exhaustion too.

Years earlier, she’d realized that the dreams would always be a part of her life, but they didn’t control her. She just had to deal with it and move on. It was no different from someone who suffered from a long-term illness experiencing unexpected flare-ups. She was fine. Everything was fine. It was all good.

Just as she finished making the world’s largest cup of coffee, her phone rang. The display said Julia, but she knew Ryan had commandeered her phone.

“Hey, Ryan,” she said when she answered.

“Good. You’re awake,” he said, making her smile.

“Of course I’m awake; we have a date.”

She heard the grin in his voice when he replied. “I’m telling Sarah you said that.”

“I’m sure Sarah wouldn’t mind sharing you if I asked nicely,” she said, and he laughed with delight.

Ah, Ryan. Katrina heaved a mental sigh. In another lifetime, he would have been everything she wanted in a man. But they’d met at the wrong time and gone in different directions. Still, she had a soft spot for him and would never forget his kindness in the weeks following her rescue.

“If you two are done flirting,” Rodrigo said, “we have a business to break into.”

“Yeah, and how sad is it that it’sourbusiness?” She could almost hear Ryan shake his head in disgust. “What’s the status at your end, Katrina?”

She pulled out a chair at the desk under the monitors. “Six police officers, all over the building. Two in reception, one on the first floor, one in the basement, two in the attic.”

“Are they all awake?” Ryan sounded hopeful.

“Unfortunately, yes.” She glanced at the clock; it was a couple of minutes off four. “Are you guys here already?”

“Parked outside and waiting for the fun to start,” Rodrigo said.

“Are we sure this is going to work?” Katrina asked.

“Well, it scared the crap out of the London staff when it happened to us, and we knew about the security system,” Ryan said. “So these guys should wet themselves.”

“And call for reinforcements,” Rodrigo drawled.