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I hit the shower and stepped in, letting the hot water hit my back and slide down my shoulders. Then I scrubbed, hard, shampooing my hair until it squeaked, and by the time I shut off the water and stepped out, my things were waiting on the edge of the bed and there was food on the counter.
My stomach clenched at the sight as Freddy shoved half a sandwich into his mouth and started undressing heading toward me. “I’ll be quick,” he promised.
I dressed, grabbing clean black jeans, a black tee, and my vest…but not my jacket.
Because she had that.
Christ, I hoped she still had it. The thought of her having something of mine with her was strangely comforting. I shrugged into the vest, strapped it tight, and slid my gun under my shirt at the small of my back before tugging on clean military boots and zipping them tight.
By the time I was ready, Logan was showered, shaved, and helping himself to a platter of sandwiches and food on the counter.
“You should eat something,” he urged around a mouthful of food.
I looked at the stuff, and saw the sandwich I'd made for Kat, then just shook my head. Instead, I grabbed a Red Bull and chugged the contents. Minutes, that’s all it took us, before we were in the elevator once more, but fuck, it felt like forever.
I swallowed a tremor as the doors opened and we were striding across the Institute’s grounds all lit up by spotlights. Movement came from the side as Finley jogged toward us, looking refreshed.Fucking asshole.
“Anna said she’s making headway on the code of the ransom. Said she’s isolated everything she can from the recording. Said that Kat looks scared, but okay and that’s what we need to hold onto. She’s a fighter, we know that, right?”
I just stared straight ahead. “Yeah, she’s a fighter.”
The automatic doors opened to building one as we stepped close. I expected men to be gathering in the foyer, but there was no one. Just silence, until the faint drone of voices filtered through. I headed toward the sound, knowing instinctively they were sitting in the same conference room I'd sat in hours ago…right around the time Kat was being abducted.
I pushed through the doors and stepped in, my gaze moving to the group of men on the other side of the room. Suits everywhere, but one stood out in particular. Steel gray, the edges sharp.
“Lazarus,” the Commander called my name. His dark eyes glinted, moving from me to Finley, then Logan and Freddy at my back. “I’m glad you made it.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I muttered as the man in the gray suit turned.
Dark, beady eyes glared at me from behind him. Damon Zakharov stood there, his face swollen and misshapen. His broken front tooth showed as he sneered. I swallowed that flare of hate and tore my gaze away. What the fuck was he doing here anyway?
“Sebastian, this is—“ the Commander started.
“Lazarus Rossi,” The voice that came from Kat’s father was devoid of any kind of emotion.
Not hate.
Not rage.
Not any trace of fear.
It was just…nothing.
“Mr. VanHalen.” I nodded.
“Lazarus and his team have been searching the mainland, trying to locate anyone with information on Kat’s whereabouts.” Mateo caught him up to speed.
“Katerina,” Kat’s dad corrected as he turned back to Mateo. “It’s Katerina.”
I fought the flinch. She didn’t like that name…didn’t like it at all.
“Thank you, in any case,” came a deep, resounding murmur at Sebastian VanHalen’s side.
I jerked my gaze to the male at his side. Deep brown eyes, perfect fucking skin. The man looked like a damn model, flecks of gray hair at his temples, dressed in an immaculate black suit that I was pretty fucking sure cost more than my damn Harley.
He reached up, adjusted the cuffs of his suit, and dismissed me with a curl of his lip. “But we’ll take it from here.”
The hair on the nape of my neck rose instantly.Who the fuck did this guy think—
