When his gaze flicked to her mouth, she knew he was going to add one more emotion to the mix. Then he was crushing his mouth to hers. A hot spike of desire drove right through the middle of her. Even through the fear and adrenaline she could feel her body responding. Every nerve ending tingled with the heady sensation of being kissed by Zack Devlin. She could feel her muscles quivering, her mouth seeking his, her body beginning to ache.
When he pulled away, his eyes were black and intense, his pupils dilated with passion. Brushing his hand along her face, he gave her a half smile. “Let’s go.”
They crossed the courtyard at a reckless speed. Snow stung her face and eyes. Emily was mindful of the spotlights flashing on the building to her left. They stopped in the alcove just outside the side entrance to the cafeteria and skidded to a halt.
“Which door?” Zack whispered, but his eyes were scanning the alcove, darting to the courtyard beyond.
“There’s a door the nutritionist and her staff use. Near the cafeteria. It should be deserted this time of night.”
“Where?”
She pointed. “Right. About twenty yards down.”
“Let’s move.”
He followed her directions and soon they were standing outside a steel door painted an institutional blue. Zack turned toward the courtyard while Emily swiped her security card, then went to work on the code. Seconds later the locks clanged.
“They didn’t change the codes,” she said. “We’re in.”
“God help us.”
They entered the kitchen, a massive room chock-full of gleaming stainless-steel counters, matching sinks and a massive freezer and refrigeration unit. The lighting was dim, but Emily could see well enough to make her way down the aisle.
“Nice kitchen,” Zack commented.
“Only the best for Lockdown, Inc.” She took him past a set of stainless-steel ovens built into the wall, then to the door that would take them to the corridor leading to the main building. “Where do you—”
Her words were cut off abruptly when the door swung open. Emily gasped when she found herself face-to-face with a corrections officer.
“Monroe?” He looked at her as if she had come back from the dead. “What are you doing here?”
She couldn’t remember his name. He was new. Fresh out of the police academy, but he hadn’t made the cut, if she remembered correctly. Alan. Or Andrew. “Oh, hi,” she said, wondering where Zack had disappeared to.
“I thought you were—”
He didn’t have the chance to finish the question. Zack plowed into him from the side and took him to the ground. The officer made a feeble attempt to regain control but in a flash Zack had the nylon restraint off the man’s belt and his hands cuffed behind his back.
“Hand me that towel,” Zack said.
Emily’s heart was still in her throat as she snatched the towel off a rack and passed it to him.
“Sorry about this, mate.” Zack stuffed the towel in the man’s mouth and knotted it at the back of his head. Rising, he then dragged the officer to a nearby pantry, dropped him inside and closed the door.
“Cooks are going to have quite a surprise when they open the pantry door and find Barney Fife instead of their pancake mix,” he said.
Emily pressed a hand to her stomach. “My God, Zack, what if he’d been more experienced and gotten to his weap—”
“He didn’t,” Zack snapped.
They faced each other. Emily knew he wouldn’t admit it, but she could see that the incident had shaken him. She could feel the tension coming off him. And for the first time she admitted to herself that coming here was a mistake. They were outmanned and outgunned. She figured the odds didn’t get much worse.
“I should have listened to you,” she said.
Reaching out, he set his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “We’re going to be okay.”
Her gaze clashed with his. “If something happens to you, it’s my fault.”
“This is nobody’s fault except the monsters running this place.” Giving her shoulders a final squeeze, he looked toward the door. “Can you get us into Underwood’s office?”
“I think so.”
“What about Carpenter’s?”
“Two doors down from Underwood’s.”
Zack must have seen something in her eyes because he tilted his head and looked at her closely. “What?”
“We have to pass by the infirmary to get there.” A new thread of worry curled in her gut. “It’s manned 24-7.”
“We’ve got to try.” He grimaced. “If something goes wrong, I want you in those tunnels. No looking back. You got that?”
There was no way she would ever leave him behind. She started to nod, to appease him, but he suddenly grasped her arms and gave her a gentle shake. “Promise me, Emily,” he growled. “Damn it. I mean it.”
She stared into his eyes and wondered if he had any idea how much she had come to care for him. “I promise,” she said.
He gave her a smile, but it held little humor. “Well, then, let’s do a little breaking and entering and see what we can find.”