Page 44 of Ground Zero

They were playing a dangerous game right now, and one wrong move could mean the difference between life or death.

Sheridan sat up on the couch, wincing as her muscles protested.

Sleeping in her clothes hadn’t been comfortable, but comfort was a luxury they couldn’t afford right now. She wanted to be alert and ready to move at a moment’s notice.

She stood and padded toward the kitchen.

She froze when she saw Maverick already there, standing behind a sizzling griddle.

“Morning,” Maverick said, flipping a pancake. “I found a few ingredients in the pantry. I’ll try to reimburse the owners when this is all over.”

She appreciated the fact he was considerate like that—and that he was cooking.

She was surprisingly hungry.

However, he looked like he hadn’t slept at all—his hair was disheveled, and circles darkened the skin beneath his eyes. He’d stayed guard all night just as he promised. There would be no time for him to sleep today either.

She felt a burst of compassion. Then she remembered again that conversation she’d overheard him having with someone last night.

She needed to keep her distance. She’d keep reminding herself of that for as long as necessary. Her life might depend on it.

She slid into a barstool across from him, still studying his face as he cooked. “Did you get any rest?”

He shrugged and flipped another pancake. “Some.”

The lie was obvious, but she didn’t call him on it.

“You need to get ready if you’re going to make this work.” He poured a cup of coffee and pushed it across the counter to her. “I thought you could use this.”

“Definitely. Thanks.” She took a sip.

It was black—probably their only option here at the house. Normally, she liked her coffee with milk. But she wouldn’t complain.

“And here’s a few pancakes. They even left some syrup in the pantry.” He placed a stack of pancakes on a plate and slid it in front of her along with the bottle of syrup.

Everything right now felt normal. Too normal.

Especially considering that conversation she’d overheard.

Should she ask him about it? They’d both agreed they couldn’t trust anyone. So why had Maverick gone lone ranger and made a call to someone anyway?

The thought caused a spark of anger to burst to life inside her.

She took a bite of her pancake and chewed as she considered what she’d do. As she swallowed, she made her decision.

She would stay quiet about what she’d overheard and wait to see if he shared anything with her.

Two could play this game.

“These are delicious,” she said instead, holding up her fork, which was gooey with syrup.

“Glad you like them.” Maverick paused in front of her, unplugging the griddle and grabbing his own plate.

She took a few more bites before saying, “I wish I could eat more, but I really need to get going. I don’t want to be late and raise any alarms.”

“Probably a good idea.”

She stood and glanced at her watch. “I don’t think I have any choice but to go back to my rental. I left my car there.”