Bulletproof & Locked, Loaded and SEALed

by Cynthia Eden

  He’d never get used to her taste, a combination of sweet and rich flavor—like champagne and chocolate. He felt like he could get drunk from her. Touching her, tasting her, made the blood pump harder in his veins. Her breasts pushed against him, the nipples tight peaks, and he wanted to strip away her clothes. To see all of her.

  But not in some run-down clinic that was sinking into the jungle. Not with half a dozen agents waiting outside the door.

  He wanted her, and he wanted them to be far away from the rest of the world.

  That’s not happening now.

  As if in echo of his thoughts, a knock sounded at the door. Cassidy tried to pull back. He didn’t let her go.

  The door swung open.

  He kept his mouth on hers, because he wasn’t done with her.

  “That’s a really bad idea, Lane,” Drew Lancaster said as he entered the room.

  From where Cale sat, it was the best idea that he’d had in a long time.

  Because he hadn’t ever wanted someone as much as he wanted her.

  Taking his time, Cale lifted his head. Then he eased from the table, making sure to keep Cassidy close. “You’re interrupting, Drew.”

  Drew shook his head. “I’m just here to tell the lady that her ride is waiting. Mercer pulled his strings, and our flight leaves in just over an hour.”

  Mercer was always pulling strings, playing them all.

  Drew turned to Cassidy. “He wants you back on U.S. soil.”

  “Is Cale coming with us? Because I told you—I won’t leave without him.”

  Drew showed no surprise at Cassidy’s demand. “Don’t worry. He’s coming. The director is particularly looking forward to a little chat with him.”

  Wonderful. He’d just joined the EOD a few months ago, and now he might find himself getting kicked out of the division because he’d refused to follow orders.

  Being a team player didn’t always work so well for him.

  “It’s okay,” Cassidy said to Cale. “I’ll make Mercer understand what happened.”

  Hard to do. Cale realized that Cassidy didn’t fully understand what had happened herself. She thought that she’d duped him, that she’d escaped.

  She still didn’t get that he’d used her as bait.

  What the hell was I thinking?

  “Mercer wants you to call him, Ms. Sherridan,” Drew said as his attention swept between her and Cale. “You need to check in with him before we leave for the flight.”

  “Right.” She pushed back her shoulders, as if bracing herself. “Better get this over with.” Then she was heading for the door.

  Cale didn’t move. He just watched her walk away—his focus on the slight sway of her hips.

  He was drawn to everything about her.

  He was in so much trouble.

  The door shut behind her with a soft click. As soon as Cassidy was gone, Drew gave a low whistle. “Don’t get me wrong, man. I can understand the temptation.”

  Since when did Agent Ice understand any kind of temptation?

  “But you don’t seem to get who you are messing around with,” Drew continued. “Mercer will crucify you for this.”

  “I kept Cass—I kept the asset safe,” Cale corrected himself deliberately. Mercer might not like his methods, but he’d done his job. “And I brought down an internationally wanted killer. I think Mercer can stand to cut me some slack.”

  Drew rocked back on his heels. “You need to pay more attention to what’s right in front of you.”

  What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  “You need to watch yourself with Cassidy Sherridan.” Now it sounded like Drew was giving him a warning. “She’s not at all what she appears to be.”

  He’d already figured that out on his own.

  “A woman like her will burn you, and if you aren’t careful, there won’t be anything left but ash.”

  Drew turned away.

  Cale lunged after him. He grabbed the guy’s arm. “How do you know so much about Cassidy?”

  “Because I’ve been on guard duty with her a few times before.”

  At those words, a stab of jealousy shot through Cale. Jealousy? Why would he be jealous of another agent doing his job?

  But…that job was Cassidy, and he sure didn’t like the idea of Drew Lancaster being so close to her.

  “On my last stint with Cassidy, I was on protection detail with her for three months. You can learn a lot about a person when you watch her 24/7.”

  Cale’s back teeth clenched.

  “You just met her, didn’t you? Known her only a few days…” Drew pulled away from him. “Take the advice that I’m giving, man. Don’t get close to her. Kissing her was probably the worst mistake you could’ve made.”

  Cale forced a mocking smile. “Nah, I don’t think it even ranks in my top ten.”

  A furrow appeared between Drew’s eyes. “I heard the rumors about you. That you’re not even supposed to be in the EOD. That you have—”

  “Overly aggressive tendencies?” Cale quoted from what he knew was in an old case file—courtesy of a shrink who’d been out to punish him. “That I’m prone to extreme violence?” He’d sure gotten violent with those jerks in that basement.

  Because they’d tried to come between him and Cassidy.

  Drew studied him. “At first, I thought the rumors were B.S. Hell, show me a soldier who isn’t aggressive.”

  Aggression was part of who they were.

  “But I saw what you left behind in that basement, Hoss.” Drew’s Mississippi drawl roughened the words. “And now I know exactly how you like to play.”

  Cale stared back at him. “I wasn’t playing.”

  “Cassidy isn’t for you. She’s not supposed to wind up with a soldier who likes to kill.”

  He didn’t flinch. Barely.

  “There are other plans in place for her. You need to remember that before it’s too late.”

  Then Drew turned his back on Cale and opened the door.

  Cale didn’t follow him. He was too busy remembering the feel of broken glass in his hands.

  He could still smell the blood. Still hear the grunts from the guards.

  A soldier who likes to kill…

  What chance did he have with a society princess?

  He knew they were different, from two worlds that couldn’t have been farther apart.

  Only… I want her.

  She was the first thing he’d wanted for himself in longer than he could remember.

  And Cale had no plans to walk away from her.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The looming building that housed the EOD rose before Cassidy. She didn’t normally head into the main office because Mercer liked to keep her away from that area.

  He’d always said that the fewer people who actually knew about her, the better.

  She’d refused to let his words hurt her. No, she’d refused to act like they hurt.

  Because they had.

  The hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C., zoomed past her. Night had fallen again, and the city seemed to beat with a pulse of life. Tourists strolled on the sidewalks, impatient cabdrivers zipped through the traffic and that big building just waited.

  It wasn’t like anyone could prance inside and see Elite Operations Division emblazoned on the windows and doors of the offices. The EOD operated below the radar—most civilians would never know of its existence.

  Armed guards waited just inside the lobby, and no one got past those guards, not without some very good clearance. So any clueless tourists who wandered inside, looking for a bit of D.C. history, would quickly find themselves escorted elsewhere.

  The SUV pulled to a slow stop near the EOD headquarters. Drew turned toward her. He’d been h
er companion for the past twelve hours. He…and Cale. Cale had been on the plane with her. Cale’s two teammates—Logan and the ever-quiet Gunner—had been there, too. Only now, Cale, Logan and Gunner were in the vehicle behind them.

  They had all been asked to come to Mercer’s office. She knew Mercer must have plans to berate them for her capture, but she wasn’t going to let those men be punished. She’d left; she’d disobeyed his orders. Not them.

  “Cassidy…” Drew’s sigh of her name had her glancing at him. At least he’d finally dropped the annoying “Ms. Sherridan” bit. When her focus landed on him, he said, “You…you need to be careful with Cale Lane.”

  She actually liked Drew. Sure, she’d heard the whispers that the guy was supposed to bleed ice water, but she’d never found him particularly cold. He’d talked to her during his guard assignments. He hadn’t acted like she was an annoying piece of fluff that he had to deal with—the way most agents usually did. Heck, even the way that Cale had originally looked at her.

  I see you now. Cale’s words rang through her mind. She couldn’t get the man out of her mind.

  “There have been some rumors about him,” Drew continued. “I just… You’re not as strong as you think, Cass, and I know just how cosseted Mercer has made sure that you are.”

  Cosseted… Was that his slang for guarded? Locked up? Kept away from the opposite sex? Because until she’d hit eighteen, she’d been in a boarding school—that was where she’d met Helen and Genevieve. And after she’d finished college, her father had made sure that her guard duty was in place. He’d amped up the protection when Helen had died—and when Cassidy had started her hunt for the Executioner.

  “Just because he’s an agent, it doesn’t mean that you should trust him.”

  His words floored Cassidy. You’re wrong. “Mercer trusts him. You know he wouldn’t have sent Cale if he didn’t believe—”

  “Cale used you to get the Executioner.”

  She shook her head. He had it so wrong.

  But Drew was adamant. “He let you escape him. Do you really think a guy like Cale would have been caught off guard by a left hook?” Drew shook his head. He knew her signature move so well—mostly because he’d taught it to her. “I’ve seen him take down half a dozen guards in a matter of seconds. One blow—no matter how powerful—wouldn’t stop him.”

  And she’d seen Cale go through all those men in that basement, slashing out brutally with that chunk of glass as his only weapon.

  “He wanted to stop the Executioner.” Her words were soft, but they seemed too loud in the interior of that SUV.

  “Yeah, that’s what he wanted, but his job was to protect you, not to put you in harm’s way as he used you as bait.”

  Drew wasn’t understanding. “I used myself as bait.”

  “He’s a trained agent—you’re not!” Now the ice that he was so famous for seemed to crack. “He could have gotten you killed. I know his orders because Mercer gave the same ones to me. Get you out. Get you back to D.C. and then—”

  “And someone else would come for Genevieve?” Cassidy finished.

  Silence.

  “She might not have lived long enough for that someone else to come for her.” She shoved back her hair, suddenly feeling very, very tired. “And the Executioner would have gotten away. Been free to take and kill someone else. Mercer has had years to stop the guy, but the killer was too good. He slipped away too many times.” This had been her best shot at stopping him.

  “Be careful with him, Cass,” Drew told her, and his eyes looked worried. “Don’t let emotions lead you to trust the wrong man.”

  Then he was climbing from the SUV. Guards had spilled from the interior of the building. Come for her. She exited the vehicle and glanced to the left. Cale was already standing on the sidewalk, waiting.

  She didn’t see Logan and Gunner. Had they gone inside already?

  Time to face Mercer.

  Then she was being led inside. Cassidy couldn’t help tensing. She was always tense in this place. She’d never felt welcome there, maybe because Mercer had made so sure that she understood…

  This part of my life isn’t for you.

  They climbed into the elevator—just Cassidy, Cale and Drew. When her gaze slid to Cale, she found his stare locked right on her.

  She was pretty sure that Drew swore under his breath and muttered, “Mistake.”

  But wasn’t it her mistake to make?

  The nightmare that she’d lived with for years was over—the monster, dead. Why couldn’t she celebrate? Wasn’t she entitled to a little bit of happiness?

  Cale’s gaze didn’t leave hers even when the elevator stopped. A soft ding sounded, and the doors slid open.

  “Cassidy.”

  There was no mistaking that deep, grating voice. She’d once thought that a growling bear might sound exactly like Bruce Mercer.

  She turned her head, finally glancing away from Cale, and offered Mercer a faint smile. “Hi, Mercer. It’s good to see you, too.”

  His cheeks were flushed. His hands lifted and pushed against the elevator doors before they could slide closed once more. He glared at Cale. “Lane, I’m gonna want you in my office—so don’t even think of leaving the building.”

  “I wasn’t.” Cale didn’t appear particularly intimidated as he faced off with Mercer. She’d seen plenty of grown men crumble before Mercer. But not Cale.

  “Come with me.” Mercer grabbed her hand and all but yanked her out of the elevator. Then they were double-timing it back to his office. Rushing past his wide-eyed secretary and hurrying to Mercer’s private quarters.

  Cale called Cassidy’s name.

  Mercer didn’t slow down.

  He threw open the door to his office, pulled her inside, then slammed the door behind her.

  Mercer whirled toward her. His clothes were wrinkled, his breath rushing out. Fury marked his features. This was the man who’d been a secret right hand to four presidents. This was—

  His arms wrapped around her, and Mercer pulled her close.

  Stunned, Cassidy didn’t—couldn’t—move.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” he gritted out. “Just like I lost your mother…”

  His voice—the tremors that shook his body—it was the most emotion that she’d ever seen from the man who was her father.

  * * *

  WHEN MERCER HAD HAULED Cassidy out of the elevator, every muscle in Cale’s body had tensed.

  Mercer needs to get his hands off her. And the guy had just dragged her into his office and slammed the door shut.

  Mercer’s assistant, Judith Rogers, was standing up, eyes wide, seemingly frozen by the emotional display from her boss.

  Cale stalked toward that closed office door.

  Only to find his path blocked by Drew. “You might want to back off for a while,” Drew advised him.

  He was tired of Drew’s warnings And tired of feeling like Drew knew Cassidy better than he did.

  “Get out of my way,” Cale snarled.

  Drew shook his head. “Things aren’t always the way they seem.”

  “Yeah? Well, Mercer doesn’t get to intimidate Cassidy—an asset. That’s not what we do here.”

  Cale pushed Drew aside.

  The other agent whistled. “It’s your funeral.”

  Cassidy had been afraid. She’d looked at Mercer with fear.

  Cale didn’t want Cassidy afraid of anything or anyone.

  “Wait!” Judith squeaked. She usually sounded confident, in charge—not scared. She was scared then. “You can’t go in there!”

  Sure, he could. The guards were downstairs. He’d passed them all. There was no one to stop him now. His fingers curled around the doorknob, and he shoved the door open—

  And foun
d Cassidy in Mercer’s arms.

  Fury flooded through him. “Get away from her!” His hands fisted. This? This was why Mercer had been so desperate to get Cassidy back? Because he was—

  Not Cassidy. This wouldn’t happen. “I said, get away from her!”

  Mercer’s head lifted. Cassidy had gasped and spun away from him.

  “Cale, no,” Cassidy said quickly. “It’s not what you—”

  “Shut the door,” Mercer snapped at the same time. “Now.”

  Cale had shut the door even before Mercer finished speaking. He’d shut that door and crossed the room because he was going after Mercer. So what if the man was the director of the EOD? He wasn’t getting Cassidy.

  Because I want her.

  Cassidy pushed in front of Cale. Her hands lifted and flattened against his chest. “It’s not what you think. Cale…Bruce Mercer is my father.”

  And everything in the room got real, real quiet.

  Her father? Her father! His gaze swept over her face, then went to Mercer. The director looked like he could chew nails.

  Cassidy didn’t bear any resemblance to the man. Nothing. No way was she his daughter. Mercer didn’t have a daughter. The man had no family. Just his job.

  “That information doesn’t leave this room, Lane. Do you understand me?” Mercer said. Despite his fierce appearance, the man’s voice was…shaken.

  When Mercer slanted a fast glance at Cassidy, Cale saw a glimmer of fear in Mercer’s eyes.

  She’s his daughter.

  Everything made sense then—finally. Why Cassidy had to get so much protection. Why Mercer had been desperate for her to return to the U.S. as soon as the Executioner appeared. Why so many EOD agents had been sent to secure one asset.

  The asset is family.

  “You were right,” Cassidy said quietly. “I’m not an EOD agent. I’m not even an asset.”

  Mercer had stalked back toward his desk. Cale saw the man run a shaking hand over his face.

  He’d never witnessed Mercer acting this way. But then, the man’s daughter—daughter—had been held by a brutal killer. If that couldn’t shake the director, nothing could.

  And I used her as bait. I put her in danger.