Free Glitter and Gunfire by Cynthia Eden Page B

“Then I’m bringing them out.”
    Cale reached for Cassidy’s left hand.
    Did he stumble?
    She studied his face. He was pale, far paler than she’d ever seen him before. “Cale needs help! He was shot.”
    His fingers tightened on hers. “Baby, I got this.”
    How could he sound so calm? So...certain?
    But then they were being led back out of the room, and Genevieve’s cries grew worse at the sight that confronted her.
    Blood. Death.
    “I don’t know how he got these guys here so fast,” Logan mused as he surveyed the team that was making quick work of cleaning up the bloody scene. “I figured when I gave him the news that Mercer would track your unit, Cale, but then he already had these men just mere miles out as Gunner and I were getting into launch position.”
    His unit? Oh, Cale had a tracker, too.
    They didn’t know about her own device.
    Because they didn’t know about her.
    “Ma’am?”
    Cassidy glanced up and saw a man standing before her. He had close-cropped, black hair and golden eyes. A long scar cut across his right cheek. He wore all black, and he had a gun holstered at his side. He offered his hand to her. “You’re supposed to come with me, Ms. Sherridan.”
    Ms. Sherridan? That guy knew her better than that.
    Cale immediately shoved that offered hand to the side. “The hell she is, Lancaster.”
    So Cale knew him, too. Not surprising. Agent Lancaster had been with the EOD for a few years now.
    Lancaster slanted his gaze toward Cale. “You’ll need that wound tended to.”
    Cale’s body all but vibrated with rage. “What I need is for you—”
    “Russell, Owens...you two make sure that Ms. Chevalier is checked out and returned home.” Two more men in black moved toward Genevieve at Lancaster’s order.
    Genevieve inched closer to Cassidy. “What’s going on? Who are these men, Cassidy?”
    “It’s okay.” Cassidy gave her a hug. “They’re the good guys.” Mostly. “They’ll keep you safe.”
    After a moment, Genevieve nodded and slowly walked away with the men.
    Lancaster still stood in front of Cassidy. “I’ve got my orders. Mercer wants me to bring her in.” He was staring at Cassidy, but his words were for Cale.
    “She stays with me. I’m the one who—”
    “You’re the one who used her so that he could play hero and take down the Executioner.” Lancaster’s voice was flat. “Mercer knows exactly who you are.”
    No, he had that wrong. Cale hadn’t used her. She was the one who’d put him in jeopardy.
    “You don’t seriously think he just...let you go, do you, Ms. Sherridan?” Lancaster shook his dark head. “Mercer was very clear on what Cale was to do on the extraction...and he didn’t follow orders.”
    “So now you’re taking over?” Cale gritted out.
    “Yes, I am.”
    But Cassidy didn’t want to go with him. She...she trusted Cale. She wanted to be with him.
    So she twined her fingers with his. “Where I go, he goes.”
    Lancaster’s dark brows climbed.
    “So unless you have orders to physically pry me away from him—” doubtful, though she wouldn’t put that past Mercer “—then you can escort us both out of here. You aren’t taking me away from Cale.”
    A muscle jerked in Lancaster’s jaw. “Figured you’d be as stubborn as Mercer.”
    Her breath caught. He knew. But then, Lancaster had worked with her longer than most agents had.
    A faint smile lifted Lancaster’s lips. There were secrets in his eyes. Plenty of them.
    Cassidy knew she would have to deal very, very carefully with Agent Lancaster.
    * * *
    M OST FOLKS WOULD have never noticed the small clinic. It wasn’t in the heart of Rio, wasn’t close to the Carnival celebration. It was near the jungle, barely clinging to the edge of civilization. The doctor there knew how to keep quiet—and he also knew how to hurriedly patch an ex-soldier’s wounds.
    No anesthesia was given. Cale didn’t want anything to dull his senses. The bullet was pulled from him; the stitches