Free Left For Dead (The Guarded Secrets Series Book 3) by Sara Schoen Page A

laugh escaped my lips, quickly turning into a smile when I realized she was trying to cheer me up. “I never said I would change what I did. I just never thought I’d have to explain what happened to others Ash targeted, or that I would become targeted because I decided the kill the sick bastard.”
    “I’m glad you wouldn’t change it, because you can’t.” She smiled at me, a fleeting glance at our friendship to anyone who passed by before she wiped it away. “You don’t have to tell me why you decided to kill him, but you should tell Renegade. You’re blunt and honest, and while that comes across poorly to some it’s the best thing to do in this case so he can stop searching for who killed Ash and you can get your head back in the game. I need you focused; I’m not ready to lose another friend.”
    “You won’t,” I promised. I knew it had been hard for Rum when Hess was killed, that was why it took almost a year for us to become friends. She didn’t want to lose someone else and suffer a similar pain. “You’re stuck with me at least until my training is done.”
    A smile came across her features, but that quickly wiped away when the doors to our training room were opened. We both turned to see who had interrupted our training. After how Rum treated Demon when he first introduced me to her I was sure most people knew to avoid her while she was in here.
    “This is where some of our agents train, but the training areas are set up differently based on what your job is,” Renegade explained as he gestured toward Rum and I. He failed to notice the anger on Rum’s features, or the annoyance on my own, as he showed her the room. Katya looked as if she didn’t care and would rather be anywhere else but here.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, gesturing between Rum and I.
    “Didn’t you see we were in here?” Rum questioned. “I thought Fire Fox would have taught you better than to interrupt people while they are training.”
    Katya flashed a worried glance between Renegade and I. She could clearly see our displeasure. Mostly I was upset at what Renegade could have overheard. If he heard me, he wouldn’t seem taken aback by my anger, he’d be throwing it back at me for not telling him. I just wanted to tell him at the right time, which would never happen, so the longer he was kept busy, the longer I could keep my secret.
    “I just wanted to show her around some before the meeting,” Renegade said, holding his hands up in surrender. ”I was also told to come tell you guys to be there.”
    “We already know about the meeting to decide what to do with her ,” Rum stated. “We are training to fix a few things that would have helped her in Mexico.” As the words left Rum’s mouth, Renegade’s face fell. For a moment I felt bad, but at the same time he deserved it. He left me and I had to fend for myself when I was supposed to rely on him as a partner.
    “Show her somewhere else,” I interjected. “We need to finish before we listen to what Sharp Shooter has to say.” I didn’t know about the meeting beforehand, I assumed there would be one but I didn’t know when. Sharp Shooter hadn’t told me when I left his office so Rum must have heard from Sharp Shooter before we met for training. All I knew was that I was meant to be protecting Katya, but Renegade seemed to have that under control. She was hiding behind him as if terrified Rum and I would attack her, and Renegade probably enjoyed having someone who willingly wanted his protection. His sister didn’t need it since she moved, Alex was taking good care of her, and without a cartel around she didn’t have much to worry about outside of a normal life.
    Renegade furrowed his eyebrows and glared at me before stepping back to move Katya and himself from the room. “You’re just like Rum,” he grumbled as he exited the room. It was meant to be an insult, but she was at least here for me. I trusted her and that was more than I