Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents 2)

“I’ll let her go,” Jasper snarled right back, then bent to whisper in Veronica’s ears, “I’ll let you go.” He cleared his throat, then said loud enough for everyone to hear, “But you can’t touch him, Veronica. He’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not dangerous to my own sister!” Cale yelled.

She stopped fighting in Jasper’s arms.

Slowly, carefully, Jasper released her.

Gunner put his hand on Cale’s shoulder and forced him back into his seat. Jasper pulled out a chair for Veronica. She sat down and tucked her hands in her lap. She looked so vulnerable and sad, and he wanted to punch someone.

Me. Because he was the one who’d done this to her. She wasn’t even looking at him the same way any longer. Before, her eyes had seemed to light up when she looked at him. He hadn’t even noticed that light, not until it was gone.

I want it back.

He yanked a chair close to her. Made sure that his shoulder rubbed against hers. Cale’s narrowed stare said he noted the move. His clenched jaw said it infuriated him.

“I missed you,” Veronica told her brother, voice soft.

Cale’s eyelids flickered.

“I—I was worried that something had happened.” Her voice wasn’t flat now. Emotion trembled beneath her words.

Cale gave her a smile, one that looked forced. “You know I’m hard to kill.”

Yes, he was.

Her lips trembled.

Cale’s face appeared to grow even harder. “Don’t listen to anything that they tell you, Ronnie. I haven’t killed any agents. You know me better than that.”

She nodded.

“I didn’t do it,” Cale told her, eyes bright. “Tell me you believe me.”

“I do.” So soft. So true.

Her trust in her brother made Jasper furious and envious. So much unquestioning trust. She’d trusted him like that, too. For too short of a time. “She hasn’t seen all the evidence that we have on you,” Jasper said as he leaned back in his chair. Cale’s body was tight and tense, so Jasper tried to appear just the opposite. Relaxed and unconcerned.

Relaxed was the last thing he felt.

“The evidence was planted.” Cale’s instant response. “You know I didn’t—”

“Do you have any alibis that you’d like to give us? I mean, I know Logan was in here earlier and he told you the dates of all the murders. If you’ve got witnesses who can cover for you...”

Cale’s gaze cut to his. “I don’t have any alibis.”

“Not the social sort, huh? Too bad. Some witnesses sure would have come in handy.”

Veronica flinched beside him.

“But we actually already knew that you didn’t have any alibis.” Jasper shrugged. “Though we were waiting to hear some creative story.”

Cale’s stare returned to Veronica. “When I first left, I thought I was going out on a rescue mission.”

Jasper didn’t tense. This was what the team had hoped would happen. Cale didn’t want Veronica to lose faith in him. So he’d tell her anything. Everything?

“I flew down to the Caribbean under the radar. I was supposed to be pulling out some businessman who was being held for a ransom that his family couldn’t pay.” His shoulders rolled as if he were pushing his way through the memory. “But when I got there, there was no businessman. No trail to indicate he’d ever been taken or that the guy even existed. It was a B.S. mission. One designed to get me out of the country.” His head tilted toward Veronica. “And one to make sure I had no alibi. Because I was sent out just two days before the first murder.”

“Nice story,” Jasper murmured. He noticed that no change of expression crossed Gunner’s face. He wasn’t buying the tale, either.