Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents 2)

“Make it five minutes,” Logan said, and she could see the tension that had tightened his face. “Make sure Gunner’s on the move with the same intel, too. We want to give Jasper as much cover as we can.”

In the distance, she could finally hear the scream of a fire truck’s siren. Volunteers, had to be for a town this size, but with one phone call, Logan had gotten them mobilized. The EOD had some pretty powerful strings.

Would the EOD be strong enough to save one of its own? “Five minutes,” she repeated, and punched in the button for Gunner. They would save Jasper and Veronica. They hadn’t lost one of the Shadow Agents yet, and they weren’t about to start now.

* * *

THE OLD RANCH on Derby Road was just as Veronica remembered it. Sagging roof, busted windows, a wooden gate that was barely standing. The place had been in disrepair for over ten years.

Since before Jimmy’s mother had left the kid alone there.

The patrol car braked to a stop. Veronica had been yelling when Wyatt was on the phone. She’d tried to tell Jasper to stay away.

&

nbsp; Because it’s a trap.

As soon as Wyatt saw him, she knew the sheriff would take aim at Jasper, just as the man had taken aim at her brother.

Her fingers curled over the wire caging that separated her from the front seat. “Is Jimmy dead?”

Wyatt jumped, then whirled toward her. “Why would you think that?” He shook his head. “I’ve always taken care of Jimmy.”

The way you’ve taken care of me? “Where is he?”

Wyatt’s breath eased out on a low sigh. “Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing Jimmy soon enough.”

The words sounded like a threat. Probably because they were. “You shot my brother.”

Wyatt’s eyes bored into hers. “Your brother’s a killer, Veronica. Cold-blooded. Soulless.”

No, Wyatt was the cold-blooded one. “I—I heard what you said to Jasper—”

“Don’t worry, I’m not killing you...yet.”

But he would. As soon as he was finished using her as bait.

She licked lips that had gone desert dry. Veronica knew she had to get away from him. Had to stop him, before he hurt someone else that she cared about. Or before he just killed her.

But then Wyatt was climbing out of the driver’s seat, coming back toward her and opening her door. “If you fight me, I’ll shoot you. Jasper won’t be able to tell if you’re alive or dead from a distance.”

She couldn’t even speak in response to the brutal words. This was the real Wyatt? He’d had weekly dinners at the ranch. Spent Christmas with her and Cale.

Now he’s going to kill me.

“Don’t fight, Veronica,” he warned her as he reached inside the car and locked his hands around her wrists.

She didn’t fight him. But she started to plan.

Then she was in front of him. She tipped back her head to stare up at his face. A monster shouldn’t have such a normal face. You should be able to see the evil. It shouldn’t have hid so easily behind kind eyes.

“I always liked you, Veronica.” Wyatt’s words were soft, tinged with a hint of regret. “Cale should have made certain you stayed out of this mess.”

“C-Cale didn’t bring me into it. I went looking for him.”

“Because you’re loyal.” He was too close. She wanted to swing at him, but she had a really crummy punch. Cale had said that was her weakness, but...

“Everybody has a strength. Everybody has a weakness. Your strength, Ronnie, is that you look weak. Use that. Never let ’em see your real strength, not until it’s time to attack.”