On speed dial? Um, something like that.
“Your agent is going to ruin everything,” she said, her words tumbling out. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about what happened tonight, but—”
“I heard.” Mercer’s flat voice, completely devoid of emotion, cut through her frantic speech. “I heard, and that’s exactly why Cale Lane is staying with you.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone. “If he’s here—”
“Then nothing will happen to you,” Mercer told her. “Cale is one of the best agents I’ve got. No one will get to you while he’s on guard.”
If no one could get to her...then how am I supposed to complete my mission? Only, Mercer didn’t think she had a mission. Mercer thought she needed to be coddled. Protected.
That she wasn’t strong enough to face the dangers in the world.
Wrong. Mercer didn’t know her very well. “This is a mistake.” She fought to keep her own voice as emotionless as his. Impossible. Emotion always ruled her.
Never him.
Hadn’t she learned that lesson long ago?
“No. This is your life, and I won’t risk it.” There was no give in his voice at all. “While you’re in Rio, Cale Lane stays with you.”
She was going to break the phone. In her mind, Cassidy could see it splintering beneath her hand into a dozen pieces. “If that’s what you want...” Because he always got what he wanted. When would she ever get what she wanted? Not bothering with any more words, Cassidy ended the call. After all, there was nothing else to say.
Her fingers trembled.
Cassidy turned toward Cale. She needed to phrase this right, in order to match up with the conversation she’d just had. Cassidy cleared her throat. “Mercer agreed that he’d made a mistake. Your services are no longer—”
Her phone rang.
Cale reached for her hand and pried open her fingers. He took her phone.
“Sir?” he said, and she knew he was talking to Mercer.
“Yes, she’s right here.”
Then he leaned forward and turned on the bedside lamp. She flinched when the light hit her. The sudden flow of light should have made Cale look less intimidating.
It didn’t.
She could see the hard edge of his jaw and the intense lines of his face. “I’ll stay with her. Every minute.”
The hell he would.
After a few more moments, Cale ended the call and stared down at her.
Emotions wanted to rip Cassidy apart right then. All of her hard work, for so long...for nothing.
“Mercer just promised me a briefing at 0600,” he said as his assessing gaze drifted over her. “You really going to make me wait until then in order to find out what’s going on with you?”
Not much time. “What’s going on is that I’m working a case, and your presence here jeopardizes its success.” Truth.
“Mercer doesn’t think so.”
That was because Mercer didn’t think she could handle things on her own.
“And you know the director...” Cale continued, rolling his shoulders as if pushing away a heavy burden. “When that SOB says jump, we’re all supposed to learn how to fly.”
Her breath rushed from her lungs. He doesn’t realize who I am. Cale had obviously decided that she was, indeed, another EOD agent.