Glitter and Gunfire/Bulletproof (Shadow Agents 4)

“Helen can rest now,” Cassidy said. “And for once, I won’t dream and hear her begging me for help.” She glanced at Cale. “I was supposed to be with her that night. We were supposed to leave the pub together, but Helen had met a guy and she wanted to stay and dance and dance....” Cassidy swallowed. “I was tired. I took a cab home. I left her.”

And the guilt had eaten away at her ever since.

“I never saw Helen again after that. Not alive, anyway.”

So she’d made it her mission to get justice for her friend.

“It’s over now,” Cassidy said with a nod. “I can move on.”

Just what did that mean? Cale realized that he wasn’t ready for Cassidy to move past him. He wanted her to stay with him. He wanted her.

So what if she was Mercer’s daughter? He wasn’t afraid of the director. No one was going to stand between him and Cassidy.

“You’re safe now,” Mercer told Cassidy.

But Cale wasn’t so sure about that. Would the EOD director’s daughter ever be truly safe? Mercer had plenty of dangerous enemies, and if one of them ever found out about Cassidy...

His eyes met Mercer’s. That’s why you keep guards on her, isn’t it? It was also the reason no one knew about her.

But now Cale realized the truth, and he was sure that Drew knew—or suspected.

“I made sure that your apartment in town was ready,” Mercer told Cassidy. “I’ll get an escort to take you over, and we can finish briefing in the morning.”

Briefing? Was that honestly the way that the man talked to his daughter?

“I should have waited,” Mercer continued. “But I needed to see you with my own eyes. I had to make sure.” His lips twisted. “Well, I’m sure now. You’re all right. I’m starting to realize you’re a whole lot stronger than I believed.”

Yes, she is.

Cassidy turned for the door. So did Cale. But Mercer stopped him, calling out, “I’m going to need you to stay a few minutes longer, Agent Lane.”

Ah, so he wasn’t out of the woods just yet.

Cassidy stepped toward Cale. He caught her hand. “Wait for me. We need to...talk.”

The leather of Mercer’s chair squeaked.

Cassidy nodded; then she slipped soundlessly from the room.

As soon as she was gone, Cale knew that the gloves would be coming off.

“Agent Lane.” Now Mercer was back to his growling, fierce self. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing with my daughter?”

Cale kept his hands at his sides. “You’re the one who sent me to down Rio. If you didn’t want me near her—”

“I wanted you close because you’re a damn good agent. I thought you’d do your job and keep her safe.”

“The case is over.” They should be clear on this. “But my involvement with Cassidy isn’t.”

Mercer rose. “An involvement isn’t going to happen.”

He hadn’t been asking for permission.

“The EOD is the most dangerous thing in Cassidy’s life. Being my daughter puts a target on her that you can’t imagine.”

He could imagine plenty.

“What the hell do you think would happen if our enemies found out that Cassidy was both my daughter and that she was involved with an EOD agent? They’d use her against us. They would hurt her. They’d—”