Sharpshooter (Shadow Agents 3)

“Always,” he whispered as he lifted his hand and wiped away her tears.

She’d just told him not to touch her.

Her jaw ached, and she tried to ease the clenching of her teeth. “I have to get out of here.” She let her gaze cut to Cale. She shuddered, and glanced back at Slade. “I need to get away, to think.”

“Where will you go?” he whispered.

A sad smile curved her lips. “To the only home I have left.”

Now he knew just where she’d be.

Would he follow her?

She turned away from him, but not before she caught the curling of his lips.

Yes, he’d follow.

Then come and get me.

* * *

SLADE WATCHED THE black SUV pull away from the curb, triumph filling him. His brother had been taken into custody. The agents had followed all the bread crumbs that he’d left behind, and everyone there had turned on Gunner.

His brother was alone.

Sydney was sliding into a cab now. She looked so pale. So lost. So...perfect.

“It is safe for her to be alone?” Slade asked, keeping his voice raspy. He’d also done a pretty good job of keeping up his limp, as if that injury really bothered him anymore.

Cale stepped to the edge of the sidewalk. “Now that we have Gunner, she’ll be safe. She...she turned in her resignation when she found out the truth. Sydney doesn’t want to be part of the EOD anymore.”

The cab eased into the flow of traffic.

His Sydney. Going home.

He knew exactly where her home was. Since her place near EOD headquarters had been torched, she’d return to the only safe haven that she had—in Louisiana.

Now would be the perfect time to get to Sydney. She’d be alone, isolated in Baton Rouge as she hadn’t been with Gunner dodging her steps in D.C.

Her guard would be lowered. No more EOD agents trailing underfoot.

Just Sydney.

Just me.

“This is where we say goodbye,” Cale told him.

Slade turned toward him. “No more guard duty?”

“You were the one who was right all along. You’ll be getting a full apology from the EOD, and compensation, of course.”

Of course.

Cale offered his hand. “I wish things could have been different.”

Slade took his hand. Shook it. “Maybe they will be now.” Everything could be different.

He’d once planned to take Sydney away, to start a new life with her. Sure, he couldn’t tell her about what he’d really done down in South America, but why should she ever have to learn that truth?