Glitter and Gunfire/Bulletproof (Shadow Agents 4)

No.

But they had because on Cassidy’s face...there had been grief. Fear. Love.

“What happens now?” Logan wanted to know. “Are you going to try to force her onto another plane? Because, let me tell you, I sure as hell don’t think that will happen. She won’t leave him. Not unless—” Logan broke off.

But Mercer knew what he’d been about to say. Not unless Cale dies.

“Secure the scene,” Mercer told him, turning away. He needed to get to that hospital. He needed to get to Cassidy’s side. He’d seen Cale’s injuries. He knew just how bad they were. If the agent died, then Cassidy would shatter. Mercer knew it because...he’d shattered when Marguerite had died. Shattered and never been able to piece himself back together again.

He couldn’t let the same fate fall on Cassidy. She deserved better.

She deserved love. Life.

And he’d give it to her.

He took two steps. Paused. Glanced over his shoulder and made sure that he projected his intent at the two agents. “Whatever you think you know about Cassidy Sherridan, you forget it. Got me? After today, you forget everything about her.”

With narrowed eyes, Logan glared back at him. “Is that what you do when she’s not around? Forget?”

Never.

“Maybe one day you’ll understand,” Mercer murmured. But, no, he didn’t want Logan to understand. Logan had the woman he loved. So did Gunner. He didn’t want either man to ever know the pain he felt.

The pain that his daughter was feeling right then.

Because when you lost the other half of yourself, living was near impossible.

“Maybe one day,” Mercer repeated. “But pray you don’t. Just follow my orders, Agent. Follow them.”

And he rushed away, determined to finally be there for his daughter when she needed him.

If Cale dies...

He would make sure that he was there to piece Cassidy’s life back together. Somehow.

Chapter Twelve

The operating room doors swung closed, the faint whoosh of sound seeming far too loud for Cassidy’s ears.

She stared at those doors, lost. Cale hadn’t opened his eyes. Not once during the ambulance ride. He hadn’t talked to her again, hadn’t squeezed her fingers. He hadn’t done anything.

Her hands lifted. His blood had dried on her. She should go wash it off. Her fingers started to shake.

“Cassidy.”

She jumped at Mercer’s voice, but she didn’t turn to face him. “They...they wouldn’t let me go back.”

Of course not. She knew she couldn’t go in surgery. Not with a wound as severe as his. Logically, she understood that, but logic wasn’t exactly her strong suit then.

A tear leaked down her cheek. They just wouldn’t stop. She swiped her bloody hands over her face. “The doctor said he’d go to ICU after—after he comes out.” Because Cale would come out. He’d pull through the surgery just fine. Cale could survive anything. “But only family can see him then.”

She wasn’t family.

To the doctor, she was no one.

Mercer’s fingers closed around her shoulder. Cassidy trembled. She hated for him to see her weak like this. She always tried to put on her strong face when Mercer was around. When your father was a supersoldier, there wasn’t supposed to be room for weakness in his daughter.

“I’ll get you in that damn ICU room.”