Undercover Captor (Shadow Agents 5)

“I’m not lying to my wife.” Cale was resolute. Determined. Protective.

Cassidy pulled back a bit to study Tina. “I can’t ever make this up to you.”

Tina frowned at her and shook her head. “There’s nothing to make up. You didn’t do anything to me. It was all Anton.” She glanced toward Mercer

. His arms were crossed over his chest, but his gaze was on her—and it was worried. “Is his network contained? Is it over?”

“Yes.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Then we saved lives. The risk was worth it.”

“But you shouldn’t have been risked,” Cassidy whispered as she stepped back. “You should never have been in harm’s way.”

Tina had to smile at that. “And you should have been? We can’t help who we are...or who we’re not.” She felt...different standing in that room with Mercer and Cassidy. Before the nightmare of her abduction, Tina had always been a bit in awe of Mercer and all the EOD agents.

And she’d been...afraid. Of so much. Of letting her weakness hurt others. Of being caught in the cross fire once more.

“I’m not weak,” Tina said.

Mercer’s eyes narrowed.

Cale stood beside Cassidy.

“Who the hell said you were?” Now anger lit Mercer’s eyes. “If Lancaster—”

Tina shook her head. “I’m the one who thought it. Drew never said anything.” She pushed her glasses—another replacement pair because she’d lost the others in the blast down in New Orleans—up a bit on her nose. “I’ve been hiding for a long time, and I don’t want to do that anymore.” She wouldn’t stay in her labs. Wouldn’t live through the actions of others.

It was time for her to seize her own adventures.

Only, maybe these new adventures wouldn’t involve death and destruction.

“You let me hide,” she said to Mercer because she’d seen through his mask.

His jaw hardened. “I wanted you safe.”

Cassidy laughed softly. Sympathy flashed across her face. “Oh, Mercer...when you keep us safe, sometimes you keep us caged.”

Tina didn’t want to be caged anymore. Not by Mercer and not by her own fear.

The past couldn’t haunt her, and she wouldn’t spend her days afraid of what might come.

Mercer stared into Tina’s eyes. “What about Lancaster?”

He always saw so much. “He did his job. It’s over now.”

There had never been any talk of a future from him. Never any talk of emotions.

Tina knew what she felt, but as for Drew...

Maybe I couldn’t ever get past the ice.

It sure had felt as if she had, though. His torch had seemed to scorch right to her very soul.

Frantic pounding sounded on the door.

Mercer jerked his head. Cale immediately reached for Cassidy, and they slipped out a side door.

No wonder Mercer picked this office.