Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(6)

She was still lying flat on the ground. “Is it...okay to move?” she called out, voice trembling.

He glanced at the man he’d shot. The guy had slammed his head into the back of the car when he fell, and it looked as though the would-be kidnapper was now out cold. But Jasper wasn’t taking any chances. “Get up, but stay with me.”

She pushed to her feet. In the darkness, he couldn’t tell much about her or any injuries she might have. “Did they hurt you?”

Veronica shook her head. “They were— They tried to kidnap me!”

Which didn’t make a hell of a lot of sense to him.

He headed toward the downed man. Veronica’s hesitant steps followed him. His shot had been clean, right in and out of the shoulder. Jasper felt for the guy’s pulse. Found the steady beat. He searched the guy, taking away a very sharp knife from the sheath on the man’s hip.

Just what did you plan to do with this?

Another car rushed past them. Gunner. And Jasper could hear yet another vehicle coming from the north, heading in to cut off their escaping kidnapper.

No one was getting away.

He risked a fast glance back at Veronica. Her shoulders were hunched. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, as if she were hugging herself.

“Did they say anything to you?”

She hesitated, then shook her head.

Just what was up with that hesitation?

Her gaze was on his gun.

The weapon might be making her nervous, but now wasn’t the time to be putting the weapon up. He’d keep his weapon at the ready until the scene was secure.

He just hated the way Veronica looked. Shaken. Scared. “You’re safe.” His words were gruff.

Her chin jerked up. Then she gave a slow nod.

That wasn’t good enough for him. Damn if he didn’t find himself going closer to her. Pulling her against him. Holding her with one arm while his other kept his gun aimed at the unconscious man on the ground. “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he told Veronica. He took a breath and caught the sweet scent rising from her hair. Honeysuckle. A scent that he remembered from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Her arms curled around his waist. “I thought they were going to kill me.”

They just might have. If he hadn’t followed his instincts and followed her.

But he’d been in too many tight situations to just ignore the battle-ready tension that served to heighten his senses when danger was near.

Jasper stared down at Veronica. She’d lost her shoes, and the top of her head barely reached his chin. He wasn’t sure what was happening—some sick punks who’d tried to abduct a pretty woman out on her own or...

Was this about Cale?

The faint wail of a siren sounded in the distance. Jasper tensed. Who’d called the cops? Not his team; they wouldn’t alert anyone local. They liked to handle their business in-house.

And Veronica didn’t exactly have a phone in her hands or wait... His eyes narrowed

Yes, she did have a phone clutched in her fingers.

He felt the small ridge of her phone pressing against his side. “Veronica, did you call for help?”

She nodded. “I texted the sheriff. He didn’t believe me about Cale, but Wyatt was supposed to be patrolling around here tonight. I thought he could help me.”

He could. The cavalry was flying in toward them. Jasper knew that he had just a few minutes with Veronica before the sheriff arrived.

So he had to set up his cover and he had to do it fast. “He’ll wonder why we’re out here. And I’m guessing Last Chance isn’t your usual kind of hangout spot.”

She shook her head.

“Don’t tell him you just hired yourself a mercenary.” He didn’t want the sheriff getting in his way. In fact, the EOD would have to take steps to move him out of their way. “Tell him we’re together. I’m an old friend.”

“A friend of Cale’s,” she whispered.

“Right.” The attempted kidnapping had just changed his plans. I have to stay close to her. “If he asks, tell the sheriff that I’m staying at the ranch with you.”

“I don’t know...” Veronica began as she tried to ease away from him.

Jasper just held her tighter. “After what just happened, do you really want to go back to the ranch alone tonight?”

“No.”

Good answer. Because he wasn’t in the mood to force his way inside the ranch, but if he had to do it, he would. Paired with Cale’s disappearance, the kidnapping was just too much of a coincidence for him to handle.

He’d never liked coincidences.

But since he had her agreement, Jasper eased his hold on Veronica. Only she didn’t step back.

“Thank you,” she told him.

The words were soft. Whispered from between her lips.

Lips that he was suddenly way too aware of in that moment. His heart was racing, his muscles locked and tight as adrenaline burned through him.

“Thank you for saving me.”

He didn’t want her thanks, but Jasper was uncomfortably aware that he wanted her. Since that first look in the bar, he’d wanted her, wanted the one woman he was about to betray.

Fate always enjoyed playing her games with him.

He offered Veronica a smile and hoped the darkness hid the intensity of his eyes. “Hey, you’d already called the sheriff.” A sheriff who was coming closer and closer with each passing moment. “Seems like you were doing a fine job of saving yourself.”