Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(64)

“The work you were doing on your own...it’s not so different from what we do,” Sydney said as she edged closer to him. “Rescuing people is part of our job.”

“And hunting killers?”

“We do the work that no one else can.” A deliberate pause. “You can believe that when someone targets EOD agents, all of us fight back.”

Yeah, well, that was the reason he’d become number one on their hit list.

“Since Jasper’s leaving, we’ll have an opening on our team,” she murmured. Her head cocked to the right as she studied him with that too-knowing gaze of hers.

He lifted a brow. “You’re seriously offering me a job?”

“No.”

The abrupt denial startled him.

“Logan’s the one doing the offering. I’m just the messenger.” Her smile widened, flashing a dimple in her cheek. “I guess he thought I might come across as friendlier. Especially when you consider that the other option was Gunner.”

Gunner...the guy who looked as if he ate nails. The guy who watched Sydney with a fierce, protective stare.

“You are the better option,” Cale agreed.

“So, are you interested?”

His gaze drifted away from her. He’d bought the place in Whiskey Ridge to try to give Veronica the stability that he knew she wanted. But she didn’t need him or the land any longer, not really.

Cale had known the first time he saw Jasper look at Veronica that things had changed. During the time that he had served with Jasper in the military, the guy had never gazed at a woman with such desperate intensity. As if his whole world were in her hands.

But that was exactly the way he looked at Veronica. No, actually, Jasper looked at Veronica as if she were his entire world.

Things were changing now, and maybe it was time he changed some, too.

Working on his own—well, that had gotten him a close call with death. But with a team to back him up, with people he could count on...

Cale nodded. “I think I might be interested.”

Sydney offered him her small palm. His fingers closed around hers. He shook her hand once. “Welcome to the team,” she said.

“Sydney.”

And there was another teammate. Gunner had just stepped outside, and he sure was glaring at Cale. Or rather, glaring at Cale’s hand. The hand that was still holding Sydney’s.

“Great news, Gunner,” Sydney said as she pulled her hand free and looked back over her shoulder at the other man. “Cale’s joining the team.”

“Great,” Gunner agreed, but he sounded anything but pleased. Then Cale met the other man’s stare. Saw the very clear don’t touch glare and got the picture.

He could join the team, but he needed to stay away from Sydney Sloan.

Message received.

Then Logan was there, closing out the team. His gaze swept over them. “We haven’t tracked down the man who put out the hits on the EOD agents yet.”

With both Wyatt and Reed Montgomery dead, that tracking sure would be harder.

“But we’ll find him. The EOD doesn’t stop.”

“And we don’t give up,” Sydney said.

Gunner’s gaze was on her. “No,” he agreed, “we don’t.”

Cale couldn’t wait for their next mission. He was ready to get back in action. He glanced back up at the sky. The streaks of blood-red were all but gone.

Maybe...just maybe...he’d be able to wipe off the blood from his own hands. One day.

His sister had gotten her happy ending.

One day...perhaps he’d get what he wanted, too.

*

Keep reading for an excerpt of Cowboy Cop by Rita Herron!





We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Intrigue story.

You crave excitement! Harlequin Intrigue stories deal in serious suspense, keeping you on the edge of your seat as resourceful, true-to-life women and strong, fearless men fight for survival.

Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.

We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com

Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!

Harlequin.com/newsletters





Chapter One

Three months later

“Dugan is out.”

Miles’s fingers tightened around his cell phone as he wheeled his SUV around and headed toward the station. “What?”

His superior, Lieutenant Hammond, didn’t sound happy. “Based on the Kelly woman’s murder and some technicality with the chain of evidence when they’d searched the man’s place, Dugan’s lawyer got his conviction overturned.”

The past few weeks of tracking down clues and false leads day and night taunted him. He released a string of expletives.

Hammond cleared his throat. “If we’d found evidence connecting Dugan to a partner, maybe things would have gone differently, but...”

Hammond let the sentence trail off, but Miles silently finished for him. If he and Mason had found such evidence, Dugan would still be in a cell. And the world would be a safer place.

But they’d failed.