Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(21)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Yeah, he was.

“I need to finish searching the house,” Jasper said.

Jimmy’s eyes bulged. “I should do that. I should—”

“You keep an eye on Veronica. That’s the most important thing.”

Jimmy nodded at once. “Right.” His shoulders straightened as his hand went to the holster of his gun.

Hell, what was the kid? Barely twenty? So eager to follow every order. If the kid wasn’t careful, he’d get hurt.

Especially with that shaky trigger finger of his.

Jasper turned and headed back up the stairs. His fingers brushed over Veronica’s arm. She stiffened at his touch. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

She gave a quick nod.

He searched the rest of the rooms upstairs. Heard Jimmy’s voice, calling the sheriff. He opened more doors. Nothing looked disturbed in the other rooms, but then, that would be the point, wouldn’t it? To focus attention in one spot, while the real action happened someplace else.

What were you looking for?

And, more important, had the intruder found what he wanted?

He went back downstairs. Veronica and Jimmy were sitting on the couch. In short work, Jasper checked out the rest of the house. Clear. No more damage.

But what about the buildings close by? Could the intruder be there?

He headed for the front door.

Veronica jumped into his path. “Where are you going?”

He wouldn’t sugarcoat this. “It’s possible he’s still here. There are over a dozen places to hide just outside this door.” All of the old buildings. The small stable. “I need to make sure the area’s secure.”

“Should I…should I do that?” Jimmy asked. His shoulders weren’t quite so straight.

The kid looked as if he would faint if Jasper said yes. So, instead, Jasper growled, “No.”

Jimmy nodded quickly. “Right, I need to keep Veronica safe.”

Her lips compressed. Then she snapped, “If someone would just give me a gun, I’m pretty sure I could keep myself safe.”

Jimmy’s fingers eased toward his weapon.

Jasper focused on Veronica. “Try to think about what you and Cale have here that someone would want.”

She blinked.

“Something that a person would be willing to risk a hell of a lot to get.” Because he and Veronica could have come back at any time. The intruder would have needed to watch the house. Watch closely, to see when they left the property.

Were you here this morning? Were you watching us?

Jasper headed onto the porch. He kept his body in cover as much as he could as he headed around the area and into the outer buildings. The horses neighed when he got close to them, and they shifted toward him. Jasper gave them a quick pat, but kept moving. His gaze was on the floor, then the small set of stairs that led to the top of the stable.

He climbed the stairs. More hay. Only the hay was scattered near the window. As if someone had tried to clear a space in that area.

Carefully, Jasper moved toward the window. He glanced through it—and had a perfect view of the ranch house and the drive leading up to the home.

Hell.

Their watcher had been close, all right. Jasper couldn’t help wondering…just how long has someone been watching Veronica?

* * *

THE SHERIFF HAD arrived, racing up to the scene with his sirens blaring. Wyatt was in the house now with Veronica and Jimmy, and despite his search, Jasper hadn’t found any other signs of the watcher.

Making sure that he was a safe distance away from the house—the last thing Jasper wanted was to be overheard—he pulled out his phone and made a quick call to Logan. He briefed the team leader on the situation, a situation that had him clenching the phone in his fist, and then Jasper growled, “I don’t like this setup.”

Logan’s sigh carried easily over the phone. “I know you don’t, but what options do we have?”

He could think of a few, starting with… “I take Veronica out of here. I get her someplace safe.”

“You know her brother. Is there any place that guy wouldn’t be able to track?”

Hell, no. That was the problem. Cale was deadly. Fierce. A tracker who was almost as good as Gunner. But there was an important point Logan needed to get. “I don’t think this attack came from her brother,” Jasper said, voice tight. “He wouldn’t trash his own place. Wouldn’t slice his sister’s clothes and destroy the things that mattered most to her.” That wasn’t Cale.

“You sure about that?” Logan asked softly. “You know what the psych report said.”

The psych report. Right. The one that Uncle Sam kept shoving down their throats. When Cale had left the Rangers, the EOD had thought about recruiting him. Only a psych report had surfaced. One that said Cale’s tendency for extreme violence couldn’t be controlled. That Cale Lane was a menace to himself, and others.

That he had serious aggressive tendencies that could result in harm to even those close to him.

But on this point, Jasper didn’t think his instincts were wrong. “Cale wouldn’t have to search the house. If he’d hidden something there, he’d just slip in and get it, not leave that mess for his sister to find.” That would be the last thing he’d do. “No, it’s someone else.” Someone they hadn’t counted on. And if there were more players in the game… “I don’t think Cale was behind the attempted kidnapping.”

Silence from the other end of the phone.

“Cale wouldn’t need two men to force his sister in a car.” With her history, Jasper knew that Cale would never have been behind anyone forcing her off the road. “If he wanted to get Veronica alone, all he’d have to do would be to call her, and she’d go anyplace he told her to go.” Which was a scary proposition. “We’re still monitoring all her calls, right?” he couldn’t help asking.

“Yes, we are.”

Somewhat reassuring.

“Someone wanted to get control of Veronica for the same reason that we wanted to approach her.” Before he smashed the phone, he forced his fingers to ease their grip. “Someone else wants to use her against Cale.”

“The man probably has a whole lot of enemies.”

The kind who wouldn’t mind torturing an innocent woman to get what they wanted.

They want you, Cale.

“We need extra surveillance out here,” Jasper snapped. The idea of Veronica being watched by someone, of her being targeted, had rage twisting in his gut. “I want fingerprints taken from the house. I want to know just who the hell is playing with us.”