Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(3)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“You know this because…?”

“Because it took me all of five minutes to get access to his accounts.” With her computers, there was very little that she couldn’t access. “If my brother had just been taking another job, then some cash should have been put in his account. A down payment, something. There was nothing.”

“Maybe he gets paid when the job’s done. Or maybe he has an account you don’t know about.” Jasper was being so calm and logical.

It was all she could do to stay seated. “There’s always an up-front payment.” You don’t risk your life for nothing…that had been a Cale Lane rule. Rule number three, if she remembered correctly. “And I know about every account he has.”

Jasper tapped his chin. She noticed that a faint growth of stubble covered his square jaw. The stubble made him look both dangerous and sexy.

She yanked her gaze away from that stubble and forced herself to look into his eyes once more. “You know him.” She made her voice smooth with an effort. “He was your friend once. Please, take this job. I’ll pay whatever you want.”

“Whatever?”

She nodded.

His lashes flickered. “You should be careful making an offer like that. You don’t know what I’ll ask for. You don’t know what kind of man I am.”

“You’re the kind of man I need.” One with dark connections that could—hopefully—lead Veronica to her brother.

He studied her, and she fought the urge to squirm. After a moment, his lips slowly stretched into a smile. “Well, Ms. Veronica Lane, in that case, I think you’ve just hired yourself a mercenary.”

An answering smile wanted to lift her lips because, for the first time in months, she could feel hope stirring inside her.

Jasper rose to his feet. She hurried to stand beside him. This close, she finally realized just how big he was. Jasper’s shoulders stretched as wide as a linebacker’s. “Thank you,” she murmured, offering her hand.

His fingers closed around hers. “Don’t thank me.” The words sounded a little too gruff.

She glanced up, her brows pulling together.

His smile seemed forced. “I haven’t found your brother yet.”

“But you will.” Keep the hope. Don’t let it fade.

“Yes,” Jasper said slowly, but with a definite promise rumbling beneath the words, “I will.”

* * *

THE CROWD CLOSED in behind little Veronica Lane as she hurried away from him. Jasper watched her go, aware that his gaze had dropped to the curve of her hips.

The lady had one fine sway when she moved, even if she staggered a bit in those three-inch heels.

“Are you smiling?” The surprised question came from Jasper’s left as Gunner Ortez grabbed a chair and swung it around. He sat down, looping his arms over the back of the chair. “Man, you know I’ve asked you not to do that. You’re scary when you smile.”

As if Gunner was one to talk. The ex-SEAL sniper just looked like one very deadly shark when he smiled.

“Was that who I think it was?” Gunner asked.

“If you mean was that Cale Lane’s little sister, then, yes, it was.” Talk about easy pickings. He’d been in town for less than five hours. He’d thought that he’d have to worm his way into Veronica’s good graces before he could get a good start on this mission.

But the woman had just come walking right up to him.

“Want to tell me what she wanted?”

He and Gunner were working the assignment together, so there was no reason to hold back. “She just hired me to find her missing brother.”

Not much could surprise Gunner. The guy had been to hell and back on his missions, but Jasper caught the faint flicker of surprise on his face. “You really have the devil’s luck.” Gunner saluted Jasper with a beer bottle.

“So they say.” Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between having luck and being cursed.

“You didn’t tell her that you were EOD?”

Even if he’d told her, Jasper wasn’t sure that Veronica would have even known about the group. Most civilians didn’t know of its existence. “Have I ever broken cover?” Jasper tossed back at his friend.

Gunner shook his head.

“And I’m not starting now.” As if a pretty face would sway him. Veronica had definitely been graced with a pretty face. Heart-shaped, with high cheeks, a round little nose and the biggest, brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen.

The eyes had caught his attention first, held it and made it hard for him to look away.

Then he’d noticed her mouth. Who would have guessed that sweet Veronica Lane had a mouth made for sin?

Or legs that seemed to stretch forever.

He cleared his throat and shifted beneath the table. “As far as I can tell, the woman doesn’t know a thing about the EOD. She thinks I’m a mercenary, just like Cale.”

If she only knew the truth.

For the past two years, Jasper had been working for the Elite Operations Division. The hybrid group of ex-military personnel took on some damn dangerous missions…missions that no one else could handle. EOD agents generally worked off the grid. Way, way off.

But someone had started to hunt EOD agents. Three men had been killed in the past six months, and all signs were indicating that the killer was…

Cale Lane.

“So I guess you took the job?” Gunner asked.

“We came to an agreement.” One that they’d hash out more later. “That agreement…it does involve me getting full access to Cale’s house and all of his personal files.”

“Lucky SOB,” Gunner muttered, shaking his head.

Jasper shrugged. “He’s missing. She wants me to find him.” He still couldn’t quite get over the shock of seeing her come for him, pushing out of the crowd, looking so out of place and so—

“What’s going to happen when she finds out that you’re in town to catch her brother? That Uncle Sam wants Cale locked up tight so that the man never sees daylight again?”

This time, Jasper’s shrug was forced. “I guess she’ll hate me then.” Her blue eyes had flashed with so many emotions. Fear. Desperation. Hope.

Soon enough, he’d see what her gaze looked like when hate burned in those blue eyes.

“You’re playing with fire.” It was a warning that Gunner had given him before.

And, as before, Jasper’s answer was the same. “Good thing I like to get burned.” Then he rose from the table, and, because he was still thinking about her, still wondering about the lovely Ms. Veronica Lane, Jasper made his way out of the bar.