Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents #2)(33)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“If you weren’t so busy screwing my sister, you would have realized that sooner.”

Jasper hadn’t expected the knife stab to come so fast. He took the jab and tilted his head to better study Cale. “You’ve been watching us.”

Cale’s eyes darkened with fury. He didn’t know. Hell. He was just guessing. Just tossing out—

Cale leaped to his feet and slammed his head into Jasper’s. Jasper punched him back, but not before Cale managed to connect hard with the fresh wound on Jasper’s forehead.

Cale had never minded playing dirty.

Logan rushed forward and shoved Cale back into his seat. Then he took out his gun and aimed it right at Cale. “Go at my agent again, and you’ll be a dead man. We won’t care about hearing your side of the story. We won’t care about—”

Cale’s laughter cut through his words.

Jasper swiped away the blood that had dripped down from his forehead.

“You think I don’t know this scene?” Cale asked, still grinning. “If you’re questioning me, then you want something. Something you think only I can give you.”

True enough. So why play any more games? “We want to know who hired you to kill the agents.”

Cale’s grin was chilling.

“You’re a mercenary, right?” Logan pushed. “You kill for the right cash.”

Cale’s gaze slowly slid from Logan to Jasper. “I figure every man in this room has plenty of blood on his hands.”

Jasper looked down at his hands. He’d washed blood away less than an hour before. Still looking at his hands, he said, “You were paid to kill three EOD agents. Marcus Holloway.” He glanced up, waiting for a reaction. “Julian Forrest and Ben King.”

Cale gave no reaction. “I didn’t kill them.”

“You knew them all,” Jasper said. “That’s why it was so easy to get close to them. Hell, what did they do? Just open their doors when they saw you? Told you to come on in? Then you attacked when they turned their backs?”

“That’s not the way I attack.”

“We found shoe impressions that you left at a scene. Clay that matched up to the exact same kind that you’ve got on your ranch.” He heaved out a breath. “I guess you didn’t clean up after yourself well enough at those scenes.”

Cale stared back at him. “I don’t kill men on my side.”

“But they weren’t on your side.” This came from Logan. “They were on the EOD’s side, and the EOD didn’t want you.”

Cale glanced over at him. “Is that the best you’ve got?”

“‘Unstable,’” Jasper quoted, trying to divide Cale’s attention. “‘Extreme aggressive tendencies…’”

The tiger’s smile flashed again. “Show me one ranger who isn’t aggressive.”

“Most rangers aren’t put on warning lists by their shrinks.”

“Yeah, well, most shrinks aren’t looking for a little payback because you caught ’em messing around with an underage girl.” One dark brow rose. “I had to let loose a few of my ‘aggressive tendencies’ that day.”

What? Jasper kept his expression blank as surprise rolled through him. There hadn’t been a record of any charge against the shrink. Had the guy really been involved with an underage girl? Or was Cale just trying to B.S. them?

“Check the story if you don’t believe me.” Cale was way too confident. “Dr. Paul Lyland lost his license a few months back. Seems someone got evidence on him, and the not-so-good doctor had to go before the review board. Pity his nose never healed properly,” Cale muttered, as if the words were an afterthought. “But maybe that will serve as a reminder for the shrink. A reminder that plenty of folks are watching him now.”

Watching and waiting for their pound of flesh? “Do you like delivering your own justice?” Jasper asked Cale, trying to figure him out.

Cale shrugged. “Somebody has to deliver it.”

“Why not let that somebody be you?” They’d check the story on the shrink, but Jasper’s instincts were telling him it was true. Hell, what else had they missed?

“Did those agents do something wrong, too?” Jasper asked because it had to be asked. “If we go digging in their pasts, are we gonna see that they did something to make them land on your punishment list?”

“I don’t have a list.”

“Don’t you?” Jasper threw right back.

Cale’s stillness seemed to be his only answer, but, after a tense moment, Cale said, “Guess who just got added?”

Me.

Cale leaned forward. “Now, I’ve played nice. And if you want me to keep playing nice, you’ll bring my sister to me.”

“I don’t think so,” Logan began.

Cale surged to his feet, seeming to completely ignore the gun that was inches from his face. “If I don’t see Veronica, then I don’t say another word. I know how this game works. Hell, you two think you can get to me? After the nightmare I survived in Syria? Think again.”

Jasper pushed back his chair and slowly stood. “We’ll see if Veronica wants to talk to you.” He turned his back on Cale, a deliberate risk.

“If?” Cale snarled.

Jasper glanced over his shoulder, keeping his expression blank. He was as good at wearing an unfeeling mask as Cale was. Maybe I’m better. “Now that she knows just what you really are, do you still think she’s gonna be the adoring little sister? Maybe it’s time you think again.”

He marched past Gunner, rage burning in his veins, the fire simmering just beneath his controlled exterior. Cale had once been his closest friend, but he sat across from him as an enemy.

And Veronica? What was she? Not an adoring little sister to Cale, and to him—

He rounded the corner and came face-to-face with her. She stood in the middle of the hallway, with Wyatt right by her. Sydney waited close by them.

Veronica gazed into Jasper’s eyes, and her expression was cold. She’d never been cold before. She’d burned red-hot for him.

Now she seemed to look right through him.

Chapter Nine

Stay in control. Don’t let him see your anger. Don’t let him see your hurt.

Veronica kept her chin up and her back ramrod straight. Wyatt had told her that the agents needed her at their headquarters. The EOD “headquarters” had turned out to be the abandoned building at the end of Black Bear Road.