Sharpshooter (Shadow Agents #3)(50)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“I wanted to know what assets of his I could still use in Mexico, and what assets I needed to eliminate.”

“You mean kill.”

“Yes.” A shrug. “I knew it would be easy enough to get that intel from inside the EOD.”

“So you worked us all…you threatened Hal—”

Another cold laugh. “I paid him. There was no threat. Of course, I never intended for him to live long enough to collect his cash.”

“And the shooter? The man who fired at me—”

“I connected with him while in rehab.” The gun was held loosely in his hand at his side. She was tense, her gaze drifting to the gun far too often, but he acted as if he wasn’t even aware he’d pulled out the weapon. “You can meet the most useful contacts in the oddest places.”

“You hooked the guy up with muerte.”

“In return, he agreed to take a shot at you. I did tell him to miss, by the way. That was just a scare shot.”

“And at my house? The fire—”

His smile vanished. “I was supposed to be the one to save you.”

“Were you supposed to save Sarah, too?” Whispered.

“No, I wanted her to burn.”

She had never known him at all. “What about when we were in Peru—that shot on the beach? That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Guilty.”

How had he gotten the gun then? Had he arranged for one of his men to meet him?

“Figured it was never too early…to start driving a wedge between you and Gunner.” He glanced down at the weapon. His sigh seemed a little sad. “Now, I’m afraid, you are going to have to die.”

She shook her head. “Slade, no, don’t do this!”

“But I don’t have a choice. As soon as I heard what you had to say…that you’d found evidence, your fate was set.” He was still staring at the gun. “You won’t stay quiet, and I can’t take the chance of you ruining things for me. I’ve got big plans. I’ll use the assets of Guerrero’s that will work for me. I’ll bring my trade right up the border…I’ll have so much money and power that no one will ever be able to touch me.” His gaze came back to her. “But you have to die first.”

He was going to do it.

She backed away, easing toward the couch so that she could drop and have some sort of cover. “You still have a chance,” she told him. “Don’t—”

“You’re the only one who knows the truth about me.”

He watched her with the unflinching gaze of a snake, ready to strike.

Sydney shook her head. “No.” Then she dropped her own mask. Let the fear slide away and let her own fury burst free. “The EOD knows, too. Logan, Cale and Gunner? They’ve been listening to every single word that you said. And guess what? You’re in their sights now.”

Eyes widening in shock, he swung back toward the window. Sydney dived behind the couch.

“No!” Slade screamed.

* * *

“YES,” GUNNER WHISPERED.

Slade whirled from the window and lifted his gun toward the couch.

Gunner’s finger squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew through the window, shattering the glass, and slammed into Slade.

One shot.

The man staggered, then tried to aim again.

Gunner fired once more.

Even as that second bullet found its target, Gunner saw Logan burst into the den. Logan raced toward Slade as the man slumped to the floor.

Over.

Because he’d just put two bullets into his own brother.

* * *

“CLEAR!” LOGAN YELLED.

Sydney rose from behind the couch. Slade was on the floor, with Logan over him. There was blood, a lot of it, and she hurried toward the men.

Slade’s eyes were open. He was glaring up at Logan, even as Logan held his gaze and his gun right on the other man. “You’re being taken in,” Logan told him. “We’ve got your confession recorded. You’re not getting away.”

Slade clenched his teeth. “I…I’m not going in! I won’t—”

“You don’t have a choice,” Logan growled. Then he talked into his transmitter. “We need that ambulance. Send the EMTs through.” He leaned over Slade. “The wounds aren’t fatal. You’ll stand trial for what you’ve done. Muerte won’t survive—”

“You think…I’ll…roll on the cartels? They’d kill me…”

The front door flew open. Sydney glanced up. Gunner was there, racing toward her.

He grabbed her in his arms and held her tight. She could feel the thunder of his heartbeat against her chest. “You’re making me lose too many years of my life,” he muttered.

Not anymore. The nightmare was over. He was clear. Slade was contained. It was over.

An ambulance’s siren roared outside.

“The big hero…” Slade groaned. “You think this…is how you stop…me?”

Gunner lifted his head but didn’t ease his hold on Sydney. “You’re my brother.” He shook his head. “How the hell did you wind up like this? I was there for you when we were growing up, keeping you safe, making sure—”

“Sure that I was in your shadow.” Slade heaved up. Blood pulsed from his wounds. “No…more.”

Gunner’s body was as hard as a rock against hers. She could only imagine the pain that he had to feel. His own brother had been setting him up, willing to let Gunner spend his life in jail.

The siren kept wailing outside. The EMTs had been kept close, as a precaution, and in moments, they were rushing inside her house.

Logan eased back a step so that they could get to their patient. Logan had already taken Slade’s gun and bagged it for evidence.

But when the EMT reached for Slade, Slade’s body started convulsing. His eyes rolled back in his head. He jerked and twisted. The EMT swore and leaned over him.

That was the moment when Slade yanked out the backup weapon from the holster on his ankle. He moved so fast—so very fast—and had that weapon at the EMT’s head in seconds.

Everyone froze.

Everyone…except Slade and his hostage.

Even as the blood darkened his shirt, he rose to his feet. Slade yanked the young EMT up, keeping the man in front of him. “Drop your guns,” Slade ordered, “or I will put a bullet into his head right now.”

Gunner stepped in front of Sydney, shielding her with his body. He didn’t drop his weapon.

“Drop it, hero,” Slade snarled. “Or watch him die.”