Undercover Captor (Shadow Agents #5)(42)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Gunner Ortez was Sydney’s husband. Drew knew first-hand just how deadly a duo Gunner and Logan Quinn could be. He’d admired their work before—and seen them in ruthless action.

“More personnel will be on the ground,” Mercer added. “I’ll wire you both. At the first sign that this plan is compromised, you use the code word to call in the troops. Understand? Don’t hesitate to call us in.”

Drew nodded, but as far as he was concerned the plan had already gone to hell.

“What’s the code word?” Tina whispered. Her body trembled against Drew’s.

“Escape.”

* * *

MERCER STARED THROUGH the observation glass. Devast thought he had them dancing on his string.

He was wrong.

Mercer glanced over at Cooper Marshall. “You have your orders.”

Only Drew and Tina going into that warehouse? Hell, no.

He wasn’t about to lose them.

Mercer stared at Anton as he spoke. “Disable the bombs. Take out the suspects. You’ll have your own team in place. Use any means necessary.” He pulled in a deep breath. “Get the civilians out and make sure that Dr. Jamison comes back alive.”

“Yes, sir.”

Anton continued to sit there, cuffed but smug.

He wants to look into my eyes when my daughter dies.

The same way that the bastard had been looking into Mercer’s eyes when he’d found out that Marguerite was dead. Anton had pretended sympathy then.

There was no pretense any longer.

Mercer checked his weapon. The end was coming—for Anton.

Chapter Ten

They’d gone back to New Orleans. It was strange to return to the city, especially since she’d been taken from this place days before.

“Full circle,” Tina said softly as the plane landed.

Drew glanced over at her, his jaw set, his eyes grim.

She wanted to comfort him, but she didn’t know how. She was doing the only thing that she could do.

Offer herself up in the deadly game.

When she left the plane, two agents were waiting to meet her. Tina instantly recognized Gunner Ortez and Logan Quinn. Gunner was married to Tina’s close friend, Sydney. Normally, Gunner hung back from Tina—from most people, actually. He was the tall, dark and deadly quiet kind of guy. But when he saw Tina leave that tarmac, he pulled her into his arms.

“Nothing will happen to you,” he promised against her ear. “If you come out of this mission with so much as a bruise, Syd will have my hide.”

A choked laugh escaped her. Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you, Gunner.”

His words had been so low that only she could hear them.

“I’ll have a lock on you,” he told her, pulling back a bit so he could study her with his steady and determined gaze, “every step of the way.”

That was good. She blinked away the tears. Then Tina quickly followed the agents into the hanger. She was wired, hooked up and given a bulletproof vest in mere moments.

She’d worn a bulletproof vest before, during the few times she’d gone into the field. The weight should have reassured her. It didn’t.

A knife was slipped into the sheath that had been attached to her ankle. Now she matched Drew. The agents even gave her a gun. Finally.

“They’ll probably take the weapons from you as soon as you go inside,” Logan Quinn told her. So much for the gun. “But they won’t be aware of everything that you and Drew have.”

Because Drew had being loaded down with weapons. Multiple guns. Knives.

She was given backup weapons, too. Now if only she’d had the training to go with them, then she’d be a serious threat.

“Just point and shoot,” Logan told her, staring her dead in the eyes. Logan Quinn—Alpha One. He was the team leader of a group of EOD operatives known as the Shadow Agents. In combat, he was lethal. “If they’re coming at you, they’re coming to kill. You don’t hesitate.”

Tina nodded. She wished she could have a few minutes alone with Drew.

Time to tell him goodbye.

His shoulders were straight. His spine up. Fear had to be twisting through him, but he showed no emotion on his face or in his voice.

He was barking orders. Checking equipment.

How could he be so calm?

“If you don’t compartmentalize,” Gunner said from her side, “then you’re no good in the field. You have to be able to turn the emotions off.”

That was exactly what Drew was doing.

She couldn’t do the same. She looked at Drew and she hurt.

She didn’t want this for him.

She wanted his family whole. Wanted him happy.

Because I love him.

Too fast? Too sudden? She’d known him for several years. Fantasized about him for nearly that whole time. Then when they’d been thrown into close quarters, the reality of the man had far exceeded any of her expectations.

She’d never forget dancing with him in that little room above the Texas bar. He’d let her slide past his guard in those precious moments; she knew that he had.

Logan’s phone rang. He stepped aside.

Gunner turned away.

Tina reached for Drew. “I— Can we talk?”

His gaze collided with hers. “I flew you out of this city just nights ago.”

She nodded. “I was terrified then.”

In that emotionless voice he said, “I was furious. I wanted to destroy those men because they’d hurt you.” He paused. “I did destroy them.”

There was such a dark, dangerous intensity clinging to him. Drew was dressed all in black, and he seemed to be a part of the shadows.

“When I saw you on the rooftop,” Tina told him, “I knew that I’d be okay.”

His lips thinned. “Stop having so much faith in me.”

“I can’t.” This was the part he needed to understand. “And I need you to have the same faith in me. I won’t let you down, Drew. I can do this.”

His eyelids flickered. “What if you have another attack? What if they grab you and put a gun to your head? Are you going to be able to ‘do this’ when they’re ready to shoot a bullet into your brain?”

Tina swallowed. Not such a nice visual. “I’ll do anything necessary.”

“Now you sound like Mercer.” But his hand had lifted. Curled around her shoulder. “I don’t want you doing anything necessary. I want you saving lives. I want you safe.” He shook his head. “I should have known, though. It seems like everything I touch gets destroyed.”

“You don’t destroy me.” He made her stronger. He made her—