The bullet thudded into him. He jerked back, twisting, and fell onto the dirty floor.
Cassidy rushed toward him, and her fingers flew over his body. “Cale!”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t shooting to kill. That was a warning, Ms. Sherridan. You see, I’m not playing games. I will destroy anyone who gets in my way. And next time...unless you do exactly what I say...the bullet will kill your lover.”
The door squeaked as it closed. Then the heavy bolt was thrown into place once more.
“Cale?” Cassidy’s voice was broken. Carefully, slowly, she rolled him over. “Please, Cale, tell me that—”
He opened his eyes. “I’m fine.” He caught her hands. “The bullet barely grazed me.” Because he’d moved quickly.
“But—but I heard it hit you.”
So he was lying. The bullet was in his side, burning him, and he was bleeding a little more than he’d like, but the wound wouldn’t kill him. He’d had much worse. “I’m fine,” he said again.
She was on her knees beside him. “I didn’t want you hurt.”
His blood wasn’t on her hands. “I chose to go after you.”
“You were following orders.” Her trembling fingers slid down his cheek.
He caught her fingers. Rose up toward her and ignored the pain. Their captors thought he was weak now. A mistake on their part. “We’re getting out of here, and we’re getting your friend out.” Because that guy had confirmed that he had Genevieve. It was doubtful that he had two separate prison locations for his victims. So Genevieve was probably somewhere in the building. They just had to find her.
He realized that his mouth was just inches from Cassidy’s. She hadn’t backed away when he’d risen. Her fingers curled around his shoulders. “You knew all this would happen, didn’t you?” There was a new understanding in her voice.
“You mean following you after you decked me...that it would lead us to the missing woman? To the killer?”
He heard the faint click of her swallow. “My hit didn’t knock you down, did it? It didn’t take you out any more than that bullet did.”
He smiled and wondered just how much she could see in that weak light. “I was always a pretty good actor.”
The sound she made was half laugh, half sob. Then her arms were tightening around him. “Thank you!”
Because he’d gone against orders?
Or “bent” those orders?
For her.
Her mouth was too close. She was too tempting, and the knife edge of adrenaline and fury weakened his control just enough that he had to—
Take.
His lips closed over hers. Not easy. Not soft. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and savored her taste. Cassidy’s taste—it was so sweet and hot. When he kissed her, he craved things that he shouldn’t.
He forgot the mission.
Forgot protocol.
Wanted.
Her. Naked. Beneath him, in bed.
And I will have her that way.
“So I guess your seduction worked,” he murmured against her lips.
He felt the ripple of surprise that trembled through her. She pulled her head back, shook it slightly. “I wasn’t...”
“When we’re out of here, you’ll owe me.” A sensual promise. He’d make sure she paid exactly what was owed.
Cassidy didn’t speak.
Cale forced himself to let her go. Their captors would be coming back soon. They needed to be ready. “Look for a weapon.” Something small they could use against their enemies. They just needed the element of surprise on their side.
They’d get it, especially with Gunner and Logan working nearby.
She eased away from him and began searching with the lantern’s light. “There’s nothing here.”
No, not a damn thing. Except...the lantern.
The bolt slid free upstairs. The door began to squeak open.
He took the lantern from her.
The door opened more, spilling light.
Cale lifted the lantern. He waited just a few more precious seconds. Then he threw down the lantern, shattering it. Even as a voice swore at the top of the stairs, Cale was picking up a chunk of broken glass. Not the knife he liked to use, but it would get the job done.
Because when it came to close-contact warfare, he was the best.
The men wouldn’t have a target down there now. There wasn’t enough light to see. They couldn’t shoot from above.
He wrapped his left hand around Cassidy’s arm, pulled her back.
Then he smiled up at the silhouette that waited on that staircase.
Come and get me.
* * *
“WHAT THE HELL do you mean?” Mercer roared into the phone. “She’s taken? Cassidy? Damn it, Logan, I gave your team an order. Cassidy was to be watched, protected at all costs!” The EOD director’s furious voice blasted in Logan’s ear.
Logan kept his own voice calm as he replied, “She’s not alone, sir. Cale is with her.”
That didn’t seem to reassure him. “He better make sure that she’s not so much as bruised. Do you hear me?”
Actually, Logan was hearing a whole lot of emotion in the director’s voice—emotion that had never been there before, and he’d worked on plenty of cases with Mercer during his time at the EOD.
“Cassidy is the priority. She is the mission.” Mercer sounded like the words were being torn from him. “You do whatever is necessary to get her out alive. Do you understand? There are no restrictions on this case. If the enemy gets in your way, you take them out. All of them.”
Mercer’s words were too ragged. There was too much fury—and fear—in his orders.
This wasn’t just about some asset.
What are we involved in? What is Cassidy to him?
The director had always told him that cases weren’t supposed to get personal, but right now Mercer was crossing all the lines that he’d drawn himself.
“If anything happens to Cassidy Sherridan, I will destroy your team.”
Logan stiffened at that guttural vow. “Don’t threaten me.” He didn’t care who he was talking to.
“Then don’t screw up! You had an order—bring her in. You think I don’t know what this is? Your team is too good to let this happen unless you wanted it to happen.”
Logan didn’t reply. His gaze was on the darkened building that waited less than a hundred feet away. The building that he’d soon be storming.
“You wanted to take out the Executioner, didn’t you? And you thought you’d use my—use Cassidy to do it.” The slipup had been brief, but Logan had heard it. “When Cassidy is back, there’s going to be a full accounting. Do you hear me? Your whole team will be up for review with me. Now do your job—get her out of there.” Mercer swore. “I’m sending the others who’ve been on standby. I won’t risk her.”