“Yeah, that’s what he wanted, but his job was to protect you, not to put you in harm’s way as he used you as bait.”
Drew wasn’t understanding. “I used myself as bait.”
“He’s a trained agent—you’re not!” Now the ice that he was so famous for seemed to crack. “He could have gotten you killed. I know his orders because Mercer gave the same ones to me. Get you out. Get you back to D.C. and then—”
“And someone else would come for Genevieve?” Cassidy finished.
Silence.
“She might not have lived long enough for that someone else to come for her.” She shoved back her hair, suddenly feeling very, very tired. “And the Executioner would have gotten away. Been free to take and kill someone else. Mercer has had years to stop the guy, but the killer was too good. He slipped away too many times.” This had been her best shot at stopping him.
“Be careful with him, Cass,” Drew told her, and his eyes looked worried. “Don’t let emotions lead you to trust the wrong man.”
Then he was climbing from the SUV. Guards had spilled from the interior of the building. Come for her. She exited the vehicle and glanced to the left. Cale was already standing on the sidewalk, waiting.
She didn’t see Logan and Gunner. Had they gone inside already?
Time to face Mercer.
Then she was being led inside. Cassidy couldn’t help tensing. She was always tense in this place. She’d never felt welcome there, maybe because Mercer had made so sure that she understood...
This part of my life isn’t for you.
They climbed into the elevator—just Cassidy, Cale and Drew. When her gaze slid to Cale, she found his stare locked right on her.
She was pretty sure that Drew swore under his breath and muttered, “Mistake.”
But wasn’t it her mistake to make?
The nightmare that she’d lived with for years was over—the monster, dead. Why couldn’t she celebrate? Wasn’t she entitled to a little bit of happiness?
Cale’s gaze didn’t leave hers even when the elevator stopped. A soft ding sounded, and the doors slid open.
“Cassidy.”
There was no mistaking that deep, grating voice. She’d once thought that a growling bear might sound exactly like Bruce Mercer.
She turned her head, finally glancing away from Cale, and offered Mercer a faint smile. “Hi, Mercer. It’s good to see you, too.”
His cheeks were flushed. His hands lifted and pushed against the elevator doors before they could slide closed once more. He glared at Cale. “Lane, I’m gonna want you in my office—so don’t even think of leaving the building.”
“I wasn’t.” Cale didn’t appear particularly intimidated as he faced off with Mercer. She’d seen plenty of grown men crumble before Mercer. But not Cale.
“Come with me.” Mercer grabbed her hand and all but yanked her out of the elevator. Then they were double-timing it back to his office. Rushing past his wide-eyed secretary and hurrying to Mercer’s private quarters.
Cale called Cassidy’s name.
Mercer didn’t slow down.
He threw open the door to his office, pulled her inside, then slammed the door behind her.
Mercer whirled toward her. His clothes were wrinkled, his breath rushing out. Fury marked his features. This was the man who’d been a secret right hand to four presidents. This was—
His arms wrapped around her, and Mercer pulled her close.
Stunned, Cassidy didn’t—couldn’t—move.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he gritted out. “Just like I lost your mother...”
His voice—the tremors that shook his body—it was the most emotion that she’d ever seen from the man who was her father.
* * *
WHEN MERCER HAD HAULED Cassidy out of the elevator, every muscle in Cale’s body had tensed.
Mercer needs to get his hands off her. And the guy had just dragged her into his office and slammed the door shut.
Mercer’s assistant, Judith Rogers, was standing up, eyes wide, seemingly frozen by the emotional display from her boss.
Cale stalked toward that closed office door.
Only to find his path blocked by Drew. “You might want to back off for a while,” Drew advised him.
He was tired of Drew’s warnings And tired of feeling like Drew knew Cassidy better than he did.
“Get out of my way,” Cale snarled.
Drew shook his head. “Things aren’t always the way they seem.”
“Yeah? Well, Mercer doesn’t get to intimidate Cassidy—an asset. That’s not what we do here.”
Cale pushed Drew aside.
The other agent whistled. “It’s your funeral.”
Cassidy had been afraid. She’d looked at Mercer with fear.
Cale didn’t want Cassidy afraid of anything or anyone.
“Wait!” Judith squeaked. She usually sounded confident, in charge—not scared. She was scared then. “You can’t go in there!”
Sure, he could. The guards were downstairs. He’d passed them all. There was no one to stop him now. His fingers curled around the doorknob, and he shoved the door open—
And found Cassidy in Mercer’s arms.
Fury flooded through him. “Get away from her!” His hands fisted. This? This was why Mercer had been so desperate to get Cassidy back? Because he was—
Not Cassidy. This wouldn’t happen. “I said, get away from her!”
Mercer’s head lifted. Cassidy had gasped and spun away from him.
“Cale, no,” Cassidy said quickly. “It’s not what you—”
“Shut the door,” Mercer snapped at the same time. “Now.”
Cale had shut the door even before Mercer finished speaking. He’d shut that door and crossed the room because he was going after Mercer. So what if the man was the director of the EOD? He wasn’t getting Cassidy.
Because I want her.
Cassidy pushed in front of Cale. Her hands lifted and flattened against his chest. “It’s not what you think. Cale...Bruce Mercer is my father.”
And everything in the room got real, real quiet.
Her father? Her father! His gaze swept over her face, then went to Mercer. The director looked like he could chew nails.
Cassidy didn’t bear any resemblance to the man. Nothing. No way was she his daughter. Mercer didn’t have a daughter. The man had no family. Just his job.
“That information doesn’t leave this room, Lane. Do you understand me?” Mercer said. Despite his fierce appearance, the man’s voice was...shaken.