When Mercer slanted a fast glance at Cassidy, Cale saw a glimmer of fear in Mercer’s eyes.
She’s his daughter.
Everything made sense then—finally. Why Cassidy had to get so much protection. Why Mercer had been desperate for her to return to the U.S. as soon as the Executioner appeared. Why so many EOD agents had been sent to secure one asset.
The asset is family.
“You were right,” Cassidy said quietly. “I’m not an EOD agent. I’m not even an asset.”
Mercer had stalked back toward his desk. Cale saw the man run a shaking hand over his face.
He’d never witnessed Mercer acting this way. But then, the man’s daughter—daughter—had been held by a brutal killer. If that couldn’t shake the director, nothing could.
And I used her as bait. I put her in danger.
Hell.
I am so screwed.
Cale squared his shoulders and looked back into Cassidy’s beautiful eyes. “I knew you had secrets.” He just hadn’t realized that those secrets were this personal.
He squeezed her shoulders and got ready to face his punishment.
A faint line appeared between Cassidy’s brows. “Wait....What’s happening?”
He moved to stand across from Mercer. The thick carpet swallowed his footsteps. “Am I out? Is it time for me to clean out my desk?” He should have known that the gig wouldn’t last long. So much for being a part of a team again. He’d done this, crossed the line and—
“Mercer, no!” Cassidy was right by Cale’s side. “I’m the one who wanted to go after the Executioner. I’m the one who—”
“Ian Gagnon.”
Cale frowned at Mercer’s curt response. “What?”
“The Executioner. His real name was Ian Gagnon. I received a report on him right before you two arrived.” He exhaled slowly. “And, Cale, I owe you...” It sounded like the man was choking. “Thank you for protecting my daughter. You took a bullet to keep her safe.”
“Barely a scratch,” Cale muttered.
“Cassidy’s strong-willed, just like her mother was.” Sadness there, a whisper that slid into Mercer’s voice then vanished. “I knew she was trying to track down Gagnon—for years. Ever since Helen...” He shook his head and turned his focus back to Cassidy. “I had my team looking for him, too, but the guy was like a damn ghost. He’d take his victims, use them, kill them and vanish. I was working to bring him to justice, I swear that I was...I just—I didn’t want you in his target range. I wanted you safe.”
“But I kept hunting him.”
Mercer nodded. “You didn’t realize that it wasn’t just about the money for him. It was the secrets.”
Cale felt his gut clench. He knew where this was going. In this business, the right secrets were better than gold. No. They were gold.
“Helen...her father was an Irish diplomat. It started with her—Helen’s ransom was for cash and intel. When her father wouldn’t give the man what he wanted, Helen died. Anytime the families didn’t share their connections—the classified information that they had at their fingertips—then their daughters didn’t come home.”
And if this Gagnon had realized who Cassidy was to Mercer...the man would’ve been given access to some of the deadliest intel in the world.
Cale shook his head.
“Now you realize just how much was riding on Cassidy’s safety,” Mercer murmured.
Yeah, he did.
“And you realize—” Mercer’s bushy brows lowered “—how grateful the EOD is to you both for finally tracking down the Executioner. You’ve just taken down one of the most wanted men in the world.” He lifted a finger and pointed at Cassidy. “It was dangerous. It was reckless. It was—”
“You’re welcome,” Cassidy told him as a smile spread over her face.
Mercer blinked at her, looking confused.
Oh, yeah, she does that to people. Even to her own father.
“Helen can rest now,” Cassidy said. “And for once, I won’t dream and hear her begging me for help.” She glanced at Cale. “I was supposed to be with her that night. We were supposed to leave the pub together, but Helen had met a guy and she wanted to stay and dance and dance....” Cassidy swallowed. “I was tired. I took a cab home. I left her.”
And the guilt had eaten away at her ever since.
“I never saw Helen again after that. Not alive, anyway.”
So she’d made it her mission to get justice for her friend.
“It’s over now,” Cassidy said with a nod. “I can move on.”
Just what did that mean? Cale realized that he wasn’t ready for Cassidy to move past him. He wanted her to stay with him. He wanted her.
So what if she was Mercer’s daughter? He wasn’t afraid of the director. No one was going to stand between him and Cassidy.
“You’re safe now,” Mercer told Cassidy.
But Cale wasn’t so sure about that. Would the EOD director’s daughter ever be truly safe? Mercer had plenty of dangerous enemies, and if one of them ever found out about Cassidy...
His eyes met Mercer’s. That’s why you keep guards on her, isn’t it? It was also the reason no one knew about her.
But now Cale realized the truth, and he was sure that Drew knew—or suspected.
“I made sure that your apartment in town was ready,” Mercer told Cassidy. “I’ll get an escort to take you over, and we can finish briefing in the morning.”
Briefing? Was that honestly the way that the man talked to his daughter?
“I should have waited,” Mercer continued. “But I needed to see you with my own eyes. I had to make sure.” His lips twisted. “Well, I’m sure now. You’re all right. I’m starting to realize you’re a whole lot stronger than I believed.”
Yes, she is.
Cassidy turned for the door. So did Cale. But Mercer stopped him, calling out, “I’m going to need you to stay a few minutes longer, Agent Lane.”
Ah, so he wasn’t out of the woods just yet.
Cassidy stepped toward Cale. He caught her hand. “Wait for me. We need to...talk.”
The leather of Mercer’s chair squeaked.
Cassidy nodded; then she slipped soundlessly from the room.
As soon as she was gone, Cale knew that the gloves would be coming off.
“Agent Lane.” Now Mercer was back to his growling, fierce self. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing with my daughter?”