He was assigned to protect her—not make her his own—in this installment of USA TODAY bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s Shadow Agents series.

Cale Lane had his orders: keep Cassidy Sherridan alive at all costs. But who sent six armed men storming the Rio ballroom to take her out? The gorgeous party girl wasn’t giving it up. Now he had a more urgent mission: uncover Cassidy’s secrets…one by one.

Cassidy didn’t need the former Texas ranger to play hero and blow her cover. Using herself as bait was the first step in bringing a killer to justice. How could she do that with Cale shadowing her every move…and awakening feelings that tempted her to put her life—and heart—on the line?

“One dance.”

Cassidy turned toward him, tried to brace herself for the impact of staring right into those blue eyes of his. Her heart beat faster even as sensual awareness spiked through her.

Handsome, definitely, he was. With those strong cheeks, that long blade of a nose and that chiseled jaw, the man certainly would catch the attention of most women. He even had a cleft in his chin, a cleft that softened the roughened danger edge of his features and made him even more appealing. Sexy.

His hand closed around hers as he led her onto the dance floor. Cassidy noticed that there were calluses on his fingers, and he was just so…warm.

She swallowed and held her faint smile in place as they began to dance. She tried to keep some precious distance between them but…

He pulled her even closer.

Glitter and Gunfire

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Cynthia Eden

www.millsandboon.co.uk

USA TODAY bestselling author CYNTHIA EDEN writes tales of romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, and she has received a RITA® Award nomination for best romantic suspense novel. Cynthia lives in the deep South, loves horror movies and has an addiction to chocolate. More information about Cynthia may be found on her website, www.cynthiaeden.com, or you can follow her on Twitter (www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden).

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

CALE LANE—An ex-army ranger with a dangerous past, Cale isn’t thrilled with his new assignment: guarding a society princess.

CASSIDY SHERRIDAN—Cassidy is determined to unmask a killer, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

GENEVIEVE CHEVALIER—Cassidy’s best friend, Genevieve is a pawn in a killer’s deadly game. When Genevieve is taken captive, Cassidy will risk everything to save her.

BRUCE MERCER—Bruce Mercer is the director of the EOD, a man used to giving orders.

THE EXECUTIONER—A killer who has been targeting rich debutantes, the “Executioner” has eluded authorities for years. His sights now seem set on Cassidy and Genevieve. But is the Executioner also hiding a second, even deadlier agenda?

GUNNER ORTEZ—Gunner is working as Cale’s backup on the latest mission, and can clearly see the danger that Cale is facing.

LOGAN QUINN—The team leader of the Shadow Agents, Logan isn’t about to stand back while the lives of other agents are threatened.

Thanks so much to all of my wonderful readers! Your support is amazing!

For Denise and Dana—working with you both is always a pleasure. Thank you, ladies!

And for my husband, Nick—where would I be without you? Thanks for making the last fifteen years a great ride.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Excerpt

Chapter One

Playing babysitter to some rich, overindulged society debutante wasn’t exactly EOD Agent Cale Lane’s idea of a good time.

Give him a dense jungle, the furious blast of gunfire and the adrenaline spike of a deadly mission any day of the week, but stick him in a stuffy ballroom like this—

This too-posh place might as well be hell to him. But, no, it wasn’t hell—it was Carnival. Elaborate decorations streamed from the ceiling in bursts of gold, green and purple. The tables were covered, decked out, and the band played on a stage that shimmered with light.

From his perch near the back wall, Cale shifted slightly in his tux. He was supposed to be blending in with everyone else, and he was trying his best. Blending was normally a specialty for him. He was used to being camouflaged on missions, but most missions weren’t like this one.

Cassidy Sherridan.

His eyes narrowed on the sleek blonde. The far-too-attractive, far-too-tempting Cassidy. He’d been sent down to Rio de Janeiro with the express orders to watch Cassidy.

And that was exactly what he’d been doing for the past five torturous days.

She looked up, then, her dark green eyes catching his gaze on her. For an instant, he thought tension might have tightened her delicate jaw, but then she smiled that slow, flirtatious smile that revealed the dimple in her right cheek.

She started walking toward him. Not that the woman walked so much as glided, and he had to admit she was sexy when she walked. No, Cassidy was sexy—period. The slit in her emerald dress parted, revealing legs that probably could have graced a runway someplace.

Her heels were high, vicious spikes, her dress was strapless, fitting her like a silken glove, and Cassidy...

She’s the mission.

He couldn’t let himself forget that. He hadn’t been swayed by a pretty face before, and he wasn’t going to start losing his cool now.

Cassidy held a champagne flute in one delicate hand. She nodded her head to a few people as she passed by them and said a couple of polite words while keeping her perfect smile in place. Some of the other guests were decked out in their Carnival masks. The celebration was going full swing in Rio. Earlier, Cassidy had even worn a small, delicate eye-mask.

The mask was gone now.

And she was right in front of him.

Still smiling faintly, she said, “You know, it would probably help things considerably if you stopped looking as if you were being tortured as you stood over here.”

He’d been tortured a few times. Memories that he didn’t want to relive, right then.

“It’s a party,” she continued in that husky voice that reminded him too much of dark bedrooms. “Not a prison.”

What would she know of prison? Or torture? Cale cocked a brow and let his gaze sweep over her. Cassidy Sherridan was a mystery to him. A gorgeous, too-fancy mystery. Her blond hair was swept back in a twist, the style accentuating her high cheekbones and those deep green eyes that made him think of things a soldier should not be thinking about.

Her nose was delicate, her chin a little too pointed. Her skin was flawless, golden, and she—

She was trying to distract him.

“Don’t you have admirers to entertain?” he asked, his voice a rough growl, one that was a direct contrast to the softness of Cassidy’s voice.

She laughed lightly. “And here I believed that I was entertaining an admirer. The way you’ve been staring at me all night...actually, for the past few days, it made me think that I did have an admirer in you.” Now it was her turn to study him. Her gaze sharpened. “Why have you been following me?”

Her scent, light, sweet, seemed to fill the air around them. “Sorry, ma’am,” he drawled, letting his Texas accent slip out deliberately. He’d long ago learned how to ditch and retrieve that accent at will. “But I think you have me confused with someone else.”

Cassidy shook her head. “No, I think it would be very hard to confuse a man like you with anyone else.” Her smile was still in place, but a brittle edge had entered her voice. Then, surprising him, she stepped forward. Her arms came up, as if she were hugging him, and he responded instinctively, wrapping his own arms around her.

Cassidy’s body was slender and warm against his. Because of her high heels and the fact that Cassidy’s own height skirted just above five foot eleven, their mouths were close. Temptingly close.

But she didn’t kiss him. She pushed up onto her toes. Her mouth slipped toward his left ear, and she whispered, “Stop tailing me before you ruin everything.”

He stiffened at her words and at the sudden hard jolt of arousal that knifed through him. Her breath blew lightly against his ear. His fingers tightened around her waist. To onlookers, Cale knew it would appear that they were embracing but, holding her this tightly, he felt the hard tension in Cassidy’s body.

Cassidy Sherridan was furious with him.

“I don’t care who sent you.” She whispered the words. He felt her lips press lightly against his ear. His body hardened. Then she said, “The last thing I need is an EOD agent in my way.”

An EOD agent. She did realize who—what—he was, and that was some very surprising news, mostly because there were only a few people in the world with enough clearance to know about the Elite Operations Division. According to the U.S. government, the EOD didn’t exist.

Not officially, anyway.

The Elite Operations Division operated far below the radar. The EOD agents had all been hand selected by Bruce Mercer, the man who seemed to be the EOD. The agents went out on the most deadly missions. They took the cases that others—in the official U.S. agencies—couldn’t handle. Their very success and survival depended on the EOD’s secrecy.

But this woman, who went to a series of parties, night after night, barely sliding into her hotel room past dawn, this woman with a dozen admirers always close to her, this woman who seemed to burn through ridiculous amounts of money in mere moments... She knew about the EOD?

So much for secrecy.

Her fingers pressed against his shoulders as Cassidy leaned back to study him once more. “I didn’t catch your name.”

Because he hadn’t given it to her.

“But maybe that’s for the best,” she added with a little nod. “Since this is the end of our acquaintance.”

No, it wasn’t even close to the end.

“When I walk away in a moment, I expect you to do the same,” Cassidy told him.

The woman was giving him orders? Almost cute.

“Head to the back door. It’s ten feet on your right. Go down the stairs there. That’s the entrance and exit used by the staff at this event. None of the guests will notice when you leave.”

Ah, yes, she was giving him an order. And it wasn’t as cute anymore.

“I don’t want to see you again.” She was smiling as she said it, but her eyes had hardened. “Don’t get in my way.”

Then she turned and walked away.

Interesting.

His gaze slid over the slender column of her back. Far too much skin—such golden, perfect skin—was revealed by the plunging back of her gown.

She didn’t look at him. Just headed over to a pretty redhead, and the two women immediately started talking, their voices seemingly happy and light.

Cale realized that Cassidy Sherridan had just dismissed him.

He wasn’t the type of man to be dismissed.

When he had a mission, he executed that mission. An angry debutante wasn’t about to get in his way.

Cale glanced toward the exit she’d indicated, then right back to her.

With a faint smile curving his lips, he started to stalk his prey.

* * *

VOICES ROSE AND FELL around her, and Cassidy tried hard to focus through the rumble—and to ignore the wild pounding of her heart.

He’s gone. You’re in control. You have this—

“Um...Cassidy?” Her friend Genevieve Chevalier’s voice had dropped, so Cassidy had to lean closer to hear her words in the crush of people. “Who is that delectable man coming after you?” A light French accent brushed her words.

Cassidy blinked at her. Wait, had Genevieve just said...coming after...?

Cassidy locked her back teeth even as she gave a smile, the same fake smile that she’d grown used to offering people in the past year. “I’m sure I don’t know who you’re talking about.” She laughed lightly. “But then, this room is full of delectable men.”

Not that she paid those men much notice. Ever since she’d arrived at the charity ball, she’d been totally focused on him.

She glanced over her shoulder, following Genevieve’s gaze. The man in question should have been heading toward the exit. The stranger—the guy with the dark blue eyes, the hard jaw, the face that she found both dangerous and sexy—was striding toward her.

He was tall, around six foot three, with wide shoulders. She’d first noticed him three days ago—mostly because it was hard to ignore a man like him. Especially with that dark intensity that seemed to pulsate off him.

The day she’d noticed him for the first time, they’d been at another party, another glittering ballroom, one decked out in the familiar gold-and-purple colors of Carnival. He’d been leaning against the back wall there, too, watching her.

But not with lust in his eyes, the way others sometimes did.

Instead, cold calculation had filled his stare.

“He seems very taken with you,” Genevieve murmured.

With an effort, she kept her smile in place. He should have taken himself out of there. Like she couldn’t spot an EOD agent a mile away.

Deliberately, she looked away from him, making a point of giving the man her back. Take a hint. The band started to play again, a slow, romantic tune, and some of the chatter quieted just as—

A hand closed over her shoulder. Warm, strong, his. Every muscle in Cassidy’s body tightened in response to that touch.

“I want this dance.” His words were rough, a demand, certainly not the suave invitation that most of the men at this event would have offered her.

But, then, he wasn’t most men.

Genevieve stood watching them, her golden eyes wide.

Cassidy realized the stranger hadn’t given her much choice. She could refuse, then Genevieve—glorious gossip that she was—would want to know why. The point had been to make the mysterious man vanish, not to pull him into her life even more.

He’d obviously missed the point.

“One dance,” she agreed softly, inclining her head in what she hoped appeared to be a gracious move.

She’d be sure he got the point this time.

Cassidy turned toward him, tried to brace herself against the impact of staring right into those blue eyes of his. But there was no bracing that would be good enough. Each time she looked into his eyes, her heart beat faster even as sensual awareness spiked through her.

Handsome, he definitely was. With those strong cheeks, that long blade of a nose and that chiseled jaw, the man certainly would catch the attention of most women. He even had a cleft in his chin, a cleft that softened the roughened edge of his features and made him even more appealing.

His hand closed around hers as he led her onto the dance floor. Cassidy noticed that there were calluses on his fingers, and he was just so...warm.

She swallowed and held her faint smile in place as they began to dance. She tried to keep some precious distance between them but—

He pulled her even closer.

Annoying.

“I told you to leave,” she gritted out through her locked teeth.

His lips twitched. “Um, you did. But I decided that I wanted to stay.”

He was moving easily, fluidly, a bit surprising for a man of his size. A solider who knew how to dance—and dance well, she realized, as he gave her a little spin and dip.

Her lips parted as she pulled in a quick breath. Then he was moving her again, leading her around the dance floor.

His gaze dropped to her mouth. It seemed to heat. “I think—” his voice was deep, rolling “—that you owe me an explanation.”

Her brows climbed. “What?” She didn’t owe him anything. They didn’t know each other. As soon as the dance ended, their association would end, too.

“Tell me about the EOD,” he said. Cassidy realized that he’d just used her trick. When he’d said those words, he’d put his lips right next to her ear and whispered his demand.

Only...had his lips pressed lightly against her ear? It felt as if they had. And his tongue. Had he...licked her? She certainly hadn’t...licked...him.

Had she?

Goose bumps rose on her arms. “I don’t need to tell you anything.”

Really, Mercer had stooped to this level? Sending a new babysitter after her? He’d promised the last agent was it. It looked like he’d broken another promise.

Same story, different day. She should have expected this from him.

“You think I work for something called the EOD,” the man told her. She pulled back, staring up at him. His hair was dark, thick, and her fingers were brushing against the nape of his neck.

Why were her fingers doing that? She immediately flattened them against the back of his tux.

“Shouldn’t you at least tell me what the EOD is?” he pressed.

Cassidy sighed. “Cut the act, okay? I’ve seen your dossier picture. I know you’re an agent.” That was how she’d first recognized him at the other party. She had a thing about faces. Once she saw one, she never forgot it.

Actually, there were quite a few things that she couldn’t forget.

His jaw hardened just a bit. “Well, I’m at a disadvantage—”

“Yes, you are,” she interrupted him, making sure that her voice stayed low so that none of the other dancers would overhear. “Because you’ve been sent down here for no reason. I don’t need you.”

The song ended. Thankfully. Blessedly.

She tried to pull away from him.

He didn’t let her go.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked.

“Yes,” she hissed. “I’m sure. I’m perfectly fine. This place is safe—”

A scream cut through the ballroom. At the high-pitched, desperate sound, everyone froze.

Cassidy’s blood iced. Genevieve. That had been her scream. She knew Genevieve’s scream.

Cassidy’s gaze flew to the right as she looked for her friend. There, near the staircase. One glance and Cassidy knew why her friend had screamed. Men in black—men wearing ski masks and armed with handguns—surrounded Genevieve. One man had a gun to her side. The other three men were fanning out, advancing toward the unarmed guests.

“Anyone moves,” the man holding Genevieve shouted, “I kill her.” No accent covered his words.

Cassidy’s breath heaved in her lungs. No, no, this could not be happening now. It shouldn’t be happening—not to Genevieve!

But it was happening. She was staring at a nightmare straight from her past. The armed men swept into the crowd.

And—

“Cassidy Sherridan!” the man holding Genevieve shouted. “We want her.”

Cassidy took a step forward.

Only to be halted by the man who was quickly becoming the bane of her existence.

“Too bad,” the EOD agent whispered—a whisper that reached only Cassidy’s ears. “Because I’m not letting them get you.”

He didn’t understand what was happening. She did. She was also more than ready to trade herself for Genevieve.

So while everyone else was frozen, she jerked away from the agent and called out, “You want me? I’m right here.”

The agent swore.

The masked man shoved Genevieve away and began closing in on Cassidy. His gun was aimed dead center at her chest.

Cassidy lifted her chin and waited.

Only in the next second she wasn’t staring at the gun. The EOD agent had grabbed her and pushed her behind him.

No!

“Don’t play hero,” the masked man snarled. “It’s a surefire way to end up dead.”

“That’s a chance I’ll take,” the agent drawled, letting his Texas accent slip in once more as he pulled out his own weapon. A gun she hadn’t even noticed when they’d been dancing.

The men in masks inched closer as everyone else in the room started to rush for the doors.

So much for everyone freezing. I’m the one they want.

And if tall, dark and handsome hadn’t just tried to be a white knight, the gunmen would have gotten her.

The EOD agent had just ruined her plans.

* * *

“FOUR MEN, ALL ARMED,” Logan Quinn murmured into his mouthpiece as he kept his eyes on the scene unfolding before him. His fingers tightened around the binoculars. He sure hadn’t been expecting the attack to be so public.

There were at least a hundred civilians in that ballroom. Some very well-connected civilians with pull in too many countries to count. If the gunmen started firing...

We can’t let that happen.

“It’s time for us to go in,” Logan said, knowing that the man listening to his comm feed would be ready to attack. Gunner Ortez was always ready.

Now, if Cale Lane would just get the pretty blonde out of harm’s way, then the Shadow Agents could attack.

* * *

“THERE ARE FOUR of us,” the gunman growled, “and only one of you. It’s a bad night to play hero.”

Cale kept his weapon up and ready. Chaos surrounded him, and while most of the people were running for any exit they could find, Cassidy hadn’t so much as budged an inch behind him. The woman should have fled for safety.

She also shouldn’t have offered herself up as a willing sacrifice. They’d deal with that part later.

After he got rid of the gunmen.

“What makes you so sure I’m alone?” Cale asked. The ballroom, with all of its windows that looked out over the city—well, it sure allowed plenty of people the opportunity to look back in. “Drop your weapons,” Cale ordered. “All of you—drop them while you still have the chance.”

Laughter. He’d expected that. They’d foolishly think that he was bluffing. They’d find out, too late, that he wasn’t.

The laughter died away. The guy’s finger began to tighten around the trigger as he took aim at Cale. “Mister, you’re dead.”

No, he wasn’t.

Cale shot his own weapon, firing right at the man in black. The two shots blasted almost simultaneously.

More screams. More shouts.

More chaos.

Cale grabbed Cassidy and rushed toward the exit—the back door that she’d tried to get him to take earlier. The gunman’s bullet had grazed his side, barely scraping him, while his own had sunk into the man’s right shoulder.

Aiming wouldn’t be so easy for the guy now.

“No!” Cassidy yelled as she dug in her heels. “Stop! I can’t leave!”

Yes, she could. Staying wasn’t an option for her. His mission—his assigned duty—was to protect her.

When she tried to break free of his grip and run back toward the gunman, Cale just held her tighter. Then he lifted her over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” She kicked him, hard, her heels coming close to his new wound. “Let me go!”

Why? Hell, the woman must have a death wish.

Figured.

Gunfire exploded. Rat-a-tat. Ah, the sound he was so familiar with...only they weren’t in a jungle, and the civilians weren’t safe.

I need cover, here...come on...come on...

His team was out there, lurking in the shadows. An EOD agent didn’t head into a mission without support, even a strange mission like this one.

Logan Quinn and Gunner Ortez were out there. They would have his back, they would—

Logan burst into the ballroom. He didn’t fire his weapon. Logan just launched right at one of the masked men.

As he hesitated at the staff exit, Cale’s gaze swept the room. Another masked man was aiming his gun at the redhead, the woman who’d been talking with Cassidy earlier. The man looked like he was about to kill her—

But a bullet hit him instead. A bullet that hadn’t come from inside the ballroom.

Instead, it had burst through the window on the far left, shattering the glass. Cale knew exactly who’d fired the shot.

Gunner. The ex-SEAL sniper never missed a target.

His cover was there.

Now, time to get the lady out.

Cale kicked out with his foot, throwing open the exit. Others had already started down the narrow staircase. Cassidy was screaming. Yeah, what a way to show her appreciation.

Hell was breaking loose behind them. He just needed to get her to safety, then he could go back and help Gunner and Logan contain the scene.

He made it down to the first floor, easily holding his struggling captive.

As soon as he stepped out of the stairwell, Cale saw security guards rushing forward. Better late than never, huh? At least they’d finally decided to join the party.

He thrust Cassidy at one of them. “Take care of her!”

Cassidy yanked free. “I don’t need taking care of!” Her hair had come loose. It tumbled around her shoulders. With her flushed cheeks, glittering eyes and that wild mane of hair, she didn’t look so ice-princess perfect anymore.

It grated but...she was even more beautiful that way.

The guard who’d held Cassidy for all of three seconds started stuttering. Cale ignored him and leaned in close to Cassidy. “If you want to keep living, you’ll stay down here. Stay with the guards, and I’ll take care of the men upstairs.”

Only...was that smoke coming from upstairs? Hell, it was. And when he strained, he could hear the crackle of flames.

The stampede for the main door became even wilder as everyone caught the scent in the air. The security guards didn’t stay to help Cassidy. They fled.

Everyone fled.

Everyone but Cale.

And Cassidy.

Actually, that crazy woman tried to go back up the stairs. He caught her arm and yanked her against him. Death wish. He pulled out the small transmitter that would connect him to the other agents. “What the hell is going on up there?” Cale demanded.

“Leave the scene,” Logan’s voice immediately blasted back. “Two attackers are dead. The others retreated but left a fire in their wake.”

Not the news he wanted to hear.

Cassidy kept trying to run for the stairs. The woman was trying to drive him insane.

“Come on!” He locked his arm around her stomach and pulled her back against him.

“No! My friend is up there! Genevieve! Gen—”

Other people were rushing down the service stairs. They were about to be crushed.

He could hear sirens blasting. More help, coming as quickly as they could.

“Ballroom is clear,” Logan barked. “Get the target out.”

When the team leader gave an order, you didn’t question him. Cale picked Cassidy up into his arms and carried her out.

“No!” Cassidy yelled. “Genevieve, I need—”

“She’s clear!” They were outside. Fresh air hit him. He glanced back. Saw the flash of flames in the upstairs windows. And...saw the shadow of a man dropping down the side of the building.

Logan. Rappelling down.

Had the gunmen used the same method of escape?

And why had they targeted—

“Cassidy!”

When he heard the cry, Cale’s hold tightened on Cassidy. But the woman calling her—that was the redhead. Cassidy’s friend.

“Genevieve?” Cassidy whispered, voice breaking with hope.

Cale’s gaze swept the scene. Men and women in their fancy gowns and their tuxes now stood, shaken, in the shadows, as they stared up at the burning building.

A night of fun, now a night of fear.

“Let me go,” Cassidy told him. “Please.”

He eased her to her feet. She’d lost her high heels someplace, and her bare feet pressed into the cement. Cale stared into her eyes.

He wasn’t letting her go. Not really.

But for now, he would let her walk away.

Cassidy turned from him. She hurried away. Her hands locked around her friend as she held Genevieve tight. Genevieve was talking quickly in French.

Since he spoke French as easily as he did English, Cale understood her words and her frantic fear that mort had almost taken them both.

But, no, Cale hadn’t been about to let death get close to Cassidy.

He eased back from the scene, keeping Cassidy in his sights. More of the local authorities arrived, rushing frantically to the rescue.

With Carnival in swing, this was the last thing that the powers-that-be in Rio would want. An attack on wealthy tourists? No way would they want that bit of info leaking to the media.

Medics were checking out the shaken men and women.

Logan was in the shadows, scanning the area. Cale saw him, but he doubted that anyone else noticed the other agent.

They were all too busy dealing with the fear and the fire.

A fire that was still spreading. Still slowly destroying the historic building.

The gunmen had seemingly vanished.

They’d come for Cassidy.... Would they try to return for her?

His hand clenched as he remembered her walking toward the masked man.

Yes, he realized, they would come for her, but he would make absolutely sure that they’d find him standing in their way.

Cassidy looked up, then, and her gaze met his. So much emotion was in her eyes, blazing just as brightly as the flames. Anger, no, fury...and fear.

He forced his hands to unclench as he watched her. Soon, he would have her alone, and when he did, he would discover all of her secrets.

Every. Last. One.

He would find out just why armed men had stormed the party looking for her.

And he’d learn just how the rich debutante knew all about the most covert group of agents currently working for the U.S. government.

Cale was quickly realizing that there was a whole lot more to Cassidy Sherridan than he’d initially realized.

The woman could prove to be very, very dangerous.

Chapter Two

She wasn’t alone.

Cassidy had just taken a few steps into the darkened interior of her hotel bedroom when she realized that someone was waiting in the shadows.

She froze, her hands by her sides, as she tried to decide if she needed to flee—or fight.

“Relax,” came a rough voice from the darkness, a voice that she recognized instantly. Not many men sounded like danger and desire growling all at once. He did. “If I saved you before, would I really come back now to hurt you?”

Those weren’t reassuring words. “You never know,” she said softly. Her fingers lifted, and she tightened the belt of her robe, making sure that she was covered. Judging by his voice, he had to be on the left-hand side of the room. She turned her head, narrowing her eyes as she strained to find him in the dark.

“I was sent down here with strict orders.”

Her eyes adjusted a bit, and she could just see him, sitting in her heavy leather chair. She was in one of the bigger suites offered by the hotel. A suite that should have been secure, but the agent had certainly gotten entrance easily enough.

Now he was lounging in her bedroom. He’d just made himself comfortable. “Do your ‘orders’ include breaking into my bedroom?” Mercer wouldn’t have gone that far.

Would he?

“I’m supposed to keep an eye on you. Supposed to keep you safe.” He paused a beat. “But you already know that, just as you seem to know so very much about—”

“The EOD?” Cassidy supplied in what she thought was a rather helpful way.

Silence was her answer.

But silence was pretty much the norm when it came to the EOD.

She sighed. “Look, uh, Agent, I—”

“Cale.”

Cassidy frowned, not that he could see her frown in the dark.

“My name’s Cale Lane.”

The words could be a lie. Other EOD agents had given her false names before. “All right, fine, Cale.” She headed toward him, her steps angry, a little too hard, but their sound was swallowed by the thick carpeting. “We’re ending this farce right now.”

She’d get Mercer on the phone. He could call off his attack dog.

“Why were those men after you?”

He didn’t know?

Her steps slowed.

“Two men died tonight,” he continued. “Two men who seem to have no identities. Their fingerprints had been burned away, and, so far, no one can figure out a single thing about their pasts.”

Her mouth was getting dry. “The EOD can figure out plenty. Just give them time.”

“Are you part of the EOD?”

He seemed so doubting that it was actually insulting. But she bit her lip before she snapped back a response at him. He obviously thought she was nothing but a piece of fluff, flitting around from party to party.

After all, wasn’t that exactly what she’d been doing for the past week, ever since she’d arrived in Rio? One party after another.

But that was her cover. What she was supposed to do.

Pity no one ever actually looked beneath her cover appearance.

Not even Mercer.

“I stood between you and a bullet tonight,” Cale said. His voice seemed even rougher, and it sent a shiver over her. “Don’t you think that entitles me to some explanations?”

No, she didn’t. “I don’t remember telling you to stand there.” Actually, if he hadn’t gotten in her way, then she would have finally made the headway that she needed on this case. Instead, he’d gotten all tough and alpha male, and she’d had to act defenseless as he’d carried her away.

If she’d fought him too hard, if she’d broken free, then all that she’d worked for would have been destroyed in an instant.

He rose slowly, a lethal shadow that came toward her with slow, stalking steps. She refused to retreat from him, but when he closed in, every cell in her body flashed on high alert.

Being near him made her feel too on edge.

Too aware.

She shoved back that awareness. Locked it deep inside.

“Two men got away tonight,” Cale told her. “Doesn’t that worry you?”

Yes. “No.”

“Liar.”

He seemed so sure. No one had seen past her lies before, so why would he be any different? “I want you out of my room.”

He didn’t move.

Fine. She skirted around him, made it to her nightstand and grabbed the smart phone there. One press of her fingers and— “Mercer?” she said when the EOD’s director answered the call. “What have you done now?”

She heard Cale’s sharp inhale.

“You’ve got the EOD director on speed dial?” he asked, seemingly shocked.

On speed dial? Um, something like that.

“Your agent is going to ruin everything,” she said, her words tumbling out. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about what happened tonight, but—”

“I heard.” Mercer’s flat voice, completely devoid of emotion, cut through her frantic speech. “I heard, and that’s exactly why Cale Lane is staying with you.”

Her fingers tightened around the phone. “If he’s here—”

“Then nothing will happen to you,” Mercer told her. “Cale is one of the best agents I’ve got. No one will get to you while he’s on guard.”

If no one could get to her...then how am I supposed to complete my mission? Only, Mercer didn’t think she had a mission. Mercer thought she needed to be coddled. Protected.

That she wasn’t strong enough to face the dangers in the world.

Wrong. Mercer didn’t know her very well. “This is a mistake.” She fought to keep her own voice as emotionless as his. Impossible. Emotion always ruled her.

Never him.

Hadn’t she learned that lesson long ago?

“No. This is your life, and I won’t risk it.” There was no give in his voice at all. “While you’re in Rio, Cale Lane stays with you.”

She was going to break the phone. In her mind, Cassidy could see it splintering beneath her hand into a dozen pieces. “If that’s what you want...” Because he always got what he wanted. When would she ever get what she wanted? Not bothering with any more words, Cassidy ended the call. After all, there was nothing else to say.

Her fingers trembled.

Cassidy turned toward Cale. She needed to phrase this right, in order to match up with the conversation she’d just had. Cassidy cleared her throat. “Mercer agreed that he’d made a mistake. Your services are no longer—”

Her phone rang.

Cale reached for her hand and pried open her fingers. He took her phone.

“Sir?” he said, and she knew he was talking to Mercer.

“Yes, she’s right here.”

Then he leaned forward and turned on the bedside lamp. She flinched when the light hit her. The sudden flow of light should have made Cale look less intimidating.

It didn’t.

She could see the hard edge of his jaw and the intense lines of his face. “I’ll stay with her. Every minute.”

The hell he would.

After a few more moments, Cale ended the call and stared down at her.

Emotions wanted to rip Cassidy apart right then. All of her hard work, for so long...for nothing.

“Mercer just promised me a briefing at 0600,” he said as his assessing gaze drifted over her. “You really going to make me wait until then in order to find out what’s going on with you?”

Not much time. “What’s going on is that I’m working a case, and your presence here jeopardizes its success.” Truth.

“Mercer doesn’t think so.”

That was because Mercer didn’t think she could handle things on her own.

“And you know the director...” Cale continued, rolling his shoulders as if pushing away a heavy burden. “When that SOB says jump, we’re all supposed to learn how to fly.”

Her breath rushed from her lungs. He doesn’t realize who I am. Cale had obviously decided that she was, indeed, another EOD agent.

Not quite, cowboy. Not quite. And he did remind her of a cowboy. Maybe it was that Texas drawl that slipped out every now and then. Maybe it was the hard edge that clung to him. The tough exterior.

But she was thinking of him as cowboy tough and he—he was thinking of her as the spoiled debutante. It grated, but as long as he didn’t realize exactly who she was, then his guard would stay lowered.

She’d had plenty of babysitters—um, bodyguards—over the past few years. She’d gotten pretty adept at handling them.

And dodging them.

Since Cale didn’t realize her true identity, that would make things even easier for her.

She smiled at him. A real smile.

He blinked. A furrow appeared between his dark brows.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot.” Cassidy even offered him her hand. Why not be friendly? That would help to make him feel even more at ease with her. “It looks like we’ll be...close...for the next few days, so maybe we should just start fresh.”

They’d be close until she could manage to ditch him and go after those gunmen on her own. They were in the city. Pinpointing their next attack area had been the tricky part. Now that she knew they were in the general area, she just had to track them.

Cale silently regarded her offered hand, the hand that was still hovering in the air between them. She wiggled her fingers.

His own hand lifted and finally closed around hers. Well, swallowed hers was probably a better description. Cale used his grip to pull her closer to him.

Caught off balance by that stronger-than-expected hold, she had to take a few quick steps forward.

She was suddenly way too conscious of her thin robe and of the fact that she had nothing on beneath that robe.

Had he noticed?

The gleam of awareness in his eyes said he had.

Oh, boy.

“Partners?” Cale murmured.

She nodded. He could believe that they’d be partners for a bit. A few precious hours remained before dawn and Mercer’s promised briefing. She could fool him until then, and surely she’d manage to slip away in that time.

“Partners don’t keep secrets from each other,” he continued.

He hadn’t let go of her hand.

Mere inches separated their bodies.

“Tell me about the case.”

His fingers slowly freed hers.

She took the breath that her starving lungs so desperately needed.

“I’m working on an abduction case.” Again, mostly true. And to think that Mercer believed she spent her days just spinning lies. There was some truth to her existence. Cassidy thought the best way to deceive was to use a mix of truth and lies. “Those men tonight, they took someone else a while back.”

More truth. A painful one, at that.

“Who?”

Before she did this “baring of the soul” bit, she’d really prefer putting on some clothes. If her soul was going to be exposed to him, then her flesh could at least be covered more. “Do you mind if I get dressed?” The question was supposed to be flippant.

Instead, her voice came out hoarse and soft and inviting.

She hadn’t meant it to be that way. Yes, Cale Lane was attractive—sexy and compelling in that dark and dangerous way of his—but she wasn’t interested in him. Was she?

Maybe.

Yes.

If they’d met in a different time. Different place.

Okay, maybe an entirely different life.

“You don’t have to dress on my account,” he told her. The hint of Texas was back in his voice, thickening the words.

“I’d better dress on my own account.” Because being mostly naked in front of the agent wasn’t a good plan.

Mercer would be furious.

So, what?

She held Cale’s gaze a moment longer, then scurried around him and headed for her closet. She fumbled quickly inside, grabbing her jeans and a T-shirt. “I’ll change in the bathroom and be right back.” She didn’t glance over her shoulder at him as she hurried into the relative safety of the bathroom.

She did turn the lock into place.

Snick.

Then she dressed as quickly as she could...before hurrying toward the window—and escape. She’d picked the hotel deliberately. She wasn’t staying there because of the five-star dining options or the perfect proximity to some of the main Carnival events.

She was in that hotel because it offered suites that were housed on the second floor—a floor full of balconies. And, so convenient for her, there was even an old-style lattice on the side of her building. Lattice that she could use in her bid for freedom.

Cassidy believed in the value of an escape plan. Because plans like that...they sure came in handy during situations exactly like this one.

* * *

THEY HADN’T GOTTEN their target. Ian Gagnon glared at the men around him. It should have been so simple. Those rich fools had been too afraid to fight back.

The plan had been perfect.

Slip into the party.

Grab the girl.

Get away.

They’d done the same routine a dozen times, all without any mistakes. But this time, with her, everything had gone to hell. They’d had to fight their way to safety.

Two of his men hadn’t made it out of that fire.

They’d fallen to gunfire.

Gunfire.

The party hadn’t just been filled with helpless fools. The man who’d come so quickly to Cassidy Sherridan’s rescue—her possessive lover with the glittering gaze and the gun holstered under his tux—he was a threat that Ian had not anticipated.

But the man was a threat that could be eliminated.

He would study that mysterious gentleman. Learn his secrets and weaknesses. Everyone had weaknesses that could be exploited. Ian knew that well.

Cassidy’s lover hadn’t been alone in the ballroom. Another man had come to his aid, fighting, battling viciously. And a third person—a shooter, a sniper—had fired on Guan. The bullet had flown through the window and taken Guan’s life. Guan had been a valuable part of Ian’s crew. Strong, cruel, able to kill so easily—he’d been a key asset.

And he’d been caught unaware.

At least three men. All centered on Cassidy? It certainly seemed that way.

He’d get to her, but first, he’d have to separate Cassidy from her circle of protectors.

Or he’d have to simply kill those protectors. Payback, for the lives of his men.

He’d always believed in the value of an eye for an eye.

* * *

CALE WASN’T A FOOL. Cassidy might think he was misled by a wide smile and flirting eyes—and a very short robe—but this wasn’t his first case. He wasn’t some green soldier who’d be distracted by a pretty face. Or long legs.

So when Cassidy came shimmying down the lattice outside of her hotel, he was waiting for her.

The shadows hid him. All of the agents in his team knew how to use the shadows. So he stood in the darkness, watching her jump from the lattice and touch down gracefully on the cement. She was almost bouncing with excitement.

You thought you got away from me?

Not even close.

She glanced back up at the open bathroom window as she eased away from the building. She still hadn’t seen him.

Time to change that.

He stepped forward, moving soundlessly, the way he’d learned to hunt when Uncle Sam had first trained him to be an army ranger.

She still didn’t hear him.

And she was an EOD agent? Doubt gnawed at him. Cassidy sure didn’t act like an agent.

He reached out and curled his fingers around her shoulder.

Cassidy screamed.

Not like an agent.

An agent would attack first, not scream.

But Cassidy’s attack came seconds after her scream. She whirled around, striking out at him with a strong left hook. It would have been a good blow, if it had connected to his face.

It didn’t.

He caught her fist in his hand, freezing the blow. “Did you need some air?” Cale murmured, trying to sound mildly curious.

A shaft of streetlight fell on her face, and he saw her surprise as her jaw dropped open.

“Because, if you needed some air—” Cale shrugged “—I would have been happy to go for a walk with you. You should have just asked me.”

She tried to jerk back her fist. Because there was no place for her to run in that narrow alleyway, he let her go.

Cassidy was caged between him and the side of the hotel. Freedom wasn’t in sight.

He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, sure that whatever lie was about to spill from her full lips would be interesting.

“I didn’t expect you to be waiting.” She cocked her head as she studied him. Cassidy rocked forward onto the balls of her feet. “You must have come down here the minute I shut the bathroom door.”

Yes, he had. Cale wondered why she wasn’t trying to lie to him.

“How did you know?” Cassidy asked. “You shouldn’t have known.”

She looked quite different from the glittering debutante who’d been in the ballroom. Different from the seductive temptress in the silk robe who’d made him ache minutes before.

Now Cassidy was clad in jeans and a loose T-shirt, and her hair tumbled around her shoulders. He still found her sexy—no matter what, he kept finding her sexy.

Problem.

Because he wasn’t supposed to want her. That hadn’t been part of his assignment. He’d never mixed business with pleasure before.

Don’t start now.

“How did you know I was going to run?” Cassidy pressed. Nervous energy seemed to pour from her.

“Because Mercer told me that you would run.” If you let her out of your sight, she’s gone, had been Mercer’s gruff words. He hadn’t actually believed the man, at least, not until she’d said...

I’ll change in the bathroom and be right back.

“And your voice changed,” he said. A small hitch, barely noticeable, but he’d been paying careful attention to her. That little hitch had put him on high alert.

He’d known that Cassidy wasn’t coming back to him.

So he’d decided to go after her.

“My voice changed?” Her voice rose then. “Impossible. No one can tell when I’m lying.”

He flashed a hard smile. “I could.”

She frowned at him; then her gaze snaked over his shoulder. Ah, nice trick. Her eyes had narrowed even more, as if she was intently studying something behind him. Obviously, the lady was trying to distract him. If he followed her gaze and looked in that direction, she’d try to run away.

This wasn’t amateur hour. He wasn’t about to—

“Look out!” Cassidy screamed.

She didn’t try to run away.

She grabbed him, twisting with him so that they both fell in a heap, crashing onto the cement even as a crack of thunder broke the waning night.

Not thunder. He knew that sound too well—gunshot.

He rolled them, positioning their bodies so that he was on top of her, shielding Cassidy. He heard her mutter, “You’re welcome, cowboy.”

He lifted his gun. His gaze searched the area. The shot had come from the south, from the heavier shadows there. They had no good cover, and he had to get her out of there.

From what he could tell, the shot hadn’t drawn any attention. They were away from the main party streets, so this area of town was pretty deserted. And the shooter—well, he was probably just waiting for Cale and Cassidy to move.

They’d rolled behind an old sports car. One that they couldn’t hide behind forever. But some generous person had conveniently parked the car at the edge of the alley.

Your mistake, buddy, but thanks.

“Where’s your team?” Cassidy demanded in a low whisper. “You have a team, right? Shouldn’t they be here?”

His team was still back at the ballroom, talking with the local authorities and trying to figure out just who those men had been.

For the moment, he and Cassidy were on their own.

Cale quickly considered his options. He could try to get her back upstairs into her room.

And then have the shooter—shooters?—come up after us? Not the best idea.

Or he could get her the hell out of there.

Cale decided to go with option two. His left hand tightened on her. “When I say ‘move,’ you get into the sports car and you stay low.”

She turned her head, meeting his gaze. “You’ve got keys on you?”

Since it wasn’t his car, no, he didn’t. But that was just a minor point.

One, two... “Move!” He yanked open the car door. Cassidy jumped inside, staying low, just as he’d told her.

But the shooter saw their movements. He fired, and the glass exploded on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.

Cassidy yelled and ducked even lower.

Again—the yells weren’t the actions of a trained EOD agent. Civilians yelled. Screamed. Agents went to work.

Cale jumped into the vehicle. He shoved his hands under the dashboard, found the wires he needed—cars had always been a specialty of his—and he had the engine cranking to life instantly.

A good thing because more gunfire was exploding around them.

He shoved the car into Drive and slammed the gas pedal down to the floorboard. They raced from the scene with bullets chasing after them.

His right hand still held the gun, and his left kept a white-knuckled grip around the steering wheel.

“Are you okay?” Cale demanded as they rounded the next corner. The shooter could be pursuing them, so he barely slowed. He was pretty sure the sports car lifted onto two wheels.

She didn’t answer him.

“Cassidy!”

She was curled in on herself, crouching down on the floorboard. He could just see the top of her blond head.

“I’m okay.” Soft. “I just got cut from some of the glass. No big deal.”

He glanced in the rearview mirror. Saw only darkness behind them. But it wasn’t like their pursuers would come chasing with their bright lights on.

He wasn’t using his lights, either. Because if you wanted to blend in with the darkness, you didn’t flash a beacon.

“Are they following us?” Cassidy asked from her crouched position.

Maybe.

The car slid around another corner. He wasn’t getting on the main roads, the roads that would still be full of those celebrating Carnival. The party didn’t exactly stop just because it was after midnight. He needed to stay away from the party—and the cluster of people that would just slow him down.

He knew this area. This wasn’t his first time to visit Rio. The EOD agents had a house not far from their current location. A few miles, a few more backstreets.

Then they’d be safe.

Or as safe as they could be. He needed more intel to figure out what was happening. Why is she a target?

Cale didn’t like being the hunted. No, it was his job to be the hunter.

And for others to be his prey.

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