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plunging into her heart.
    His gaze hardened. “The men at the party...”
    “I think they were the Executioner’s men.” They’d been after their next target. After trying to attract their deadly attention for so long—
    Finally, they’d come for Cassidy.
    That knowledge was in his eyes. “You set yourself up as bait.” Angry, clipped words.
    She had. There’d been no choice. “Someone has to stop them!”
    His head shook. “The EOD—”
    “I’m the one who told the EOD about the Executioner! I’m the one who went to Mercer.” Because she’d been so desperate.
    “That’s why you have him on speed dial.”
    She waved that away. “My family has connections.” As did the families of all the women who’d been taken. “My grandfather is the French ambassador to the U.S. government. Helen’s father was an Irish diplomat. The Executioner goes after a certain type of woman—”
    “A woman like you.” There was fury darkening his words.
    “Yes.” It made her the perfect bait. The Executioner was an international killer, and because he hunted in so many places, it was hard for one country—and that country’s authorities—to track him.
    The faint lines on Cale’s face had tightened. “Mercer agreed to let you put yourself up as bait?”
    Not exactly. That would be why he kept sending agents to guard her. Only this time, Mercer must have realized just how close she’d finally gotten to the Executioner. “Now that I have the Executioner’s attention, I can’t walk away. This is my chance.”
    But Cale’s voice roughened even more as he demanded, “Your chance to do what? To wind up dead like your friend?”
    Cold, brutal words. She knew his words were supposed to scare her. She’d been dealing with fear too long to let it stop her. “It’s my chance to stop him—and his men—before they destroy more lives. If I can get to the Executioner, if I can bring him down...”
    “You really think that you’re going to do this on your own?”
    Her eyes narrowed. Her heart was drumming too fast in her chest. “I’ve got an EOD agent standing right in front of me. I kind of figured you could do something a little more useful than just being my human shield.”
    A muscle jerked along the square line of his jaw.
    “I mean, what are you?” As Cassidy continued, she let her own anger out. He would help her. “The EOD is always ex-military, right? You barely make any sound when you move—your reflexes are the best of any agent I’ve seen.” She could still remember how quickly he’d pulled his gun in that ballroom. “I’m thinking you’re—”
    “Army ranger. Ex-ranger.”
    Cassidy nodded. She’d figured as much. “Well, since I conveniently have a former army ranger right here with me, I thought I might use your services to stop this killer before he takes any more lives.”
    Using Cale would sure make things easier on her.
    “And what if I hadn’t been here?” Cale took a step toward her. “If Mercer hadn’t sent me down here to watch over you—what would you have done then?”
    She licked her lips. His gaze fell. Heated. Oh, boy. “Come up with a plan B,” she whispered. Actually, she already had her plan B. It was the plan she’d been using before she realized who Cale truly was. But plan B involved a whole lot more risk.
    His gaze was still on her mouth, and there was a sensual awareness kindling in his stare. Her heartbeat kicked up even more, and when had all the air left the room? Sucking in oxygen suddenly became a lot harder.
    Her gaze slid over him. Had his shoulders gotten bigger?
    “You’re in over your head,” Cale told her.
    He took another step toward her.
    That big body of his had been on top of hers when they’d sought cover on the street. Adrenaline had spiked her blood, then, and she’d been thinking mainly about survival, but now...
    Now she was thinking far too much about him. “Will you help me?”
    His hands had fisted. Why? So he wouldn’t touch her?