Sharpshooter (9 page)

“You’re locking him up?” Sydney asked, voice rising.

“For his own safety.”

And for the good of the EOD.
Gunner understood, without Mercer having to say the words.

“I want you to convince him to go into treatment willingly,” Mercer said as his attention focused on Sydney. “You’re the one he trusts. You tell him that we can help him.”

“Can you?” she fired right back.

“Maybe.” A brutal answer because of its honesty. “Or he may be so far gone that there is no pulling him back.”

Gunner wouldn’t flinch. His brother, the kid he’d promised his grandfather that he would protect...this was how he’d wound up? “Make him better,” Gunner growled. “Help him to heal.”

Mercer’s stare shifted to him. “If I can, I will.”

“And if you can’t?” Sydney pressed. “What then? You can’t just leave him in this—this
treatment
facility indefinitely—”

“If he doesn’t get better, we’ll explore the next step.”

What would the next step be? If the behavior changes were permanent, if there was no way to stop the aggression and the threats and the—

“He’s here now.” Mercer was back to looking at Sydney. “I had him brought in.”

Gunner knew that Mercer had actually been keeping a guard
on
Slade. Making sure that Slade didn’t carry through on his threats to speak to the media.

“I want you to go and talk to him. Get him to understand that we aren’t the enemy, Sydney.” Again, another flicker of the man’s gaze toward Gunner. “That
none
of us are his enemy.”

Sydney rose. “I want to see that file first.”

Mercer pushed it toward her. Her gaze scanned the reports, and Gunner heard her suck in a deep breath. “If he doesn’t get treatment?”

“According to my doctors, his behavior is just becoming worse. The paranoia and aggression have only increased while he’s been back in the U.S.” His lips tightened. “If he doesn’t get some serious intervention and treatment, he’ll become a danger to himself and others.”

If he wasn’t already. The way Mercer was talking, the guy
already
thought Slade was a threat.

“He needs your help,” Mercer said, his voice softening. “Are you going to leave him—”

Her head jerked up at that even as Gunner shot to his feet.

Low blow.

“Or will you help him?”

Sydney’s fingers were trembling as she pushed the file back toward Mercer. “I’ll help him.”

“Good.” Mercer had obviously gotten just the outcome that he’d wanted. “He’s one floor below us, second room on the right.”

She headed for the door.

“Convince him, Sydney,” Mercer ordered, the words heavy with an unmistakable command.

“I just want to save him,” she replied. Then she was gone. The door closed quietly behind her.

Mercer’s gaze swept over the agents in the room; then his stare rested on Gunner. “Make sure your brother understands the situation.”

Gunner gave a jerky nod even as he headed for the door.

Once he was away from them, his steps picked up and he hurried down the hall. Sydney was already gone on the elevator, so he took the stairs, three at a time, and he was standing in front of that elevator when the doors opened.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him.

Before she could speak, he caught her arm and pulled her toward him. He knew this floor well. He’d spent enough time at the EOD facility to know every inch of the place. He didn’t take her to Slade—he knew Slade was in the room with the guard stationed at the door.

Instead, he took her back and to the left. To the old conference room that would be empty.

“Gunner.” She started to dig in her heels. “I have to talk to him.”

“You’re talking to me first.” He pushed her inside the conference room and secured the door shut behind him.

Then he turned around and just...stared at her. She was pale, and he didn’t like that. There were a whole lot of things he didn’t like just now. “What are you going to do?”

She huffed out a breath. “I’m going to get Slade help. That’s what we’re both going to do.”

Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Are you still marrying him?”

Her eyes widened. “That’s what you want to know?”

“Are you?”
Because if she was, he would back away. No, damn it, his brother was hurting. His captors had strung him out on their poison. He
would
back away, no matter what. “He’s the one who loves you.” Gunner forced the words out.

If possible, she seemed to become even paler. “And you don’t?”

His chest ached. “We had a good time, Sydney.” He didn’t let emotion slip into his voice. He couldn’t weaken. “But he’s the one you promised your forever to.”

She took a step back. “A...good time?” Her voice faltered. “That’s really all I was?”

No, she’d been everything, to him.

She still
was
everything to his brother. “Slade needs you,” he said.

“And I’ll be there for him. I’ll help him.” Her voice was tight. “I always planned to help him.”

Then she was marching forward.

Gunner stepped out of her path.

She reached for the door, then stopped. “Did you really have to pull me aside just to tell me that you didn’t love me?” The pain in her voice seemed to tear into him. “Trust me, Gunner.” She glanced back at him, and he saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. “I already knew that.”

She left him.

I never said I didn’t love you.

He sucked a deep breath. One. Another. When his hands were steady, he left that room. A turn down the hallway showed Sydney just slipping past the guard.

Gunner’s stare slid over the hall. Slade was being held in an interrogation room. That meant the area adjacent to that room would be designed for surveillance.

Gunner’s steps were silent on the heavily carpeted floor. After about ten feet, he stopped, going not in the room with Slade, but into the surveillance room.

The surveillance room was dark, but he didn’t bother turning on the light. Through the big wall of glass—a two-way mirror—he could see perfectly into the area next door. He could see Sydney. See Slade.

Mercer had sent him after Sydney because the boss had wanted to make sure that Slade went in for his treatment.

But Gunner knew that Slade didn’t want him anywhere close by, so he’d keep his distance.

He’d just taken the first step to keeping that distance. When his brother was well—and he
would
be well; Gunner would do everything possible to make that happen—Slade would have his chance with Sydney.

After his years of captivity, Slade deserved happiness.

Gunner would make sure he got it.

* * *

“W
HY
THE
HELL
am I here?” Slade demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sick of this EOD crap. You hear me, Sydney?
Sick of it.
”

She swallowed and eased into the chair across from him. Mercer’s words replayed in her mind.
Increased aggression. Paranoia.
Yes, she’d sure seen that with him. But how much was due to the drugs? And how much was a result of the torture that she feared might have fractured his mind?

“Slade, you need help.” She kept her voice soft and easy, trying to soothe him.

He shoved out of his chair and leaped to his feet “What I
need
is to have my brother locked away, but the EOD isn’t doing that.” His cheeks flushed. “I gave them time. I gave you all time, and that time’s run out. I’m going to the press. I’m telling them everything.”

She stood, reaching for his hands. “You know the EOD’s work is classified.”

“I don’t care.” He yanked away from her.

“The man you used to be—he cared.”

“That man died in a jungle.

She flinched. “I think...I think that man is still inside.” She had to be very careful. “I want to help you get him back. I want to
help
you.”

His eyes searched hers. “How you gonna do that?”

This was the tricky part. “Mercer has a place for you to go. The doctors there can get you well.”

“You think I’m sick?” he snarled.

Yes.
“I think...” She inhaled a heavy breath that seemed to chill her lungs. “I think your captors gave you something while you were down there. They made you...take some drugs, didn’t they?”

He stilled.

So she kept talking. “The drugs are changing you. Making you do things, say things, that you wouldn’t normally do. But we can help you—”

“You’re not going to stay with me.” His flat words had her floundering.

“Slade, I—”

“Whenever I touch you...” He came closer and touched her cheek.

She flinched.

“You do that,” he said, and his hand dropped. “You can’t
stand
for me to touch you anymore, can you?”

“Slade...” She locked her knees and refused to give in to the urge to back away from him. “You need the help—”

“I
need
you, but he’s between us. Always between us.”

“This isn’t about Gunner!” It wasn’t. “It’s about getting you back to normal. Getting your life back.”

“What life?” Spittle flew from his mouth. “Without you, what the hell am I supposed to do?” Then he moved quickly, faster than she’d anticipated, especially with his limp, and his hands grabbed her arms, right under her elbows. He yanked her up on her tiptoes, forcing her body close to his. “Tell me, are you going to marry me, Sydney?”

“We can’t—we can’t even think about that now. We have to get you well. That’s the priority, that’s—”

“Are you going to marry me?”
He was yelling at her.

This wasn’t the man she’d known. “I want him back,” she said, lifting her chin. “I want the man I knew back. We’re getting you help. No matter what else happens, we’re getting you help.”

His hold tightened. “You won’t answer my damn question.” His hold was so hard that she knew he would leave bruises on her arms. “Have you been with him?”

“Slade—”

“You had sex with my brother.”

She flinched.
I made love with him.

“And you won’t marry me. Back in Peru, you said...you said you still loved me, but you didn’t mean the words, did you? Just trying to keep me calm, controlled.” He said the last word as if it were a curse.

Sydney shook her head. “That’s not what I was doing! I care about you, Slade. A part of me will always love you.”

He dropped her. She stumbled, almost fell when her knees wanted to wobble. Her heart was racing fast, as fast as it did when she was in combat.

Slade turned away from her. “I don’t want your help, Sydney. I don’t want Mercer’s help. I don’t want anyone’s help.” He strode toward the door.

She rushed after him, grabbed his arm.

Slade spun around and hit her. Sydney wasn’t expecting the move, so she didn’t have time to block the blow. This time, her stumble wasn’t from weak knees. Then he was shoving her, slamming her against the wall. “You think you’re getting away from me? You’ll
never
get away from me!”

She tried to kick out at him, but he trapped her legs and—

“Let her go!”
A roar. Gunner’s roar. The door banged against the wall, and in the next breath, Gunner was grabbing Slade and throwing him across the room.

Sydney tried to suck in deep breaths. She’d been in fights before. She’d been on battlefields, but...but this was different. This was Slade.

Gunner.

Gunner caught her hands and tucked her gently into his side. “Are you okay, baby?”

Slade snarled.

Gunner put his body in front of hers. “You know better than to
ever
raise a hand to her. Our grandfather taught us...you never hurt a woman. You
know
that.”

“That fool didn’t teach me a thing!”

Sydney peered over Gunner’s shoulder. Saw that the guard was holding Slade in a tight grip.

“He was a good man.” Gunner’s voice boiled with fury. “And you were once, too.”

But Slade...laughed?

“You will be again.” Now that booming voice—that came from Mercer. He’d just appeared in the doorway, right behind Slade and the guard. “We’re getting you help, son.”

Slade broke away from the guard and lunged for Gunner.
“I’ll kill you!”
His fist flew toward Gunner’s face.

But Gunner caught that fist. Caught it and shook his head. “No, you won’t. And you
won’t
ever hurt her again, either.” He grabbed Slade, twisted his body around and held him in an unbreakable hold. “You’re going in for any kind of help that the doctors can give you.”

“It’s a treatment facility,” Mercer murmured, watching them all carefully. “For veterans. They can give you what you need.”

Slade was trying to break away from Gunner. But Gunner held him in a tight grip.

The guard came forward and Mercer gave him—handcuffs?—to put on Slade. More guards entered the room, and they all started dragging Slade out.

Her heart was still racing too fast. Her hands were trembling, so she balled them into fists.

“You think you’re safe with him?” Slade shouted. He wasn’t going easily. Kicking, head-butting. “You don’t know what he’s really like!”

At that moment, she felt as if she didn’t know what anyone was really like. Her jaw hurt from where he’d hit her, and her arms throbbed. Nausea rolled in her stomach, and her cheeks seemed to be going numb.

“He wanted you, so he took you!” Slade’s voice was just getting louder. “He got me out of his way once, and he’s doing it again now!”

“Damn it, I’m trying to get you
well!
” Gunner snapped.

“He won’t let you go—he won’t! If he can’t have you, then he’ll make sure...he’ll make sure that no one else does, either! That’s why he’s sending me away, that’s why—”

The guards pulled him through the door. Sydney kept trying to suck in some much-needed oxygen. The room was spinning on her. Why was the room spinning?

“I’ll take care of him,” Mercer said as he slipped away to follow the guards and the sound of Slade’s yells.

Her cheeks didn’t feel cold anymore. Pinpricks of heat were shooting across them.