Page 108 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

He gave a tight nod and I followed him out of the house. As expected, Fox had him strung up from a tree branch. The man just loved rope. As I approached, I watched Fox flip his knives in his hand while the man watched with steely determination. His shirt was ripped open and he already had several puncture wounds in his abdomen, which explained his gurgling breathing.

I had to lean in close to hear what Fox was singing. For once, he was keeping his voice low, but I thought I heard him singing “One” fromA Chorus Line. I rolled my eyes and stepped back.

The man was slowly drowning in his own bodily fluids. Based on the knife wounds, Fox had gone straight for his lungs. “Who sent you?” I asked, knowing I probably wouldn’t get an answer. The governor had been indicted two months ago, and we knew the day would come when he would send someone for Eva. I just hoped we were hidden well enough. It seemed we weren’t.

The man smiled. Blood lined his gums as he laughed, then started to choke. We needed information now. I walked forward and slammed my hand against his throat, squeezing hard as I watched his eyes bulge. I gritted my teeth hard, wanting to snuff the life out of the man who would dare to take Eva from me.

“He won’t protect you,” I said, keeping my voice low. “He sent you here to do the impossible. There is no scenario where you could get her.”

“Someone else will,” he choked out. “You really…think I’m…the only one…coming?” he gasped.

“How much?” I snapped, squeezing harder when he refused to answer. “Tell me how much the bounty is and I won’t let Fox drop you in a vat of acid.”

“Boss,” Fox said from behind me, “you’re cutting me off at the knees!”

“I will let him drag a barrel out here, and he will slowly lower you into it, waiting for every inch of your skin to melt away. And when you’re about to pass out from the pain, he’ll drag your sorry ass out and let the skin slide off your bones. We’ll inject you with adrenaline to keep you awake. It’ll go on for days, until the rope around your neck dissolves in the acid and your head falls into the barrel.”

“Uh, boss,” Fox cleared his throat. “Technically, his heart would have stopped by then.” I glared at him and he held up his hands. “I’m just saying, his heart is lower in his body than his neck. It’s literally impossible to create the exact scenario you’re suggesting. But props for creativity.”

He ducked his head and stepped back at the death threat on my face. The man currently in my grip started gasping for air as blood bubbled up around his lips. “Ten,” he choked out. “Ten million.”

My hand slipped from around his neck as I stepped back. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. That large of a bounty would drag every hitman out of hiding to kill her. Our objective had just changed. We could no longer do this on our own. We needed help to stay hidden, and there was only one place I knew of that could handle a situation like this.

Eli walked over to me, keeping his voice low as he spoke. “Boss…”

“I know.”

“You know what you have to do now.”

I nodded and pulled out my phone as I walked away. I didn’t need to see Fox throwing his knives at the strung up bastard. I had to get us the fuck out of here, and the sooner the better.

* * *

With the helpof Reed Security, we’d managed to stay hidden for the remainder of the time leading up to the trial. It was fucking hell on my nerves, and I was snapping at everyone left and right. Half the team was back in California at a new location. It was dangerous for us to split up, but would draw more attention if we all stuck together. In the end, we put it to a vote, and most everyone felt it was safest for Eva if we all took different routes around the country, leaving bread crumbs that were nearly impossible to follow. Then everyone dropped off the grid and reconvened at a different location.

Except for Eva, me, and Eli’s team.

We were staying on a property that belonged to one of Sebastian Reed’s men.Cazzo. Apparently the guy was off finding himself, so we swooped in and took his house, along with all the security and weapons that came with it. We were all going stir crazy, needing for this to be over. I buried myself in work, digging into all possible connections to the governor. I went over the evidence a million times to be sure we hadn’t missed anything. I had daily phone calls with Hensley, my FBI contact, to ensure the case was being handled properly.

Everything had to be dealt with discreetly. Hensley didn’t know where we were, and the only way he could reach me was when I called him over a secure line. But none of that eased the worry in my gut. I could barely sleep, let alone eat. I was terrified of putting Eva on the stand, but knew that if she didn’t do it, she would be hunted the rest of her life.

I glanced at the clock, rubbing my eyes. It was nearly eleven o’clock at night, and I was barely still upright in my chair. Still, I picked up the phone and dialed Hensley’s number.

“It’s kind of late for a phone call,” he said groggily. “Somebody better be dying.”

“How’s it going with the judge? Any luck with getting Eva to testify remotely?”

He sighed heavily. “No, no word yet. But I’m telling you, this judge isn’t going to let it happen. She believes all that bullshit about facing your accuser.”

“Normally, I do too, but this is a different situation. Did you tell her about the bounty on Eva’s head?”

“Yes, but it didn’t really seem to sway her. She said if we kept Eva alive this long, we should be fine for a few more days.”

“Days? We still have two weeks until the trial.”

“I know, and if I could find something to change her mind, I would. It’s not going to happen, and you need to prepare yourself for that. And her.”

“No,” I said firmly. “She doesn’t know about it.”

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