Page 48 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

“We’ll find her,” he promised. “Now, let’s get you dressed.”

“Actually, I want to clean up real quick. I can manage on my own.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I needed the space more than anything. With what was about to happen, I wanted a few minutes to put things in perspective and remember what I was fighting for.

He gave a swift nod and jerked the door open, and then he was gone, closing it behind him. I sat down on the bed and sighed. My head heard everything he said, but my heart was still denying that any of this could be real. He was perfect, but I would understand if he didn’t mean what he said, and I wasn’t upset about it. We both knew what I was asking when I told him I didn’t care about what was to come. These were the consequences of sleeping with a man when you weren’t sure about how he felt. But I didn’t regret it either. Those moments of passion would carry me through and keep me going, no matter what happened from here on out.

17

CASH

I walked downstairsand ignored the looks I got, especially from Fox. Jones walked out of the kitchen and grinned at me.

“You know, I usually talk to the host just a little bit before I take my woman upstairs and fuck her.”

I flipped him off, ignoring the knowing look he gave me. He knew me too well and understood that the mood I was in reflected the shitstorm that was brewing. I walked to the fridge and flung it open, grabbing a beer that I desperately needed. After popping the top, I tossed the lid on the counter and drank down the liquid that would only take the edge off what I really needed.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Fox asked as he walked up to me.

“Drinking.”

“Yeah, I know that, but what did you just do with Eva?”

I shot him an ironic look. “Do you really need me to explain that to you?”

“Cash, she’s not just some hookup. You can’t just—”

I spun on him and got in his face. “I’m well aware of who she is. I don’t need you to remind me.”

“Then why are you down here when you should be up there with her?” he asked with accusation.

I turned, rubbing my eyes. Christ, I was tired. Had I really thought about what she was asking, I never would have gone after her like that. A woman like Eva deserved so much more than what I just gave her, especially after all she’d been through. And forgetting to wear a condom was just fucking stupid. Not only were we on the run, but she was a client. Whether she paid or not, it was irresponsible to sleep with her. But I couldn’t help myself. Being around her made me lose control, and now that I had her, I would never let her go.

“We should figure out a strategy from here.”

“What exactly did you get yourself into?” Jones asked as he walked over.

“Do you want the cliff notes version, or the long one filled with all the sordid details?”

“Cliff notes.”

“A terrorist is on the loose, Eva spotted the governor of California working with drug dealers, and Fox blew up a government facility to break us out and get us away from Rafe.”

He nodded for a moment. “Is that all?”

“Isn’t it enough?”

He shrugged. “It’s you, so I sort of expected more. Come on, I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

I turned to Rae, who didn’t even need to be given instruction. “Yeah, I’ve got it. Go play with guns.”

Fox and I followed Jones outside to a cellar that was hidden in the brush. He entered a code, unlocking the hatch, then pulled it open. Lights flickered on, illuminating the darkness below. He walked down the steel stairs, not showing any signs of a limp or any sort of disability. I went down next, spinning at the bottom of the stairs to take in the massive amount of weapons attached to the walls. Handguns adorned one wall, with shelves underneath that housed magazines for every size weapon available. Beyond that were the rifles with the same shelving underneath. On the far wall were every type of grenade imaginable, along with IEDs and a shitload of C4. To the left were the rockets, launchers, mortars, and some odds and ends like fire extinguishers.

“Planning on a massive fire?”

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