Page 63 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

She hopped off her bar stool and got to work. Eva stood there looking helpless, and Jones was doing everything to avoid my gaze.

“Eva, can you give us a moment?”

“That’s not necessary,” Jones answered. “I already told you I’m not getting involved.”

“Eva,” I said again. This time, she walked away, knowing I couldn’t do my work if she was listening in. Once she was upstairs, I turned back to Jones. “I need you.”

“You have two very skilled people with you. There’s nothing more I can do for you.”

“That’s not true and you know it. Rafe isn’t going to stop.”

He sighed, leaning back against the counter. “And what is it you think I can do for you? I already have security set up. You’re as close to safe as I can make you.”

“I want you to join my team.”

“No, sorry, but that’ll never happen.”

“Because you’re still pissed at me?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Christ, are we back to that again?”

“I know I let you down—”

“Name one person that’s served that doesn’t feel that way,” he snapped. “You think you’re special because you did something you shouldn’t have? Get in line.”

“Jones, I couldn’t do it.”

“Remind me to give you the same courtesy when our positions are reversed.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked angrily. “I can’t go back in time and change what happened, and I wouldn’t anyway. You had no right asking me to do that!”

His angry gaze snapped to meet mine and he exploded. “I had every fucking right! You were supposed to have my back out there.”

“I did! I saved your fucking life!”

“And left me with this one! I’ve come to terms with what I’ve got now, but that doesn’t mean this was something I was prepared to live with. I have phantom pains all the fucking time. I wake up with nightmares of being out in that desert all over again. There are times I wake up in the middle of the night and forget it’s no longer there, and then I fall on my fucking face! I asked you for one goddamn thing!”

“I know!” I shouted back, but immediately backed down. “I know, and I’m sorry I couldn’t do it.”

He shoved away from the counter and headed to the back door. “You can stay for however long you need, but that’s it. You don’t ever come back here again. Next time, I’ll shoot you before you ever enter my property.”

He opened the door and walked outside, letting the door slam behind him.

I leaned against the counter, dropping my head as I blew out a harsh breath. I didn’t know what to do about Jones. I could really use his help right now, but there was no way in hell that was going to happen. I heard the stair creak and knew Eva had heard and was coming back down to check on me. Within seconds, her soft hand was running over my back as she took a seat at the counter.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course,” I said, keeping the worst of what I was feeling to myself. She didn’t need the burden of knowing the shit running through my head. “We need to stay together at all times. For now, we’ll stay here. It’s safe and off the radar. Jones is pretty cautious, so I doubt he even signed for this place in his name.”

“I trust you,” she said with all the confidence in the world.

“As soon as Rae finds out more about Noah, we’ll find him and get that evidence. This will be over before you know it.”

She nodded, but she was still giving me that look. “You know—”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I cut her off.

“You forced me to talk about it.”

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