Page 21 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

“And you let her take your gun?” Cash shot back.

“What did you want me to do? Break her other arm?”

I stepped back from him, swiping at my face as I hid from the rest of them. Cash turned me toward them, pointing as he went. “That one is Johnny.”

He was the one trying to talk me down.

“And that’s Jack and Jason. And this asshole is New Guy.”

I looked up at Cash in confusion. “What?”

He shrugged. “It’s just what we call him.”

“Yeah, why bother to learn his name when he’s just going to die,” Johnny said, pulling his chair back and sitting down.

“You can trust them. New Guy works for me, and the other three work with Rafe. I have to go meet up with him about Hayes.”

I shuddered at that, and suddenly, my hesitation about the three men made sense. They reminded me of the men from the research facility.

“Where were you?” I asked, lowering my voice.

“I’m sorry. I was walking the perimeter, and Rae was checking in with the office. I wouldn’t have left you, but I didn’t think you’d wake up so soon.”

I rubbed my hand over my forehead. “I don’t even remember what happened. They said something about explosions and car chases.”

He looked over at them uneasily. “Yeah, it’s not something we need to get into right now.” He rubbed his hands up and down my arms gently. “Eva, I need you to do something for me. I need to know everything you know about the governor and his dealings. I’ve already filled them in on what you told me, but I need to know the rest.”

“No,” I said instantly, watching his eyes shift disapprovingly. “Cash, I don’t know them,” I whispered. “You may trust them, but I’ve never told anyone what happened, and now you want me to tell a bunch of strangers?”

“Eva, you don’t understand. I have to leave. I still have to deal with a terrorist, and that requires me to go to a government location. Rafe isn’t going to allow me to bring you unless he fully understands what’s going on.”

“Isn’t what I told you enough?” I asked incredulously.

“There are too many missing details. We need a better understanding of what we’re working with if I’m going to be able to keep you with me.”

I huffed out a laugh, stepping away from him. “I see. So, the only way you’ll protect me is if I tell you everything you want to know.”

“That’s not—”

“You’re using me. Just like everyone else, you’ll only help at a cost.”

I stormed past him and ran up the stairs, my shoulder aching the whole way. I slammed the door to my bedroom once inside and paced the room. I didn’t know what I was going to do from here, but I couldn’t allow someone else to control me like this.

7

CASH

“You’re not getting anywherewith her. That woman is a vault,” New Guy said for the third time as I paced the living room.

I knew that. Unless by some miracle Rae convinced her to tell me everything she knew, there wasn’t a chance in hell Rafe would allow her to come to the government facility.

“Cash, you have to get her to tell you what she knows—”

“I fucking know that!” I snapped.

I didn’t need them to tell me any of this. I knew Rafe better than anyone. There was no rhyme or reason to what he decided to do. Everything was for the job, unless it suited him better to turn out differently, and that could be based on the day, time, or if he took a shit that morning. Nothing I said would make a difference.

“Maybe I could talk to her,” New Guy said. “We seemed to have something back there, you know, when I was playing her brother.”

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