Page 58 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

His eyes turned dark and lethal as he strode over to me. The rest of the room went stark silent as he got right in my face. “You’re the one this affects the most? Is that really what you think?”

I glanced over his shoulder at Rae, unsure of what was happening here. She bit her lip, shaking her head slightly.

“Well…yeah. It’s my life and—”

“And mine,” he bit out. “What do you think happens if thirty percent doesn’t pan out? What happens if it’s a trap and it leads the governor right to us?”

“Then we run,” I argued.

“Yeah, we run and risk putting you in danger again. You’re injured, you don’t know how to fight,” he argued, his voice getting louder with every breath, “and I can’t—”

He stopped suddenly, breathing harshly as he stared at me. I didn’t know what was happening here. One minute, we were discussing possibilities, and the next, Cash was acting like something terrible was about to happen.

“Cash, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

He took a moment to compose himself, but I wasn’t sure it was working. His face was still red, and he really wasn’t breathing any easier. If anything, he looked like he was about to explode.

“Cash—”

“What part ofyou’re minedo you not get?” he snapped.

“Yeah, but I sort of thought that was a…temporary thing,” I said sheepishly. Why did we have to have this conversation in front of so many people?

“Nothing about this is temporary. I have never once in my life told anyone what I told you. What happened up there—”

“In my bed,” Jones interrupted.

Cash didn’t pay any attention to what he said. His eyes were locked on mine in a possessive way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. “—was not some fling. I don’t go after a woman that’s been kidnapped unless there’s something in it for me or my company. I don’t use my skills as a sniper unless I have to,” he spat. “I don’t go on the run with anyone, including clients.Youare the reason I have thrown everything out the window and put my company at risk. All of these people,” he said, waving his arms at everyone in the room, “and everyone back home are putting their necks on the line for me, because they know how I feel about you. So, no. This is not about you. This is about the two of us, and all the people working to keep us safe and find the answers we need.”

Geesh, talk about being put on the line in front of an audience. I thought maybe everyone would be avoiding looking at me, but as I glanced around, I noted all of them were staring at me expectantly, including Jones.

I grabbed Cash’s hand and pulled him to the office across the room, shutting the door behind us once we were inside. He turned around, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for my response.

“I get that this is some sort of revelation on your part, but it’s not like that for me.”

“You don’t want to be with me?” he bit out.

“That’s not what I said. Look, you’re acting like because you said we’re together, that’s it. There’s nothing more to be said—”

“Because there isn’t,” he interrupted me.

“But there is for me,” I continued, trying my best to stay patient. “You have to understand that I don’t go into everything with the same intensity as you. I don’t even know you!”

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

I tried to come up with a response, but the questions came to mind that I asked Rae earlier. For curiosity’s sake, I asked.

“What’s your favorite thing to wear?”

“Tactical clothes.”

“Turkey or ham?”

“Ham.”

I rolled my eyes, irritated that Rae was right. “If I could get you one present—”

“A gun.”

---