Page 73 of Nuclear Option (Owens Protective Services)

“I need to run into town also,” I piped up.

Cash glanced at me, shaking his head. “We’ll get whatever you need.”

I flushed as I glanced at Rae. “Um…I need something of a more feminine nature.”

“Well, whatever it is, just write it down,” Cash said, completely oblivious to what I was saying.

“I think what she means, boss, is that she’s going to be on the rag, and needs feminine products,” Rae answered, sipping her coffee with a grin.

I glared at her for putting it like that in front of everyone. I could have explained it to him in private. But I had the feeling this was payback for something.

“Oh,” Cash cleared his throat. “Right.”

“I gotcha covered, doll,” Fox grinned. “I once watched a show off Broadway. It was about women’s menstruation. Very informative, though I really thought there would be a few songs to go along with it. Instead, it was just a bunch of angry women up on stage yelling at all the men in the audience.”

“And you sat through it?” I asked.

“Well…I paid for the ticket,” he said with a frown. “And it turns out that once you fuck a woman, she’s not quite as hostile toward men.”

My jaw dropped open in shock. “After listening to that, you slept with one of them?”

He snorted. “How else was I going to get her to shut up?”

I really hoped he didn’t mean that he fucked her on the stage. That was so messed up. But I wasn’t about to ask questions I really didn’t want answers to.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to go along.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Jones asked as he walked into the room.

The tension in the air thickened rapidly. Cash stared at him, not with contempt, but something I couldn’t understand. Jones was doing a good job of ignoring him. In the light of day, I found myself feeling a little prickly toward Jones. Knowing that I was in a relationship with Cash, and that we were fighting, it was underhanded of him to try and turn me against Cash. But the sad part was that he succeeded, and that was on me.

“We’re leaving tonight,” Cash said to Jones. “Thank you for keeping us here this week.”

He nodded, but didn’t look at Cash. I felt partially responsible for what happened between Cash and Jones, even though I understood this was an argument that had been a long time coming.

“We’ll leave in fifteen for town,” Cash bit out. “I’m going to check the vehicle.”

Rae looked between Jones and me, then stood. “Yeah, I think I have a few things to do too. Fox?”

“I’m good,” he said, continuing to drink his coffee. Rae marched over to him and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him out of his chair. He spilled his coffee as he tried to set the mug on the counter. “Ow, ow, ow! What the fuck are you doing?”

“We have things to do,” she said pointedly.

“Yeah, sure. Next time, just tell me to get the fuck up. Fucking psycho,” he muttered under his breath.

Jones watched me as I waited for Rae and Fox to leave. Once they were gone, I turned back to Jones. “I’m not going to tell you that your feelings towards Cash are wrong. What happened with him is between you and him.”

He huffed out a laugh. “I guess he told you his side and that was it. You were swayed by how he just couldn’t pull the trigger.”

“It’s not my business to judge, and I think you knew that when you told me your side of the story. I wasn’t there, and I never should have taken sides. What I do know is that Cash is a good man. He’s been amazing to me, and that’s all I can base my feelings for him on.”

“So that’s it? You’re just going back to him?”

“I never left him,” I answered. “Not really. I was angry and…there’s no excuse for the way I acted. You have to understand, this is not my fight. I completely understand if you can’t forgive him, but I can’t be dragged in the middle.”

He gave a nod, running his hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have dragged you in the middle. I’m sorry.”

“I know you are. But honestly, at the time, I was desperate for information. This is on me.”

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