Why Juliet was, Evan had no idea. She should be behind a desk at Omega, where she felt safe. What the hell was going on?
Juliet seemed only a moment away from complete panic, if her expression was anything to go by. She pulled as far as she could from the man holding her arm. Evan knew she didn’t like anyone touching her, and was sure that went double for some thug she didn’t know.
“Cady, have your guy let her go. My wife doesn’t like to be manhandled.”
Cady nodded at the man and he released her. She floundered for just a second, not seeming to know what to do, but then rushed over to Evan. He put his arm around her—loosely, so she wouldn’t feel trapped—and slid her behind him. Keeping himself between her and the guns still pointed his way.
Vince Cady chuckled. “Looks like you haven’t quite been honest with me, Bob. You made me think your lovely wife had left you for good. Yet here she is.”
“Yeah, well, she wasn’t supposed to be.”
“And why is that?”
Juliet still didn’t seem to be capable of any sort of speech, so Evan just kept talking, well aware of all the weapons trained on them. “She was supposed to stay at the car, back at the pier. Away from all this, and people throwing her around.” Evan gestured toward the guy who had brought her into the warehouse.
“She was armed, Mr. Cady. I didn’t know why she was here,” the guy chirped, holding Juliet’s Glock out as proof.
“Lisa is always armed,” Evan interjected quickly. He didn’t want to take a chance on Cady linking the words armed and law enforcement together. “She had an…accident a while ago and feels better carrying a gun with her.” Evan could feel Juliet stiffen behind him, but couldn’t do anything to make her more comfortable. He shrugged and smiled at Cady. “I personally find an armed woman very sexy.”
Cady looked at Evan and Juliet for a long moment, then gave the motion—finally—for his men to lower their weapons. Evan felt a little better, but knew they were still far from safe.
“Yes, that was another rumor I heard about your wife. That someone had tried to kill her,” Cady declared.
Evan gave a curt nod. “We don’t like to talk about it. But Lisa and I decided she would stay out of the business side of things after that incident.”
“And yet here she is at our meeting.” Cady’s eyebrow was raised.
“Not by my choice.” Now that the guns were no longer pointed at them, Evan drew Juliet from behind him and wrapped his arm around her. He could feel fine trembles racking her body. “She must have gotten a little scared and followed us when you decided to switch the location. Is that right, honey?”
Evan looked down at Juliet and squeezed her closer, trying to get a reaction from her. She nodded blankly. Not great, but enough.
He pulled her even nearer to his side. “Look, Mr. Cady, ever since Lisa got attacked she’s been a little skittish. She doesn’t like being touched by people she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t like being surrounded by a roomful of men with weapons. That’s why we’ve been keeping a low profile for the past few months.”
Evan hated using Juliet’s attack as a tactic to get ahead in this situation, but didn’t see any way around it.
Cady broke into a smile. “Trying to keep your woman safe. No wonder you were acting so suspiciously! I can totally respect that. I am a family man myself. I have a wife who means a great deal to me, as yours obviously does to you.”
For the first time, Cady’s men seemed to relax, as if they finally believed their boss was okay with the situation. Evan smiled also. “Exactly.”
“Thomas, give Mrs. Sinclair back her gun. She obviously doesn’t feel safe without it.”
“But, Mr. Cady, are you sure you want her to have a weapon?”
“These people aren’t our enemy, Thomas.” Cady gestured to Juliet. “Would you feel better about this situation if you had your gun back?”
Juliet nodded.
“But please don’t shoot poor Thomas. He was just doing his job.”
She nodded again. When her captor walked over and handed Juliet the Glock, she kept it in her hand, down at her side. Evan could tell she felt much better having it in her possession, although the lack of color in her face still worried him.
It was a nice gesture on Cady’s part to give Juliet the security blanket she so obviously needed, although Evan was sure the man’s motives were not altruistic. He was trying to form some sort of bond between them. But Evan was also aware that there were at least four men in the room who could kill both him and Juliet immediately if she began to raise her weapon in a threatening manner. Having the gun in her hand provided a slim facade of control at best.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you, Mrs. Sinclair.” Cady bowed his head slightly. “I would never condone that sort of behavior from any employees of mine.”
“All right, Cady, let’s cut the chitchat. You have some surface-to-air missiles to sell. I have a buyer, possibly multiple buyers, who are interested.”
“Good, good. I also have other items, much more important items, to be auctioned off. Including something acquired only recently.”
“More important than SAMs?” Evan raised an eyebrow. “I find that hard to believe.”
“How about access to override codes that would allow someone to turn US military drones onto any target they so desire. Attacks untraceable back to them.”
Evan swallowed the expletive he so desperately wanted to let loose. Instead he gave an impressed whistle through his teeth. “You have drone override codes available for sale?”
Cady had the gall to casually flick a piece of lint off his shirt. “I do, in fact.”
“Wow!” Evan feigned excitement. “That’s some next level stuff. Where did you get them?”
“I’m sure your buyers
