Evan could feel Juliet stiffen beside him. How the hell did Cady have drone override codes in his possession? Things had just gone from bad to critical.
Evan sure as hell cared where and how Cady had gotten the codes, but Bob Sinclair wouldn’t press. Evan had to let it go. “That’s true, and it’s also pretty impressive, Mr. Cady. I was worried that since DS-13 seemed to be out of business, there would be a gap in merchandise available for sale. But it seems that’s not the case at all. As long as everything works, I’m sure my buyers will be interested, no matter where the codes came from.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I plan to have an auction on Monday. A few choice buyers, you included. I will be in touch with more details.”
Monday. That was only three days away.
Cady walked over and held out his hand. Evan reluctantly unwrapped his arm from around Juliet to shake it. She still didn’t seem too steady on her feet and he knew he needed to get her out of here as soon as possible. He willed her to stay strong.
“Like I said, I am a family man,” Cady told Evan. “One of the reasons I contacted you in the first place is because the two of you work together as a couple. Call me a romantic, but I find that love makes people more trustworthy.”
Cady turned to Juliet. “I know you don’t enjoy the business any longer, but I hope that you will see coming to my home as more than business. I can promise your safety.”
Evan didn’t like where this was heading. “Mr. Cady—”
The man stepped back from them. “In any case, my invitation to the auction at my house is for you as a pair. If your lovely wife decides she cannot make it, there is no reason for you to come, either, Mr. Sinclair. My wife will be expecting a couple, not a single man. I am not interested in letting her down on this matter.”
“I just think it would be better—”
“Both or neither, Mr. Sinclair.” Cady seemed uninterested in any argument, so Evan just shut his mouth.
The drug lord turned and began walking toward his men. “I assume, since your wife had to arrive in some sort of vehicle, you won’t need my men to escort you back to the pier.”
Evan looked down at Juliet, who nodded again. “Yes, we’ve got our own ride, thanks.”
“Then I’ll be in touch and look forward to seeing you both again soon.” Cady and his men walked out the door.
* * *
EVAN WATCHED THEM LEAVE, then tucked Juliet more firmly to his side. “Hang in there, baby,” he whispered.
“Evan, I can’t…” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Don’t think about anything right now. Let’s just get out to your car. Where is it?”
“In the back alley, on the northeast side of the building.” Her words had an uneven cadence.
Evan led her out through the door she’d come in. They made it to her car.
If possible Juliet looked even more pale out in the sunlight. Evan leaned her up against the vehicle “Where are the keys, Jules? Under the mat?”
She nodded.
“Okay. Let’s get you in the car and back home. All right?”
“Evan, I’m going to be s—” Juliet didn’t even get all the words out before she bent over and was violently ill all over the pavement.
Evan offered his support by touching her back, but she waved him away. Even after she lost the contents of her stomach she continued to dry heave.
Evan knew there was nothing he could do. Her system was in shock and just needed to run its course. He winced as she once again heaved. It was painful to watch, and he was just glad she had been able to keep herself under control for so long.
Eventually Juliet pulled herself to an upright position, although she kept her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. “I think I’m okay now.” Her voice was cracked and hoarse.
Evan helped her into the car, thankful that her face had some color in it now and the shaking seemed to have stopped.
“Juliet, what the hell are you doing here?” he finally asked, as they pulled away from the warehouse area and headed back toward DC.
She sat with her eyes closed, leaning back against the headrest. “Mark Bolick, one of the guys you arrested from DS-13 last month with Sawyer, has ties to Cady and was about to blow your cover.”
Evan cursed under his breath. Things had already been going pretty poorly before Juliet arrived. If Bolick had stumbled in and accused him of being a cop, that would’ve been it for Evan.
“You saved my life,” he told Juliet.
She gave a bark of mirthless laughter. “Not on purpose. If there had been anyone else around I could’ve called, I would have, believe me.”
“Well, you did it and that’s what counts. Plus, Cady was pretty antsy about why Lisa Sinclair wasn’t with me. You showing up when you did probably saved my life again, or at the very least the whole case.”
Juliet still had her eyes closed. “Like I said, I didn’t do that on purpose, either. Then I almost blew the whole thing.”
“But you didn’t.”
She shrugged and Evan knew better than to argue with her. She refused to acknowledge her own success because of her physical reaction afterward.
“You did good, Jules. It was a dicey situation. Cady was ready to call the whole thing off, or maybe even get rid of me completely, because you weren’t there.”
“I thought you had a plan for what you were going to say.”
Evan took the exit for the interstate leading to Washington. “I had a bunch of possibilities, based on how the situation was going. But Cady started up about you almost right away. I was still reeling from the change of locations and my phone sinking to the bottom of the
