Page 95 of Garrison's Creed

Her phone vibrated. It’d been about an hour since she’d last checked in with Cash, and she wasn’t due to talk to Beth until after they landed. Pulling the phone free of her bag, she looked at the Caller ID. No numbers were programmed in, but she knew this one.

“Hey, Jacks.”

David looked up from his book, eyebrows high as if he hoped to see her receive bad news.Well, fuck you very much.

“Nicola.” Jackson sounded agitated. “When are you coming home?”

“I told you I had to work.”

“I just thought you mentioned you were coming home last night. When I woke up, you weren’t home. I worried.”

Honestly, if she’d landed last night, she wouldn’t have been home anyway. She would’ve been with Cash, preferably in bed, but that wasn’t worth discussing with Jackson in front of David.

David smiled sickly, interrupting her daydream of Cash. “Everything all right?”

Nic nodded and wished he didn’t look so damn excited all of a sudden. It made her stomach queasy. “Fine, David.”

“Michael,” he hissed. “The stewardess might hear you.”

“Fine, Michael.”

“Nicola, are you there?” Jackson asked. “Who’s with you?”

“Who’s that?” asked David.

Too many men needed her attention. One was dangerous, the other annoying. Both needed to shut up.

“David, it’s my roommate,” she said, ignoring his annoyance that she didn’t stick to the married-to-Michael act. “Jacks, I really have to go. We just left Istanbul, and it’ll be a while before we land. But don’t expect me home tonight.”

Really, don’t expect me home ever. That’s not your concern as my roommate.

“Why not?” Jackson pushed.

God, he was getting on her nerves.Time for a subject change.“I wanted to thank you for that project you worked on. Really good job.”

Jackson needed a bone thrown his way, she could tell. Not wanting to go into any details in front of David, that was all she’d say. A good job and a thanks.

“I only did it because you asked me to, Nicola. You honestly have to know that.”

Christ. Jackson wouldn’t let anyone blow to pieces. It wasn’t his nature, but he was obviously still raw about the Cash-punch thing. David scowled at her, rummaging through his carry-on bag.

She sighed. “Whatever the reason, thanks. I really have to go.”

“We should talk when you get home. I need to make sure you’re okay. I don’t know that I like you working with Titan Group.”

Was there something in the water? What else would cause perfectly normal men to lose perspective and act this damn overprotective?

“Got it.” Her phone went dead. No white noise. Nothing. She looked at it and saw a full charge and great reception. “Jackson? Jacks?”

David smiled, showing far too many teeth. “Must’ve lost your connection.”

Bullshit.

He’d found a listening device, or maybe he just wised up. Whatever the reason, David had turned on a cell frequency blocker, and she had no way to communicate with anyone outside the jet.

Welcome to the game, David. I’ve been playing since you boarded the flight to Istanbul.

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