Crash.
The rush came before she even heard it. Nic wasn’t sure what her body was doing, but trusted her training. Everything else was in slow motion. Glass shattered from the windows. Roman grabbed their mother, tossing her to Dad. Cash grabbed Jackson. Nic jumped out of the way but was knocked down. Definite yelling, definite firings. The sting and burn of glass exploding scrambled her senses.
And when she tried to look up, she saw the red. Everything burned. Her nose ran, eyes running. Cash had her on her feet now. What the hell was going on? But she couldn’t stand on her own, that much she knew. Her face. Her arm was on fire. Help me.
Garrison’s Creed: Chapter Thirty
Everything burned. Nothing made sense. The only thing that kept her from screaming was that she was hurt. Not her parents. Not her brother. Not Cash. Nicola could deal with her pain. No one else’s though. She’d brought enough hurt home already.
Hands touched her face. Damn it. “Stings… Burns.” And smells?
“Get her to the bathroom.” A woman, not her mother, ordered.
The dizzy spin in her head was confusing. Who all was there? Cash’s strong hands lifted her. She knew the feel of his touch, the definition of his chest. Even if she couldn’t open her eyes, she knew Cash’s arms.
“What is that stuff?” Now that was definitely her mom. She sounded concerned, not hurt. But damn if she didn’t want to concern her mom ever again.
Her dad mumbled something.
The snap of her mom’s voice followed them. “Obviously, not the blood. That stuff. It’s everywhere.”
A cold cloth pressed to her face, wiping over and over. Slowly, the boiling sensation on her skin plateaued. Didn’t stop, but became bearable.
“Drink this.” It was Cash. He held a glass to her lips, then spoke to someone else. “No. Don’t call for an ambulance. I’m driving.”
Her vision wasn’t what it should be. Her lips burned. Water would be good. Accepting the glass, the cold—
Ick.
Not what she was expecting. She spit it out. “What is that?”
“Milk. It’ll help.”
What the fu—
Oh.
“Cayenne shells,” she mumbled again. “He hit me with—”
“I know, sweet girl. Beth told us.”
“What? Beth?” It was all she could manage and it did nothing to ask the important question like when did she get there and why? Cash wiped her face, then her arms. It helped some, but only for flashing cool moments.
“Beth shot out the window. Glass hit you. The shotgun fired, not a direct hit thanks to Beth. But you got up close and personal with an exploding twelve gauge pepper blast. Bet all this pepper stings like a bitch.”
She nodded, curling into his arms. Her ankles hit the bathroom vanity. They had to be sitting in the hall bathroom, with her in his lap. “I mess everything up.”
“Nah. You’re enough to drive a man crazy. Any other lunatic ex-lovers I should know about? They’ll be gone before dawn.” He repositioned her. “Can you open your eyes?”
She shook her head a tiny bit, feeling like a baby. “They burn. I don’t want to.”
“All right. That settles that. Don’t try in case there’s glass in ‘em. You’re going to the ER. No idea how I’m going to explain this though.” Cash paused, leaning out the door. “Your mom is cracking me up. I’m pretty sure Beth gave up and okayed the use of a vacuum, even though a cleanup team is on the way.”
“Is Beth still here?”
“Yeah, Roman’s trying to hit on your girl, but she’s having nothing to do with it. And Beth may be on an adrenaline high.”
Nic laughed, then stopped short, her lips stinging anew. “Ow.” She ran her tongue tentatively over her lip and tasted her blood. “Don’t make me laugh. What about Jackson?”
“We’ll deal with that later.” Cash called over her shoulder. “Hey, Beth. C’mere.”
Nic heard Beth bounce into the bathroom, her mouth running highway speed before she could make out the words. “—believe that? I just knew it. And how much did I save your life with that cayenne shot. I told you, pack the pepper. Next time one of those boys shows up, knocking each other out—no offense, Cash—you can put them in place. When I gave you that box of ammo, it was a joke. A joke. And then those creepy-assed, drunk calls from Jackson. My timing pretty much rocked—”
“Beth.” Cash coughed to hide a laugh. “Take a breath girl.”
“How did Jackson find me?” Nicola asked Beth.
“I don’t have all the details, but Jackson found out that two Titan guys disarmed a bomb at your parents’ house. I don’t know. Maybe the bomb-disarming crowd likes to chat? And from all Jackson’s ramblings, I’m pretty sure he’d triangulated your burner phone and monitored your location. That’s how I found you. Throw that thing away. You sure as hell don’t answer it. I called you a million times today.”
“You’re the best, Beth.”
“They should put me out in the field. I’m a rock star.”
Nic smiled again, ready for the sting. “I know. I love ya, you know that?”
“Of course. God, Cash. She looks awful. Take her to the doctor.”
If Nic’s eyes had been open, they would’ve rolled. Cash threw Beth some version of, “yes, ma’am.” Nicola seriously loved both of them.
“Angel?”
“Nicky?”
Her parents replaced Beth who left, babbling. Nicola felt like a blind spectacle, but didn’t shy away from her parents. “I’m sorry.”
“So it goes.” Her dad clapped Cash on the back. “Roman’s got your vehicle ready and running. Nice looking car, by the way. Is that new?”
What a week.
Her mom smoothed her hair. “We’ll see you two here for dinner again soon. I packed a bag of food. You both need to eat. Had Roman put that in your car too, Cash.”
Cash lifted her up, they said their goodbyes, and she was in the passenger seat of his car again.
The door was still open, and Roman walked up. She knew him by the cadence of his gait. “You know how to make an entrance and exit. Don’t ya, Double-Oh-Seven.” He had stolen that from Cash, but she still loved it. “Anyway, Jared just called me back. He said if she could stand the extra thirty-five mile drive, he’d take care of everything through Titan’s docs.”
She shrugged.
“I got the feeling he wanted to talk to you two,” Roman continued. “Prepare yourself for the dickhead version of Debbie Downer.”
Roman shut her door, patted the outside twice, and Cash backed out the driveway. She didn’t need to see to know he flew down the highway, passing cars right and left.
“I’m not dying, Cash. No need to get a ticket.”
“Sweet girl, unless the speed limit is enforced by sniper fire or an air assault team roping down from a screaming helo, we aren’t slowing.”
* * *
Dr. Tuska waited for their arrival and had her with a surgical ophthalmologist and ocular trauma specialist doing a thorough once-over before she could shrug them off and ask for a saline wash.
The nurses marched into action, cleaning her up. All in all, Titan’s medical team took an hour and fifteen minutes to get Nic seeing again. Not bad.
Now, she waited. No had one checked her in, per se, so she didn’t know what else to do besides wait for Dr. Tuska’s discharge instructions and the tube of antibacterial ointment she was promised.
The room looked normal enough, but the sheets weren’t standard hospital linens. They were smooth and felt like high thread count. Even the pillow was soft, given that it was probably one of those plastic, liquid resistant types. But it was still a hospital bed, and the place still smelled like cleaner. She hated hospitals, and the only reason she didn’t push the button to call her nurse was Cash. Leaning up against the bed, he calmed her with his large hand covering hers. Despite the trauma and drama of the evening, she relaxed against him.
Dr. Tuska rapped on the open door and
joined them. “Jared just arrived. I can hold him off if you need time before you see him.” He chuckled, flipping through her chart. His knowing smile spoke volumes. “Like I mentioned before, dab this in your eyes three times a day. Any other scratch, give a smear of Neosporin. You’re good to go. Want me to tell Jared you’re tied up for a few more minutes?”
The doctor was quickly climbing the ranks of Nicola’s favorite people, and definitely worth his weight in gold. Dr. Tuska must know how pleasant Jared could be when things didn’t go according to his plans. Nicola laughed to herself. She was getting to know the old bastard. Jared wasn’t actually much older than Cash. He just acted like it.
Nic shook her head, laughing despite her stinging face. “I’m fine. But thanks.”
Boots clomped down the corridor. She could almost feel Jared’s ever-present attitude problem.
“Here we go.” Cash chuckled.
Jared slammed into the room, eyed them both, and squared off his stance. “Princess, I need a word with you. Cash, out.”
Cash tightened his hand on hers, and she sensed he was ready to tell Jared to go to hell.
“That’s fine,” Nic said, preempting their battle.
Cash didn’t move, and she patted his hand. He couldn’t be seriously concerned that Jared would yell at her. Or worse… what would be worse? Racking her brain, she came up with nothing. Jared was harmless—to her at least.
Clearing his throat, Cash squeezed her hand again and stood. “Don’t be an asshole, boss man.”
“Out.” Jared harrumphed.
Cash kissed the side of her forehead. “I’ll be in the hall. Yell if the jackass gets too nasty.”
“Make sure you shut the door on the way out,” Jared grumbled.
“All right, guys. Enough.” This wasn’t what she needed right now.
Nic and Jared stared at each other for a long minute, and Cash slowly walked out the door, letting it click behind him. Jared paced the length of the room twice.
Paused.
Then did it again.
“Do you want me to apologize?” she asked, getting annoyed. “I didn’t need to come to your special doctors if you didn’t want me to. But they were very good, so thank you.”
Two steps and he was in front of her, growling. “Let me ask you something, princess.”
This didn’t sound good. “Okay.”
“Your file says you’re smart. True or false?”
“Don’t know what it says. I haven’t seen it. But, yeah I am.”
He studied her, unblinking. “Still, you fell for Cash. That can’t say much about your intelligence.”
She furrowed her brow at him, which stung despite the low-level painkiller they’d given her. “Jared—”
“I need another man on my team. Chick. Lady. Whatever you are.” He crossed his arms over his chest. He looked like a bulldog, broad, muscled, and barely fitting in his black shirt. “What would it take to steal you from the CIA?”
What the hell?
“Excuse me? Are you offering me a job?” She couldn’t wrap her head around his question. She closed her eyes, opened them, and he was still there, looking annoyed she hadn’t given a good enough answer yet. “I have a contract with the CIA. They own me.”
“I couldn’t care less about stupid government paperwork. I can have that canceled with a text message. Here’s what I’m offering: no double agents, no bullshit games, and me. I’m the toughest boss you’ll ever have. Smartest asshole you’ll ever meet. And I’ll pay you more than you’ve ever dreamed.”
Her mind ran a million different ways. Questions bubbled and excitement coursed through her veins.
“You have three seconds to accept the job, princess, or I’ll deny it was ever suggested.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Maybe you are as smart as your file says. Your contract’s sitting on Cash’s doorstep, waiting for you to sign it. God, that’ll fuck with him. He hates when I get through his security.” Jared turned toward the door, then looked over his shoulder. “By the way, you should check your personal bank account. A nice six figure signing bonus posted this morning.”
Her jaw fell open.
Jared smiled. “What, princess? You think I didn’t know what your answer would be? I just wanted to be sure about the phrasing. The sooner you figure this out, the better off you’ll be: I know everything. I see everything. And I am everywhere.”
Jared went out the door, and Cash came in.
“What was that all about?”
“Can I see your phone?”
He looked puzzled. “Yeah, sure.”
She took it from his hand, opening the web browser and pulling up her bank account summary. “Oh my God. That crazy bastard.”
“What’s going on?”
Nic handed the phone to Cash. “Look at that. Deposit made last night. Posted today. Description: Merry Christmas in July, princess.” She pointed. “Do you see all those zeroes? Do you see that? I’m going to pass out.”
Cash wrapped an arm around her. “Well, well, Double-Oh-Seven. Congratulations and welcome to the team.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “That’s freakin’ awesome.”
“Are you okay with it?”
“Me? Are you kidding? Nic, you saved my life at that warehouse. You’re good—like you said—better than good, and you’ve proven it. Are you excited?”
“I never would have… God, yes. This rocks. I need to call Beth. Oh wait. Beth. We’ve been together since day one.”
“Well, she was your handler. You guys weren’t actually together in the field. You were all phone calls and meetings. Right? And she’s close. It won’t be different. Just like you’re on assignment, but you’ll get your jobs from dickhead, not communicated from Beth. Besides… ” Cash scrolled through his phone. “I just got this.”
He handed her back the phone. It was a text message from Roman. Dig for me, bro. What’s the deal on this Beth girl?
“Are you serious?” Her jaw dropped for the second time that night.
“You didn’t see that coming? Anyway, let’s get out of here. You’ve got to be ready for bed.”
She nodded, cuddling into his chest. “Totally ready to fall asleep in your arms.”
He laughed. Scooping her off the bed, Cash whispered in her ear. “If you think you’re sleeping anytime soon, you’re mistaken.”
Garrison’s Creed: Chapter Thirty-One
Nicola slept all day, and Cash had spent most of it watching her in his bed. She was a vision of sweet beauty: tousled hair, peacefully closed eyes with feathery eyelashes he simply adored. Warmth spread in his chest each time she gave a sleepy sigh, unconsciously snuggling against him.
Minus a few hiccups, loving this woman was the easiest damn thing he’d ever done. He twirled a piece of hair around his finger as she stirred again. She blinked awake, and his throat constricted. God, when she smiled, his world stalled. Years of training and control were gone with the bat of her eyelashes.
“Good morning,” she murmured, all sleepy and cute.
It killed him how adorable and innocent she could look, knowing she was a trained killer who had spent most of last night at the hospital after an attack. No red eyes. No telltale signs of a night gone wrong, with the exception of a few cuts and scratches. She didn’t smell like a pepper grinder anymore, only her lavender shampoo. Man, he loved the scent of lavender.
Bright sunlight poured into his bedroom. “Try, good afternoon.”
He leaned over, kissing her forehead. Nicola burrowed further into the crook of his arm. Her naked shoulder fit perfectly, as if their bodies were made to fit together. The soft caress of her skin drove him delirious with the need to kiss her again. He did, long and tender, consuming her.
The vivid nightmare of a shotgun pointed at her the night before made him want to retch. He’d be angry enough to kill Jackson if the bastard hadn’t already been dead.
It took hours of watching Nic sleep for Cash to realize that not once had he w
anted to beg her away from Titan, from the CIA. No, he’d been scared of losing her again, but he hadn’t been scared of her working a job. If anything, he was excited she’d joined the Titan team. That realization solidified the decision he’d already made. They were going to be together forever.
His girl, a Titan chick. Now, how badass was that? He broke into a grin, pulling her deep against him. “I love you.”
Her chocolate brown eyes danced, and she gave him a look that made his soul beam. “Sorry I slept so long. Must’ve needed it.”
She probably needed food too. Something quick would have to do. His mind raced through everything they could do, everything he wanted to say.
“What do you say we get your Titan contract signed and sent off, then grill up some burgers?”
“Perfect. I’m starving.”
Cash watched her pull from his arms. She drew her long legs away, then stepped out of bed naked. His stomach swam in circles remembering last night, how he’d kissed every inch of her and made love until he couldn’t think anymore.
Now he could think. Hell, he couldn’t stop thinking. Nicola Garrison. It sounded so right.
* * *
The charcoal grill burned off, and the sky was turning from orange to purple with the sinking sun behind a canopy of trees. They were stuffed and lounging on his deck with Nic propped against his bare chest. Her fingers trailed on his jeans, snaking designs, and that was quickly becoming one of his favorite ways to relax.
“Want to go for a ride?” Cash shifted her to face him. “I could show you around the property.”
“I’ll go anywhere with you.”
He locked a forearm around her chest and squeezed, trying both to hold her close and make sure his heart didn’t explode. No better time than now to go for their drive. “Let’s go.”
Throwing on his t-shirt, Cash took an excited breath. Taking her hand, he led her to the Rubicon. His chest felt tight. The flare of excitement licked his senses, and he was hyper-aware of every glance and move she threw his way.
There was no tour, just a scenic drive. With more than a few acres to choose from, he had one area in mind. It could be seen out his bedroom window, the perfect place to create a memory. He slowed to a stop and idled.
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