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“When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go,” Nicole said, studying me closely. For once her deceptive skills came in handy.

“There’s a bathroom inside,” Travis said, pointing to the closest window.

I didn’t like the idea of going in there. Travis and I kissed in that room. It was when I realized Mason was the one I wanted. Still, my heart ached when I thought of the memory in conjunction with the file on my wristcom.

I let him help lift me inside, not wanting to attract notice of any patrolling bots by going in the front entrance, and waited.

Nicole took my cue perfectly. “I have to go too,” she said before climbing in to join me in heading to the bathroom.

“Why do they always go in pairs?” Jackson asked. “Even in life-threatening situations.”

The second the door closed, Nicole spun me around and said, “Spill.”

My nostrils flared, but I pulled my shoulders back instead of tearing into her. “I have DSI.”

“So?” she asked. “I already know that. I researched your file the second my brother paid any attention to you.”

“It gives me blackouts. I have missing pieces of time. Dr. Doyle said the symptoms include lowered inhibitions, anger, and headache as well.”

“Is this a confession?” Nicole asked, staring at me.

“No!” I lowered my voice. “No. But I’m not the only one. Travis has it too. And he has cause to hate your whole family for what you did to his sister.”

Nicole’s brow wrinkled slightly, but she gave no other indication of whether I’d said anything that struck a nerve. “So you’re saying it is your boy toy?”

“I don’t know.” I buried my head in my hands. “But he said Mason attacked him. That he tried to pin him in the aquarium so he’d get caught.”

Nicole tapped her lip with one long fingernail. How could she not have broken a single one? “My brother is a lot of things, but he’s not violent.”

My stomach tightened with worry about Mason.

“But Travis is,” she continued. “Do you know about his record?”

My temper flared again, and I stepped into Nicole’s personal space. “He only got like that when you forced his sister into having an abortion.”

She didn’t back up. “No one forced her into anything. She’s the one who came to my mother and I, and offered the deal. She would keep her mouth shut if we paid for the procedure and the college of her choice. Mother actually liked her. She said she had good business sense, which meant potential.” The indignation written all over her face, the anger in her tone, it all spoke of truth.

Lupe was never manipulated. She planned to leave Mason from the beginning. From the sound of it, she may have even planned the pregnancy. I grasped the edge of the counter. This explained why the Bennets kept the Goulds employed and helped Travis legally. They were doing it to keep Lupe quiet.

“We have to get to the aquarium. Mason’s in danger.” Nicole continued as though nothing had happened. “And we have to incapacitate the psycho.”

“We don’t know he’s guilty,” I said but without much enthusiasm. “You and Jackson should go after Mason. I’ll keep Travis here.”

Nicole snorted. “As admirable as I find your offer to have sex with a hot psycho for distraction purposes, we need you.” She swallowed after the last words as though they were hard to say.

Incredulous, I rolled my eyes. “I don’t—”

“Sam, you are the smartest person I know, next to Mother. Well, maybe as smart as Mother when you aren’t suffering from some weird disease. I feel safer with you on my side. I will never repeat this, so don’t try and make me. But Mason needs you right now, and if I’m not mistaken—and I rarely am—you’re in love with him.”

In love with him? There was no question I cared for him. When he was near me, I felt at ease, even beneath the ocean. His touch sent tremors through me. It was true I had lowered inhibitions. It was also true that I’d never had such great sex, but it was so much more than physical. The thought of him suffering or worse ripped my heart in two. Nicole was right again.

I loved Mason Bennet.

But I was not admitting that to Nicole. “Since when do you care?” I snapped back.

“He’s my brother. I may want to beat him at everything, but I do care. So let’s not waste any more time. For all we know, it’s already too late.” Her voice stumbled over the last word.

“And Travis?” I asked.

“It’ll be easier to keep an eye on him if he’s with us. We don’t have time to do anything else right now. But don’t take your eyes off him. And definitely do not trust him.”

The question was, when had I started trusting her?