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12

AUSTIN

Rosi caughtup with me outside my room. I was about to go find a new wristband when I nearly ran right into her. She darted her gaze around the hall, distracted.

“Did your meeting go okay?” I asked, leading the way around the bend to the largest suite in the resort, the one I knew Nicole would be in.

“Yeah, Ila had lots of great information for me about the Inuit culture. Fascinating stuff.”

I nodded in appreciation but couldn’t help focusing on this meeting she swore would save my ass. If even a rumor surfaced about me causing this situation, I’d never make it to that asteroid field.

“Where are we?” Rosi asked, seeming to just now notice I’d led her to another room.

“The honeymoon suite.” I rapped on the door, deciding the buzzer wasn’t trustworthy, being electronic and all.

The door slid open moments later, and I found myself face-to-face with Jackson again. His eyes slid from me over to Rosi then back.

“We’re here to talk to Nicole,” I said.

“Jackson? Let them in,” Nicole called from inside. Her guard dog stepped aside, and I entered, Rosi just behind me.

Nicole sat at the high dining table, long legs crossed at the knee and holopads spread out around her. Even so, she was dressed to the hilt without a hair out of place. She barely glanced up from whatever had her attention but took a sip of a high-price brand of hydropod.

“I don’t recall an appointment,” she said when she set her drink back down on a hovering coaster.

“I wanted to come,” Rosi explained, pushing past me and sitting at the table across from Nicole.

She wore jeans and hiking boots along with a T-shirt that read The Man The Moth The Legend with Point Pleasant stamped below that. Rosi and Nicole contrasted like oil and water. But in my mind there was no contest as to who was sexier. I longed to be back on the couch with Rosi before the lights exploded.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Sanchez? I hope your vacation is proving enjoyable.” Nicole slid her gaze toward me in a way that insinuated more.

“Until I found out Dr. Meadows accused Austin of sabotage.”

Nicole’s eyebrows shot up, and Jackson glared daggers at me. He’d told me in no uncertain terms not to share that information with anyone or risk insinuating my own guilt. Shit, I’d brought her here. I really hoped her idea would work.

Breathe.

“Here’s the thing,” Rosi continued. “If he was responsible, why would he risk his own life yesterday? If I hadn’t been there, he’d have died. And last night, we were preoccupied and deep in…conversation when the lights blew. He couldn’t have done anything to trigger it.”

Nicole tapped her long white nails against the top of the table as she considered Rosi, who fidgeted in response.

“Your sponsorship is important to me,” I said, feeling pathetic for groveling.

Rosi tilted her head in question but didn’t ask. I appreciated that.

“That makes sense,” Nicole said, nodding toward me. “Unless someone outbid our sponsorship.” She turned toward Rosi. “And unless you were an accomplice who somehow fixed the contest.”

Rosi’s face drained of color, much like Nicole’s had when I told her about the first incident.

“Rosi had nothing to do with this. Your conspiracy theories are wild accusations,” I said, anger swelling in my stomach before I could quell it with calming thoughts or breaths.

Nicole’s hovering coaster crashed to the table, spilling water all over her holopads, which sparked and fizzled in response. She stared at the mess, open-mouthed, then leaped from her chair and stalked toward us with eyes like the wicked icicles that surrounded all the countertops.

“That remains to be seen, Mr. Cooper. Believe that I have every resource on this, and that those are extensive, considering who I am. Whoever is responsible for this will pay the price. I promise you that.”

“Are you saying you didn’t already do every possible background check when hiring Austin? Did you make a mistake, Miss Bennet?” Rosi countered, stepping beside me.

Purple spread across Nicole’s cheeks. It was not her color. Her face resembled a giant plum as she spoke quietly and evenly. “The person behind this seems to have a way through those safeguards. I assure you both that challenging me will only result in my finding the truth faster.”