A Case of Karma: A Second-Chance, RomCom, Thriller by Stella Marie Alden

Author:Stella Marie Alden [Alden, Stella Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Danni

Dan exits the bathroom, dresses quickly, and pauses at the door. “Jasper is waiting downstairs. I’m going to relieve him so he can get some sleep. Call me in the morning and I’ll walk you to The Center.”

He hasn’t spoken so coldly since our first breakup. What did I do wrong? Is it my bad, he made up false expectations? For years, I’ve been trying to get a gig out of the greater metro area. The overseas flights are murder on my health and my personal life.

Shit. I shouldn’t’ve said anything but it’s not like we’ve ever used the four-letter word beginning with L and ending with an eek-I-do.

Not trusting my voice’s steadiness, I can only offer a curt nod as he leaves the hotel room. How had we gone from having incredible sex to breaking up in a matter of seconds? God, men are so ridiculous. Now, I remember why I never date.

Unlike him, I’m not self-employed. I don’t make my own hours or create my own rules. If I don’t toe the line, I’ll be fired. If I make waves, it will appear on my yearly review, and should I fuck up, my mom and daughter pay the price. I have no siblings to come to my rescue. Survival has always been my responsibility. Even when married, George the workaholic, never took responsibility and threw all the blame on me.

After Dan leaves with a loud door slam, I log on, find my assignment, and curse. The schedule says to be there in less than an hour. Luckily, I can walk to the detention center from here. In the full-length mirror, I twist my hair in a bun. No time to iron my white cargo pants or my TSA insignia polo, I shake them out, dress, and add a nylon jacket to cover my holstered weapon.

Makeup bag dumped in the sink, I hide my hickey with green-tinted concealer. Nothing can be done about swollen lips. Should anyone ask, I’ll say I tried Botox.

As I’m about to leave, my phone pings, I open the text, and sigh.

Geo: Texas? WTF. I’m not covering your weekends.

I find a middle finger emoji and hit send. Yeah, it’s childish, but so what. He’s a jerk.

Outside the hotel, with no signs of a Brennan brother, I walk to work and report in at the front desk. “Danielle Hughes.”

A fiftyish heavy-set man with a Jerry Garcia gray beard types into his computer. A printer hums, he grabs the paper out of the tray, and after handing it to me, points to a door. “That way.”

Behind door number two, a black-haired clean-cut man with one gold star on his pristine collar glances up from his laptop. “Glad you could come. I trust you’ve read the rules.”

“Yes sir, on the flight down.” At full attention, I slap my hands to my side, and wait for my assignment.

“At ease, Senior Agent Hughes. You ever driven a mini-bus?” Preoccupied with emails, his eyes stay glued to the screen.

“No sir, but I’ve driven a stick and I’m a quick learner.

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