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Chapter 12

Ivy’s feet ached asshe paced in her quarters. She hadn’t slept all night as she’d gone over Diadora’s accusations. Diadora was crazy for suspending her from her job. She would never get anyone as amazing as Ivy to do her PR. My Single Alien would suffer because of this.

Ivy hoped Diadora got sacked. Ivy had done nothing wrong, and this was how she was repaid. She was glad she’d puked all over her desk. It hadn’t been an elegant move, but she’d never seen Diadora shift so fast to avoid being splattered in vomit.

After puking, Ivy had felt marginally better and been happy to obey Diadora’s shouts to get out of the office and sort herself out.

Her discarded tablet flashed an incoming message. She checked it and dismissed it as she’d done the other two. Another overdue bill reminder. They weren’t important. She couldn’t do anything about them even if they were. Having been suspended with no pay, her debts would have to wait a little longer before she dealt with them.

Before she did, Ivy was determined to deal with the mess she’d made with Karn. A part of her wanted to see him shoved on the next transport ship and sent to the mining prison. He was a liar and had deceived her.

The problem was Karn made Ivy feel things she’d kept locked away for a long time. Relationships weren’t for her. She knew how they ended, but there was something about Karn that resonated with her.

Those few dates they’d had stuck in her head like a frustrating pop song. Ivy couldn’t get Karn out of her thoughts. She needed to finish this once and for all.

Ivy checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror. She grimaced when she saw how tired she looked. It seemed like she’d aged five years overnight. This alien was not good for her. She couldn’t rest now. She needed answers.

Since she was technically unemployed, Ivy had the time to find those answers.

She headed out of her quarters and along the corridor. The holding cells were at the other end of the space station, away from the shops and businesses. It was still early, so there weren’t many others around.

Anyone who happened to glance Ivy’s way quickly shifted to the side. The look of murderous intent in her gaze must have convinced them she was not in the mood for small talk.

She’d grabbed her My Single Alien staff card before she’d left her quarters. She could use that and pretend she was visiting Karn on official business. That should work. After all, she’d been the one to alert security about the break-in. It made sense that she would follow up on what had happened.

She approached the guard sitting outside the entrance to the corridor that led to the holding cells. “I’m here to see Karn.”

The guard glanced up at her. He looked to be around her age, in his mid-twenties, with narrow, dark eyes and a hint of stubble, suggesting he might have been on the night shift. “What’s your business seeing him?”

“I reported the break-in at the My Single Alien office last night,” Ivy said. “My boss wants me to interview Karn to see what he wanted.” She presented her staff card.

The guard looked at the card. “The detainee is not considered a threat. You can talk to him if you’d like. Sign in here.” He held out a tablet.

Ivy pressed her fingerprint on it.

He checked the print. “Follow me, Miss Blain.” The guard led Ivy to a small empty room. “I’ll bring him through.”

“Where will you be when I’m speaking with Karn?”

“Right outside. Any trouble, you bang on the door. I don’t think you’ll have it with this alien, though. He’s not like some of the aliens we get in here. We had to refurbish a holding cell last month when a Retar got angry. This one just likes to talk.”

Ivy smirked. That was the trouble with Karn. He was smooth lies and cover stories to hide his deception.

She sat at a small table in the room. Finding she couldn’t keep still, she jumped up and walked the circuit of the room a couple of times.

Ivy wasn’t sure what to say to Karn. He was a jerk. She hated the fact he’d used her to get what he wanted.

She chewed on the side of her nail. What if the My Single Alien database was right, and the two of them were a perfect match? She’d known the data to be wrong before, but what if this criminal alien was meant for her? Did she want him?

Ivy jumped as the door opened again. The guard led Karn in. His hands were restrained behind his back.

A smile lit up Karn’s face. “Are you here for my conjugal visit?”

The guard frowned and gestured to a chair. “Sit here and behave yourself. No funny business. Miss Blain knows what to do if you cause any trouble.”

Karn nodded. “I will be on my best behavior. It will be a struggle for Ivy. She can never keep her hands off me.”

The guard grunted as he untied Karn’s hands and then closed the door behind him.