Sunday Snippet: Going Native

The school year is officially over and now the summer fun begins. My daughter leaves for Disney next week to perform with the band and choir at the theme park. She's been organized and semi-packed for almost a full week already. I have no idea where she got that gene… it definitely didn't come from me.

Not a bad week for television. I caught another episode of Endeavor, which I thoroughly enjoy. Ended up with two episodes of Midsomer Murders. I'm winding down the last series or so of John Nettles's tenure.

Caught two episodes of Constantine. Again, I'm enjoying the high levels of quality snark bandied about by John. And I like how his inner demons weigh even heavier than the actual demons he has to thwart. Truly excellent fare.

Getting closer to the season finale of Gotham. Jerome's brand of crazy reaching out beyond the grave to completely encompass Jeremiah is great entertainment. And I truly do love how the other evolving villains continue to percolate their plans behind the scenes.

Chicago Fire and Blindspot are still holding my interest. I am still a little iffy on the whole Roman plan, but I'm invested enough that I want to find out what his actual master plan is.

Caught a few more episodes of Classic Who and should finish up the Dalek storyline soon. Also caught the second episode of Sense 8 and I'm pretty much hooked. I definitely want to find out what the hell is going on with this group.

The Flash season finale ended up being better than I hoped. That said, there could have been about five fewer episodes in this season and the story would have unfolded better. Riverdale threw a blindside or two into their finale and I'm there for whatever happens next. Hopefully it'll be Hiram's head on a pike parading through town. Just saying.

Krypton continues to make me happy. I kind of enjoy the intrigue and seeing how the alliances are constantly shifting because the ground keeps fluctuating under everyone's feet. Very interested in seeing where next season goes… if there is a next season.

Part one of Ghost Squad's season finale ended up being pretty terrific. I do wish there was more information on how the big boss lady gets her cases. I'll honestly not be surprised if she isn't as dirty as the cops she's trying to bring down. We'll see how that plays out.

Started a new to me show on the Roku Channel app. Archangel, I think, originally aired as TV movie, but it's billed as a three episode season. The first show ended up being pretty terrific. I also caught another episode of The Sarah Conner Chronicles on Crackle.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Going Native, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of writing a scene where a workaholic is supposed to be on vacation with his girlfriend but ends up meeting a helicopter pilot giving island tours. Sparks fly, of course.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Workaholic Adam Beaubier is supposed to be vacationing with his girlfriend. But after a harsh breakup, he's traveling alone pondering his epic failure at relationships. When he meets Zerrin Kord, a helicopter tour pilot, he thinks going native might be just the thing he needs and Zerri will make an excellent guide.

And a snippety peek…

Zerri picked at her food, her mind on Adam Beaubier. Why can't I stop thinking about him? This is ridiculous.

Hank cleared his throat. "Zerri? Are you gonna eat or make random pictures on your plate?" He tossed his napkin on his empty dish.

Zerri blinked and shook her head, then scooped up a forkful of pasta. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm eating." Geez, pretty sad when the old man had to delve back to her preteen years.

Hank folded his arms over his chest. "What's up? You've been off since you got back from the mainland." He leaned back, making it clear he didn't plan to go anywhere.

Zerri sighed. "I met a guy, which, believe me, I so don't want to admit." She shot her dad a pointed look. "But, I gotta admit, he intrigues me. The guy's got a lot going for him." Saying it out loud sounded lame… she'd spent a few hours on a flight with him.

Hank relaxed now that he had her talking. "Okay, what's the selling point?"

Her lips curved. Leave it to Hank to dive right into the pros and cons. He always did.

Zerri tilted her head to one side. "The way he looked at me." She pictured the final glance Adam had given her, all contemplative and curious.

Her dad quirked a brow. "Yeah, how's that?" The slight smirk he wore indicated his satisfaction.

Zerri didn't hedge her bets. "The way you looked at mom. Like a puzzle you couldn't wait to solve." Their earlier conversation replayed from this morning.

Hank's eyes got a faraway gaze. "I never did completely figure her out." He refocused and met Zerri's gaze. "But she had my number from day one." His fond chuckle made his shoulders shake.

Zerri smiled. "I know, Dad. That's why you two never grew tired of each other." Her mom's internal bullshit meter rarely failed, which kept her dad in check, but only when he needed it.

Hank lifted his chin. "What makes think it could work with this guy?" He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "What's his name anyway?"

Zerri swallowed another bite of food. "Adam Beaubier." She shrugged and listed the first pro. "He doesn't care what I do for a living and isn't intimidated by the fact I fly back and forth to the mainland and take people on helicopter tours." Too many of the guys she'd gone out with ended up not liking her schedule. "He gets the driving need to achieve a goal." She shoveled another bite of pasta into her mouth. "And he's hot."

Hank rolled his eyes, but laughed.

Didn't take long for him to sober up. "What makes you think it won't work?"

Damn the man. He never forgot the cons.

Zerri listed the top problem. "He just broke up with a bitch of a girlfriend. But they'd been together a long time so there's baggage there." She dropped down to the next item. "He's a lawyer and, well, what if the stereotype holds true and he's afraid to break out of his projected trajectory?" She didn't mention being a rebound girl… her dad would automatically get that one.

Hank nodded, accepting her concerns. "You won't know unless you take a chance, Zerrin." He settled back in the chair again. "You got plans with this guy, right?" His brow arched.

Zerri lifted her chin. "Yeah. Invited him for an early morning tour, but I'll lay odds he stands me up and won't show." Not unless he truly ditched the former girlfriend.

Her dad narrowed his eyes. "I'm not gonna take that bet." He got up and gathered his dishes. "You should go and find out." Putting the plate and silverware in the dishwasher, he waved a goodnight and headed into the study to watch some television.

Zerri finished eating and cleared the kitchen counter. She'd catch a couple hours of sleep then head for the hangar. She wouldn't get her hopes up, but she'd snag two cups of coffee just in case Adam made the date.

I like how this one is coming together so far. It's always fun to write one of the characters dealing with their baggage and I like the relationship with Zerri and her dad.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Going Downhill

May 20, 2018

A great week with a busy schedule. The end of the school year is always jammed up with concerts, graduation parties, and last-minute final projects. Never boring.

Good week in television. Watched a little more Classic Who with The Daleks: The Dead Planet and The Survivors. Also caught another episode of Midsomer Murders. Watched the second episode of Constantine and, honestly, I'm enjoying the show. Definitely a good thing to get a better feel for the character since he'll be on Legends this fall.

Gotham continues to be a super-great pleasure to watch. I'm almost caught up and can't wait to see how this season ends. I'm a little on the fence about R'as, but we'll see what happens.

Watched Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. I'm still loving Chicago Fire. Chicago PD not so much. The whole Woods going after Hank thing is too contrived and using one of Hank's people as a mole has been done. Also, the never heard of before sister is too damned convenient. Right now… I'm done. I'll catch up on marathons later. Blindspot, however, is holding my interest. Even if I'm kind of "meh" on Roman being the new instigator, I love the team's new interactions.

The Flash is almost over for the season and I'm ready. DeVoe is becoming my least favorite villain of all time. I'm ready for them to move on and get someone new to be the bad guy. In contrast, Arrow's season finale ended up being one of my favorite episodes. I'm a little bummed Diaz got away. Seriously, I wanted him to either die in a fire or end up behind bars.

Started a new-to-me show on Netflix with Sense8. I'd started this a long time ago and finally finished watching the first episode. I'm now hooked and can't wait to follow the series. I also caught the next to last episode of Riverdale's second season. The reveal of the Black Hood was incredible. Cheryl and Betty teaming up made me happy. I'm ready for Hiram to get what's coming to him in a big way. I'm curious about who the hell attacked Archie and Fred and having a sneaking suspicion Hiram's dirty handprints will be all over that deal. FP carrying Jughead broke my heart. I'm so ready to watch the finale now!!

Caught another episode of Krypton and, holy hell, the maneuvering and shifting allegiances is kind of fun to watch. I'm excited to see how the rest of the season goes.

Started The Batman season three and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and still enjoy how fine a line Amy has to walk to get to the truth of corruption. Her interaction with Pete is also a lot of fun to watch. On tap for today is another episode of Endeavor and probably some additional Classic Who.

Whew! That wraps up television for this week. Tonight's post is from Going Downhill, a novella that puts a twist on how a couple deals with breaking up.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Zetta and Mace have a messy breakup and dive into relationships with other people. Two years later they bump into each other and both are worse for being apart.

And a snippety peek…

Mace woke up to an empty room. Zetta's stuff still sat in the corner. Maybe she'd gone out for coffee or to grab breakfast.

Okay, brunch. She'd worn him out last night.

His lips quirked in a small grin and he threw the covers off and hopped out of bed. Every night from here on in, she could use and abuse him any way she wanted. Padding into the bathroom, he started the shower and waited for the water to warm before stepping under the spray.

Soaping up and rinsing off, his brain replayed last night from Zetta agreeing to move in to the wild romp between the sheets. He switched the water to cold in an effort to make his hard-on go down. Plenty of time later to revisit super-hot sex with his dream woman.

Stepping out of the stall, he grabbed a towel and quickly dried off. Wrapped the fluffy terrycloth around his waist, he grinned when he heard movement in the bedroom. He exited the bath and stopped short. Zetta had her bags gathered but paused when he entered the bedroom.

Mace blinked, tilting his head to one side. "What's going on, Zetta?" His brain refused to jump to conclusions.

Zetta opened her mouth, but snapped it shut when Paul Franks poked his head past the door jamb.

Franks lifted his chin in greeting, then focused on Zetta. "Ready for me to take these?" He took the cases from her.

Mace held up a hand. "Hold on." He glanced toward Zetta. "What's going on?" If he didn't get an answer soon, Franks would probably pay the price.

Zetta's ex had no business being in Mace's house.

Zetta waved Paul out of the room then turned to face Mace. "Change in plan. I got a call late last night from Evergreen Media." She clasped her hands together, the only outward sign of nervousness. "They offered me my dream job and I accepted." She looked away, dropping her chin down.

Mace scrambled to catch up. "That's great, right?" She'd waited a long time to land a job that didn't involve posing people for the camera. "I don't understand what the hell is Franks doing here, though?" Not like the guy had a clue about taking pictures.

Zetta kept her gaze lowered. "About that… the job is west coast based and I'm leaving today…" She finally glanced up, swallowing hard. "With my husband. Paul."

The world tilted sideways and flipped upside down. With my husband.

Mace went cold, which had nothing to do with being clad in nothing but a towel. No… this cold started deep inside and spread outward with shards of ice cracking up against the heat of his anger and rage. Husband. She hadn't gone out for coffee or breakfast. She'd gone out and married her fucking ex.

Less than what? Six hours after they'd made plans for their future? Fuck that.

And fuck Zetta.

Mace kept his voice calm and controlled. "Well, that's fucking spectacular." He refused to let loose the roar of fury burning its way up his throat. "Whatever, Zetta." He strode past her and stalked through his living room to the front door.

Zetta followed hot on his heels. "Mace, look, I'm sorry. I—"

He cut her off by yanking the door open. "Save it. You're not sorry. You don't crawl out of my bed and fucking marry your ex and get to apologize for it." He pointed toward the front porch. "Have a great life and get the fuck out of mine." He didn't give her the option to speak, grabbing her arm and pushing her forward.

Once she cleared the jamb, he pretty much slammed the door in her face when she glanced back in his direction. The sheen of tears in her eyes didn't cool his wrath. Instead, they pissed him off more. Drawing back, he punched a hole in the wall beside the oak slab. He opened a gash across his knuckles from the torn drywall. Maybe broke a bone, too.

Removing the towel, he wiped the blood and got a pair of jeans on. After running some water over the wound, he called Deb Browning, a nurse who lived a block over and a good friend.

Ten minutes later, she'd patched him up and had the whole sordid story of his all too brief reunion with Zetta.

Deb gently wrapped gauze around his hand. "Keep ice on it today and we'll see if the swelling stays down." She taped the bandage. "I don't think you broke any bones, but I'll take a look before I head in for work tomorrow. You might need an x-ray." Cleaning up her supplies, she zipped her first aid bag. "Do you want me to stay for a while? I'm here, Mace." She gave him a shy glance. "For whatever you need."

The unspoken offer might have been tempting if the cruel burn of betrayal didn't linger. But it did. And he wouldn't inflict his dark mood on anyone right now, especially a friend.

He tried for a smile. "Thanks, Deb. But I think I need some alone time… you know, to work through everything." A snort escaped his lips. "Without punching any more holes in walls."

Deb nodded. "I get it. I go in at three pm tomorrow so I'll stop by around two, if that works for you."

He got up and walked her to the door. "Yeah, that's fine." He squeezed her shoulder. "Thanks again. You're a great Florence Nightingale."

She grinned and gave him a wave before pulling the door closed behind her.

Mace's stomach rumbled, a reminder he hadn't eaten since last night. Fishing his phone out of his pocket with his uninjured hand, he called a takeout order in for delivery. His favorite noodle house had the food cartons to his doorstep within twenty minutes.

Mace sat down, flipped on a basketball game, downed two painkillers, and ate two cartons of peanut sesame goodness.

At least some things were always guaranteed to go down smooth, even if they didn't wash the bitter aftertaste of love gone wrong away.

I'm kind of happy with how this one is coming together. The crutches Mace and Zetta use are somewhat reversed and I like exploring that dynamic.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Going All Out

May 13, 2018

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Whether you have offspring, fur babies, or play a surrogate parent role for someone, you're awesome!

My weekly television roundup is kind of jammed with goodness. I caught two episodes of Krypton and I'm completely sold on this show. I'm hoping it gets another season.

Also caught two episodes of Endeavor. Finished up the first series and started the second. I rather enjoy this show and really like the actor in the lead role of Endeavor Morse.

My DVDs this week were movies. Blackhat and Red Dawn. I didn't finish Red Dawn but I'll catch it at another time. For me, the original Red Dawn is going to be hard to top.

Finished up the first arc of Classic Who with "An Unearthly Child". I also started "The Daleks" and watched about half of the first episode. Over on CW Seed, I started the live action version of Constantine and enjoyed the first episode. I'm hoping to get through the whole season before new episodes of Legends of Tomorrow begin.

I still love Gotham. The totally batshit craziness brings me a ton of joy with each episode. I'm so happy this show truly found its footing and delivers great viewing with each new week.

Also caught some additional season six episodes of Chicago Fire and another from season five of Chicago PD. I'm a little miffed they're making a mole of one of my fave characters but I'll see how it all plays out. I truly hate Woods though. Just saying.

Arrow and The Flash both had great episodes. I like seeing the two couples work through their roadblocks. That said, I honestly can't wait to see both villains go down. I'm pretty much done with being patient.

Riverdale brought more crazy and I'm still an episode behind. I do like how much tension simmers below the surface and how quickly alliances have to be made and discarded. Kudos to Mark Consuelos. He makes me totally hate Hiram. I also have a small suspicion about who fired the shots at the mayoral debate but I'll refrain from saying… in case I'm completely off my guess. LOL

I got another episode of Blindspot in and, well, I'm trying to figure out Roman's goal. I really don't want him to be another Shepherd so here's hoping that's not the direction they're going in.

Quick mention for Ghost Squad. Caught two more episodes and seriously enjoy the hell out of this show. The emotional toll is interesting to watch and the slow erosion of trust in anything also packs a punch. Great stuff.

Brief shout out for The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Rewatched the pilot episode and, damn, I forgot how awesome that was.

Last but not least… some thoughts on Jessica Jones. I finished the second season and honestly hate Trish with the passion of a thousand burning suns. I have no idea where they'll take her if the show has a third season, but off a tall building in Manhattan wouldn't bother me one damn bit. If they can redeem her, I'd be on board, but I'm honestly not all that interested in seeing a redemption arc for her. I hate her that much right now. I do hope Malcolm and Jessica end up back on good terms and I was happy to see Jessica stop by to see Oscar and the kid. I'd welcome a third season if we get one.

And that's it for my jam-packed week in television. Tonight's post is from Going All Out, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of show the first real date of your main couple.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Lance and Xola work together and have a solid friendship, but there's always a little something more between them. Lance proposes a date, something other than a movie or grabbing a bite to eat at the same time. Xola accepts and the fun—and nervous tension—begins.

And a snippety peek…

Xola Wayne ducked into the corner coffee shop after putting in a solid workout. Taking her spot in the line to order, she caught sight of a fellow firefighter two spots ahead of her. Lance Silvermane. Yum on a stick… in or out of uniform, which he currently wore. Probably getting off shift and grabbing his morning java before heading to teach a class.

The queue moved forward, putting Lance at the counter.

He smiled at the barista. "Americano."

She gave him a flirty grin, took his cash, and nodded toward the pickup area.

Xola rolled her eyes. He's got 'em falling at his feet. While he waited for his coffee, he glanced around and met Xola's gaze. A small smirk played at his lips.

He got his order and moved off to the side when Xola stepped up to place hers.

The barista gave her a bored stare. "What can I get for you?"

Xola laughed. "Large dark roast with two sweeteners." She paid with exact change and moved on to wait for her jumpstart to the day.

Notice how she didn't give me a flirty grin.

Xola picked her cup up and turned around to bump into Lance.

He chuckled. "We've gotta quit meeting like this." He fell into step beside her. "What is it? Three times this week?"

Xola flashed a smile. "Yep. Sounds about right." A table opened up and she made a beeline for it. "Wanna join me?" She dropped into an empty chair.

Lance checked the time and nodded. "Sure. I've got the late class at the academy this morning." He settled across from her, stretching his legs out.

Xola took a sip of the hot drink and winced when she burned her tongue. "Gah. I gotta stop doing that." She popped the lid off and blew across the top. "You'd think I remember, right?" She shook her head.

Lance lifted a shoulder. "Eh, usually you're dashing back outside and the coffee has time to cool before you take a drink." He waited a beat. "At least I assume so. Today's the first I've seen you take a seat to enjoy your brew."

Xola quirked an eyebrow. "Been keeping tabs, have you?"

He sputtered on the sip he'd taken. "Uh, no. Not really." He wiped the droplets from the table. "Wait, you're messing with me, aren't you." He made it a statement.

Because of course she had been.

Xola laughed. "Pretty much. Nice to see you using your keen observational skills, though." She took a tentative drink and found the coffee cool enough to get a good gulp. "Except maybe when the barista is flirting up a storm." Her lips curved in a smile.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm trying not to encourage her." He flicked a quick glance toward the woman manning the counter and sank lower in the seat.

Xola smirked. "Good luck with that." She waggled her eyebrows. "I think she's crushing pretty hard on you."

Lance lifted a shoulder. "Eh, maybe. Too bad she's not my type."

Okay, she couldn't let that tidbit slide. "Oh, yeah? Sexy curves and a perky ponytail don't cut it?" She leaned forward a little. "What is your type, Lance?" Bantering with him shouldn't be so much fun.

Lance quirked an eyebrow. "You mean you don't know?" He brought his cup up to his lips and took a long drink. "Come on… not even a guess?"

The wicked little smile playing at mouth should've been a warning.

But, no… instead, she narrowed her gaze and played it safe. "I could hazard a guess, but you'll be late for your class if we play that game."

Lance glanced at the clock and nodded. "Good point." He got up, giving her a long, slow once-over. "I'd say you're pretty damn close to being my type." He flashed a grin and headed for the door with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Xola barked out a laugh. "Touché, my friend." Draining her cup, she stood and hit the trash can on her way out.

Strolling toward her apartment, she didn't fight the smile spreading across her face.

You're pretty damn close to being my type.

Those words made her see him in an entirely new light. The not-off-limits kind. No, she shouldn't go there. They often worked together and had a solid friendship vibe when they did. He'd been messing with her like she did with him earlier.

She skipped up the front steps to her townhouse. "Nice to know he thinks I'm attractive, though."

I'm going to have so much fun filling in the blanks on this story. Writing how the characters end up going on a date and how they approach it is enjoyable.

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin

Sunday Snippet: Glutton for Punishment

Hello, May! I'm having a momentary freak-out because we're a month away from June, which means half the year is almost gone. Seriously, time goes fast sometimes. Jeez.

Busy week for television. I caught the third episode of Krypton and, yeah, I'm hooked. I love this show. Also caught another episode of Ghost Squad and enjoyed it more than the second one. Started watching episodes of Classic Who too. My Roku is working overtime right now. LOL

Tuesday's viewing included Endeavor, more Classic Who, Midsomer Murders, and the CW Seed original Freedom Fighters: The Ray, A Hero Rises. I also caught up on an episode of Gotham and seriously… I've said it before but season four is kicking so much ass. This show is rising on my list of favorites and entering the top tier. It's awesome.

Wednesday ended up being a little light on viewing. I caught The Flash a little late because I missed it Tuesday. Not a bad episode. That said, I kind of don't care at all about how DeVoe arrived at his batshit crazy decision to "enlighten" the rest of the world. Thankfully there aren't many more episodes to get through. Just saying. Also caught an episode of Chicago Fire and Jessica Jones. At this point, I'm totally done with Trish. Season three will have a long way to go if they want me to ever like that character again.

On Thursday, I caught Arrow in real time and ended up loving the episode. The twisty turns were terrific and I'm truly thrilled Oliver and Rene arrived at a better place. Watched two episodes of Blindspot and almost finished the second season.

Friday included the last episode of Blindspot's second season and an episode of Chicago PD. I'm so excited to start season three of Blindspot and can't wait to see what happened to get Jane in Nepal and covered in bioluminescent tattoos.

Saturday's viewing included the first episode of Blindspot's season three. Getting the team back together with a completely new dynamic is great. I'm very interested in what the hell Roman is doing. I also caught episode twelve of Jessica Jones. No, I haven't changed my mind about Trish. I'm still really pissed off at her. I did rather like the intimate takedown Jeri pulled. That was actually kind of brilliant. Finally, I started to get caught up on Riverdale.

Whew. What a week! Tonight's post is from Glutton for Punishment, a novella that began with a writing community prompt of getting the main characters into a sparring session to work out their issues.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Willa and Karl have issues. She acts out to keep him at bay and he finally calls her on the destructive behavior, stepping into the ring so she can work out her aggression. A glutton for punishment, Karl pushes Willa into making a choice between risking her heart or losing him for good.

And a snippety peek…

Karl Radcliffe finished the initial debrief for their failed operation. "Not the best outcome, but we cut a significant blow to their labor force by evacuating the refugees and have the diamonds as proof of what they're doing." He shot a glance toward Willa.

She'd been detached and shut down since she got back to base about twelve hours ago. Something happened out there… something she hadn't revealed. Her secretiveness bothered him. She almost always dumped whatever baggage she collected in the field directly on his doorstep. Not this time. He hadn't seen her since she unloaded from the extraction.

Gathering up his notes, he delivered one final message. "The board is still reviewing information, but unofficially, we're done in that area. We won't be making any return trips." He closed the file and made a move to stand.

"They can't do that. We have to go back." Willa shot to her feet, all but breathing fire.

Karl jerked his head toward the door. "Everyone else is dismissed." He focused on Willa. "This is out of my hands, Willa. They're basing this one your report. What is there to go back to?" She'd blown the entire encampment.

Willa threw an arm out. "I don't mean we go back to the camp, but we could return to the general area, look for more refugees." She folded her arms over her chest, her gaze angry.

Karl cocked his head to one side. "What's really going on here? You know we can't return. Too many people know what happened now. It's not feasible. We'd never get back in." Why… why did she want to go back?

Willa heaved a sigh and turned away from him. "We left people hanging. I left people hanging. Everyone didn't make it out." She paced back and forth.

Her keyed-up energy hid something deep and Karl needed to dig down and find out what. She'd left people behind before. The nature of their work often required making hard choices. What had her twisted up now?

Maybe the length of the operation played into her mindset. Normally, they moved quickly. Maybe some initial back and forth to cultivate assets, a few weeks in then back out for recon. Schedule mission, execute action plan, get the hell out, all as covertly as possible. Willa spent almost six months deep undercover, working the field and gathering intel.

Karl finally clued in. "This isn't about everyone, is it? Someone didn't make it out and you're wrecked over it." When her shoulders went rigid, he got his answer.

Well, damn. He almost dropped the topic. No way he wanted to hear his suspicions confirmed.

Willa turned around, her gaze tortured. "Yeah, okay. I made a promise to my asset, alright?" She glanced away, probably realizing she'd given him more information than she meant to.

Maybe he'd been wrong…

Karl kept his voice steady. "What did you promise Akbar, Willa?" Her penchant for writing checks her ass couldn’t cash landed her on the hot seat more than once.

Something his dad, the head of Pygmalion Enterprises, railed about often. Then again, Dane Radcliffe hired Willa because she had a gift for recruiting long-term assets. When they asked for the moon, she'd try to deliver.

Willa snorted. "Nothing you need to bring Dane into." She rolled her eyes.

Karl lifted his chin. "Ah… so it was that kind of promise, then." Not wrong.

Willa lifted a shoulder. "Not specifically. Thought I might test the futility of starting a relationship with someone again." She met his gaze. "Won't happen now." She waited a beat. "Unless we go back."

Karl shook his head. "I can tell you now, it won't happen. We sanitized the location for a reason." Meaning Akbar would've been lucky to get out.

Willa's features hardened. "Yeah, I just wanted—" She cut herself off. "Doesn't matter what I wanted." She stormed out of the briefing room.

Karl sighed. He could almost picture exactly what happened. Willa got close to Sorrel. Why wouldn't she? She'd spent half a year working day after day with him.

The bite of jealousy, when it came, didn't last long. Willa would never give Karl a shot. He didn't fit her criteria of hopeless cause, never gonna go long-term, not long for this earth kind of guy. The woman had three dead exes… a sad pattern if he thought about it too much.

Which he didn't.

"Yo, what crawled up Willa's ass and bit down hard?" Harvey Mendat propped his shoulder on the doorjamb. "She nearly took my head off and all I said was hi."

Karl blew out a harsh breath. "Expect more of that, Harv. You know her last mission went sideways and she's pissed." He tucked his files under his arm and moved to stand beside Harvey. "Keep an eye on her and be there when she needs someone." He kept his voice pitched low to avoid eavesdroppers in the corridor.

Harvey nodded. "Always, man. But what about you? You planning on not being around?"

Karl snorted. "Oh, I'll be around. In a different capacity. She'll target most of her hostility on me, which I'll deal with, but she'll need someone to act as a buffer for everyone else." He slapped Harvey on the shoulder. "That job is yours, my friend."

Harvey crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. I can be Willa's buddy and manage her moods, but why do you have to take the brunt of her latest rage fest?" He pushed away from the doorjamb. "I get acting in Willa's best interests. We all love her. But you gotta start acting for your own benefit sometime."

Karl frowned. "When do I not?"

Harv rolled his eyes and strolled back out in the corridor.

Yeah, okay. The non-answer went further than a verbal slap would any day.

I like where this one is going. I'm a huge fan of having a character not see the forest because of the trees. LOL

That's it for this week. Happy reading!

Skylin