AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lovely,” I say through gritted teeth, then relax my shoulders since I realize they aretryingto push my buttons. I’m falling right into their trap. They are Instant Karma’s agents, so this is what they do, right? Well, I suppose I’m about to find out what my job actually entails soon enough.
Howdoher minions enact instant karma?
Dammit, I’m officially a minion now.
Resigning myself to my new forced career, I pull my suitcase out of my closet and fill the recently emptied luggage with toiletries, various sundries—yes, including,gasp, feminine hygiene products—underwear, shirts, sweaters, jeans, and skirts. I grab a trash bag and throw all my shoes in it. I don’t have much to call my own or anyone to explain my disappearance to. At least the rental is a month-to-month lease.
“Done.” I walk to the door, expecting them to follow.
Instead of dragging me out of the building like I expected, they check their phones. Seriously, what is with people and their phones?
“Are we going?” I snap.
Chuckles holds up a finger. It’s not his middle one, but I am about to display mine.
“What’s with all this hurry up and wait?”
“Clear,” Chuckles says.
“What does that mean?”
“Your would-be murderer has been arrested, so you can safely leave the building now.”
“Oh.” I bite my lip. Deathwasmy fate tonight.
Hot-as-sin grabs my arm again.
“Don’t manhandle me!” I protest.
“But I am a man, and I’m handling you.” Okay, he needs to be downgraded to Rude-as-sin.
“Stop it so she will stop whining for a damn minute.” Chuckles whacks him upside the head, and Hot-as-sin lets me go. Chuckles glares at me. “Prove to us you can follow directions.”
“Bite me,” I tell both of them. “Follow that.”
“Oh, I might do just that.” Hot-as-sin snaps his jaws at me. The gesture rides the line between being playful and a threat. A playful threat?
I hurry out of the apartment and onto the street, where I mutter, “What have I agreed to?”
3
BUNKING AT THE BARRACKS
Idozed on the long ride to the barracks. I’m not all that familiar with the area, but I believe we traveled to two towns south of where we were. Urban sprawl makes it hard to distinguish between cities anymore.
Now alert as we drive up the long driveway, I’m surprised when I see the barracks. They are the furthest thing from what I expected them to be. The building looks more like a palace than a house. A temple! Yes, that’s its vibe. The massive, two-story structure looks like it’s over thirty thousand square feet, and the entire estate has a few acres of immaculate but somehow natural landscaping.
“Thisis where you live?” I ask with all the disbelief I can muster. “The barracks?”
“Yeah,” Chuckles grumbles, parking the SUV in the circular driveway and not in the giant garage. “You got a problem with that?”
His negative reaction seems odd, but with this gig, I’m sure there’s a reason for hating the gorgeous mansion.
“No, I guess not. I just wasn’t picturingthis.”
As they exit the SUV and head toward the giant front door, I grab my unwieldy suitcase and hurry after them. I suck in a breath when I enter the marble-covered foyer that’s as big as my entire apartment.
I glare at their attractive backsides, since I sense they are intentionally walking much faster than I can with their longer legs just to get a rise out of me, and then I remember that I’m going to be living with these two stooges. I suppose that makes me the third idiot, and I better make friends—well, at least not enemies—with these two.
