Page 9 of Parker

If she didn’t, the woman beside her would obtain a warrant with her name on it. Quinn would be arrested with little—if any—chance of avoiding prison.

“Guess there’s not much of a choice, is there?” she mumbled low.

“There’s always a choice, Quinn. I really hope you make the right one here.”

Her heart gave a hard thump. She looked at the front of the card again, the pad of her thumb brushing over her embossed name. The longer she stared, the less disparaged she began to feel.

And suddenly, Quinn found herself feeling something else. Something she hadn’t felt in so long she almost didn’t recognize it…

Hope.

She may not have been destined for love, but deep-down, Quinn had always known she had a purpose, and it wasn’t committing petty, Robin Hood-esque crimes. It also wasn’t helping a parasite of a boyfriend steal from innocent, hard-working people.

This, Quinn. Maybe this is it. Maybethisis your purpose.

There was no way to know for sure, but it definitely beat prison, so…

Quinn felt the SUV slow to a stop. Looking away from the card, she took a quick glimpse through the window, surprised to see they were already at her apartment building.

“Don’t worry.” Agent Manning spoke softly. “He won’t be getting out. Not for a while.”

“And after that?” She kept her saddened and angry gaze locked on the run-down brick building where she and Justin lived.

“After depends on Justin. If he cooperates, a deal will be made, and he’ll start his sentence immediately. If he doesn’t, the charges will be changed to fit the crimes we know he’s committed, and he’ll likely stand trial. Either way, you have some time to get yourself out of there. Which reminds me…” Agent Manning pulled an envelope from her other jacket pocket and handed it to her. “There’s a list of several available apartments in the city. Nothing super fancy, mind you. But they’re a damn sight better than this place. My boss also approved a sign-on bonus for you, which is enough to cover the first and last month’s deposit for any one of the apartments on the list.”

Quinn frowned as she took the weighted envelope. Lifting the thin paper flap, her gasp was audible.

“There has to be like three thousand dollars in here.” Her thumbnail fanned through the stack of hundreds, twenties, and tens.

“Twenty-six hundred, to be exact.”

She huffed out a breath, her brows arching with surprise.

Oh, yeah. You’re definitely making the right choice.

Refusing to give Justin—or the other users from her past—another second of her time, Quinn gave her head a solemn nod. “Don’t worry, Agent Manning. I’ll be there.”

The blonde smiled wide as she raised her outstretched hand. “Welcome to the team, Quinn. And since we’ll be working together, I suppose you should start calling me Holly.”

Sliding her palm againstHolly’s, she gave it a solid shake. “See you in two days.”

With that, she opened the door and stepped out onto the curb, watching as the SUV disappeared into the night. Making her way up the half-crumbled steps, Quinn couldn’t shake the feeling that her entire world had just shifted.

For better or worse remained to be seen, but one thing was for sure, she was chasing an impossible dream.

From now on, Quinn was going to put all her talent and energy into making a difference. Arealdifference by working with the FBI.

She opened the door to her soon-to-be former apartment, her mom’s voice from long ago ringing through her mind as she stepped inside.

You’re a jinx when it comes to love, Quinny. You and me, we aren’t worthy of a good man’s love, so we have to settle for what we can get. It’s harsh, but true. Best to face facts now, rather than spend your life being disappointed time and time again.

They were the truest words her mother had ever spoken. Tonight being the prime example.

When it came to men, Quinn was one hundred percent, without a doubt, a complete and utter jinx. She knew it. Her mother had known it…so why keep putting herself through that kind of pain?

Justin’s face flashed before her again, but this time, she pushed it and any hopes of a happily ever after away for good.

She was done being disappointed. Finished putting herself in a position to get hurt.

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