Page 16 of Brittle Heart

The security officer simply shrugs. “Sure, the badge seems legit. It’s just issued under the wrong name.”

I roll my eyes.Margaret, you scrawny assed bitch.

“Let me guess, it’s for a Karen?” Clay chuckles from behind Josh, and I only notice him now.

“It is!” The security guard says, looking down at me. “Is that your name?”

I’m about to say no when Clay says, “It is now.”

Josh guides me into the building, and once we’re a few steps away from the crowd at the entrance, I turn to him. “Thanks. Getting back in line would have sucked.”

Josh places a hand on the small of my back and gently nudges me to keep walking, but he presses on a bruise, which makes me flinch. “No problem. Let’s get your badge fixed.”

I step away from him, and his hand falls back to his side. “No, that’s okay. I’m already late and need to find my way to the lab. I’ll take care of it after work.”

“Don’t be silly,Karen.” Clay pulls out his phone from his pocket. “I’ll text Sophia and let her know why you’re running late.”

I glare at him, but when I turn around, we’re already standing in front of the reception desk, and Josh smiles at a grumpy-looking Margaret.

He takes the paper from my hand and hands it to her. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” he asks, attempting some small talk, but she merely raises an eyebrow at him. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one she hates. “So, the badge you made for Carolina has the wrong name on it, and she can’t use it like this. Could you please make her a new one?” he asks her in a much more polite tone than I would have.

Margaret takes the paper from his grip and scans it. “What wrong name? You told me her name,” she says. “Here, Karen Costa, just like you told me.”

“It’s Carolina,” I say, and she shoots me a glare.

“Why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?”

“I did,” Sophia says from my right. I turn as she approaches, smiling at me before addressing Margaret. “It must have been a misunderstanding.”

The old lady’s expression softens. “Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Of course, I’ll change it. I’ll have her badge done this evening.”

Sophia pats her wrinkly hand. “That would be so nice of you. Thank you, my dear.”

I stare at Josh with wide eyes and mouth,What the…

A wide grin spreads across his face. Sophia grabs my wrist and pulls me along as we walk. “She’s the old lady whisperer,” Josh says, his voice filled with amusement now that we’re out of the grumpy woman’s earshot.

Sophia releases my wrist. “Oh, shut up. She’s nice!”

Clay walks beside me while the siblings walk ahead. “Yeah, nice to you. No one else,” he grumbles.

As we reach a corner where the hallway splits into two directions, Sophia smiles. “Thank you for finding my lost sheep.”

I give her my mask of indifference.

“Anytime,” Clay says, winking at me.

We’re about to walk off in separate directions when Del Moro and another cop approach from the direction Josh and Clay are about to head. I automatically position myself in front of Sophia, not wanting her to get pulled into Del Moro’s shit. Clay notices my movement and looks at me with furrowed brows.

Del Moro sneers at me as he passes by, saying, “Seems like they let the trash in now.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, but you already know that since you’re here.”

He glares at me before walking away, shouting, “Get lost, Costa.”

Clay looks after Del Moro before he turns back to me. “What the fuck was that?”

I just shrug, walking in the direction of Sophia’s lab, lost in yet another incident I will never be able to forgive Del Moro for.

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