Karn looked down at an unconscious Marcus. He hadn’t meant to punch him that hard. When Marcus had suggested they toss a coin to decide who won Ivy, Karn saw red. The next thing he knew, Marcus was on the ground and blood seeped from his swollen nose.

He bent down and checked the pulse on the side of Marcus’s neck. He had one; that was good enough.

He stepped away and flexed his fingers a few times. Karn was half-tempted to hit Marcus again and finish the job. This guy was a Grade A sleaze. He had zero respect for Ivy and did not deserve her.

Karn could imagine, when Marcus woke up, he’d go running to Ivy and tell him how the big bad alien hurt him, that he’d punched him for no reason. Karn hoped Ivy had more sense than to believe that. She would see through Marcus’s lies, wouldn’t she?

He groaned as he heard the cell door unlock again. He had no time to arrange Marcus to make it appear he was sleeping. Instead, he stood in front of the door, blocking the guard’s view.

When the door slid back, it was a human guard standing outside. Karn gave him his most charming smile. “Have you come to release me?”

The guard nodded. “Someone is very interested in your case. You’ve been jumped to the front of the queue.”

Karn tilted his head. Who would want him out of the cells so quickly? Could it be Ivy? She’d put in a good word for him? Maybe she’d dropped the charges and realized she’d made a mistake.

“Who’s looking out for me?”

A trace of a smirk passed across the guard’s lips. “Have you ever heard of Diadora Hardwick?”

That named sounded familiar. “Isn’t she something to do with My Single Alien?”

“She’s the head honcho. She pulls the strings when it comes to that place. The Council of Representatives always listen when she talks. Diadora has a lot of influence around here. You don’t get to cross her.”

Suddenly, Karn didn’t feel so great. “She’s the one pushing me to the front of the queue? Is she planning on letting me off with a warning?”

The guard laughed. “Not a chance. She wants you off the station and sentenced to time in the Tenkcet mining prison.”

Cold sweat trickled down Karn’s neck. “She can’t be serious. I’m not a criminal. I can’t do hard labor in some toxic dump.”

“That’s not my decision, my friend. I simply process the orders and send the criminals where they’re supposed to go.”

“Let me speak to somebody else. Who’s in charge? I’ll make them see sense.”

“Diadora has spoken to the boss. He agrees with her. You’re out of here as soon as the next prisoner transport passes by.”

“I’m an intelligence gatherer. I can be useful. Maybe there’s something you need?” Karn looked the guard over. He was young and wore a hand-me-down uniform that was in need of a press.

“If there was, I wouldn’t ask you for it. You’ve got a lousy reputation around here.”

Karn pulled himself upright. “My reputation is impeccable.”

The guard shrugged. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“How about letting me off with a warning? I’m sure a guy in your position can help me out.”

“You’re suggesting I let you escape?”

“No, I can get lost in processing. I’m sure it happens. No one will even notice I’ve gone.”

“Sorry, pal. If you’d ever met Diadora, you’d know I’d be a moron to help you. She’d string me up outside the station and take pot shots at me with a laser as punishment.”

“My intentions were not of a criminal nature. I got into this mess because of a woman. You know what they’re like. They make you prove yourself.”

The guard’s eyebrows rose. “You’re in a cell because you did something for a girl?”

Karn detected a note of interest in the guard’s voice. “This is all for the love of a good woman. She’s the most incredible creature I have ever seen. She’s strong, beautiful, and brave.”

“She sounds quite something.”

“She is everything. I would sell my soul for her if I had one.”

The guard gave a startled laugh. “You broke the rules to win this girl over?”

“The first time I saw her, I knew she’d be trouble. It’s something in the way she moves. It captures your attention. I couldn’t stop looking at her curves.”

The guard nodded. “She’s hot?”

“Hot and trouble.”

He grinned. “How long have you been together?”

“That’s just it; we're not even really together. She’s insistent on being independent. She’s got a high-powered job and hasn’t got time for me.”

The guard winced. “Rejection is tough to take. It took me six months to convince my girl to go on a date with me.”

“What did you do to convince her?”

“Nothing in particular. It was more a case of wearing her down. I made sure I was always around. I helped out when she needed me and showed her I’m a decent guy and she can rely on me.”

“That works?” Karn scratched his chin. It wasn’t often he could be relied on unless he’d been paid upfront and in full. Even then, if a better offer came along, he sometimes let aliens down.

“It was worth it,” the guard said. “Even though my girl can be a nightmare, blowing hot and cold and making demands on me, I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I make a mistake and act like a jerk, she lets me know. We need somebody like that in our lives.”

Karn’s smile was rueful. Wasn’t that the truth? “If you have any pointers on how to win my woman over, I’d be happy to chat over a beer. Maybe you can let me out early and we can do it now?”

The guard chuckled. “And have you sneak away when my back is turned? Nice try. If I let you out, I’ll lose my job.”

“They will understand when they realize I was the one to escape.”

“How about a compromise? I bring you a mug of tea and give you some insider tips on winning over this woman.”

It wasn’t what Karn had hoped for, but it would alleviate the boredom. This guard might have some ideas as to how to get Ivy to forgive him. He wanted that. He didn’t enjoy the idea of her hating him or getting into trouble because of what he’d done.

The guard’s gaze shifted behind Karn. He frowned. “Is he asleep?”

Karn shifted to the side, blocking the view of Marcus on the ground. “He’s fine, just taking a nap.”

Marcus groaned and rolled onto his side.

Karn tried to ignore him. “So, about that tea?”

The guard’s gaze remained fixed on Marcus. “Did you attack him?”

“No, the blood has nothing to do with me.”

Marcus groaned again. “You idiot. Why did you punch me?”

“He’s lying.” Karn nodded at the guard. “Ignore him.”

The guard took a step back, all traces of friendliness gone from his face. “I’ll have to report this. You can’t go punching another prisoner.”

“My nose is broken,” Marcus complained.

Karn continued to ignore him. “We were having such a great chat. Come on, let me out of here. I think we could be best friends.”

The guard scowled at him. “I have enough friends.” The door slid back into place.

Karn sighed as he turned to Marcus. “Thanks for that. I was about to get out of this dump.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Marcus pulled himself slowly to his feet, gently squeezing his swollen nose as he did so.

“You wanted to flip a coin for Ivy.”

“And? It would have been a solution.”

Karn shook his head, regretting not having double-punched Marcus. If he had to endure being in the cell with this idiot for much longer, there really would be blood on his hands.

He needed to get out of here, find Ivy, and explain everything.

Even though he wasn’t sure what that everything was.