Karen wasn’t known for making the wisest choices, though her charm and easy-going nature had always gotten her by. She’d mastered the art of slipping away unnoticed, leaving a trail of brief, forgotten encounters in her wake. Karen was good at making connections but even better at disappearing before dawn, brushing off whatever happened the night before like it was nothing more than a passing thrill.

But today was different.

As sunlight streamed through the curtains, Karen stirred in a bed that wasn’t her own, her head pounding slightly from last night’s drinks. She blinked, trying to remember the details. Her gaze wandered across the room, taking in the scene—the clothes strewn about, her boots kicked off haphazardly, and the unmistakable scent of someone else lingering on the sheets. She stilled, realizing just whose bed she’d ended up in.

Her eyes drifted to the bedside table, and that’s when she saw it—a badge, gleaming faintly in the morning light. Her heart dropped. She’d slept with a law officer.

“Goddammit,” she whispered, eyes widening as the reality set in. She couldn’t afford to get tangled up with law enforcement, not with her track record and her loyalties to the gang.