CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Stella’s heart accelerated as she heard a throat clearing from inside the hotel room.
“You forgot something?” a voice asked.
The door opened and she stared into the astonished eyes of a young, dark-haired, good-looking man. He had his jeans on, though the belt was unbuckled, and his shirt was behind him, lying on the carpeted floor.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, I thought you were…” His voice tailed off. “Who are you?” he asked, a new note of defensiveness in his voice.
Too late, Stella remembered that she had zero credentials. She didn’t have a proper FBI badge. All she had was the ID card that all trainee agents had to wear at the academy. Usually, she kept it on a lanyard around her neck, but for now she’d stashed it away in a jacket pocket.
Stella decided not to use the ca
