Page 31 of The More the Merrier

When she pulls into a parking lot at a very familiar twenty-four-hour diner, I take a moment to phone the boss to give him an update.

“Johannes, what do you have for me?”

“Hey, bossman. She’s just pulled into Billy’s, I’ve got a tracker on her car so I’ll head on in to speak to him and find out who the heist is for while keeping an eye on her remotely. We’ll know where she is at all times.”

“Good. And get my fucking necklace back while you’re at it.”

“Ja baas.”

He chuckles at my response before cutting the call.

Little Mouse leaves the diner with a brown paper bag and I sit in my dark truck and watch her leave like a proper creeper. When she’s out of sight, I head in to interrogate Billy, and quite fucking frankly am a little shocked by what he tells me.

He’s happy to part with the necklace at a discounted price once he learns who it belongs to and less than five minutes after entering the diner, I’m on my way again with my own brown paper bag.

Time to go catch me a mouse.

Chapter 2

Cameron

“Cam, my boy,” Barry says to me as he pops anhors d’oeuvresinto his mouth, “you need to stop looking like you’ve got a carrot up ya arse. This is a social event and we need to blend in. Just because they know we’re his hired muscle doesn’t mean we gotta stand out like sore thumbs.”

When he’s done with his little speech, he pops another morsel of mystery meat into his mouth, chewing rather disgustingly with his mouth open. I’m not sure how he’s blending in more than I am when the guests around us all sneer at him with obvious disdain.

I’m still seriously pissy with Johannes for sending me along. I know I’m still pretty fresh on Mr. Parker’s payroll officially,but he pays me because of my connections, not for use as a hired goon. As a policeman, I have some insider info for him, as well as the ability to keep him as free and clear as possible.

I’ve been one hundred percent loyal to Mr. Parker since he saved my mum from my asshole, abusive, drug-addicted dad. He not only got rid of my dad—locked up for a good long while, taking the fall for some dodgy shit—but also gave her a good job, and made sure I got through school. When he asked me to enroll as an apprentice with the Met Police, I jumped at the opportunity to pay him back for all the good he did for us.

This, however, was not part of the deal.

Amanda is a darling, and I appreciate all she’s done to soften the edges of her new husband, but dragging him—and us—across the city to one charity event after another, finding causes to donate his hard-earned money to, is one of the few things about her that I don’t completely adore. There are much easier and better ways to find causes.

While Barry stuffs his face I keep an eye on the boss and his pretty young wife, her purple and pink hair shining under the bright lights of the auditorium they’ve used for the fundraiser. She lets out a tinkling giggle as he whispers something in her ear and I have a twinge of jealousy at their relationship.

Theirs is a story told many times, and such a cliche, but it worked out well for them. He saved a stripper from one of his dance clubs and made her his, and she in turn gave his life meaning. A sense of fullness he was missing. Or so he confided in me at his stag party when he was a little drunker than he’d probably intended to be.

Mr. Parker pulls away from Amanda and takes his phone out of his pocket. When he frowns at whatever he sees on the screen, I give Barry a nudge, indicating he look towards the boss. Barry merely shrugs, but his gaze is more attentive, analyzing the people around our two wards.

Mr. Parker looks up from his phone after typing a reply and beckons me closer. I slowly make my way through the throng of people so as not to raise any undue attention.

“Sir?”

“Someone broke into the house tonight.” At this, Amanda lets out a soft gasp, her hand going up to cover her mouth. The other hand immediately reaches for her husband’s, giving it a squeeze. “Johannes has it under control and will follow the culprit to find out who’s behind it. But I’ll need you to intervene and have them arrested as soon as he has what he needs.”

“Why arrested, though? Don’t you just want Johannes and Barry to take them to the farm?” I ask, referring to the network of pig farms Andre keeps to rid himself of any unseemly evidence.

The frown on his face when he looks at me would be enough to make the devil himself shake in his boots. I’ve no clue what I said to upset him; I was careful to not say anything too incriminating and there weren’t any ears within hearing distance, anyway. I’m about to apologize for whatever slight I might have caused when he clears up my confusion.

“When have we ever done anything to hurt a woman?” At his words, the realization sinks in and I take a relieved breath.

“I apologize, sir. You never mentioned the thief was a woman. I shouldn’t have assumed.”

At this, Amanda lets out her cute laugh again and helps me soothe her raging beast.

“He’s not wrong, Boo. I made the same assumption,” Amanda says.

Andre looks down at his sexy-as-sin wife and smiles at her as if he wasn’t two seconds away from ripping me a new asshole. I once again say a prayer of thanks to whoever decided to send Amanda across his path to calm him down some.

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