Page 32 of The More the Merrier

“I’ll reach out to Johannes for a pickup location. I’m assuming you have some kind of evidence to assist in the arrest so we can keep it above board?” I ask.

“Johannes will have video footage,” Andre murmurs and looks back at his phone again, perhaps looking for another update from his second-in-charge, before continuing. “She might have been clever enough to bypass most of the alarms but she didn’t notice or disable the cameras. I’ll have Johannes contact you when he reaches out to give me an update. For now, we’ll head home so you can do what needs to be done.” He looks at Barry, who’s standing right behind me. “Fetch the car, please.”

With that, he dismisses us as the help he tends to still see us as.

I’m driving in the backup car behind them, almost at home when my phone rings.

“Johannes,” I say in greeting, “I trust you have a location for me?”

“Ja. But we have a problem.”

As usual, I wait out his taciturn reluctance to expand. When I don’t say anything in answer, he huffs out in frustration before telling me what exactly his problem is.

“I followed her home and snuck into her flat to confront her.”

He did what?

What the actual fuckity fuck? The big, burly, motherfucking scary ass South African went against his boss’ orders. Instead of saying any of these things to him, I opt for the most diplomatic response I can come up with.

“And?”

“She freaked out. Jumped up to attack me or something. And tripped over these ridiculous fluffy slippers. When she finally untangled herself, I kid you not, she just passed out.”

Motherfucker.

“Johannes, did she hurt herself?”

“Nee.Don’t you think I’d have led with that? Or phoned an ambulance?” he growls out at me. “I’m not a fucking idiot, Cameron. I phoned you because I can’t just leave her passed out, but I also don’t really want a repeat performance. She might react better to you than me. You’re way less threatening. I’ll send you the location.”

Before I can point out that yet another stranger in her little flat might only serve to frighten her further, my phone pings with a notification and I open the map app. Within seconds I’m on my way to Johannes and the little thief to try and do some kind of damage control.

Although, how they expect me to perform miracles is beyond me.

Zanya

Two very distinct male voices arguing in whispers are the first thing I hear when I wake up. I’m confused about who they are and where exactly I am when it comes back to me. The scary, bearded giant just about covered in tats hulking over me. Jumping up to try and find a hiding spot and coming to an abrupt stop when I realize exactly how big the guy is. After that, it’s all blank. Which means I probably fainted. Again.

I might have a teensy problem with, you know, not breathing when I’m really super duper scared. This is why I’ve found other coping mechanisms, like being Little. Nothing helped soothe me quite as much as a huge coloring book andallthe crayons with a pacifier or my favourite stuffy.

Unfortunately, when faced with a giant, I didn’t quite have access to any of that. Hence the faint.

Classic move, Zanya.

I mentally shake off the last of the cobwebs, trying to keep my breathing even so they don’t notice I’m no longer passed out.

I take stock of my situation. I’m lying on my two-seater couch with my favorite blanket draped over me. They don’t seem to be close to me and their voices are faint, coming from the other side of the open-plan flat, but I can just about make out what they’re saying.

“Johannes, seriously. Stop thinking with your little brain. Andre gave us instructions. We need to follow through,” a smooth voice hisses out, and my heart plummets.

Andre. I should have known. I must have missed a security measure my contact didn’t tell me about.

“I don’t care,” the other voice—he must be Johannes—growls out. “I’m not letting you arrest her. If you know the whole story, if Andre knows the whole story, you’ll both agree with me. Now help me move her onto her bed so she’s more comfortable. Then we can phone Andre, update him, and wait for her to wake up.”

I don’t seem to be in any immediate danger with at least the big grump on my side, so when the footsteps grow closer, I open my eyes and slowly sit up. No way I’m gonna pretend to still be passed out and have them manhandle me if I don’t really need to.

But you want them to.

I smack the little devil sitting on my shoulder, ignoring her.

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