Page 28 of Night Call

Pember’s mouth twitched and he let out a shaky laugh—partially from the adrenaline dump, but mostly from relief. “Y-yeah, well… what do you expect when your half-deaf owner shouts at you all day?”

Blake covered his mouth, eyebrows pulling together. “About that… There’s another reason I’d like you to finish on time.”

Pember tilted his head. “Oh?”

“Could you check on her? I’m going to beverylate off tonight.”

Pember nodded, unzipping the front of his scene suit. “Yeah, of course. Do you want me to let George out?”

Blake shook his head. “No, thanks. George comes to work with me. He stays in the kennels during the day. With the police dogs.”

Pember dropped his gaze and nibbled his lip. “That’s kind of cute.”

Blake huffed. “It’s not. He comes home stinking of German shepherd and cannabis.” The alpha reached into his pocket. “Take this,” he said, handing Pember a business card. “Text me if something’s wrong. I can’t promise I’ll be able to come straight back, but I’ll try.”

Pember nodded, taking the card. “What should I do if she’s in the woods again?”

Blake sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Tell her Rod Stewart’s come to whisk her away. If that doesn’t work, coax her with Wine Gums. But don’t give her too many or she’ll be up half the fucking night singing ‘Blondes Have More Fun.’”

Pember snorted as he peeled off the sweaty scene suit, but quickly dropped his face into a grave expression. “Sorry. Shouldn’t be laughing at a time like this.”

Blake shrugged. “It’s a coping mechanism. We all do it. Try and get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be full on.”

Pember cocked a brow. “Coming from you? Who the hell does exercise at four o’clock in the morning?” Then his face flushed, remembering he’d been caught red-handed. “O-oh and I… um… sorry, about that. I wasn’t watching you, you were just… there.”

Blake smirked, the expression dislodging a swarm of butterflies in Pember’s belly. “Oh? If you weren’twatching, what were you doing?”

Warmth bloomed across his cheeks. “I couldn’t sleep, and the stars were out so I just… You know.”

Blake exhaled softly. “I do. But next time wear a coat or you’ll catch a cold.”

“Oh, yeah. Will do.”

“Pember!” Duncan called from the van. “Come on, dude! Back to the lair.”

Maya slapped his arm. “Don’t call it a lair. You’re not Batman.”

Duncan dropped his head and pulled up his collar. “I’m not? But I am the night!”

Pember chuckled and shook his head. He glanced back up at Blake, who was watching him intently. “See you soon.”

“Yeah.”

CHAPTER 8

APPLE PIE

Pember

Oddly,the sound of Cherry and Val shouting at one another from behind the paper-thin wall brought Pember immense comfort that evening. He grinned whilst slipping off his boots and propping them on the mat. Bailey whined by the back door, desperate to be let out.

“Sorry, my girl!” he said, jogging across the living room and opening the back door.

As he stared at the scruffy patch of grass beyond the patio, realising that hereallyneeded to do something about the state of the back garden. He’d discovered an ancient-looking lawnmower and rusty pruners in the shed the day he got the keys, but had put off cutting the grass until the place really felt like home.

In fact, the house still didn’t feel like home, even after his impromptu shopping trip. He was still convinced that the whole enterprise that was his new life would come crashing down around him at any moment.

Wrenching the lawnmower free from its mess of tangled wires, he managed to cut the grass with a little negotiation.However, the elderflower bush creeping over his back fence was proving to be a problem, with the weight of it pushing on the slats and making the fence bend.

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