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“Okay…I mean, I’ll think about it. But if you’re wrong and she turns me down, I’m putting your hand in warm water while you sleep.”

I laugh at him. “And if she says yes?”

He pouts his lips for a moment to contemplate. “I’ll bake you a big, ol’ cake.”

I throw my head back and laugh again. “I like chocolate, irmão.”

Annika texts me on Saturday morning to say that she won’t be leaving home until the benefit this evening and not to come over until I need to pick her up. I don’t remember giving her my number. I spend the morning sorting out my old flat, which takes surprisingly little time and I end up handing my keys back to the landlord before one o’clock. Which is handy as there’s a man waiting at my door when I get back to Den’s place…or our place.

“You J. Campos?” he says with a gruff voice.

On instinct, my hand goes to my hip where my service weapon used to be. Of course, it’s not there now and because I was just packing up my flat, I didn’t think it necessary to carry the Glock Stuart gave me. “Yes,” I answer warily.

“For you, mate.” He pulls a garment bag from where it was slung over his shoulder and hands it over to me before walking away. I stare after him for a moment before letting myself in and hanging the bag on the picture rail and unzipping it.

“Whoa, that is a nice suit!” Den comes through the door, sweaty and panting from an afternoon run.

“It’s a tux,” I say, not taking my eyes off the garment. He comes to stand next to me, swigging from a bottle of water.

“Then that is a nice tux.”

“Yeah,” I agree, moving the fabric to reveal the Ralph Lauren label. Den whistles, impressed. “Annika bought it for me.”

He lets out a surprised laugh. “Damn, man. I wish I could find a woman to drop two grand on a tux for me.”

“Two grand?!” I kind of shout.

He laughs again. “Yeah, dude. Two grand. Don’t spill on it.” He heads to his room, presumably to shower.

10

HARVEY

The tux fits like an absolute dream. I look like James freaking Bond, you know, if he was built and Latino. I head over to the Wolfe mansion in time to pick the boss up. The guys on the gate let me through with nothing but a cursory glance into the cab and I head in the door with the key Diamond has given me. I find Lee in the kitchen, looking at a tablet intensely. He looks up when I enter and nods in platonic appreciation.

“You look like James Bond,” he says.

“I know, right?” I give him a twirl and he chuckles. “What are you looking at?”

“Just checking through the CCTV.”

My hackles rise. “Why? Any problems?”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m mostly checking that the guys are all where they should be when they should be.”

“Sounds fun.” I look over his shoulder watching feeds from the gates, the garden, the garage, and the drive.”

“It’s ninety percent of my job.”

“Hey, did you call your mum?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes, but his lips pull up into a smile. “I’m so glad she’s got two of you to pester me now.”

“Annika told you?”

“She always does.” He laughs straightening up and stretching his back out.

Guinevere comes bustling into the kitchen, seemingly talking to herself. She stops short when she sees us and pulls her cardigan further around her waist. “Oh sorry, didn’t realise anyone was in here.”