Page 2 of The Thief That Stole Christmas (Indulgence)

Cameron

“Cam, my boy,”

Barry says to me as he pops an hors d’oeuvres into 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.

“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 and all the 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.

With my focus back on the room, I’m faced with two very different men. I take a moment to just stare at them, the Little in me squeeing at the obviously dominant vibes rolling off both of them.

The growly one, the very, very tatted one, has to be at least three heads taller than I am and probably wide enough he has to turn sideways to walk through doors. His size would normally be intimidating, but now that I know he’s on my side, I think he looks like a big pink marshmallow just waiting to be squished up.

The younger guy with him, though. Oh my, he’s a whole different kettle of fish. Only slightly shorter than his friend, very well-toned under the dapper suit he’s wearing, and the softest looking blond hair that’s begging me to mess it up, makes for a near-perfect package. But it’s those eyes, the startling blue eyes framed by thick, long lashes that make him irresistible.

My libido is raging, and I’m not sure if it’s because of the two men facing me down, or the fact that it’s been way too long since I visited my good friend ‘O’.

Who the heck am I kidding? Of course it’s them.

They’re both just standing there. Staring at me. Perhaps waiting for me to scream or pass out again. So I take it upon myself to break the ice.

“I know I asked Santa to gimme a Daddy for Christmas. But damn, that was over fifteen years ago. And neither of you are quite the Daddy I had in mind when I wrote him that letter. Not that I mind.”