Page 5 of The Wildcat and the Rogue (The Shifter Season #8)

EWAN

The last place I expected to be called for the business of thievery is to a gentlemen's club, but as I make my way up the steps into the club, I realise that it's the perfect cover, especially when we are dealing with those members of society who have procured their riches through ill-gotten means.

I don't believe that it is possible for all of the items I've been sent to retrieve are truly items that need recovering, but it is probably best that I don't ask too many questions about that, as I doubt I will like the answers very much.

I make my way inside and hand over my coat and hat to the attendant. He merely nods in my direction as he takes them, presumably knowing who I am already. It didn't take long for me to be known in the right circles. Being the heir to a barony will do that, even if it is a Scottish barony.

There are several clusters of men around, some of them drinking and gambling despite the early hour. Or maybe they haven't stopped from the night before, it wouldn't be the first time a card game has taken a turn into the morning, especially when someone is trying to get back a fortune they are in the process of losing.

I nod my head in the direction of several gentlemen of my acquaintance, trying to squash the thoughts that Jane might have danced with one of them. Perhaps she believes one of them is even a potential suitor for her future husband.

I don't need anyone to tell me that it's jealousy rearing its head inside me. If only Jane had stayed in Scotland for a week longer. I push it aside. Thinking like that will get me nowhere, especially as there is no way for us to be certain of anything. Whatever my father did to hers would have still happened, and all talk of our potential marriage would have been about whether or not it was an apology of kind. The future baroness title somehow gifted to her in order to soothe the hurt the Whisking family felt at my father's betrayal. I bunch my hand into a fist, wishing I knew the details of what happened so it could be undone.

Not that it's ever particularly easy to fix a reputation.

I push the thoughts away and focus on the task at hand as I approach the table with a middle-aged man with a little more moustache than is entirely necessary.

"Mr Milne," he says as I take a seat.

"Mr Smith," I respond, searching for any sign of the man's true nature as I do. Normally, it's easy to get a sense of what kind of shifter someone is, but with him, I'm drawing a blank. The only reason I'm certain that he is a shifter is that this club prohibits humans, and other kinds of supernaturals, from becoming members. There are even some shifting rooms in the back for those who don't have the facilities in their own homes.

"I have your next charge for you," he says, handing a pocketbook over to me.

I take it from him and open it at the first page, finding a drawing of an exquisite necklace within. Even though this is only done in pencil, I can almost feel the gemstones shining off the page towards me.

"What do you know about it?" I ask him.

"Everything is in there." He nods towards the pocketbook.

I give him a strained smile in return. I should know how it works by now, but I still find myself wishing I could have more of an explanation from those who employ me. However, the work that can be carried out while maintaining my reputation as my father's heir is somewhat rare. This way, I can amass a fortune without it appearing as if I have to work for it. The ideal situation, given the precarious situation my father has put the barony in.

I flick through the rest of the pocketbook, trying to avoid showing my surprise at the amount I'll be paid if I'm successful in retrieving the necklace for the former owners. Someone must be willing to pay good money to get it back, which means it's either particularly valuable, or will put them in a precarious situation if they don't.

"Will you accept?" Mr Smith asks, a shrewd expression on his face as he studies me.

He knows my answer, but perhaps he still requires to hear it from me.

"I accept," I respond.

"There is one detail that is not in the pocketbook, Mr Milne," he says.

I raise an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

"If you can retrieve the necklace by the end of the Season, then there will be a substantial bonus in addition to your payment."

"How substantial?"

"Double." There's something on his face that is hard to read, I suspect because he's hopeful I'll succeed so that he can get his cut of the reward. I should be flattered he thought of me to carry out this charge when his money is on the line.

"I see."

"Do you think you can manage?"

"I suspect it will be a challenge." I resist the urge to agree wholeheartedly. I don't want to give him the wrong idea about my abilities, especially if this job proves to be more challenging than any of my previous ones.

But I am determined to get the money and the extra. I'm going to need it if I want to keep building my fortune to allow me to live a good life and to right the wrongs of my father.

Perhaps this job will even allow me to start with making amends towards Jane.