Chapter 34 #3
“Millie’s right,” Maya said in agreement. “While animal protection agencies do their best, their wheels move slowly. These guys could get wind of it and hide these babies. We have to do something.”
“We can get more help!” Millie cried. “I’ll call Sunny. She can round up the girls. And what about Damon? He’ll come help with Grady and Effie.”
Damon?
Hadn’t her brother mentioned a Damon the other day? Yeah, he was Spike’s brother-in-law.
“We are not calling Damon about this,” Spike said. “He can’t be involved in this. And you’re not calling the girls. The last thing we need is more people we have to protect. Matthieu is right, we have to call the authorities.”
“They won’t do anything tonight,” Maya said with a huff. “And those babies shouldn’t be living in these conditions. But there is someone else I can contact.”
“Ooh, the underground rescue people?” Millie asked.
“The who?” Spike asked.
“I’ve participated in a number of animal rescues with an underground group called ABU,” Maya told Spike.
“What does that stand for?” Millie asked.
“Animals are Better than Us.”
“It’s so true,” Millie said. “Will they help these babies?”
“Yeah,” she said as she dug out her phone.
“I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that these people don’t worry about sticking to any laws when they rescue animals,” Matthieu said in a dark voice.
She winced. “That would be a negatory.”
“We’ll be having a discussion about that later,” he told her.
“Oh goody. Can’t wait.”
Millie giggled in the backseat.
“What is it?” she asked, not sure what could be funny about this situation.
“Oh, nothing, it’s just that you two are so cute together.”
“Millie,” Spike warned.
“What? I’m just saying that they’d make a great couple. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“No matchmaking,” Spike said in a warning voice.
Yikes. He sounded so stern. She’d do whatever he wanted if it meant he wouldn’t use that voice on her.
“You’re such a party-pooper sometimes,” Millie grumbled.
“Um, I’ll just call my contact,” she muttered, feeling her face go bright red.
“What will they do?” Matthieu asked.
“Whatever they have to in order to rescue those babies.”
“That’s what I was afraid you were going to say. I don’t think I like this. What if they get caught?” Matthieu asked.
Oh, that was sweet of him to be worried about them. “Don’t worry, they’re pros at this.”
“If they’re caught this could come back on you.”
Okay, so he’d been worried about her? That was even sweeter.
“They won’t get caught and even if they did, they’d never dump me in it. I promise.”
Matthieu grunted and turned to Spike.
“It sounds like the quickest solution,” Spike said. “Doing it legit could take a while. I could get the guys onto this, but they don’t have the skills these people do.”
“Fine,” Matthieu said. “Make the call.”
She let out a sigh of relief and reached for the car handle.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Matthieu grasped hold of her hand.
“To make the call. In private. They won’t want anyone else to hear this.”
“I’ll come out with you,” Matthieu said. “Don’t worry, I won’t listen in.”
All right.
Five minutes later, she and Matthieu climbed back into her car, interrupting Spike and Millie’s conversation.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re back to rescue me!” Millie exclaimed, alarming Maya.
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Spike was listing all the ways he is going to punish me. It’s a long and extensive list. And I really think it’s torture to make me write out the list before he enacts it.”
That did sound a bit mean.
“That way, neither of us will forget something,” Spike told her.
“You won’t forget!” Millie cried. “You have a mind like a steel trap. It’s infuriating. I can never get away with anything.”
“Too bad you didn’t recall that before tonight,” Spike told her.
“Oh. I didn’t forget. I was just hoping you wouldn’t find out until after all of this went down. I hadn’t factored in Sav being a sneak and checking Livvy’s phone.”
“How did the call go?” Spike asked Maya.
“Good. They’ll be here soon,” she said with relief.
“Aww,” Millie said. “While I’m glad the puppies will be rescued, I have to admit that I was looking forward to kick-starting my career as an animal rescuer.”
“That’s not happening,” Spike said.
“That’s just rude. Oh well, at least we get to watch.”
“That’s not happening either,” Matthieu said. “We’re taking the two of you home. Where you’ll be safe.”
She’d expected that even though she would prefer to stay and watch.
Millie protested, but Spike eventually got her out of the car and into his truck which was behind them.
“What about Millie’s car?” she asked as Matthieu started his car and drove off.
“Don’t worry, Spike will have that figured out.”
“Will her punishment be really bad?”
“She broke safety rules and put herself in danger. Getting those photos was extremely risky and foolish. So, yeah, she’ll be getting her butt spanked. And it won’t be over quick. But it won’t be more than she can take. Spike would never harm her.”
Maya nodded. Right.
She’d also make sure to check in with Millie tomorrow.
As they grew closer to her house, Matthieu’s phone started ringing.
He frowned as he answered. “Brody? What is it? What? Fuck! No! We’re close. Did you see who it was? Have you called the fire department? Thanks.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, fear coursing through her.
“Brody’s system set off an alert that someone was on the property. When he got to the cameras, he saw a guy dressed in black throwing something through the front window, then running away. Bébé, it was a Molotov cocktail. Your house is on fire.”
No! Oh my God! Her babies!