Chapter 19
H e didn’t like the look of that.
That being the little huddle going on in the corner of the room across from them.
First Livvy glanced over at him, giving him an assessing look.
Then Millie sent him a grin filled with trouble.
Oh, he was in trouble here. More than he had been before and that was a lot. He’d been meaning to do some work while Maya was teaching her class. There was only one door into the room and the large windows faced out to a brick wall. It was fairly safe, although he was always on alert.
However, the entire class had been uneventful except for one thing.
He’d been turned on the entire time. Watching her bend and move into positions that should be illegal . . . yeah, he’d spent the whole time telling himself not to look at her.
Yet unable to look away.
It was infuriating. He’d had to turn to discreetly adjust himself. Well, he hoped it had been discreet.
But, fuck, halfway through, just when he thought he might have himself under control, she’d stripped off her T-shirt so she was just in yoga pants and a small sports top. That had showed off her trim stomach and firm muscles.
And yep, he’d nearly died.
It would have been a happy death, but embarrassing.
Thankfully, the class was over. Unfortunately, Livvy and Millie hadn’t left. Didn’t they know she had another class in twenty minutes? She needed to rest and rehydrate.
She was looking pale and slightly unsteady, which he didn’t like at all. How was she going to get through the next yoga class? Plus another one this afternoon and something called Fab Abs after that? They’d be finished around three, but by that time she was going to be completely exhausted.
Millie started laughing as Maya shot him a look before quickly glancing away again. Yeah, the three of them looked as suspicious as hell.
He grabbed his phone to message Ink.
Matthieu: You didn’t tell me that Millie knew Maya.
He waited a few moments and checked in with Captain.
Matthieu: Cap, everything all good? Her pets okay?
Those three dots appeared. And they stayed there for a while. Then he replied.
Captain: Yep.
Really? It had taken him that long to type out a one-word reply?
A text came through from Ink as he was starting to wonder if Maya was right. Captain was kind of odd.
Ink: I didn’t know she did. You sure?
Matthieu snapped a picture of the three women and sent it to Ink.
Ink: Shit. I don’t like the look of that.
Matthieu: Yeah. Welcome to my life. I’m the one that has to keep them safe. This has disaster written all over it.
Ink: I’ll talk to Sav and Spike. See if they know anything. They look like they’re plotting to take over the world.
If only it was something that simple he’d be happy.
Ink: You need to find out what they’re plotting and stop it.
Matthieu: Why don’t you ask me to solve world peace at the same time?
Ink: I can try and keep Livvy and Millie away from her.
Matthieu: No.
He didn’t second guess his reaction. He just knew in his gut that Maya didn’t have many people she could turn to, who were on her side.
And Livvy and Millie were the best kind of people to have on your side.
The only issue was that they were loyal to a fault. And that they were enablers. If Maya was plotting something, they’d support rather than hinder her.
Which wasn’t always a good thing. Not that he thought Maya was the instigator. Nope, it was likely Millie. She was a trouble maker.
Matthieu: I’ll find out what’s going on. But yeah, get me some help.
He was going to need it.
“Oh shoot, he’s on his phone,” Millie whispered. “He’s probably onto us.”
“How do you both know him?” Maya asked. She hadn’t been surprised when Livvy and Millie had stuck around after class.
They had clearly been curious about what was going on. And she couldn’t blame them. She’d want the details if their situations were reversed.
“We met Matthieu through Ink,” Livvy said. “Ink is a member of the Iron Shadows. I take it you’ve met him?”
“Yeah, I met Ink yesterday. My father hired his security company to protect me. That’s why I have Matthieu with me.”
“Hmm. Interesting,” Millie said. “Matthieu doesn’t often work for Ink. As far as I know he moves around. They’re friends. Ink must have needed the help.”
Did that mean that after this was taken care of that he’d disappear again?
God. That thought made her feel ill.
“So what is going on?” Livvy asked. “Why do you need Matthieu? Do you need to move in with me and Sav?”
“No, she should come live with me and Spike. We don’t have kids. And we have a really good security system because Spike is super cautious. And he loves me.”
Wow.
What must that be like, to know that your man was going to do whatever was necessary to take care of you because he loved you.
“I’m not going to move in with anyone,” she said hastily. “But thank you, that’s really kind and generous.”
Millie eyed her strangely. “It’s what friends do for each other.”
They were friends? She’d thought she and Livvy were friends, but she’d only met Millie once so she hadn’t been sure.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “I don’t have many friends as I’m sure you can tell.”
“How would we be able to tell that?” Millie said. “And you don’t have to thank us. I happen to think you’ll be an amazing friend and when people realize that they’ll all want to be your friends, but me and Liv were here first. We have first dibs.”
“First dibs?” Livvy asked dryly. “That’s not a thing.”
“It’s totally a thing.” Millie nodded emphatically.
“My father has been receiving threats. Some of those threats mentioned me so he’s being cautious.”
“Smart,” Millie said with a nod. “Now, do we get to go eat cake and drink hot chocolate? Because I worked out hard.”
Hmm. That was debatable. But Maya wasn’t about to say that to her new best friend.
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Maya said. “I have another class soon.”
“Bummer.” Millie pouted.
“You guys go, though.”
“Actually, we really wanted to talk to you about something.” Livvy looked around before leaning in to speak to her quietly. “It’s about the puppies.”
She stared at Livvy in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I told Millie about how you were worried about the yoga puppies and we decided that we want to help you rescue them.”
Oh shit. This was unexpected. She glanced over at Matthieu, but he was on his phone.
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Millie asked. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? Livvy and I talked after our chat the other day and we both thought the same thing. You’re going to save those puppies. It’s what I would do. And we can help you. I have experience in this sort of thing.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what sort of experience Millie had.
“Guys, even if I was going to do this, which I’m not admitting to,” yet, “I wouldn’t involve the two of you. It would be dangerous.”
“That’s my middle name,” Millie told her. “Actually, it’s not. It’s Margaret. But if I could choose a name, I’d be Millie Dangerous Brontosaurus.”
That was an . . . interesting name.
“Let us help. You can’t do it alone. Especially now.” Livvy glanced over at Matthieu meaningfully.
Yeah. He was going to make her animal rescues more difficult.
“I don’t know . . .”
“You know you can trust me,” Livvy said. “And Millie too.”
They both stared at her with hope-filled eyes.
Shit. If they really wanted to do this . . .
“You’re sure?”
Livvy nodded. “I’ll set up a group chat that we can all use.”
“They aren’t monitoring your phone, are they?” Millie asked.
“Why would they do that?” she asked, feeling alarmed.
Millie shrugged. “I don’t know. In case the guy threatening you calls or something.”
“He’s not really threatening me. And no, they’re not. But before you go, I do have something to ask you, Millie. I know we don’t know each other well?—”
“Just told you that we’re friends, girl,” Millie told her.
Well, I, I?—”
“What’s going on here,” Matthieu demanded, making her jump with a cry.
“How the heck do you move so quietly? You’re like Batman!” Maya cried.
“Nah, more like a ninja,” Millie said with a nod of her head. “Impressive. Light like a cloud, as quiet as a mouse.”
He sighed. “Did you really just describe me as a mouse?”
Millie grinned. “I like mice.”
“No, you don’t,” Livvy retorted. “You’re scared of them.”
“Oh. Yeah. I forgot. I am scared of mice. Uh-huh.” Millie nodded. “So how are you, Matthieu? Long time no see.”
“I just saw you the other day,” Matthieu replied.
This was a bizarre conversation. And if the look on Matthieu’s face was anything to go by, he was thinking the same.
“Um, right. Sooo . . .” Millie trailed off. Then she brightened up. “You were going to ask me something, Maya?”
“Ahh, yes. It’s about my animals. I’m just worried about them if something happens to me. I don’t want to see them given away to other people. Especially Tank, he has trust issues. He’s really sad and scared of everyone except Big B. Big B is a pig.”
“Are you . . . are you asking me . . .” Millie gasped for air. “Are you asking me to be a godmother to your babies?”
Well, she wasn’t sure she’d put it quite like that. But if Millie wanted to call herself a godmother, then who was she to stop her?
“Well, yes.”
“This is epic!”
“Are you sure? Because if something happened to me, you’d end up with a lot of animals. You see I?—”
“Nothing will happen to you,” Matthieu interrupted in a hard voice.
“I . . . well, it could,” she said.
“We have had this conversation, Maya. I cannot believe we need to have it again. Nothing is going to happen to you. Because I will not allow it. Understand?”
People started to trickle in for her next class. Which was probably a good thing since everyone in this room seemed to be losing their minds.
“Wow. That’s sexy,” Livvy said. Then she blushed slightly. “Don’t anyone tell Sav I said that. He might get jealous.”
“How many animals?” Millie asked loudly as she bounced on her toes. “I’m going to need names. And birth dates. And to meet them all, of course.”
Birth dates?
That was an odd thing to ask for.
“Well, that’s the thing. I have a lot of pets so you might want to think about it before you say yes. Maybe ask Spike.”
“Pfft. I’m not going to do that.” Millie waved a hand through the air. “This is the first time I’ve been asked to be a godmother. And it’s an honor. A total honor. I need a new dress.”
“I have three dogs, four chickens, a cat, a pig and a farting hamster,” she said quickly.
She waited for Millie to reply. To tell her no. Because that was going to happen, right?
“That. Is. Awesome!” Millie cried, clapping her hands. “I have to go work on presents for them. Such an honor, thank you!” She threw her arms around Maya before rushing off.
“You’ve made her day,” Livvy said. “Maybe even her year.”
“I wasn’t really expecting that sort of reaction,” she confessed. “I thought she’d say no if I’m honest.”
“Not Millie. She really is the most amazing friend and the thing is . . . she means every word. Your pets are about to get a crazy, loving, fun godmother.” Livvy squeezed her hand and said goodbye to Matthieu before following Millie out.
Well.
That happened.
And it was weird and amazing all at once.
Which was apt. Because she thought that was likely a good description of Millie.