Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“What are we going to do then? What’s the plan if we’re not using Millie’s one?”
“Anyone done any recon?” Spike asked. “Any idea where in the house the puppies are being held?”
“Uh-oh,” Millie said.
“Uh-oh?” Spike said in a low voice. “Please tell me you did not recon the place.”
“I cannot tell you that.”
“Millie,” he groaned.
Obviously, Spike hadn’t seen the photos that Millie had taken.
“Right. Here’s what is going to happen,” Matthieu said. “We’re going to call the appropriate authorities and lodge a complaint about this place.”
“What?” Millie exclaimed. “No way! We’re here right now. We need to do something. That will take too long.”
“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.”