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© Cordelia Monroe 2021
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Bas glared at the two men kneeling before him, crossing his arms tightly in front of his broad chest. They were both skinny fuckers with dirty hair and skin, and neither looked like they’d showered in weeks, if not months. But the most notable thing about them was that they were pissing him off.
One was blonde, his pale eyes wide and terrified. The other, a dark-haired man with a scraggly beard, seemed older and more seasoned, not so much scared as angry, glaring at Bas with soulless brown eyes.
“So, I repeat, who the fuck are you?” Bas snarled, anger getting the better of his usually placid nature. He wasn’t much for getting angry, it rarely got you anywhere so it was pointless. When he wanted to get his own way, he’d learnt charm worked a hell of a lot better – what was it they said, you catch more flies with honey?
However, he wasn’t in the mood to play nice, especially with the idiots who were fucking up his day. The two side-eyed each other but kept their lips clamped shut.
“I’ve called the police, they’re on their way.” Bas turned to see his plasterer, Sean, enter the main living area, his phone in hand.
“Did Ollie find anything?”
“Other than a crystal meth lab?” Sean quipped. “They’ve sealed off the whole of the top floor but you can see through in some places. We didn’t get too close but I don’t think there are any actual drugs up there. Ollie’s keeping an eye on the front in case they have any friends, but it looks like they’re alone.”
Bas rubbed his temple before running his hands through his hair. This wasn’t how the day was supposed to go, and he couldn’t be fucked to deal with this shit. His company had purchased a selection of run-down houses on what had once been a council estate and was now a trendy area in the south of the town. The plan had been to renovate and flip the houses quickly for a high profit so Bas could focus on building something new. Something he gave a shit about.
Instead, they’d turned up on day one and discovered a crystal meth lab and the two idiots kneeling in front of him. Thankfully the operation appeared to be at its end. If he was to guess, the two men they’d caught were remnants of an operation that had moved on already.
Bas wasn’t usually one to judge, after all, grown adults could fuck with their lives however they chose, it made no odds to him, but he was well aware of recent deaths due to dirty product being handed out to snobby teenagers with more money than sense and he didn’t approve of pushing drugs on kids in any situation.
More importantly, there would certainly be a delay on starting the renovations. The police would tape off the house to take the lab apart, and they’d ransack it for evidence which meant Bas would lose at least a week which was un-fucking-acceptable.
He frowned as he looked at the dark-haired man, noticing a tattoo on his neck of a rose dripping with blood. Was the guy part of the local MC? Bas had a few friends who were, and he was surprised they’d be involved in something like this. Surely there were easier drugs to peddle than meth?
It made sense they’d chosen this house. Of the three in the area that the company had purchased, this was the most remote. It had a long driveway that set it back from the road and plenty of space inside thanks to a classic Victorian design with large rooms and high ceilings.
What the dealers hadn’t counted on was choosing a house that had been auctioned off. The only reason Bas hadn’t visited the house in the meantime is that he had been busy with other jobs and determined to be first onsite.
He’d shouted a warning to Ollie and Sean who had gone round back to enter through the kitchen door and, luckily for them, the two men were unarmed so they were able to overpower them. Bas had found a gun in the kitchen and he didn’t like to think how things might have played out if one of them had been holding it. He didn’t know much about guns; except he didn’t want to be at either end of one.
Sirens sounded faintly in the distance and he saw the youngest of the two men tremble as panic took over his face.
“Fuck, man,” he groaned as the sirens got louder and closer. “Fuck, I don’t wanna go to jail!”
“Shut the fuck up, dickhead,” the dark-haired guy muttered, his angry gaze sweeping over his friend.
“This isn’t me, man,” the younger guy blubbered, tears beginning to stream from red rimmed eyes.
“I’ll meet them,” Bas said, jerking his head to the sound of cars and sirens outside, not even remotely sympathetic to the little tweaker’s worries.
He had no fear of leaving Sean. The guy was six foot seven and wider than Bas who was pretty built himself. If either of the guys tried to run, Sean would steamroll them.
He headed out of the front door and saw Ollie talking to a police officer beside his car, the blue lights flashing. Ollie motioned for him to join them.
“Officer,” he said greeted. “You up to speed?”
“Derelict house, two dealers and three good Samaritans?” the police officer queried, his eyes searching Bas’s face.
“Plus a gun in the kitchen we haven’t touched and a meth lab that looks rickety as fuck but taped off. My man is inside keeping an eye on the two we found,” Bas said, crossing his arms again.
“My partner and I will secure them now and send your man out, please wait out here for the NCA to arrive,” the officer said, nodding to another who exited the car. “We’ve got a dog on the way but once you’ve given your statement, you’ll be able to be on your way.”
“Any idea how long the site will be off limits?” Bas asked, frustration making his voice harder than he intended.
“As long as it takes,” snapped the second officer as he headed for the front door.
The first officer gave an apologetic smile before following his colleague. Bas sighed deeply and moved to sit on the low wall that ran from the front entrance along the empty flower beds surrounding the house.
“Could be worse boss,” Ollie said, coming to sit beside Bas.
“How Ollie? How could this be worse?”
“The house could have blown up.”
Bas pushed a breath out through his teeth. “You’re right, that would have been worse.”
Sean joined them after a few minutes and they sat in silence as they waited. A short while later a number of police vans and cars arrived. Various people introduced themselves as the house was taped off and crime techs arrived to analyse the scene. If he hadn’t been so pissed off, Bas might have been intrigued by the whole scenario; he kind of liked reading true crime and was forever googling weird crime facts.
They’d given their statements and were about to head to their cars when a final vehicle arrived. It caught Bas’ attention because unlike the rest, it wasn’t a police car or van. It was a black four by four with tinted windows and ridiculous alloys. He watched as the owner exited on the far side and moved to the back, the bulk of the car obscuring his vision. The boot opened and he heard a deep bark and a female voice laughing. That caught his attention and he watched with interest as a dog bounded from behind the car, it’s body barely restrained in a harness as a slender arm tugged it back, the female voice sharp as it spoke.
“Fuss!” she said sharply as her body came into view and the dog immediately backed up to her side, gazing up at her.
Bas sucked in a breath as his eyes took in what could only be described as a fucking goddess. She was dressed in black from head to toe but it couldn’t hide the most delectable body he’d seen in a while. She was curvy as fuck, tiny too, probably five foot. He loved a pocket-sized princess and she fit the bill it seemed.
“Braver hund,” she said, her voice rich and luscious, running her hand over the dog’s head. “Komm.”
“What the fuck is that?” Ollie breathed, his eyes bulging from his head.
“The answer to my prayers,” Sean grinned as the woman made her way over to the lead detective from the NCA, her curves swaying as the officer greeted her, a greedy smile on his face as he checked her out.
“She’s fucking glorious,” Ollie moaned, his gaze fixed on her. “I’d be willing to go to jail just so she could frisk me.”
“Over my dead body,” Bas muttered as the woman headed in their direction.
A female police officer wasn’t his usual prey, but he’d make an exception this time. She was hot as fuck even from a distance and Bas was still bitter from his last disastrous effort to date. She’d be a good distraction if nothing else.
