Puppy Love – Chapter 44

~Liam~

“Man, I’m bored out of my mind here,” Marvin’s voice echoed in my thoughts, just as Josephine and I were sharing a kiss. The interruption didn’t exactly sit well with me. Sensing my distraction, Josephine broke away from the kiss, concern in her eyes.

“What’s bothering you, Li?” she asked, her voice soft.

e let out a laugh.

everyone except Charlotte,” I remarked, and Josephine

the sunset with you,” she proposed with enthusiasm, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

ut it. I don’t mind sharing my seciet haven if it means we can spend some quality time together,” I said, and her face lit up with a radiant smile.

your mind?” I mentally connected with Marvin.

kely the bad guys will strike right then,” he said, his desperation seeping through our mental connection.

if he wouldn’t admit it.

e the rest of us enjoyed ourselves.

hen we’re good to go,” I responded to Marvin, as Josephine waited for me to fin

ssing the same thing, and he’s not budging,” he informed me, an

ing an all-out persuasion from all

More or less,” he

l head over,” I told.

tal connection.

ched us.

lp but wonder what was going on.

e of seriousness that caught our attention.

etched with worry. The severity of his expression hinted at bad news, leaving me equally apprehensive.

te?” Marvin inquired.

We’re not sure about his trustworthiness yet,” Justin responded gravely, h

intensely in such a short span.

seems like a decent guy to me,” Oliver chimed

causing laughter to ripple through t

ss.

p,” Marvin explained, causing Justin’s eyes to nearly pop out of his head.

with her, but I never considered they might be mates. Hearing this now…” he trailed off, his thoughts clearly racing.

ertheless, I’m sure they’l

in, prompting laughter from all of us.

igh.

ed.

eard,” he linked us, and a wave of shock washed over me.

“The packhouse is bugged. Our conversations are being monitored,” he linked us

I could almost see the relief on Marvin’s face as his prayers were answered.

unwind at

s were being monitored, I aimed to make our outing sound innocuous.

ked. The individuals Liam and Charlotte visited, along with the elderly woman and her great-granddaughter – Josephine and I visited – were all targeted this morning,”

ce.

e are leaving Grizlo due to safety concerns.

ituation became evident when

alised that Justin

khouse was indeed bugged.

ns with Aunt Claudia that day. I couldn’t help but feel concerned – this turn of events might be the reason our

exchanged a glance with Justin, his eyes communicating the gravity of the situation.

ade our way to the park in the van. A

few ventured, providing the privacy we needed. As we reached the gate, our permission to enter the restricted section was duly acknowledged.

roundings at present.

re unfolding around us.

ly hungry.

you ask her to step away?” I mentally connected with Josephine.

his your secret spot for solitude?” Marvin inquired aloud

he had overheard our conversation.

it’s just been m

her hand slipping into my back pocket. I’ returned the gesture by loosely embracing her with my arm.

on.

Claudia have fallen apart,” Justin remarked, and I had already anticipated this.

inued, causing Josephine to pull away slightly.

ency, and he affirmed her suspicion.

validating my earlier gut feeling a

consider this:

erpoint.

chains didn’t necessarily prove his innocence. It was plausible th

d?” Justin posed, and none of us made an effort to guess.

ack.

ing for?” I asked in astonishment, and he nodded affirmatively.

.

on

taken an even darker tu

Marvin’s question hung in the air, a reflection of the grim reality we faced.

ugh investigation of Lebedev and Sokolov.

ackhouse. Looking back, it seems quite plausible now. Their ulterior motives are becoming glaring,” Justin analysed, his deduction sharp and incisive.

all, he had a run-in with Thompson before all

so it’s highly unlikely.

interjected, her assessment making sense.

pian

’t afford to dismiss anyone as harmless.

aries held the upper hand. They were privy to our knowledge, while we were left in the dark – blind to their intentions.

w heavy sighs, his gaze finall

age would be directed at me.

began, but I was already lost at the mention of Josephine returning home.

react. Alex’s growls echoed in my mind, a mixture of protectiveness and defensiveness. Why would they ask for this?

ad to be a reason, a motive behind this decision.

Josephine were pivotal to this investigation. More importantly, Josephine was paramount to me. She was mine, and I wouldn’

alm down,” Justin’s voice reached me while ever

h internal turmoil, a fierce struggle with Alex, who seemed to be overpowering my rationality.