by Susan Stoker
Midas: I promise I’ll make it up to you.
* * *
Lexie sighed. With how her day was going, she’d been looking forward to having a long evening with Midas. She brought the phone up to her lips and dictated a response.
* * *
Lexie: It’s okay.
* * *
Three dots immediately showed up, indicating he was responding. Lexie waited to see what else he had to say.
* * *
Midas: People have been extra grumpy today. It must be a full moon. Be careful walking home and text me when you get there. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.
Lexie: You’ve noticed too? I hope the sun comes out soon because I can’t handle people’s weirdness. I’ll be fine. Love you.
Midas: I love you too, Lex. Thank you for being so understanding.
Lexie: Would me pitching a fit make you get off earlier?
Midas: lol. No, but I wish.
Lexie: Right. So I’ll see you when you get off work. Drive safely.
Midas: Always.
* * *
Lexie put her phone back in her pocket and contemplated what to do. There was really no reason to leave at her usual time because all she’d do was sit around her apartment being grumpy. Maybe she could go shopping on her way home and pick up some groceries to make Midas a nice dinner. But then again, she had no idea what time he’d get off work, and he might eat before he left the base.
Her musings were cut short by a shout from the kitchen. She rushed toward the back room and grimaced when she saw Jack lying on his back under the sink. It had obviously sprung another leak because water was spraying everywhere. This wasn’t exactly the best impression for Magnus, but at least Lexie knew what she’d be doing the rest of the afternoon.
She ran toward the water shut-off valve. When she’d cut it off, she looked around and wrinkled her nose. There was water everywhere. It would definitely take all afternoon to clean up the mess. Rolling up her sleeves, Lexie got to work.
Magnus knew he should be tired, but he was running on pure adrenaline. The second he saw Lexie Greene, a red mist descended across his vision. He pictured himself reaching out right then and there and wrapping his hands around her throat, choking the life out of her.
She looked so damn healthy. And happy. And it wasn’t fair! She should be feeling guilty. Shouldn’t be able to eat, to sleep. But instead, she glowed with vitality.
Bitch.
He’d sat in the director’s office for an hour or two pretending to look at files on her computer, but he didn’t give a shit about any of it. The organization could run itself into the ground. In fact, he’d do everything in his power to make sure it did.
When he couldn’t stand not knowing what she was doing any longer, he left the office and lurked in the main room, watching Lexie as she flitted from one person to the next. Always smiling, always positive. He wanted to smack that damn smile off her face, and he would. Soon.
Magnus had already noted that the Food For All building seemed to be in a somewhat rough neighborhood. And he also knew that Lexie had been given an apartment in a building nearby. She’d told him she walked home sometimes, when her boyfriend wasn’t able to pick her up. He didn’t know the asshole’s schedule, but he was counting on the fact that at least once in the next three days, he wouldn’t be able to come get her.
When a water pipe broke in the kitchen, it gave Magnus a convenient distraction. He slipped out the front door. His eyes scanned the area as he walked, until he saw what he needed.
As he looked down a dark, narrow alleyway between two buildings, he saw a large man sitting against the wall with a shopping cart parked next to him. He stared at the opposite wall as he drank from a bottle wrapped in a paper bag.
Glancing around and seeing no one, Magnus slipped into the alley.
He could smell the homeless man’s body odor as he approached. It was offensive, but that didn’t matter. His face was covered in a scruffy beard, with what looked like pieces of food stuck in the coarse strands. He had on a pair of torn and dirty tan pants and a T-shirt with holes of varying sizes. He had no shoes on his feet, but a pair of worn-out flip-flops were on the ground next to him.
“What d’ya want?” the man growled as Magnus approached.
“A moment of your time,” Magnus said.
“Damn foreigners,” the man said. “How about some money? You look like you got plenty.”
“I do,” Magnus said, ignoring the deepening of the man’s frown. Clearly, his answer wasn’t what the man expected to hear. “And I’d be happy to give you some. But I need a favor first.”
The homeless man looked disgusted. “I ain’t no homo,” he said belligerently.
Magnus sneered. “I do not want sex.” Then he went on to explain what he wanted from the man.
The skeptical look hadn’t faded from the guy’s face. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Magnus told him. “And to show you how serious I am, I’ll give you twenty bucks right now, and the other four hundred and eighty after you do what I want.” He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and peeled a twenty dollar bill off the top, holding it toward the man.
“Half. I want half now,” the man bargained.
Magnus shrugged and put the money back in his pocket and turned to walk away.
“Wait!”
Magnus smirked and waited.
“Fine. Gimmie the money.”
Magnus took the bill back out of his pocket and turned to face him. The homeless man snatched it out of his hand and crumpled it up in his fist.
Leaning down, Magnus did his best not to inhale as he spoke. “If you fuck me over, you’re a dead man. I know twenty ways to kill you and make it look like suicide.”
“Whatever,” the man said, not impressed. “How’ll I get the rest of my money?” he asked.
Magnus stood and straightened his tie. The slacks and long-sleeve shirt were too hot for this climate, but he had a reputation to maintain. “If you do a good job, I’ll find you afterward.”
“You better,” the man mumbled.
Magnus’s leg shot out. He kicked the guy in the side with all his strength.
The homeless man flew sideways with a cry. Magnus quickly crouched and wrapped a hand around his throat…and squeezed.
The man immediately tried to pry the hand off his neck so he could breathe, but Magnus was too strong. “Don’t fuck with me,” Magnus warned. “Understand?”
The man nodded frantically, his eyes widening with panic as more and more seconds raced by without him being able to get air into his lungs.
Magnus had no idea he’d get such a rush out of this! Seeing the desperate fear in the man’s eyes was a game changer. Made Magnus feel powerful for the first time since Dagmar had died. He’d been powerless for so long, and now he held this man’s life in his hands.
He fucking loved it.
But he also knew he couldn’t kill him. Not now, in the middle of the day. And he still needed him. A healthy dose of fear would make sure he did exactly as he was told.
Magnus let him go with a shove, then stood. He watched with a smirk as the lowlife gasped for air. He turned and headed back down the alley toward the street. Peering out, he once again saw no one looking in his direction.
The way Americans pretended not to see those on the fringes of society would definitely work in his favor. Smiling, and feeling much better than he had even twenty minutes ago, Magnus headed back toward Food For All. He looked down at his hands and flexed them. He could still feel the man’s throat in his palm. It had felt amazing.
But having Lexie fucking Greene under his hands would feel even better.
He had to be patient. Had to set things up so when he left Hawaii, no one would find him the least bit suspicious.
Chapter Sixteen
Lexie was more than ready to head home by the time the mess in the kitchen had been cleaned up. She just wanted to see Midas and not think about anything for a fe
w hours. She slung her purse over her head and walked toward the door.
Angry shouts from outside made her stop in her tracks.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw Jack was nowhere in sight, and Pika had left fifteen minutes ago. There were a few part-time employees around, but they all seemed busy with other people.
“I’ll walk you home,” Magnus said from her right, making Lexie jump in fright.
She chuckled nervously. “I didn’t see you,” she told him.
“I noticed. I would like some time to talk to you anyway. I am sorry I haven’t been able to talk to you much today.”
“It’s okay,” Lexie said. “You’ve been busy. Besides, you aren’t here to hang out with me, you’re here to work. I hope the audit is going okay?”
“It is fine. Come on, it sounds like someone isn’t happy out there. You should get home.”
“Thank you,” Lexie said. She was beyond relieved she wouldn’t have to walk home by herself. Especially with whatever was going on outside.
“Wait here a moment,” Magnus said as he headed for the door. He disappeared out onto the sidewalk, and Lexie shifted nervously where she stood. He was back within two minutes and held out his arm to her.
Lexie hooked her arm with his and they headed out into the humid Honolulu evening. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone who might’ve been making the ruckus she’d heard. Relieved, she glanced up at Magnus. He looked just as prim and proper as he had when he’d arrived earlier. His white shirt was still crisp and his tie was still perfectly knotted. His back was straight as he walked, his gait somewhat stiff.
“What do you think of Hawaii so far?” she asked as they walked.
“It’s hot. And humid,” Magnus said.
Lexie laughed. “Yes, it is. But today was very unusual. It storms in the afternoons a lot, but most of the time they don’t last very long and the sun comes out again. Are you going to get some time to go to the beach or sightsee?” she asked.
“I doubt it. There’s a lot of work to be done for the audit and my plane leaves in three days.”
“Yeah,” Lexie said. She knew his schedule. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t planned more time. But he seemed much more uptight and…proper than his brother had been. Dagmar had also been businesslike, but Magnus seemed constantly on edge for some reason.
“Do you want to go out to dinner one night with me and Midas?” she asked. “There are a few amazing Hawaiian restaurants we could take you to.”
“We will see,” Magnus said with a nod.
Hmmm. She’d hoped for a more enthusiastic response. But maybe he was just tired. Wracking her brain to try to think of something else to say as they walked, Lexie jerked in surprise when a man yelled from what seemed like right behind her.
“Hey, bitch!”
She turned to see a large man with a scruffy beard standing way too close.
“Yeah, you,” he said when he caught her eye. “You got any money? I need money.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t,” she said honestly. She never carried cash, it just wasn’t safe in this part of town.
“Liar!” the man exclaimed. He reached for her, but Magnus pulled her out of the man’s reach.
“It’s time to go,” he told the man.
But the scruffy man just sneered. “Ooooh. The big bad protector. What about you? You got any money?”
“Ignore him,” Magnus said, turning his back on the man and heading back down the sidewalk.
Lexie wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let the man out of their line of sight, but she followed Magnus’s lead.
The guy followed behind them, verbally harassing them as they walked.
“Nice ass. I bet you’ve got a pretty pussy too. You can’t like that stick in the mud. I bet he’s got a tiny dick. My cock is huge. I’ll fill you right up.”
Lexie winced. She wasn’t comfortable at all. She’d never experienced anything like this kind of sexual harassment here before, and it seemed so out of place. Not to mention, it was very scary.
“Back off,” Magnus told him, but kept walking.
“I’ve seen you,” the man said. “All that pretty hair. Walking home alone. I can be your boyfriend. I’ll take care of you.”
Shivering, Lexie didn’t like the fact that he’d watched her. She felt vulnerable, and she hated it.
Without a word, Magnus turned and stepped toward the man. Lexie let go of him and watched in disbelief as he punched the guy in the face.
He went down with a thud, laughing as he looked up at them. Blood dripped from his nose as he said, “That all?”
“That’s all,” Magnus growled.
“Bitch is probably frigid,” the man retorted, then staggered to his feet and went back the way he’d come, toward Food For All.
“Holy shit,” Lexie exclaimed softly. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Magnus said. “Come on, let’s get you home before anything else happens. This is not a good part of the city.”
“It’s not usually this bad,” she said.
“I have been here one day and there has been much…excitement,” Magnus countered.
“I know, but seriously. I’ve been here for a while and no one’s ever come up to me like that.”
“You can’t trust people,” Magnus told her as they walked a little faster toward her apartment building. “I would think you would have learned that after what happened.”
“I prefer seeing the good in people,” she said.
“Sometimes there is none,” Magnus countered.
Lexie frowned. She didn’t like that anyone thought that way, but especially someone who worked for Food For All. Too often the people they met had been discriminated against and had many strikes against them. Some had been in prison and were trying to get back on their feet, others were alcoholics or addicted to drugs. And while Lexie was aware that not everyone had good intentions, she still preferred to give people the benefit of the doubt.
They reached the doors to her building and Magnus turned to her. She saw he had some blood on his knuckles. “You should get that cleaned up.” For some reason, she didn’t offer to let him come up to her apartment to do it.
“I will,” he said. “Look. I am sorry about that man scaring you. But there are many like him who would want to hurt a pretty woman like yourself.”
“He was an anomaly,” she insisted stubbornly.
“Like him?” Magnus asked, turning and using his head to gesture across the street.
Lexie looked where he’d indicated and saw an alleyway. She was about to ask what he was talking about when she saw movement. A man stood up and stared at her.
“I believe that is…Theo?” Magnus said. “You told me about him in our correspondence. You said he scared you.”
“It was just that once. Things got intense in the fight,” Lexie said a little nervously.
“Then why is he watching your apartment complex? Lurking in the dark, following you?”
Lexie didn’t have an answer to that. She wanted to protest, saying Theo was probably just staying in the alley for the night. That it was a coincidence he was there. But the truth was, she didn’t know that for a fact. He had a tendency to leave before her in the afternoons, and she had no idea where he went or what he did at night. He was usually one of the first people there in the mornings for breakfast. Sometimes he stayed all day and other times he left right after he ate.
“He is not right mentally,” Magnus said gently. “It is not good that he is here. He watches you. I saw it today. And you told me earlier that he’s always waiting in the morning for Food For All to open, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re usually the first one to enter the building. He could overpower you when you get there. You need to be careful, Lexie.”
Lexie nodded and pressed her lips together in agitation. For the first time in months, she didn’t feel safe. She’d had no problems walking around Galkayo by herself. She’d roamed the streets of Berli
n and New York on her own. She’d even lived in East Saint Louis for a time and had made friends with the people she’d interacted with on a daily basis.
And not once had she ever felt as nervous as she was right now. She hated the feeling. She needed to get inside. “I will. Thanks for walking me home,” she told Magnus.
“It was my pleasure. You will be there in the morning, like usual?” he asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“Natalie has given me a key, so I can come and go as needed to make sure I have enough time to finish the audit. I’ll think I’ll also go in early, to keep an eye on you.”
Lexie nodded, feeling only slightly relieved. “Okay. I’ll see you then.”
“Goodbye. Until tomorrow.”
Lexie let out a relieved breath when the doors closed behind her. She reassured herself that Theo didn’t know what apartment she lived in. Besides, Midas would be there soon. She was fine. Safe.
But the goose bumps that rose on the back of her neck belied her positive thoughts.
Midas tapped his foot impatiently as the elevator rose to Lexie’s floor. He’d hated not being able to pick her up earlier. The meeting with the commander was important, but he’d wanted to be there to see how her meeting with Magnus had gone. She’d been looking forward to it for weeks now.
The elevator opened and he strode down the hall toward her door. He’d texted Lexie to let her know he was on his way up. Most of the time she met him at the door and had it open before he even got there. But for some reason that wasn’t the case today. Midas knocked, concerned about the change in their routine.
He was even less happy when he got his first look at Lex, when she finally opened the door.
There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked stressed way the fuck out. He didn’t get much time to examine her before she threw herself into his arms.