by Susan Stoker
Lexie felt excitement well up inside her. She loved helping people, and the idea of being able to bring assistance to more of those in need seriously appealed.
“Shit, she’s good,” Elodie whispered.
“So, you in?” Ashlyn pushed. “We could use a professionally trained chef to help us.”
“I’m in,” Elodie said with a smile.
“Lex?”
“You know I’m in too,” Lexie promised.
“This calls for a toast!” Ashlyn said, lifting her bottle.
They all clinked their drinks together and took long sips.
Then Elodie asked, “So what’s up with this Theo guy?”
“Jeez, you’re taking lessons from Midas with the abrupt change of topic,” Lexie said wryly.
“Not really. I was thinking about Food For All and the people we could help, which made me think about the homeless men and women around here, and how many are on the streets through no fault of their own. Which made me think about Theo. Scott told me about him after the altercation the other week. Is he still around?”
“He is,” Ashlyn said. “And he watches Lexie like a hawk.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Lexie protested, trying to downplay the issue.
“He does,” Ashlyn insisted. “The only reason Jack and Pika haven’t kicked him out is because that’s all he does. He hasn’t said anything derogatory about you or tried to talk to you. But he definitely has his eyes on you whenever you guys are there at the same time.”
“Is he dangerous?” Elodie asked.
“No,” Lexie said. At the same time, Ashlyn shrugged.
“He’s just…different,” Lexie said. “Sometimes he seems pretty lucid, and other times he just sits in a corner and talks to himself. He seems more on edge since those guys started shit though.”
“He does,” Ashlyn agreed.
“You need to be super careful,” Elodie told her.
“I will. I am,” Lexie reassured her.
“The guys have been walking us home,” Ashlyn explained. “Setting up the second location for Food For All is also a good idea for safety reasons. I’m hoping to concentrate on getting meals to people who aren’t necessarily homeless, but are struggling financially and could use some help. So we wouldn’t necessarily be handing out food to the homeless.”
Lexie nodded. She’d never mentioned to Midas how uneasy she felt walking home. If she did, she knew without a doubt he’d do whatever it took to make sure he was there to pick her up, or one of his acquaintances. And she never wanted to be a burden like that. Besides, she was a grown adult, she could more than take care of herself. Had done so her entire life.
“Looks like you girls have some talking to do with your boss. And some pretty hefty convincing. But I know you can do it!” Elodie encouraged.
The three women smiled at each other. Tonight was not only fun, but the women had begun to forge a strong bond. Lexie had wanted girlfriends her entire life, and it seemed that she now had them.
“You guys want to take leftovers home?” she asked.
“Yes!” both Ashlyn and Elodie said at the same time.
“And I’m gonna eat all the cookies before Scott gets back!” Elodie exclaimed.
Deciding to let that go, as they had no idea if it would be one day or twelve or more until their men got home, Lexie headed into the small galley kitchen to start preparing the leftover food. The others helped, then each got another drink and headed over to the bed to hang out and continue chatting.
Five hours later, Lexie’s stomach hurt from laughing and her face was sore from smiling so much.
She’d never had as good a time as she’d had tonight. She was exhausted by the time Ashlyn and Elodie left in a taxi, but happier than she’d been in years. The only thing that could’ve made this night perfect was snuggling up to Midas as she fell asleep.
She didn’t know where he was or when he’d get home, but she had to believe that he’d come back to her safe and sound. The alternative was unthinkable. Midas was tough, and smart, and he had five of the best SEALs at his back. Six, if she included the mysterious Baker. Lexie was fairly sure if Midas and his team needed him, Baker would somehow know, and would do whatever it took to send in the cavalry. She really needed to meet this guy. He sounded both scary and amazing at the same time. He was definitely a man she wanted on her side. Maybe she’d make him a plate of pumpkin spice cookies to butter him up.
The room was spinning when Lexie finally climbed under the covers, but she couldn’t help but smile. She was excited about Ashlyn’s idea for the extension of Food For All. It would make the commute longer for her…unless she stayed over at Midas’s house. That made her grin even bigger.
Yes, it was safe to say that Lexie was more than happy with how things were going in her life. She had an amazing boyfriend, great friends, and a good job. A few months ago, when she was staring up at the stars from an African desert, she never could’ve imagined she’d be this content right now.
Reflecting on being a hostage made her smile dim as she thought about Dagmar. He hadn’t been as lucky. She hated that he hadn’t made it out alive.
Closing her eyes, she sent up a short prayer to the other man. “Rest in peace, Dagmar. And please help your brother heal. He misses you terribly.”
She knew Magnus was struggling by the way he talked about Dagmar in his emails and when they spoke on the phone. Maybe seeing how well she was doing would help him. Would bring some closure to what had happened. That, and getting involved in the organization that Dagmar loved so much.
Turning onto her side, Lexie put Dagmar, Magnus, even Elodie and Ashlyn out of her mind. Her thoughts were on Midas, the boy she used to know who had grown into one hell of a man. And he was hers. “Come home soon,” she whispered before falling into a deep sleep, aided by the alcohol she’d consumed.
Chapter Fifteen
Magnus Brander scowled when he walked out of the Honolulu International Airport, just over a month after he’d first told Lexie he’d be visiting the island. He’d wanted to get here sooner, but there had a been a lot of red tape and paperwork to struggle through. He’d begun to think Food For All wouldn’t allow him to travel to Hawaii at all, but after they’d received a very generous “donation” from the Brander family, the board had finally signed off on his visit.
He could have come at any time, of course. But he needed an official reason for being here to deflect suspicion when poor Lexie was found dead.
He wasn’t one hundred percent sure as to his plan, other than not leaving Hawaii before killing the bitch who was responsible for his brother’s death. There were too many unknowns to effectively plan from afar, but the fact that Lexie worked with the homeless population in downtown Honolulu should give him plenty of opportunities for a solid strategy. He’d always been good at thinking on his feet. He’d play things by ear once he’d observed Lexie and Food For All.
In less than a week, his brother’s death would be avenged. That was all that mattered.
Magnus took a deep breath. Honolulu was way too fucking hot. And humid. He already missed Denmark. But with every day that passed after his brother had died, he’d felt more and more empty. The hole inside him was growing, festering, taking over his body little by little. Soon, he’d be nothing but an empty shell, and he needed the person responsible to pay.
Every time he got an email or message from the little bitch, the urge to kill her grew stronger. She sounded so happy. So content. She went on and on about her boyfriend and how much she loved Hawaii. Fuck that shit. She didn’t even care that because of her, one of the greatest men he’d ever known was dead!
And worse, she’d used her feminine wiles to escape the hospital when the kidnappers came to take back what had been stolen from them. He’d read the report from the Jaeger Corps. Knew exactly what happened. He wasn’t surprised she was fucking the SEAL who’d rescued her. She’d probably had her legs spread for him even as the kidnappers closed in on the hospital. Wh
at a whore. It should’ve been her who’d died in that fucking cesspool of a town in Somalia. Not his brother. Not Dagmar!
Magnus climbed into a taxi and gave the driver the address of the Food For All headquarters downtown. He needed to get the lay of the land before heading to his hotel. Lexie had told him about an incident with some men who’d had outstanding warrants, who’d caused trouble at Food For All. She’d also mentioned someone named Theo, who apparently was out of his fucking mind and had scared her a time or two.
He hoped to exploit her fear as best he could.
He’d spend a few days solidifying a plan, while messing with Lexie at the same time. He didn’t give a shit about the audit he’d been sent to complete. As far as he was concerned, the entire organization could go down in flames. It was his next target, after he took down Lexie Greene. Food For All was just as much to blame. If it hadn’t been for that company, Dagmar wouldn’t have been in Somalia, wouldn’t have been taken hostage, and wouldn’t be dead.
Yes, he had a lot of work to do before he could go back to his beloved homeland. He wouldn’t rest until everyone and everything with a hand in Dagmar’s death burned to the ground. It wouldn’t bring his brother back, but maybe it would make the giant hole in his soul begin to shrink.
Lexie shifted impatiently next to Ashlyn, Jack, and Pika. Natalie was waiting outside to greet Magnus, who was on his way straight from the airport. She’d give him a tour of the building and show him their processes. It was a Wednesday afternoon, and there weren’t a lot of people there for food at the moment, which was probably better as far as an audit was concerned.
Theo continued to come by, and Lexie was trying give him a wide berth. She felt guilty about it, but after Midas had told her how concerned he was about the man, she was doing her best to try to mitigate his fears. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t still keeping watch over Theo and hadn’t asked Ashlyn to make sure he was eating properly.
The four men who’d fought with Theo still hadn’t been back, but there had been other men, and even a few women, who’d made Lexie nervous. It seemed that her experience being kidnapped had made her more wary. Midas said it wasn’t a bad thing, but it still bothered her. She wasn’t quite as naïve or clueless as she’d been in the past.
She was thrilled when Midas returned from his mission without a scratch on him, just a couple days after her girls’ night. Lexie was well aware that wouldn’t always be the case, but she was relieved things had gone well this time.
She was also very satisfied with how their relationship was progressing. He’d been back for a week and a half, and they’d spent every night together. Usually at his place, but sometimes when he worked extra late, he stayed at her apartment. He’d been working long hours, but reassured her that was normal after a mission. The Navy had also ramped up their training because of a few incidents that happened with other teams, so that meant he hadn’t been able to pick her up in the afternoons.
Lexie was all right with that, because she still got to see him every evening when he got off work. Even though Midas was usually tired, he still asked about her day, about her conversations with Magnus, about Theo, and about her blossoming relationships with Ashlyn and Elodie.
All in all, Lexie was unbelievably satisfied with her life at the moment. She knew she and Midas would eventually have disagreements and would both have their bad days, but she was becoming more and more confident that they’d be able to work through the tough times and stay as close as they were now.
Today, she was excited to see and talk to Magnus. The communication between them had become more regular and it felt as if they were friends now. As much as two people who’d never met could be friends. He was only scheduled to be in town four days, so he’d be very busy, but she hoped he’d be able to find some time to go to the beach or do something fun while he was here.
The second Magnus stepped through the door, Lexie felt as if a ten-pound weight was pressing on her chest. He looked exactly like Dagmar.
Of course he did. The men were twins, after all…but for some reason, it still surprised her. Magnus had the same blondish hair, same height—around five-ten or so—same blue eyes. And even though Magnus was in his fifties, his body was still quite fit.
“You okay?” Ashlyn asked quietly.
Lexie nodded. Seeing Magnus looking so healthy was painful. She remembered when Dagmar had looked that way, but months in the desert, and his stroke, had made him deteriorate quickly.
Magnus looked around the room and when his gaze landed on her, he stopped in his tracks. Lexie had told him what she looked like, and he’d probably seen the photo Food For All had on file. It was a little unnerving to be the sole focus of his attention.
He walked toward her, Natalie following behind him a little uncertainly. Magnus stopped in front of her.
“You must be Lexie.”
“That’s me. Hello, Magnus. I hope you had a good trip.”
“It was fine.”
He stared at her with a look Lexie couldn’t interpret. After all their emails and calls, she’d expected something…different. A hug. A smile. Something. But instead, he just stared with a completely blank expression on his face.
“Yes, this is Lexie. And Ashlyn, Pika, and Jack. They are our full-time employees,” Natalie said, filling in the awkward silence.
As if coming out of a trance, Magnus shook his head and smiled. He shook the others’ hands and turned back to Lexie. “Forgive me for being so awkward. It’s been a long day and I’m a little overwhelmed meeting you.”
“No need to apologize. I have to admit that it’s overwhelming to see you too. I really am sorry about Dagmar. I know I already expressed my sympathy, but he was a good man.”
“Yes, he was,” Magnus agreed. Then he turned back to Natalie. “I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next few days. How about we get this tour done, then you can show me to your office, where I can start looking over the accounts?”
His tone was all business, and Lexie frowned a little. She knew he was here to audit their branch, but still.
“Of course. I’ll pull up the files so you can start today,” Natalie said.
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Magnus said. “It was nice meeting you,” he added, nodding at Lexie and the others before turning and following Natalie down a hallway to her office.
“Wow, he’s kind of got a stick up his ass, doesn’t he?” Pika asked.
“Shhhh,” Ashlyn scolded. “The last thing we need is him hearing you.”
“I thought you said he was cool,” Jack asked Lexie.
She shrugged. “He’s always seemed that way in our conversations. Maybe he’s just tired from the long flight or something.”
“He could be upset by meeting you,” Ashley suggested. “Not that you aren’t super nice and all, but you’re a connection to his brother. And you said they were very close.”
“They were,” Lexie said with a nod. “I’m sure you’re right.”
The three other employees headed off to get some work done, but Lexie stood where she was for a long moment. That meeting hadn’t gone at all like she’d thought. She didn’t think Magnus would jump up and down with excitement, but she’d expected more than a weird stare and grumpiness.
Finally, she shook her head. The man was tired, just as she’d said. She remembered how exhausted she’d been when she’d first arrived. She needed to cut him some slack. He’d be more rested tomorrow and they could have a talk.
Nodding to herself, Lexie turned—and almost ran into Theo, who was standing right behind her. She hadn’t heard him approach. “Oh, I’m sorry, Theo. I should’ve been watching where I was going. Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”
“You should be careful. Very careful,” Theo mumbled. “You’re nice. Nice people can be hurt.”
Lexie studied him. “You’re nice too,” she said gently.
Theo shook his head. “No. I’m strange. My head is messed up,” he said, pointing to his temple. “
But I see people. Bad people. You should be careful.”
“Okay,” Lexie said, trying to soothe him. “Have you eaten today? If you go sit, I’ll bring you a sandwich.”
“No cheese,” Theo said, rocking a bit where he stood. “And no crusts.”
“I remember,” Lexie said with a smile. “I’ll make sure to only put on ham and take your crusts off.”
“Good…that’s good,” Theo said as he started to head back to where he’d left his stuff at one of the tables. Then he turned and pinned her in place with a look so lucid, so intense, Lexie froze in place. “He’s not a good man.”
“What? Who?” she asked, but Theo had already turned again and was moving toward his table.
Feeling frustrated with how her afternoon was going, Lexie sighed and went to the kitchen to make Theo’s sandwich.
A few hours later, Lexie’s day hadn’t improved. It seemed as if everyone was on edge. It could’ve been the weather, it had been unusually rainy and cloudy all day. It might’ve been the fact that Magnus was here, and had come out of the office and was sitting on one side of the room, watching and observing their everyday operations. It could’ve been because Theo was not having a good day, and he’d started two fights with other people who’d come in for meals and information on long-term assistance.
But Lexie knew she was out of sorts because of Magnus. He’d watched her all day, though he hadn’t approached. She could admit that she was disappointed. She’d had pretty high hopes for meeting him and so far, her expectations had proven to be way too high.
When her phone vibrated with a text, she eagerly took it out of her pocket. Seeing Midas had sent her a message, she smiled.
* * *
Midas: I’m so sorry, I’m not going to be able to pick you up this afternoon. Our commander promised that we’d get to go home early, but there was a huge explosion at a military base overseas and we need to discuss the situation.
