Page 103 of Finding Lexie
His palms itched, and Magnus inspected them. They didn’t look any different than they had this morning, but he could literally still feel that homeless man’s dirty flesh on the skin of his palm. Could feel the struggle as he’d tried to suck in air and couldn’t.
Except when he thought of what had happened, it wasn’t a bearded man’s face he saw in his mind. It was that bitch’s.
She was too naïve. Too perky. Too fucking happy.
How she could be happy when he’d been left with an empty void inside him, Magnus didn’t know. Out of everyone in the world, Lexie Greene was the very last person who should feel happiness. She should always be as terrified as she’d been tonight. Should feel fear and dread every damn second of her pointless life.
The only consolation Magnus had was the fact that the last thing she’d ever experience was terror. Just as Dagmar had.
Satisfied that things would work out just as he hoped, Magnus closed his eyes. He really was tired from traveling, then working all day. His internal clock was all fucked up. But soon he’d be back home, and maybe, just maybe, Dagmar would be able to rest in peace. And in return, the gaping cavity inside Magnus would begin to heal.
Chapter Seventeen
The day after Magnus had arrived was relatively uneventful, for which Lexie was grateful. Midas had dropped her off at Food For All early as usual, and she’d gotten a head start on the day. Magnus showed up not too much later than she had and went straight to the office to get to work. After Stephen arrived and unlocked the doors, Theo had appeared, as was his custom. She’d been worried at first, but he’d taken a seat on the far side of the room while she’d been in the kitchen and hadn’t said anything to her. He rocked back and forth, and even when she put a piece of toast in front of him, with the crusts cut off, he didn’t look up.
Deciding not to confront him about why he was in the alley across from her building, especially when she wasn’t sure how he’d react to an interrogation, Lexie went back to work. She’d never seen Theo in that alleyway before, so she couldn’t really accuse him of watching her when she had no proof.
Midas called around two and said he had the rest of the day off and was coming to pick her up. Lexie headed to Natalie’s office to let her know.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to let you know that Midas is coming to pick me up now,” Lexie said.
“That’s fine. You’ve been working really long hours lately.”
“Will I get to meet him?” Magnus asked from behind the large desk, where he was sitting and looking at computer files.
“If you want to.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve heard a lot about him. And maybe he can tell me more about my brother.”
Lexie mentally winced. She wasn’t sure this was the time or place to talk about what had happened in Africa, but since Magnus hadn’t accepted her offer of dinner, and Midas couldn’t just take time off work whenever he wanted, she supposed there wouldn’t really be another good time.
“I’ll let you know when he gets here,” she told them.
Natalie nodded, while Magnus just stared at her with that penetrating gaze of his.
Closing the door, Lexie took a deep breath. Man, Magnus had turned out to be very different from what she’d thought, based on his messages and from talking to him on the phone. She assumed he was still in mourning, maybe even a little stressed because of this being his first audit.
Lexie headed back down the hall and visited with the men and women who were in the main room until Midas arrived. Luckily, Theo had left by the time he got there. She had a feeling Midas would’ve wanted to have a “chat” with the poor man.
“Hey,” Midas said, coming straight for her.
“Hi,” Lexie said with a huge smile. It was almost embarrassing how happy she was to see him. Midas never failed to make her feel good.
“How’s your day been?” he asked.
“Good.”
He crooked an eyebrow at her.
“Seriously. Good,” she insisted. “Except… I think Magnus wants to have a talk with you about his brother.”
“I’m okay with that,” Midas said.
“Really? I mean, I just figured it would be awkward.”
“It’s not. But I’m afraid he’s not going to be all that impressed with what I have to say. I was with you, not Dagmar, when the attack on the hospital happened, and even before that the Danish special forces took over his care in the field and on the way to Galkayo.”
“True,” Lexie said.
