Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Linus glanced at Magnus. “What spider?”

“Long story,” he dismissed.

“I’m in no hurry to be anywhere else,” his brother assured.

“Pity,” he mumbled before going on to explain about Angel and her spider.

Linus’s eyes were wide by the time Magnus finished. “Christ, you’ve always hated spiders.”

“It was breaking my heart listening to Angel cry for the hairy little fucker. You can laugh, I don’t mind,” he dismissed when he saw his brother was having difficulty not doing exactly that. “See if you can resist her when she gives you a hug for bringing the donuts.”

“I’m counting on it!” Linus nodded. “A hug from Sapphie would have been nice too but— I’m just messing with you, Mag,” he chuckled as Magnus’s growls grew louder. “I’m happy for you. Truly.”

Magnus would be happy too, once Sapphie finally surrendered to being his.

His love.

His wife.

His everything.

“I’m actually here right now because the guys downstairs called me earlier this morning concerning another situation,” Linus cut into his thoughts, his expression serious.

“Where?”

“Here.”

“Here?” he echoed incredulously.

The building had twenty-four-seven security guards. Numerous cameras. Best of all, they were twenty floors up. How the fuck could there be a situation here?

Linus nodded. “They only called me because they didn’t want to disturb you, something about you having gone down to the underground garage at one o’clock this morning, left in your car, and then returned at almost three o’clock. I thought they were mistaken about you having gone out, but I realize what happened now I know the spider story.”

Magnus’s gaze narrowed. “What situation?”

“Apparently, the guys lock up the front door at midnight and then open up again at six o’clock. The tenants have a code they can use if they want to come in during those hours.”

Magnus nodded. “I already know that.”

“You wouldn’t have seen anything unusual when you went out because you exited and returned to the building from the underground garage,” Linus continued. “But when the guys unlocked the building at six o’clock this morning, stepping out to make their usual check outside , they discovered red paint graffitied all over the frontage of the ground floor.”

“What the hell? They saw nothing until that time?”

“They do a check of the perimeter downstairs on the hour, every hour. Which probably means that for a few minutes at least every hour, there’s no one at the desk or front of the building. I think the person doing the graffitiing knew that, probably after surveilling the building for a few hours. They probably then waited for the right moment to attack.”

“Well, that system has to change.”

Linus nodded. “I’ll leave you to sort that out. But it’s not pretty down there.”

“Let me guess. Whore. Bitch. Other words along the same lines?” When he went to collect Henry earlier, Magnus had seen those same words graffitied on the walls of the apartment Sapphie and Angel had so hastily vacated two days ago.

Linus nodded. “Exactly along those lines. A team of our men should arrive in an hour or so to clean it off before too many people have a chance to see it.”

“Thanks. But how the fuck did the Carluccis discover where Sapphie is right now?” Magnus rasped.

“We don’t know for sure it was them.”

“Who the hell else could it be?”

Linus grimaced. “Those words are personal. Very personal. Which is why I’m thinking a disgruntled ex-employee might be a better guess.”

Magnus thought for a moment before frowning. “You’re referring to the woman from the nursery who was dismissed a couple of days ago? Francesca Fuller?”

His brother shrugged. “The two attacks, one to the nursery and one on this building, were both in London. I think if it was any of the men the Carluccis had hired to find Sapphie and Angel, they wouldn’t have wasted time graffitiing her apartment they would have followed them to Scotland. Whoever is doing this is obviously based in London and, between the two of you, you and Sapphie did get the woman fired from her job,” he pointed out.

“Her own behavior got her fired.”

“We know that. But she doesn’t sound like the sort of woman who would rationalize it or see the situation in the same way we do.”

“Was there anything on the security cameras?”

“Again, they only show a shadowy figure wearing a hoodie and gloves this time.”

“What shadowy figure?” Sapphie prompted sharply.

Magnus turned quickly to see her standing in the doorway with an empty plate and glass in her hand. Obviously, Angel had finished eating her breakfast.

Magnus had no idea how long Sapphie had been there or how much of their conversation she had overheard, but it was obviously long enough for her to have heard his last comment.

He could see the stress had returned to those lovely violet eyes.

Sapphie’s earlier good humor and the feeling of well-being from having eaten the delicious calorie-filled donut were completely forgotten at hearing Magnus say they would have to leave London. Again.

“What’s happened?” She put the plate and glass aside to run her hands nervously down the thighs of her jeans as she looked at the two men. “And no prevaricating or avoiding the truth,” she warned as the brothers looked at each other as if for guidance as to how much they should tell her.

Magnus drew in and then released a heavy breath. “The phantom graffiti artist has struck again. On the ground floor of this building this time.”

Her eyes widened. “Does that mean the Carluccis know I’m here? Answer me, Magnus!” she snapped when she saw him hesitate.

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But Linus has another theory. He thinks the graffiti could be the work of Francesca Fuller and not the Carluccis.”

She frowned. “I thought you said that ninety-nine percent of people who make those ‘you’ll regret this’ threats never actually carry through on them?”

“I’m now speculating that Francesca Fuller is part of the one percent,” he acknowledged ruefully.

Sapphie sighed her frustration with his answer. “Do you think she was the one who broke into the Buzzy Bees Nursery and stole the addresses of the parents?”

“That would be the logical conclusion, yes.”

“It makes sense,” she agreed. “But how on earth would she even know where you live, let alone that Angel and I are here too?”

“I gave Angel one of my private cards at the park the day we met, rather than a business one. She was meant to pass it along to you,” Magnus explained. “Which, I’m guessing, you didn’t receive.” He nodded when Sapphie shook her head. “In that case, I would presume Francesca Fuller took it from Angel and that she still has it. The address of this apartment was on it, as well as my private cell phone number.”

“This woman Fuller doesn’t necessarily know you and Angel are even here right now.” Linus shrugged when they both turned to look at him. “She took out her anger on Sapphie’s apartment after it must have been obvious, by the lack of personal items there, that she and Angel had already left. Spray-painting the outside of this building could simply now be her way of getting revenge on Magnus, and for the same reason.”

It made a sort of sense. Far more, Sapphie admitted, than that the Carluccis had found her and were now tracking where she and Angel went.

Because if the Carluccis knew where they were, she doubted they would allow their men to waste time spray-painting graffiti on a building. No, they would already be taking steps to have Sapphie and Angel returned to the US.

She winced as she looked at Magnus. “I’m really sorry about the damage to your building.”

“Not your fault,” he dismissed. “A team of our men are coming to clean it up, anyway.”

“Courtesy of moi .” Linus grinned.

She chewed on her bottom lip. “How do we find out if your theory is the correct one? Because I really don’t want to have to leave again so soon.”

“I’m not going to let you do that,” Magnus stated.

“If the Carluccis are behind this, and not Francesca Fuller?—”

“Then we deal with it when that time comes. Right now, it’s more important to determine who is responsible for the graffiti here.” Magnus took out his cell phone, pressing a few buttons before holding it up to his ear. “Police? My name is Magnus Wynter, and I’d like to report deliberate vandalism to one of my buildings. Graphic graffiti. Yes, I have a good idea who might be responsible,” he added, obviously in answer to their queries. “The woman’s name is Francesca Fuller, and she is an ex-employee of the Buzzy Bees Nursery. No, I don’t know her address, but if you contact Allison Fairbody at said nursery, I’m sure she’ll be happy to tell you…”

Sapphie’s attention drifted away from listening to the rest of Magnus’s conversation.

She hadn’t minded the constant running when it was just her and Angel who were affected by this situation. Well…she’d minded, but she’d dealt with it, because it meant they stayed safely out of the Carluccis’ clutches.

But involving Magnus in the mess of her life really wasn’t an option Sapphie felt comfortable with. She should just pack up her and Angel’s things and walk away. Right now?—

“Have you seen the size of those shoulders?”

Sapphie turned, a frown on her brow in response to Linus’s softly spoken query. “Sorry?”

He grinned. “I was just wondering in what universe you were imagining Magnus is going to allow you and Angel to just walk away from here or him.”

“I—” She gave an impatient shake of her head. “I thought you said something about shoulders?”

He nodded. “Magnus’s. They’re big enough to bear the weight of any of your problems, real or perceived, and then some,” he added ruefully.

Linus was muscular and obviously kept himself fit, despite sitting behind a computer most of the time, but he wasn’t as tall and his muscles weren’t as defined as his eldest brother’s.

Sapphie sighed. “The point is, they are my problems, and he doesn’t need to become involved in them any more than he already has.”

“ He will be the one to decide what he becomes involved in and what he doesn’t,” Magnus growled, obviously having finished with his call. “You and Angel are staying put until we know more about this situation. Even then, I’m not going to let you just disappear into the ether.”

“But—”

“Do you remember what I told you would happen the next time you said anything that sounded even remotely derogatory about yourself?” He arched one dark eyebrow.

Sapphie shot Linus an uncomfortable glance, her cheeks heating at this reminder of Magnus’s threat to spank her bottom.

Between her thighs became moist and hot, throbbed , just thinking about Magnus laying her over his muscular thighs and spanking her. Would he bare her bottom first or just spank her with her clothes on?—

“This sounds interesting,” Linus put in cheekily. “Care to share?”

“No!” Sapphie and Magnus both answered vehemently at the same time.

Sapphie directed an angry frown at Magnus. “I didn’t say anything derogatory about myself.”

“Your words implied that you don’t consider yourself important enough to inconvenience me or anyone else in order to keep you safe.”

“I didn’t say that,” she instantly defended. “Linus?” She turned to him for support.

He gave a pained wince. “I suppose it could have sounded that way.” He shrugged. “Especially so to someone who has become a possessive arsehole where you’re concerned,” he added with a mocking glance toward his brother.

Sapphie breathed out her frustration with this situation. “What did the police have to say?” She deliberately changed the subject.

“Once I explained the possible connection to the robbery at the nursery and the damage at your ex-apartment, which both already have police reports, they said they would send someone out to look at the damage here and to talk to both of us,” Magnus explained.

Sapphie had a feeling the police had made that decision based on the Wynter name alone. The family seemed to own half of London and have installed security for the other half. “We can’t be sure those three things are connected.”

“I’d bet the balance in my illegal hacking earnings account, which amounts to millions, by the way,” Linus added unapologetically, “that they will discover the paint used to decorate your old apartment and the one used on the front of this building are one and the same. I’m sure they will also discover that the perpetrator of those crimes retrieved your address during the break-in at the nursery.”

Magnus scowled. “My private card gave her my address here.”

“Miss Fuller is in deep shit, I’d say,” Linus dismissed.

“But—”

“Uncle Linus!” Angel burst excitedly into the room. “Thank you so much for the donut!” She was still carrying the case in which her beloved arachnid was living in luxury when she threw herself into Linus’s quickly opened arms.

Uncle Linus? Sapphie mentally echoed.

No! No, no, just no .

No way could she allow her daughter to start calling Magnus’s brother Uncle. Because the direct correlation from that was that Angel would start to call Magnus Daddy.

Angel had been only two years old when her real father died. Far too young to even remember him, let alone her baby attempts at saying Dada.

In fact, Angel had only realized these past six months, since she started attending the nursery, that she didn’t have a daddy like a lot of the other children did. Then the questions had started as to why she didn’t. So far, Sapphie had managed to distract her daughter from having to make too specific an answer to Angel asking where her daddy was.

But no way, absolutely no way, was she going to allow Angel to even start to think Magnus might be willing to fulfill that role for her.

Even if his marriage proposal to her already confirmed that he was.

A marriage proposal, and a permanence between them, he noticeably hadn’t mentioned again since Sapphie had refused him so emphatically…