Chapter 13 Mexican Hot Chocolate

Wren

We took three cars out to a nice Mexican restaurant for breakfast, and the men ate a shocking amount of food in a very efficient manner. I chatted with Brandy most of the time as I attempted to ignore the sparks between me and Magnum, who was sitting on my other side. She helped me memorize everyone's nicknames. She said they didn't normally share their real names until after they got to know you.

"Steel's real name is Itee Nivikanguak." She proceeded to share even though I'd just met Steel.

"Are you supposed to be telling me this?"

She shrugged. "He's from Alaska." As if that explained anything.

"I bet he has some intriguing stories to tell." He had a scar on his face too, not as prominent as Vander's big V but more recent and more like a single gash on his cheek.

"Oh, you should talk to Celeste. She is so badass. Her real name is Misha. She's from Russia originally, but Vander met her when Steel was being held hostage in Colombia."

Steel leaned down with his handsome face and whispered in her ear. "Babe, chill on the stories and real names for now."

Her eyes got all dreamy, and she squeezed his hand. "Okay." She turned to me and winked. "Later then. "

I continued to observe them as we ate a delicious breakfast of huevos rancheros and burritos. A quiet camaraderie hung in the air over the table, as if they were all in on a secret.

"Where are you from originally?" I asked Brandy because I figured that was a safe enough question.

"I grew up in a traveling circus, so everywhere."

Oh boy. My life seemed exceptionally bland compared to these adventurous, beautiful people. "I've never even been out of California."

"Well, it's beautiful here." She glanced out the glass front window of the restaurant. The rain had stopped and the sparkling California sunshine reflected off the pavement like a mirror.

"Parts of it are. You've probably seen so much of America. Seems like these guys have been all over the world."

A waitress brought me a steaming cup of hot brown liquid. I hadn't ordered it, so I looked at Magnum.

"Mexican hot chocolate," he said. I stared in shock as he poked his finger in the soft foam and then stuck it in his mouth. He popped his finger out and smirked. "A little hot. Watch out." He winked. "Spicy. Not sure if you can handle it."

"I can handle hot chocolate," I said indignantly and took a sip. The thick liquid burned my tongue, but oh my God, it was divine. I smiled at him. "Yum." I raised my eyebrows in challenge. He had no idea of the level of heat I was capable of handling.

He shook his head and laughed as he continued to scarf down his tamales. Why did everything he said and did come off as both playful and a little insulting ?

"I've seen the dark sides of a lot of towns. There were many times on the road I wished I had someplace to call home," Brandy continued our conversation from before my drink arrived.

"Mmm-hmm." That was true. I did always have a place to call home. Or I did until we lost the house in Glendale. Now I called the bakery home, but it had always been my home base.

We finished eating, and I was surprised when Vander picked up the tab for the whole table. Full breakfast for seven people! It must've been hundreds of dollars. I tried to hide my eyes bulging out when he dropped a silver card for the waitress. Maybe he wrote these things off as business expenses, but still. My grandfather never splurged like that when we ate at restaurants. We always drank free water and stuck with appetizers instead of meals.

Magnum pulled out my chair and helped me stand up. "Uh, thank you." He'd also pulled out my chair when we sat down. We walked outside to the waiting cars, and he turned to face me.

"This way." He opened the back door of his Jeep and withdrew a black gym bag. "You're gonna go shopping with the girls now. Get whatever you need. Celeste will cover you. You'll be safe. Stella's gonna meet up with you somewhere, and you'll stay at her place tonight in La Jolla." He was digging through the bag looking for something and not really paying attention to me. In fact, he'd been relatively quiet ever since we left the safe house .

"Alright." I was a little nervous about staying with someone I hadn't even met yet in a city I'd never been to, but I wasn't going to complain about anyone offering me help.

He handed me two black, unmarked boxes. They were heavy and weighed down my arms. "New phone and laptop for you. They are secure. Keep the burner I gave you but use this one from now on. You'll go to the office with Stella tomorrow. She'll introduce you to the tech department."

"Okay." It felt a little like I was being handed off to strangers.

"I'm gonna hook up with Helix and hunt down Gavin."

"Of course." Jeez, how did I keep forgetting Gavin was his brother and he could be in serious danger right now?

"I don't think they have him. My gut is still telling me he's hiding from them and us. That's what he does best, but we should find him to see what he knows about Kenny."

I nodded.

"Stay off all social media and don't try to look for Gavin or contact Kenny. My name is in the new phone under M . Everyone on the team is already programmed in. Gavin's under Loser."

"What?"

"If Loser contacts you, go ahead and talk to him, but don't tell him where you are. Contact me as soon as you hear from him."

"Okay."

Magnum was suddenly being very businesslike and distant. Our intimate encounter in the bed this morning seemed like it was ages ago .

He handed me my belongings in the duffle bag that Helix had brought. That was it. I'd been kicked to the curb. His generosity had run out. He was handing me over to Vander, Celeste, and someone named Stella.

That was fine. It was helpful having him here during the roughest times, but now that I was safe, I could be on my own. Right?

Vander and Celeste started kissing at the car they came in, and Steel was making out with Brandy. I tried not to stare, but holy cow, they were going at it with open mouths and groping hands right in the parking lot of the restaurant. Oy, this was awkward.

"Well, then, uh, goodbye. Thank you for breakfast. I'll see you soon." I held up my hand to wave at him.

He chuckled and opened his arms reluctantly. "C'mere."

What? Like a charity hug for the ugly girl? I was about to say no when he grabbed my upper arms and pulled me into a bear hug. My forehead pressed against the black T-shirt covering his very hard chest. I landed somewhere between two firm pecs. He smelled good and he was warm so I wrapped an arm behind his back.

He encircled me in both arms and gave my back a gentle squeeze that pressed against my wounds. I flinched slightly and pulled back.

"Sorry," he muttered and moved one hand to my neck and the other to my left hip. Both hands tugged me closer until my whole front was squished up against his hard planes.

To him, it probably seemed like a brotherly hug, but to me, it was different. Magnum was way too hot to be my brother, and the belly flops I felt when I stood close to him were definitely not platonic. The way he rumbled filthy words in my ear this morning and pressed his hard dick up against my backside was not a brotherly thing to do. And the way he'd been looking out for me seemed over the top even if I was Gavin's wife.

A soft moan rumbled in his chest and vibrated against my cheek. His hips jutted forward ever so slightly and for a moment, I debated jumping him and climbing him like a tree.

Nope. Gavin's brother. My brother-in-law, technically. Just a very friendly guy and super helpful. Not the jerk I thought he was at the beginning.

As he pulled away, he said, "Don't forget to get more of those white panties."

Okay, maybe he was the jerk I thought he was. He was totally making fun of me.

I pushed against his abs, but he didn't budge. "Hey."

"Maybe a little school girl skirt, some tall white socks." He was teasing me for not fitting in with the other women, and I didn't appreciate it.

I scowled at him. "You're mean."

"And you're an angry kitten."

"I am not an..." Celeste left Vander and joined Brandy and Fiona as they climbed into a big black SUV. "Am I going with them?"

"Yep."

I turned and waved my hand casually. "Buh-bye."

His chuckle echoed behind me as I walked away from him and his perpetually rude comments.