Page 35 of Magnus
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 ofmoi.” 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, theyaremy problems, and he doesn’t need to become involved in them any more than he already has.”
“Hewill 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.”
