Page 55 of The Warrior
“I wanted to get some hot tea to warm up.”
“How long are you staying this time?”
“I’m not sure. Hans is going to contact me when there’s a new lead for Devlin.” We went inside to the kitchen, where I moved around to boil water while Magni sat on the counter watching me. When I blew warm air on my hands, he reached out and pulled me into his arms.
“Let me warm you.”
“Thank you.”
“Put your hands under my shirt.”
He didn’t wince when my ice-cold hands slid up to his belly, soaking up the heat that emanated from him.
His chin rested on the top of my head and his arms were wrapped around me. “I wish you would stay here,” he muttered.
“Then why did you ask me not to come back?”
“What?”
“Yesterday. You called me to say goodbye.”
Magni groaned.
“Honestly, Magni, I didn’t know if you meant it or not.”
“Did you miss the part about me being drunk?”
“No, but you know what they say: alcohol is a truth serum.”
“Whoever said that hasn’t been drunk. I’ve heard men boast that they can lift a drone, but I’ve yet to see them actually do it.”
I changed the subject. “Why didn’t you tell Mila the truth? You shouldn’t have lied to her about never spanking me.”
Magni’s hold around me tightened. “You don’t understand. Mila adores me. I don’t want to spoil that by telling her about things she doesn’t understand yet. It’s not her fault that she was born as a Momsie. It will take time to open her mind to our way of living.”
“She’s a sweet girl and it’s obvious that she loves you.”
Magni pulled back enough to see my face. “Love is a big word.”
“Not for Motlanders.” I moved back a little. “Thank you, I’m warm now.”
Magni watched me prepare my cup of tea without either of us saying a word.
“Do you want one?” I asked and turned my head to see him deep in thought. “Magni, I asked you if you want a cup of tea.”
He shook his head.
“What are you thinking about? You look so serious.”
“You, going back to the Motherlands.”
“We still need to bring Devlin back.”
“Can’t you leave him to the Momsies to catch? They’ve done pretty well so far.”
“Only because I helped them catch several of the nineteen criminals on the list. None of the Motlanders could have fought Diego like I did.”
Magni pushed off from the counter and came to stand next to me. “What do you mean you fought him? You told me they all surrendered.”
