AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That evil bastard, Edward Sinclair.
Monday morning and nothing has improved. If anything, it’s worse. I text Magnus and tell him to take the day off, with pay. After all, it’s not his fault I can’t open a dark store.
And now I know why.
There’s drilling and banging and trucks. And a giant hole in the ground two doors down outside a boarded-up building.
They’re not city workers. And at some point all around there are stickered signs stating work permits. And a notice on my door about the power.
I’m so angry. And I grow more and more furious as the day goes on. Because those lights aren’t coming on anytime soon.
I’m furious, and I want to cry.
I don’t. Instead, I start digging into everything.
I’m in deep when I realize the noise I hear isn’t the noise from all the work, but someone banging on the door. I lift my head.
Magnus.
The sheer relief that sweeps through me is something I can taste as I rise from the stool behind the counter in the shop.
He frowns when I open the door, looking around. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Edward Sinclair.” I gesture for him to come in.
There’s a moment, small and electrifying, as Magnus meets my gaze and slips past me, his body almost brushing mine, and little ripples of awareness spread out over my skin. “What’s he done now?”
His words warm me because it’s like I’ve somehow found an ally, and I bite down on my burgeoning smile. Even with the stress I’m feeling, he lifts me into a lighter place, even if it is a panacea of the temporary kind.
“What hasn’t he done? And why are you here? Not that I’m complaining, but…there’s not any work to do.”
He smiles that slow panty melting smile and everything swoons. “Can’t a man check on a pretty girl?”
“Magnus, we—”
“Why are the lights off? Did you not get I was coming?” He takes a look at my face and frowns. “Let me guess. Your billionaire nemesis?”
I push a hand through my hair and realize it’s probably resembling a fright wig, what with all the worrying I’ve done to it with my fingers, and…I don’t know why it matters, but it does. The kiss still sings in my veins. A kiss that I can’t let happen again. A kiss I want to repeat with the kind of desperation that rips through veins.
“There’s construction, as you noticed, by him. I saw the signs.”
Magnus frowns and heads to the counter. I follow. “Doesn’t he own a lot of the block?”
“Yes, but not all. Not yet.”
“If it’s illegal, then do something.”
“He’s a billionaire, so even if it was, how am I going to compete there? I can’t afford to take him to court or anything like that. Not with time and certainly not with money. The fact is, he can’t go through with his plans if I don’t sell. Keep it simple, right?”
“Right.” He looks at me, those dark eyes electrifying. “But your lights?”
“I called the power company, and they said everything is working fine. So it’s got to be somehow to do with them.”
“You should have told me earlier—”
“I don’t go running to people.” I shake my head. “I’m not a weak little damsel. And there’s nothing you can do or could do.”
He steps closer to me. “Except keep you company.”
