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"It's Chinese New Year, my busiest week of the year." I stared at the closed doors, fear gripping my heart at the thought of not being there for the holiday and the customers who faithfully came to my shop for their treats.
"This Kenny guy is too much of an unknown." He stared down at me with concerned eyes, his face stern.
"I know, but the truth is that this is my safe place. This is my home, and I need some time there after all that's happened. I need to sell those holiday treats to the neighborhood." I also needed time alone in my room with some ice cream to process this away from Magnum and his big energy. "It's my happy place."
He looked back at the door, likely doubtful how a humble shop in LA could be my safe place. "Alright. I'm gonna upgrade your system today. I'm gonna hold onto your phone until I can get it checked out. For now, use this one." He pulled a new phone out of one of his bags along with a small piece of paper. "This is the number and the passcode. My name is under M for Mag."
I took the new phone from him. "I'm a little nervous to give up my phone."
"I know, but it's safer. If you need info from it, call me from that phone."
"Okay."
"If anything suspicious happens, don't hesitate to call."
"Okay. I'll call, but I can't afford a new security system right now."
"I know. I got it covered." He said it so easily, but I knew security systems could cost thousands of dollars for the equipment and labor. I'd looked into it before and could never afford it. It seemed like a very big gift from a man who'd met me less than a week ago and didn't trust me until last night.
"Why would you do that?"
He shrugged and gazed out at the row of palm trees along the sidewalk. "You're married to my brother. We're family now."
I gasped. I hadn't thought of that at all, but technically, I'd married Gavin yesterday and that made him my brother-in-law. Still, revamping the bakery security was a lot to ask of him. "And you do things like this for your family?"
"All the time."
I had actually seen him easily pay for the extravagant meal at Golden Dragon, and he didn't even blink when the bill came for the takeout food last night. "Gavin told me you have another brother and a sister."
"Yes. Julian and Sylvie. They live in New Orleans, but you can meet them on their next visit, or we could go out there to introduce you. Once Gavin gets back. Speaking of which, I need to go look for him."
"Right. Good luck. Let me know if you find anything." I grabbed my bag and climbed out of his Jeep. He waited and watched me open the door to the bakery with my key. I met the trucks at the loading dock, and he was still parked outside when I came back out. He was making calls on his phone and watching the front of the shop.
For the first time since my grandfather died, someone was there for me in a very physical sense. He was putting all his other work aside to do this for me, someone he'd just met, someone who wasn't forthcoming with him at first. I couldn't pay him for this. Did he really mean it when he called me family? If Magnum was part of the deal, maybe my nightmare with Kenny wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to me.
Two hours later, Magnum met with another tall guy out on the street. This one had long hair tied in a ponytail at his nape and dark features. He had a strong chin and looked like he could be Latino or Native American. They talked for a while then entered the bakery together.
The two men spent some time staring at the ceiling and the front door then walked right past me into the kitchen. They pointed at the back door that led to the alley and then opened the electrical box. They went into my pathetic excuse for a room and didn't seem to notice my little dragon collection or the video game consoles, but I was mortified.
They did a quick inspection of the bathroom, and I really wished they'd given me a warning so I could've cleaned it. There was a lot of nodding and grunting before Magnum came back to me alone. The other guy walked past me heading toward his truck that was parked out front.
"Talon's going to have a crew install cameras and security today. New doors and locks Monday." He motioned toward the glass doors at the front of the bakery.
"New doors?"
"Your doors are shit." He hunched forward and shook his head like the doors were an insult to him. We'd had those same doors since I was a kid, and no one had ever said they weren't safe.
"I didn't know that. What about the logo on the glass?" My grandfather had custom ordered the music note and bakery name that were proudly displayed on the doors in both English and Mandarin.
"You're gonna need to order another one of those."
"I can't afford that."
He whipped a silver card out of his wallet. "Charge it to this card. Whatever you need. Baking pans, dough and shit, cookie tins. Get a new register." He pointed at things in the bakery that had been there for years and never upgraded.
"What's wrong with that register?"
"It's ancient."
