Chapter 9: A Clue

Judith was rattled. She couldn't fathom why Magnus knew the War God, Ellie, or why the two of them looked ready to tear each other apart. "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness!"  Ramon lunged in, all bluster and fury, truly about to charge over and pummel Magnus. Magnus didn't flinch. He even turned his threat on Ellie.  "If this man doesn't do frog jumps, I won't say a word about Lord Zero. Your call." Ellie drew a sharp breath. Priscilla lowered her voice and murmured to Ramon, "You know how desperate Ms. Ellie is for any lead on Lord Zero. Just suck it up for now." Ramon's jaw clenched so hard it might have cracked.  After shooting Magnus a vicious glare, he went off to the side and started doing frog jumps. Magnus laughed aloud. "Well, that's interesting. Very interesting!" Judith stood there, nearly gaping.  Magnus was out of his mind. How could he be this brazen?  And who on earth was Lord Zero? The more she mulled it over, the more she sensed trouble. She would have to dig for answers later. Ellie drew in another steadying breath, her voice calm and steady. "Are you going to talk now?" Magnus slid into the sports car instead.  "Sorry. I dislike that arrogant attitude of yours, so I've decided not to tell you." Before the words were out of his mouth, he floored it and tore off. Judith was left staring, dumbstruck.  Then a horrible thought hit her.  "He just ticked off the War God, and I'm not even in the car." Ellie and her two adjutants lost their cool.  "Magnus! Don't you dare run!" they shouted, piling into their vehicle to give chase. They couldn't catch him.  His taillights were already shrinking into the distance. Watching the taillights fade, Judith flushed with anger and embarrassment. "That jerk kissed me and then just ran off?" Moments earlier, Magnus had received a message from Oliver.  The investigation into the fire that had annihilated the Kendall family had a clue, so he had rushed out, leaving Judith behind. Magnus soon met Oliver. "It's an honor to serve you, Mr. Kendall," Oliver reported, deferential and precise.  "That catastrophic fire reduced nearly all evidence to ash. Even the surveillance on several nearby streets was destroyed."  "Later, after a deep dive and pooling every resource we had, we discovered a secret surveillance unit used by the military department, hidden not far from the site." "The device is extremely robust, built to withstand extreme heat and bitter cold. I'm convinced it captured crucial footage that night." A jolt ran through Magnus.  "At last, some progress on the fire that destroyed the Kendall family. Well done." "It's my honor to serve you, Mr. Kendall."  Uplifted by a sudden, burning resolve, Oliver took his leave and hurried off with his team to keep digging. By the time Magnus returned to the Hopkins family estate, it was late.  The sports car drew too much attention, so he had Oliver's men drive it away.  Then he headed straight for Judith's room. Their marriage certificate was fake, but the performance still had to be convincing. Moreover, Magnus's sharp senses told him that Timothy and Judith's three sisters were all awake.  They were crouched at their doors, listening in. He couldn't help but shake his head and smile. This family wasn't exactly proper. When he opened Judith's door and went in, Timothy's weathered face crinkled with glee. He grinned from ear to ear.  Magnus entering Judith's room meant he could finally sleep soundly. Judith's three sisters, by contrast, felt a ripple of dread.  "Magnus sharing a room with our oldest sister? She's going to get the short end." Inside the room, the scent of gardenias hit Magnus, fresh and alluring.  He felt himself relax. Judith's bedroom was large. It had a walk-in closet, a bathroom, and an office nook. The decor was upscale, the taste impeccable. The closet, however, was a bit of a battlefield.  Several pairs of sheer, high-end stockings hung carelessly across the rack.  Bold, provocative lingerie lay scattered everywhere. "Your room smells really fresh," Magnus said. Judith spun around, finally noticing he had come in.  He was looking at her skimpy lingerie. Heat flooded her face. "Magnus! When did you get back, and how dare you waltz into my room?"  She bristled, warning through her teeth, "Keep your eyes to yourself." She dove into the mess to tidy up, but there was too much, and a few pieces slipped to the floor. Seeing her flustered, Magnus chuckled and bent to help.  One lingerie item in particular had a distinctive design.  "It has straps and lace. What do you even call this?" he asked, smiling. "Hey! Who told you to help?"  Judith snatched it from his hand, her cheeks burning hotter, and shoved him toward the door. Magnus didn't take offense.  He smiled and strolled into the bathroom instead. He turned on the shower and started washing up. "That bastard. He really makes himself at home, no shame at all," Judith muttered as she kept gathering things.  "And he left me to drive myself tonight, too. Now he acts like nothing happened." Before long, Magnus walked out wrapped in a towel, bare-chested, every line of his torso cut and defined. "Hey, why are you coming out half-naked?"  Judith started to scold him, then lost her voice.  Magnus's body was, frankly, flawless. Not an ounce of fat, a map of abs and pecs, and that wickedly handsome face.  He was pure walking testosterone. Judith didn't expect Magnus to have a fine build.  She stared and couldn't help recalling how, in the car earlier, she'd gone wild, running her hands all over him.  She had touched him everywhere.  Maybe she hadn't exactly gotten the short end of the deal. Magnus caught her daze and smiled.  "What? Covering my face in kisses wasn't enough. You still want to take advantage?" Judith snapped back to herself, the blush racing down her neck.  "What happened when I was drunk tonight stays secret. Not one word to anyone," she warned. She tossed him a set of clothes.  "Get dressed. Remember, this is my room. Don't mess with my things. I sleep in the bed, and you take the sofa in the office area." "If I start dating someone, you keep your nose out of it. I won't meddle in your business either. We're only putting on a show. As for sharing a bed, don't even think about it." Magnus smiled. "I can agree to everything you said except the sofa." He pulled on his clothes, then stretched out on the bed and fell asleep, breathing steadily in seconds. Judith nearly exploded on the spot. At dawn, Sophia looked up to see Magnus coming downstairs in a suit. Delight flickered in her eyes.  "My son-in-law is truly handsome." Charles Hopkins, feeling small by comparison, liked Magnus even less.  The sight alone rubbed him the wrong way. Timothy, however, admired Magnus greatly.  "Magnus, you're new to Greyhove. You probably don't know your way around yet. If you want to go anywhere, have Judith take you." Judith's brows knit.  "I have an important meeting tonight and need to prepare in advance. Have Evelyn take Magnus. She's heading to the yoga studio anyway." Evelyn got the hint. Judith wanted her to run a honey trap.  As her sister, she wouldn't refuse to help. She rose, her red lips tipping in a smile.  "Magnus, I'll take you." Magnus took it in stride. "Thanks, then." He didn't expect Evelyn to roll a flashy motorcycle out of the garage and hand him a helmet. Since she was headed to the yoga studio, Evelyn had on a yoga outfit.  The light, stretchy fabric hugged her figure, showcasing every graceful line.  Straddling the bike, with those long legs and the curve of her hips, she was a total head-turner the moment she revved the engine.