The Law is Hard

Chapter 17 Part 1

Magnus' POV

"Well, Aline has banned me from going out alone or looking fabulous, so basically I am trapped in here forever!" I proclaim to Ragnor as I leave his bedroom.

He just grumbles in response and doesn't look up from whatever food he's started cooking on the stovetop.

I continue on, undeterred by his lack of response, "but I need to pick up some of my stuff from my suite at the hotel and my car. So—"

"No," Ragnor says without looking back at me as he pulls a juice carton out of the fridge.

"But we—"

"No," he says again, firmly.

"Would you let me finish?" I demand, impatiently.

At this he turns around with a smirk on his face. "No," he says, humor lighting up his eyes.

"Well, too bad," I huff, trying to keep a straight face. I take a different approach, "Clary Fairchild just emailed me with some of her work."

His gaze locks on my phone in my hand with interest.

I continue, "she also said she would be available to meet Saturday night at Santiago's and could bring her portfolio."

"What does this have to do with your penthouse?" Ragnor says with suspicion, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, before we go to meet her—"

"Why are you meeting with her?" Ragnor demands. "Only Raphael and I need to meet with her."

I lean my hip against the side of the couch, crossing my arms. "You both can be scary," I begin, ignoring his eye roll as he spins away to continue pouring himself a drink. "So, I thought it would be a good idea for someone nice, such as myself, to be there to buffer. At least for the first meeting."

Plus, there's a good chance Alexander will be working. I try to keep the smile off my face, lest my expression reveal my true motivation for wanting to be at the meeting. Besides, I really do want to see Clary's artwork, and get my things.

"She'll have to learn to work with us, if she can't handle it, better we figure out from the beginning," Ragnor reasons, not denying that he and Raphael can be scary.

It was a bit of an exaggeration on my part. Ragnor is simply grumpy and does not have much patience for people he deems incompetent. Raphael could be straight-up rude, prickly and does not have much patience for people in general. But they both are extremely loyal, and kind in their own ways.

"But we could go together to get my stuff from the penthouse on Saturday morning, then go see new potential apartments during the afternoon and then go to the meeting together in the evening."

He chuckles. "I'm flattered you want to spend so much time together, but the last time we went out together, I was almost killed."

My stomach drops and my heart squeezes remembering that awful night. The way that Ragnor's face had turned purple with that man's muscles squeezing around his throat. The helplessness I had felt at the situation. I put my face in my hands and drop onto the couch. My weight sinks into the couch. How could I be so selfish?

"I'm so sorry," I say in my hands. "I should not have asked, that was completely unreasonable of me. You've already done so much by letting me stay here."

I feel his hand on my shoulder.

"Magnus," he says softly, but firmly. "I was only teasing. That attack was not your fault, you did not decide to send a brute after me, it was not your meaty arms around my neck."