Dream Maker (Dream Team 1)

“Eight,” he fired back. “I wasn’t around for Indy. And all but one of the other ones, that one being you, didn’t dance for me,” he shot back.

“Well, you know, it’s next gen. Go with the flow,” she advised.

The bell over the door rang at this juncture, and when it did, Gert said, “Oh Lord,” and Shirleen said, “You got that right, sister.”

I looked to the door.

And understood immediately what they were talking about.

Mag was standing there, all the guys fanned out behind him.

I didn’t take in any of the boys.

Because Mag’s eyes were on me.

Nope.

Scratch that.

His eyes shooting electric-blue gamma rays were pinning me to the spot, the heat from them so hot, it felt like the soles of my Chucks were on fire.

“We’re leaving now,” he announced, in a growly, hot, scary voice.

I didn’t take this as an indication I’d get news about what went down at Glazed & Confused with him, the guys, my dad and Brett/Cisco.

I took this as Mag being pissed.

For some reason at me.

Oh boy.Chapter Twenty-ThreeDannyEvieThe first thing I noticed as Mag opened the passenger-side door of his truck was that my purse was sitting on the seat.

As was my Nordstrom bag.

I looked up at him.

“How did you—?”

“Get in the truck, Evan.”

Okay, we were on uncertain ground here.

Frightening uncertain ground.

And in order not to escalate that feeling, wordlessly, I reached out, grabbed both bags and climbed into his truck.

By the time he angled in beside me, I had the Nordstrom bag on the floor at the side of my feet, my purse in my lap and my seatbelt on.

He said nothing as he engaged the ignition, scanned his mirrors and pulled out.

I also said nothing as he did this, for it was dawning on me I might have made a terrible mistake.

He had anger issues. He was very open about that. They were such, they concerned him.

But honest to God, until that moment, they didn’t concern me.

I thought, even if I didn’t have the tools to help him handle them, I’d have the patience where I could handle them.

Now, considering I didn’t do anything for him to be angry about, but it was not only clear he was angry with me, it had been hours since we’d been set free and I had no idea what had happened at Glazed & Confused with my own father—something I felt should be reported to me with all due haste—but everyone was alive, well and safe, I didn’t know why he was mad at me…or anybody.

And bottom line, I’d had a really bad day.

A really bad day.

My friends and I had been kidnapped, some of them shot at.

My dad was a big jerk.

Some bad guy was into me.

And maybe, I thought, with all of that, a little gentleness and understanding would not go amiss.

Thus, truth be told, I was a little hurt that I had Angry Mag and not my normal Sweet Affectionate Mag.

This was not cause to throw in the towel on our relationship.

It wasn’t even cause to be angry myself.

What it was, was an indication that perhaps I’d been hasty in agreeing to fast-track a relationship with a man who had a life, a past, his own issues, and I did not have a lot of experience or understanding of any of that.

Truthfully, he seemed perfect.

And that was too much weight to put on anybody.

Even someone as strong as Mag.

He’d turned off Broadway to Lincoln and then onto Speer, heading north, when I began, “Danny—”

“You do not call me Mag.”

I shut my mouth because that wasn’t what I was expecting.

“You never call me Mag,” he went on.

Okay, his voice was tight, a little rough, he was pissed, but not out of control.

I could work with this.

“But, I was trying to—”

“I know what you were trying to do,” he bit out. “But you had my attention, Evan. You always have my attention. But after you’re taken by Denver’s most wanted lunatic, you absolutely fucking have my attention. So you do not ever call me Mag. I’m Danny to you.”

One could say I was significantly confused as to why this had such great meaning to him, but I was sensing I should broach that subject at a later date.

And for now, say what I said.

“All right, Danny.”

He let that settle for a beat before he spoke again.

“You should know, I was pissed. Out of my mind pissed. After it was all said and done, that’s why it took so long to get to you. The boys saw it and they made me have a sit-down with them to talk it out. That was how pissed I was. I’m still pissed, but this is a discussion. I’m not gonna lose it.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “But can I, uh, ask, well…why you were so pissed?”

A very heavy vibe settled in the cab before he asked, “Why I was so pissed?”