Page 60 of Red King

“Yes, but—”

“But nothing, Paisley. He didn’t follow you because you abandoned your post. He wasn’t angry with you for that reason, either,” she tells me in a stern voice.

I frown. “Of course that’s why he was angry. I —”

“He was jealous, babe. He followed you, saw you with another man, and snapped.”

“Jealous?” My mind is working a mile a minute. “The reason he acted like an asshole was…” My mouth falls open. “I’m so naïve. Why didn’t I see it? I think you’re right, Mags.”

“Of course I’m right. You can’t be blamed for being a little innocent. You were with the same guy from high school, right? He was your first and your last?”

I nod. “Yes. I was sixteen when we started going steady.”

“Going steady.” Maggie laughs. “I rest my case.” She holds up her hands.

“That’s what we called it back then. We dated through high school and college. We got married when Jim started his residency. The only person I ever dated was Jim. He was it for me until…”

“Until now.” Maggie looks at me through narrowed eyes, a naughty smile playing on her lips. “You need to talk to Arctic. You have to somehow find a way to see him.”

I scrub a hand over my face.

“You really need to—

“That’s just it, Mags. He texted me not so long ago.”

Maggie jumps up. “Yes! That’s awesome.”

“It is not. I disagree with you. I think—”

She sits back down. “What did he say?”

I pull out my phone and see a couple of new messages. I open the chat.

Paisley.

Answer me.

Paisley!

We need to talk.

The final message pops up while I am reading the other three.

Please.

I hand her my phone; my gut is churning.

Her smile grows wider and wider by the second. “Holy shit! He’s desperate.”

“This isn’t funny,” I tell her. “He’s probably going to tell me to keep what happened between us a secret.” I suck in a breath. “Or he’s going to fire me.”

“He isnotgoing to fire you. He wants in your panties, and he’s desperate. You need to go and see him.”

“I don’t want to. We can’t do this.” I sound horrified.

“You have to. Find out what he has to say. You have the power here, babe. You know that, right?”

“What do you mean, I have the power? He’s the king and my boss.”

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