Page 30 of Silas's Sweetheart

What right did he have to do that? What, indeed?

“Is everything alright?” Wendy asked warily from the door, her expression holding a hint of fear.

Inhaling, Silas held the breath in his lungs and counted to five before he released it. He did it twice more before he felt able to speak without snapping. “Booker was upset. Everything is fine now. Could you close the door? Thank you.”

Silas forced himself to head towards his desk, leaving the office now, in his current mood, would not go well for anyone. He had as much of a temper as Booker when riled. He had always been the one with more control, which he’d learned from Dad. Never show what is going on inside when it came to business.

This isn’t business.

Yes… yes, it is. Ziggy works for me, so it most fucking definitely is business.

You’re a damn fool.

It seemed he was, because he trusted Ziggy. Trust he’d given with no conscious thought. What the hell had he been thinking? And he was right back where he’d been the first time. The betrayal cut off the air to his lungs and made his chest ache like he had a ton weight on it.

Why the fuck hadn’t he been honest with me?

Why?

Chapter Twelve

Ziggy

Something was most definitely off with Silas, but Ziggy was clueless to what it actually was. He had attempted to ask subtle questions that might give him something to go on. Any thoughts of getting Silas alone to work off his issues got thwarted at every turn. It looked like Silas was doing it on purpose. They’d had sex pretty much every day until Booker had lost his shit in front of Wilder.

Ziggy couldn’t fathom what that had to do with him. Wilder couldn’t help, as he’d not heard the conversation, and he’d been terrified by the way Booker had behaved. Ziggy figured it might have been similar to the incident with Rue, and had expected—wrongly—to help Silas offload the anger.

Only Silas had avoided him. The mask of indifference he used when they were together left Ziggy playing a guessing game that, up to now, he was failing at badly.

“Did you bring in the cake?” Isley asked as he walked into the coffee lounge, heading straight for the counter.

“Shit, I’m sorry I forgot it was my turn.” He checked his watch, flinching at Isley’s crestfallen expression. He still had half an hour of his lunch break left. “I could skip out to the bakery?”

“No, it’s okay. I… can have a cookie instead.” He reached for the cookie tin and Ziggy groaned, knowing it was empty after he’d seen Bowie take the last one not ten minutes ago.

“I’ll go. It’s not an issue,” he said before the lid was off the tin.

Isley gave him an uncertain look. “Are you sure?”

“I could do with some fresh air and walk some extra steps. I’m sure I’ve added several inches to my waistline with all the cake I’ve eaten since I started working here.”

“It’s impossible to resist, right?” His grin revealed his dimples.

“You’re not wrong. All you guys are super great at baking.” Ziggy added a heartfelt sigh that got a giggle from Isley. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.” He darted out the door and headed for the elevator.

Breathless and carrying two large boxes, Ziggy returned to the coffee lounge not fifteen minutes later. Isley was still there, as were Wilder and Lennon.

“Ohhh, wow! Did you buy out the bakery?”

Isley’s gleeful look was worth how his button-down stuck to his back from rushing. “I got a little of everything they had. That place, gosh the choices.” Ziggy groaned, his mouth watering at the cream and chocolate donut, which was bigger than his hand, he’d picked for himself.

The others crowded around him, vying to see what was in the bakery boxes.

“When you’ve quite finished in here, Ziggy, we have an important meeting to attend!” Silas’s tone wasn’t quite a snap, but Ziggy felt the sting all the same.

Isley jumped right in, defending Ziggy. “Sorry Silas, it’s my fault, Ziggy went to get me something from the bakery.”

Anger sparked in Silas’s eyes and stunned Ziggy as the man stared at Isley. “How nice of him.” It didn’t sound nice the way he said it.

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