Page 125 of Hidden Ties

Fuck.He had hoped Bree and Livvy would lay off Sage once she was promoted. Livvy couldn’t deal with the fact she couldn’t control Sage. What Livvy couldn’t control, she maneuvered out of the door. As he took in Glenda’s worried expression, he assumed she was thinking along the same lines.

“Well, hopefully, Bree won’t keep her for long.”

Controlling his irritation at missing Sage, he went with Glenda as they checked the files back into the client’s folder.

They walked back out of the secure room, and he was signing out when Sage came walking through the door.

“What in the fuck happened to you?”

Sage stopped abruptly in her tracks, turning her face downward before stepping around him to take one of the chairs behind the desk.

“I’m sorry I took so long.”

Glenda came behind the desk to pat her on the shoulder. “Don’t be silly. It’s not like you were out dilly-dallying around.”

His blood went ice cold as he took in Sage’s bruised face and her arm in a sling with her hand and wrist bandaged. Clearly, they thought he would ignore her not answering his question.

“I’m not going to ask again. What happened?”

Rewording the question more politely didn’t change the result. Looking pointedly toward the door, they silently asked him to leave.

He crossed his arms over his chest and remained unmoving.

Glenda gave him a furious glower. “Mr. Bryant, Sage doesn’t want to discuss—”

Sage reached out to touch Glenda’s arm. “It’s okay, Glenda.”

Releasing a sigh, she gave a fatalistic shrug. “When I left Bree’s office, almost everyone waylaid me to ask the same question. That’s what took so long.”

“Nosey busybodies,” Glenda said scornfully, arching a glance in his direction.

He didn’t give a fuck what Glenda thought. He gave her a piercing stare that had her retaking her chair behind the desk.

Getting his silent message across, he switched his gaze to Sage. “Have you had lunch yet?”

“No, I’m not due for another hour.”

“Take it now,” he ordered.

“You go ahead, Sage,” Glenda urged. “This morning has been slow. I was going to ask you to switch with mine, anyway. I need to run to get a picture taken for my passport.”

“Come on,” Kent asked in a persuading voice. “I wanted to take you out yesterday to celebrate your first day on the job, but I was stuck in court.”

Indecision filled Sage’s face.

“I hate eating alone. Come on; save me. If you don’t come with me, I’ll have to eat a sandwich at my desk.”

Giving in with both Glenda and him trying to persuade her, she took her purse from a desk drawer and rose from her chair. “All right, I’ll go.”

He gently took the elbow of her unhurt arm as he led her from the office.

“Don’t think I don’t know you just want to find out what happened.”

Releasing her elbow, he pressed the elevator button. Then, turning to face her, he gently pressed the pad of his forefinger toher bruised cheek. Her skin felt warm and soft under his touch. “Are you in pain?”

“No …”

He gave her a sharp glance, daring her to lie to him.

---