Page 36 of Never Again

Clearing her throat, Pam said, “I’m not supposed to get coffee,” with a firm nod, making Bailey frown.

“But-”

“I’m not supposed to get you coffee, soda, energy drinks, or anything with caffeine listed as an ingredient,” Pam said, making Bailey narrow her eyes as she considered the woman sitting across from her as she quickly tried to find a loophole in the orders that Quinn apparently drilled into her new assistant’s head.

“What if-” Bailey began only to grumble when Pam cut her off with, “I’m immediately to inform Quinn.”

“I see,” Bailey murmured as she found herself watching the man who had gone too far as he made his way around the floor, checking cameras, locks, and whatever else he did while she sat there, realizing that he’d won this round.

Or had he…

She opened her mouth only to close it with a grumble when Pam added, “I’m also supposed to tell him when you leave the building.”

“What if I go upstairs?” Bailey asked, deciding to find out just how tight he had her leash.

“He’ll know,” Pam said with another nod.

“And if I go downstairs?”

“He’ll know that, too,” Pam said, making Bailey frown as she shifted her attention to the trio standing in her doorway, enjoying what appeared to be extra-large iced coffees that she would give anything to get her hands on.

“He really seems to be obsessed with you,” Jill pointed out.

“He really does,” Jamie said, nodding in agreement while Kelly stood there, shaking her head sadly before adding, “I’ve always suspected that.”

“Did you get me an iced coffee?” Bailey asked, sounding really hopeful even to her own ears.

“We did,” Jill said, nodding. “We really did, but that man,” and this is where she paused to take another sip and point a damning finger in Quinn’s direction, “confiscated it.”

“Of course, he did,” Bailey murmured, rubbing her temples as she felt another headache coming on, only to stop when Pam said, “I’m also supposed to tell him if your head starts hurting again.”

“It’s fine,” Bailey lied, only to narrow her eyes on her new assistant when she said, “He said you’d say that,” as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed something.

Frowning, Bailey’s gaze flickered from the woman who really seemed to take her job seriously to the man who was really starting to stress her out to find him stopping whatever he was doing to pull his phone out and-

“He looks really pissed,” Jamie said conversationally.

“This probably isn’t going to end well for you,” Kelly pointed out, not really sounding all that concerned while Bailey sat there struggling not to panic, but it was kind of difficult with the large man that was making her life difficult coming her way.

Damn it!

Swallowing hard, Bailey held her hand out to Pam. “Give me your phone.”

“But I’m not supposed to-”

“Don’t worry. He’ll never know,” Bailey said as she quickly climbed onto her desk, reached over and snatched the phone out of Pam’s hand and quickly sent Quinn a text message telling him that it was just a false alarm as she watched him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for him to read it.

“I can’t believe he gave up that easily,” Jill said, shaking her head in disgust as they watched Quinn slide his phone back into his pocket as he returned to whatever it was that he was doing.

“It’s shameful, really,” Jamie murmured while Bailey climbed off her desk and handed Pam her phone back.

“You deserve better,” Kelly said, shaking her head in disgust as Jill murmured in agreement, all three of them sending hopeful looks Quinn’s way as Bailey decided that she’d had enough for one day.

* * *

“Don’t,”Nathan said, pinching the bridge of his nose while Quinn stood there, wondering what the hell she was doing.

“She’s been in there for two hours,” Quinn pointed out, hating the way that she made him feel.

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