Kingdom Come Read Online Free Page B

gave the prince’s party a forced smile. “It was nice to meet you, sir. I look forward to seeing you next week.”
    Agent Jackson cleared his throat and sent her a quick glare. “I’ll meet you in my office.”
    She glanced at the prince to see him watching Jackson with an unreadable look. He did not look at her. She refused to examine the bloom of disappointment she felt at his lack of attention. Turning away, she took a few steps before the prince spoke.
    “Miss Ashley ?”
    Her breath caught in her throat at the husky tone. She swallowed hard and glanced over her shoulder at him.
    He gave her a small smile, but his eyes were warm. “I enjoyed meeting you, also.”
    She bobbed her head in a quick nod and limped away with as much dignity as possible. Agent Jackson’s office was empty when she reached it, the other agents having vacated the premises. She collapsed into one of the chairs facing his desk and settled in to wait.
    Her feet and hip throbbed in time with her heartbeat. She could almost feel the bruise forming on her pale skin. She shifted uncomfortably. The hard, wooden chair was obviously meant as a torture device. Or the first discomfort in an interrogation. She tried to shove the thought away before it could take root.
    She had not actually done anything wrong. At least, she did not think so. She rubbed at the back of her neck and allowed her eyes to wander around the office. The white walls were hung with generic landscape artwork and framed certificates of achievement. Her eyes slid over a few medals and she tried not to think about how outranked she was in the situation.
    She jumped when the door swung open behind her, her eyes fastening on her stone-faced supervisor. Agent Jackson crossed the room to stand behind his desk, never giving her even a cursory glance. Definitely in trouble, she mused. She sat up straighter in the chair, carefully crossing her ankles and laying her hands in her lap.
    “Sir?” she asked in a neutral tone.
    His eyes snapped up from his desktop to glare at her. “Do you know your title here?”
    “I’m a temp, right? Stepping in for the president’s usual assistant while she’s on leave?” Her voice grew quieter as she spoke and his expression did not soften. She sighed. “Am I fired?”
    He held his glare a moment longer, before he slowly shook his head. “No.” He pulled open one of his desk drawers and set a single sheet of paper on the desktop in front of her. “Sign that.”
    She internally bristled at the order, but leaned forward to look over the full page of writing. “What is it?”
    His lips pressed into a flat line and his eyes narrowed. “A housing contract.”
    “I have an apartment.” She looked up at him. “Why do I have to move?”
    “You have moved,” he told her blandly. “A team moved all of your things this morning. You are now staying in a triplex a few blocks from here.”
    She fought the urge to frown. “Why?”
    “Do you have another job lined up, Miss Ashley?” he asked her pointblank.
    Her eyes dropped to the contract and she shook her head. “I need a pen.” The smug satisfaction rolling off him made her want to grind her teeth. She snatched the pen he handed her and signed her name in an irritated flourish.
    “Thank you, Miss Ashley. Now, if you would wait outside, I will have someone escort you to your new living accommodations.”
    She knew a dismissal when she heard one. She forced a smile. “Have a nice day, sir.”
    He waved her off. “You, as well.”
    She managed to close the door gently when she left. The woman sitting at the desk to her right shot her a cool look, as if she were disturbing her work on purpose. Abby tried to ignore her irritated sniff.
    “Are you Abigail?” a voice asked from behind her.
    She turned to see a pretty, dark-skinned woman giving her a once over. The woman raised an eyebrow when she did not immediately answer.
    “Abby, please.”
    “Candace,” the other woman quickly answered,