Free Caged by D. H. Sidebottom Page A

for one. His moods will be everywhere. Don’t misinterpret his reliance on you for something else. You should know this, Kloe.”
    “I’m not misinterpreting anything, Paula. He’s a closed door, and if the only way to get him to open up is allowing him closer then that’s how it has to be.”
    She shook her head, her eyes narrowing on me. “And you’re an open door, Kloe. You’ll end up getting hurt.”
    “Paula, there’s nothing…”
    I shushed when James came out of his office door and stood watching us both. My body stiffened with unease, my heart galloping. “Can I see you for a moment, Kloe?”
    Paula, expert at reading people, slowly turned her head from James to me then back to James. There was a question in her eyes when they came back to me. “Everything okay?”
    “Sure.” I sighed, braced myself and followed James into his office.
    His smile was too wide, and his eyes mirrored that, glinting with something undecipherable when he saw the bruises on my neck. There was that hindsight to wear a scarf again.
    “Sit down, Kloe.”
    Without speaking, I did as he asked, sitting on the edge of the chair. My nerves were making my stomach bubble, acid and bile causing me to feel nauseous.
    “Are you feeling better?”
    I frowned.
    “You’ve been off ill.” He lifted a bushy eyebrow. I imagined blowtorching the fucker off.
    “I’m fine.” My tone was as harsh as my glare.
    His eyes narrowed and he nodded slowly. “I am pleased. I was a little concerned.” He paused. “After our… misunderstanding onSaturday night.”
    “Misunderstanding?” I scoffed. “Misunderstanding?”
    His face hardened. Swallowing heavily, he exhaled long and slow then sat back in his chair. Steepling his fingers he brought them to his mouth and cleared his throat. “I’ve decided not to press charges.”
    I froze. Nothing moved, not even my heart as I stared in bewilderment. Blinking, I coughed away the lump in my throat. “Uhh, what?”
    “Against your husband,” he drawled, his callous eyes watching me closely as a smug smirk curled the corner of his too-thick lips. “I mean, the last thing you need right now – with your record…”
    “My…my record?”
    “Well, yes.” He looked at me like I was stupid, and also with a malicious glint of self-satisfaction. “I mean after Dr Krum made a complaint…”
    “What?” I wasn’t aware Krum had complained about me. I knew we’d had our disagreement but I didn’t think he’d gone that far.
    “And then the whole episode with your negligence leading to the assault by one of our patients…”
    “But I didn’t...”
    “Like I said, Kloe. This really wouldn’t look good for your career if we add assault, even if it wasn’t you personally…”
    Shooting upright, I banged my fists on his desk. “Ben should have broken every one of your damn fingers!”
    James remained quiet with just a small quirk of his eyebrow and a light tilt of his head. “But why?” His smile was viscous. “All I did was try to help you, Kloe.”
    “You’re fucking insane!”
    “I was just concerned about one of my staff. I understand your problem …”
    “My problem? What problem?”
    His lips lifted higher and a small chuckle echoed tauntingly from him. Reaching into his desk drawer he pulled out a file and slid it across the desk to me. Vomit rolled up my throat and I struggled to breathe when a stack of papers with my current photograph and one aged nine, my broken and beaten face mocking me, attached by a paperclip, stared up at me. Behind the pictures were three or four psych assessments with the word ‘Confidential’ struck through in red letters. Behind that three or four newspaper articles and various medical reports.
    “You bastard.”
    He scoffed. “I do also think it quite concerning that you chose to deal with your past by means of food dependency, Kloe. It is obvious you’re physiologically marred, and that does raise some concerns when you’re working closely