Page 51 of King of Pride

That seemed to satisfy him.

Maverick turned and headed toward the front door. Curious, Rose waited only a moment before getting to her feet and following him into the living room. She stayed a few steps behind, already prepared to make a quick escape back to the bedroom if the visitor turned out to be someone she didn't know.

Just as she reached the middle of the room, Maverick opened the front door.

He stepped outside for a moment before turning and walking back into the house.

Rose leaned slightly to the side to see who was behind him.

Her eyes widened.

Zoe hurried inside.

The moment the door closed behind her, the automatic lock engaged with a soft beep.

“Rose!” Zoe exclaimed, happiness flashing across her face as soon as she saw her friend. She took a quick step forward, clearly ready to rush over to her.

Then she noticed Maverick.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Maverick walked over and came to stand beside Rose, his hands slipping casually into his pockets.

Zoe walked farther into the room until she was standing directly in front of them. She looked between Rose and Maverick, confusion written all over her face.

“What is going on?”

Rose helplessly lowered her voice. “Even I don’t know how it happened.” She gestured down at herself, the state of her clothing making it obvious that something had happened between her and Maverick.

Zoe froze.

She stared at Rose, then at her brother, unable to process the fact that her best friend had slept with her brother. The shock left her completely speechless for several seconds before she finally turned toward Maverick.

“Can you please let Rose go? It was a mistake. You can’t get angry at her for it. You’re the bigger person, so please don’t get angry with her.”

Maverick raised an eyebrow.

“Let her go?” he repeated.

Zoe immediately felt a familiar wave of fear. Although there were only five years between them, Maverick had always behaved like the overprotective older brother who could scare the living daylights out of her while still protecting her like a parent.

Seeing the expression on his face, she awkwardly laughed and hurried to defend Rose.

“I mean… she was just… you know, something bad happened to her last night. That’s why she made a mistake and went into the wrong room. It was an accident. Just take it as a silly mistake and don’t punish her.”

She looked at Rose with concern before turning back to Maverick.

“She looks terrified. If you punish her, you’ll only scare her even more. Please, just let her go. Her dad must already be worried about her by now. She should be home.”

Maverick pulled his hands from his pockets and looked at Zoe.

“Let her go?” he repeated again, his voice calm.

He paused for a moment before adding, “I married her. She’s my wife now.”

Zoe’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open in disbelief. “You gave her this big of a punishment for one night’s mistake?”

Rose immediately nodded, unexpectedly relieved that someone had finally understood how overwhelmed she felt. For once, she wasn’t the only one who thought Maverick’s reaction was excessive.