31. Deanna
DEANNA
It’s a rare Friday with my husband in the office.
Strange how nothing feels different. Same people, same inane break room chatter, same dirty looks in the hallways. None of them realize what’s happening to Prime, but I can see it all, see how ugly it is up close, and it’s killing me.
We’re on the third shipment. Prime runs them all personally, or at least the first leg of the trip. After that it’s people who aren’t loyal to Stellan moving the goods. Each drop seems to hurt him more, make him shrink, and it breaks me seeing him like that.
Watching him suffer to keep me safe.
Prime’s always been big. He’s swagger and aura. He’s got more confidence than anyone I’ve ever met. He walks into a room and knows he has the biggest dick, biggest bank account, and best smile. More often than not, he’s right.
Now it’s like he’s a shadow of that man.
I hate it so much it’s like a cancer in my heart.
“Knock knock. You look like you need a break.” I peek into his office.
He glances up from his laptop. “I’m fine. Looking at reports.”
“Which reports?”
“The ones you sent me this morning.”
I slip inside and shut the door. “Seriously Prime? You’re actually reading my emails now?”
“I’ve always read your emails.”
“That’s straight up not true. I send you reports a week before you need the data on the assumption you’ll take forever to look at them.”
“You’re telling me I’m doing work I don’t need to do right now?”
“I’m saying—“ I sit on the edge of his desk. “You need a break.”
He sighs and puts his hands behind his head. There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips and I catch a glimpse of the man I fell in love with. “True, doing stuff really takes it out of me.”
“Seriously Prime, what are you doing here? You haven’t been in the office on a Friday since I started working.”
“That can’t be true.” He rubs a hand over his face. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Yeah? You love work now?”
“No.” He looks at me, the humor gone. “I love you, and you’re here.”
I laugh, but he’s not smiling. “Prime, it’s okay. You know I’m safe here.”
“Are you sure?” He pulls me off the desk. I yelp as I land in his lap. He drags me to his mouth and kisses me deeply.
I wiggle my ass against his dick. “Actually, I’m very unsafe when you’re treating me like that. Don’t you know about workplace harassment?”
“I’ve seen the HR videos but I can’t ever concentrate.”
“Why not? They’re very important.”
“The actress they hired to give the talk has enormous tits. They’re way too distracting.”
“Prime! You can’t make jokes like that about a sexual harassment seminar!”
“I can and I did.” He pinches my ass and cups one of my breasts. “But speaking of wonderful bodies and attractive women?—“
“Noooo, no, no, no, no way.” I try to escape his grasp but he holds me tightly. “I am not rewarding your poor behavior.”
“Why not! I’m in the office and I’m working so hard! I need an outlet, Deanna, and your pretty mouth is perfect. Or maybe your pretty pussy? Or maybe I can fill your tight, virginal ass, stretch you wide and fuck you bloody until you’re screaming and I fill you with my cum. Does that work better?”
“Jesus fucking hell,” I mutter, cheeks turning pink. “You want to have anal sex with me?”
“I want to fuck every hole, lick every inch, and drink every drop of you, Deanna. Yes, I want to fuck your ass, and I want to fill your pussy with a toy while I do it and your mouth too. I want you to gag and scream as every hole is fucked and dripping.”
I bite my tongue to keep from moaning. That honestly sounds really good, but I can’t let him know that, or else I’m going to end up lying on his desk stuffed to the brim.
Then again, that’s not the worst use of an afternoon….
There’s a knock at his office door. I jump up, and swat him away when he tries to drag me back. “Stop, someone’s here.”
“Let them watch. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Let the whole office see what a dirty slut you are for me?—“
I throw a stapler at his chest and stride to the door. The front receptionist is waiting in the hall looking flustered. “Melanie? What’s the matter?” I ask.
“Ah, there’s a man here, and he’s being very pushy, says he has a meeting with Mr. Spadaro?”
I shake my head and check my phone. “There’s nothing on his calendar.”
“Clear my schedule!” Prime calls from behind me. “I have a very important task I need to perform!”
I flip him off behind my back so Melanie can’t see it. “Who’s waiting?”
“He says his name is Mr. Carbone?” She wrings her hands nervously. “He was being really insistent. Should I call security?”
My feet go cold. My heart pounds and I look back at Prime. His smile is gone and the shadow’s back. He half stands, rage etched in the tension in his shoulders.
“Send him back,” I tell Melanie. “Thank you for coming to us.”
“Right away.” She hurries off.
“That mother fucker,” Prime snarls viciously. “He’s coming to my fucking office now? Uninvited like this and demanding to see me? That piece of shit, slimy mother?—“
I wave him off as Carbone’s silhouette falls across the window.
He steps into the office a moment later wearing a pair of dark slacks and a dress shirt, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, a gold chain at his throat.
He seems confident and entirely at ease while Prime stands behind his desk like a caged lion.
“Hello, Mrs. Spadaro. Sometimes I forget you work for your husband.” Carbone nudges the door closed with his heel. “And Prime, how are you today?”
“What the fuck do you want?” Prime spits it out like bile. I try to make a calming gesture but he ignores me.
Carbone sits on a guest chair, perfectly relaxed. “We received payment for our first shipment earlier today. I wanted to come down and to congratulate you for a job well done.”
Prime bristles. “Phones are better.”
“Phones can be tapped. I assume you sweep this office for listening devices? Don’t answer, I know you’re not stupid.” Carbone winks at me. “Why do you two seem so tense? This is a good meeting.”
“This is a flex of your power.” Prime leans forward. “You were not invited here.”
“Maybe not, but here I am.” Carbone casually checks his phone and clicks his tongue before putting it away. “My employer was happy with his numbers. Very, very happy, in fact, so happy that he wants to add five more shipments to our schedule.”
“We’re already using all my excess capacity,” Prime says, jaw working. “Tell Fontana he’ll have to be more patient.”
“Patience isn’t my boss’s primary attribute. Five more shipments by the end of next week. Move things around on your end if you have to. I’m sure you can make it work.”
“You have no idea the sort of shit you’re stirring.”
“Actually, I do.” Carbone slaps his knees and stands. “I see you’re not in the mood to be civil so I will let this meeting be short. Mrs. Spadaro, a pleasure, and tell your mother I enjoyed that chat.”
I feel like the room goes black. “Chat…? What chat?!”
“She didn’t say?” Carbone’s lips pull back. “I dropped by to visit. Lovely woman, your mother.” He snaps his fingers and I flinch like a gun went off. He turns to Prime. “Five shipments. No bullshit. Make it happen. I know you can. Wonderful seeing you both.”
He struts from the room. I can’t move, can’t breathe. He was at my parents’ house. He drank tea with my mother. That monster, that fucking monster, he’s doing this to fuck with us, reminding us the power he holds, and I hate him so much.
Prime’s face is red with rage. His body trembles as he stands, gripping the edge of his desk. “I have something I need to do.”
“Prime, hold on?—“
“I’ll be fine.” He opens his bottom desk drawer, takes out a gun, and loads it. I stare, dumbfounded.
“What are you doing?!” I run to his side and grab his arm. “Don’t go after him.”
“I’m not.” He stoops down to kiss me as he shoves the pistol into his belt and shrugs into his jacket.
“Swear to me. Please, not right now.”
“I promise, baby. I’m going to kill that piece of shit, but not today.” His hand presses against the small of my back. He tugs me close and slams his mouth to mine. It warms me, gives me a blush of hope. “I have errands to run, but I’ll be home tonight.”
“I love you. Please, don’t get in trouble.”
“I never do.”
He leaves and I watch him go. I feel bereft, emptied, drained and ash-dry. I collapse into his chair and lean my head back. I bathe in the smell of him but that only does so much to ease the knot in my guts, the ball of tension breaking me in half.