Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
I squeeze Deanna’s ass. “Every day married to her is worth celebrating.”
Carbone doesn’t find that funny. He approaches, his face as dour as always. “Mr. Fontana sends his regrets, but he has other obligations he must attend to.”
I tighten my grip on my wife. My heart quickens but I keep myself steady. They haven’t found him yet. We’re still okay. “Did he mention anything about our presentation?”
“Walk with me.” Carbone opens the front door and strides onto the porch.
I hold Deanna’s hand and follow. The guards remain where they are, though one angles so he can keep an eye on us. Carbone stands at the railing to the porch looking out toward La Salle’s campus.
“It’s strange, meeting in a house like this. Shouldn’t it be filled with college kids?”
Carbone ignores my comment. “Mr. Fontana enjoyed your pitch very much. It’s not often we find people in this business who come prepared.”
“You can blame my wife for that.”
“I most certainly will.” He turns, hand extended, and Deanna flinches at my side. “Mr. Fontana would like to engage your services.”
I step forward and clutch his hand firmly. “We’d appreciate the opportunity.”
“I hope so, Prime. Mr. Fontana does not work with outside contractors very often. I pray you don’t disappoint me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I grin at him, and every second we linger at this house is another second they might find the corpse of ball-stomping Frankie up in that closet.
Carbone releases me. “Then we’ll be in touch. Mrs. Spadaro, always a pleasure.”
Deanna smiles at him but says nothing. She’s visibly sweating as we make our way to where Ricardo’s waiting with the car. His cigar’s gone and he jolts awake when I yank open the passenger side door.
“Done already?” He glances back at Deanna, grinning. “How’d it go?”
“It went very well.” I snap on my seatbelt. “Mind if I mess with the radio?”
“Ah, I wouldn’t—“
But I’m already tuning to another station as he pulls away from the house. I catch Deanna’s horrified stare in the rearview mirror and show teeth. Behind us, the corpse cools in a puddle of its own gore.
CHAPTER 25
DEANNA
Ican’t shower it off. After we get back from the meeting, I spend an hour scrubbing in hot water, but it won’t wash away. The smell of shit and blood and piss is trapped in my nostrils and I swear his brains are still stuck under my fingernails.
I didn’t pull the trigger. I didn’t touch the body. But I also didn’t say a damn word about the corpse.
I helped him cover it up.
Prime killed a man. He explained what happened after we were back at home. I want to be angry, but I’m too afraid and exhausted to feel much of anything. I clean and clean, and I still come out filthy.
How did I get here? I was his personal assistant. He was a pain in the ass, but not dangerous. Seriously, Prime killing someone?
But he did it, and he doesn’t seem bothered.
Maybe he really is a monster.
The thing is, he keeps saying it. Over and over, since this started, he was clear about who and what he is, but I didn’t want to believe him. Every time he touched me, every time he held me and kissed me and fucked me, I thought I was seeing the real man behind the mask.
But now that mask is drenched in blood and I don’t know who I am anymore.
That night I sleep on my side of the bed, afraid he’s going to touch me, but equally terrified to draw attention to myself by trying to stay on the couch. I have horrible dreams about shattered skulls and stinking bodies, and in the morning I can’t take it anymore. I dress and get out of there, only pausing to tell him that I’m visiting my parents and taking a day off work. He doesn’t argue.
“Good morning, honey!” Mom is sitting in the living room with a cup of tea and her tablet. She peers at me over her glasses. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“Thought I’d drop in. Where’s Dad?”
“Yolanda’s helping him in the bathroom. There’s coffee if you want some.”
I fill a mug in the kitchen and breathe in the smell of it. I keep flashing back to Prime, to the way his touch feels, this strange, halfway disconnect I feel, caught between being afraid of what he is and still wanting him so badly it makes my knees shake.
Dad comes down with Yolanda the nurse. I help him to the kitchen and he seems like he’s in a good mood. He thinks I’m my cousin, which is fine and close enough. I pitch in with breakfast while Yolanda busies herself straightening, and even Mom comes to sit with us voluntarily, which is a huge change. Back before the full-time nurse, it was like Mom was allergic to being in the same room as Dad, at least whenever she could help it.