Page 87 of Damaged Beast
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.
CHAPTER 32
PRIME
Night’s heavy in South Philly. An old woman shuffles past, a little white dog on a leash tugging hard. Someone in headphones on the opposite side has their face buried in a screen. The houses here aren’t nice, but they aren’t shit either. It’s solidly middle class, as far as this part of the city goes.
I got a lot of memories from this neighborhood. Fights, fucking, laughter, pain. Six blocks south I lived with a decent foster family for a few months, at least until my stealing and running around got to be too much and they kicked my ass to the curb. I went to school near here, kissed a girl for the first time on these streets, stabbed a kid in a park not that far away for the first time. Blooded myself here, bled too.
Shawn died on a corner to the east.
