High Voltage (7 page)

~ Minka ~

Handing Out Chill Pills

M
y cell rings just after eleven, and I’m barely able
to understand what an angry Hayes is yelling. I tell him he woke me up and to
call back later. He hollers into the phone that I better get my scrawny ass
over to his office. If I were more awake, I’d be offended about him dismissing
my fine butt. Instead, I tell him we’ll be right over. Once I hang up, I turn
off my phone, roll over against Dino’s warm body, and return to sleep.

Many hours later, we show up at Hayes’s office
where we find Donna gone along with her knickknacks and family photos. A new
woman sits at the desk. She’s wearing the same panicky look as the former
receptionist. I smile at her, but she can barely return it. I do notice she
gives Dino a quick and approving once over.

“Can I help you?” she nearly whispers.

“What happened to Donna?”

“She quit. I’m from the temp agency.”

“Why’d she quit?” I ask.

“They didn’t tell me.” The new woman glances back
at Hayes’s door as if to answer me. “I’m only here until they find someone
permanent.”

“Margie!” Hayes bellows from the next room.

The woman flinches at the sound of his voice and
continues to shake while walking to the door. He yells something about a
missing stapler. After Margie mumbles about looking for it, she returns to the
front desk.

“I don’t know where the stapler is,” she tells me.

“Neither do I.”

Margie sighs unsteadily. Dino slides closer to me
while keeping his gaze on the secretary.

“You look like you need a hug. I can’t give you
one, though. These arms only hug my mom and woman. Sorry, Margie.”

I give him a quick glance. “You’re so whipped that
I almost feel guilty.”

“Almost.”

Hayes yells from his office and tells us to stop
distracting Margie and get into his office. Dino heads for the door, but I
glance around the messy front area. Spotting the stapler, I take it with me
into the office and set it on the angry man’s desk.

“Did you scare off Donna?” I ask, sitting in a
chair.

“That fucking woman wasn’t ever going to work out.
She watched too much fucking Oprah, who convinced her that fucking feelings
matter in the real fucking world.”

“I forgot how much you like that word.”

Hayes gives me a dark frown, but I think he finds
me amusing. Dino seems to think something similar since his foot makes contact
with the desk. The men’s gazes lock.

“Eyes over here, Jolly Green Giant.”

Hayes looks ready to tear off Dino’s perfect head.
I only smile because there’s something irresistible about my lover when he
turns possessive. I’ve never had a man claim me so strongly. The closest was Troy, who once punched a guy for being disrespectful to me. He hadn’t minded when the guy
flirted with me for an hour, though. Troy just never fully shifted from friend
to lover. Dino doesn’t have that problem.

“You wanted to see us,” I remind Hayes.

“Don’t look at him,” Dino says to me.

“I’m looking just over his head. Now can we get to
the reason we’re here?”

Hayes leans back in his chair, and I again wait for
it to buckle under his size. The chair must pump iron because it survives.

“I was wondering if you two had fun at the Shithole Trailer Park this morning.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks for asking.”

“Well, you got Black riled up. He visited the park
himself and arrested the women you let go.”

“For what?” I balk.

“For whatever he wants because he’s an asshole with
a badge.”

“That’s bullshit.”

Dino nods while patting my hand. His attempt at
soothing me only makes me angrier.

“Don’t do that.”

“I can’t help it. You bring out the teddy bear in
me.”

Hayes lights a cigar and clears his throat. “You
two need to keep your romance bullshit to your own time. I have no fucking interest
in watching it play out.”

“Sorry, Dad,” I mutter. “So, was there a reason we
had to drive over here? I hope you didn’t just want to yell at someone besides
your poor assistant.”

“Look, when your boss lost his balls and let Black
take over, he created a fucking vacuum. Now everyone is calling my hotline with
problems that aren’t fucking mine. I don’t care what happens in Common Bend. I’m only helping you two shitheads because I don’t want the trouble spilling over
White Horse. Except it’s already spilling the fuck over.”

Crossing my arms, I shrug. “I feel like you’re
breaking your ‘no feelings’ rule by sharing how you’re sad and frustrated. Now,
I’m not Oprah, but I think you need to suck it up until we’re done working.”

Hayes gives me a darker glare while I roll my eyes
dismissively. Dino, though, takes these reactions to be potential flirting.

“We’re leaving,” Italian Sausage says, standing up
and reaching for me.

“I want to know what you two fuckwads will do
next.”

Standing up, I take an agitated Dino’s hand. “We’re
going to fuck. Probably talk about our feelings. Maybe even write poems about
fucking. Then fuck again. Why? What are your plans for the day?”

“My guess is I’ll be cleaning up your fucking
messes.”

“Yeah, sounds about right.”

Dino gives Hayes a nasty glare and then walks to
the door while pulling me along. I pause before we leave.

“I’ll tell you what. We’re nice people with good
manners. You’ve been a sugary sweet host, so we’ll do you a solid and go quiet
tonight. We’ll also call our boss and tell him to find his balls. Does that
make you happy?”

Hayes leans back in the chair again. “Was that so
difficult?”

“No, but if you talk shit about my fabulous ass
again, I’ll stop being so fucking cooperative. Now be nice to your temp so I
don’t have to learn a new name the next time I visit.”

My extended eye contact with Hayes leaves Dino in
nearly a rage. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and directs me to the car
and away from the competition. I’m laughing by the time he joins me in the SUV
and slams the door.

“He’s disgusting,” Dino growls.

“I think he’s hot for you honestly.”

Dino glances at me and shakes his head. “It’s not
funny.”

“I feel a genuine spark between you two.”

“That guy wants you. He’s used to getting what he
wants. You shouldn’t be alone with him.”

I’m laughing so hard by the time he finishes that
Dino turns off the SUV.

“Stop,” he demands.

I can’t though, not when a vein next to his temple
is actually throbbing from him being so damn pissed.

“It’s not funny,” he mutters, nearly pouting.

Choking back my laughter, I wrap my hand around the
back of his neck and pull him towards me for a kiss. His lips devour mine until
my giggles turn to moans.

I take his hand and place it snugly over my left
tit. Dino immediately leans away from me. My lips feel abandoned, and the
throbbing heat between my legs begs for the nice man to return.

“People can see,” he says.

“Good. Claim me in front of everyone.”

Dino gives me a dirty look that makes my nipples
harder. His prickly nature is so sexy. He’s got a lot of rules about shit in
his head, and no one will break them without inspiring his wrath. Even loving
this side of him, I plan to break every single one of his rules just to see
what he’ll do.

~ Dino ~

Shit Ain’t Funny

M
inka won’t stop laughing. Well she tries, and the
giggles do taper off occasionally, but they return once she looks at me again.
I don’t know what she finds so funny. I just know she’s pissing me off.

I pull the SUV into the parking lot of a shopping
mall and turn toward her.

“What?” I demand.

“You’re actually jealous of Hayes and me. How is
that not funny?”

“He was making eyes at you.”

“No, he wasn’t. And even if he was, what makes you
think I’m interested in him?”

Studying her face, I’m unconvinced. A man like
Hayes is always on the prowl for pussy. I should know. I was like him until I
met Minka.

“So you’re saying you don’t find him attractive?”

“He’s not hard on the eyes, but I’m rather taken
with the dumbass right here.”

Minka pats my cheek. Before her hand pulls away, I
press it down tighter.

“I don’t know. You were giving me all kinds of
grief, and now we’re suffering from fucking sickness. How do I know you won’t
try to switch off to his dick?”

“Fucking sickness? Speak for yourself. I could go
again right now.”

“Me too,” I say, challenging her.

When I reach for my zipper, Minka laughs again.

“This ain’t a joke.”

“Isn’t it? I mean you can’t really be this wound up
over Hayes.”

“It’s not about that asshole. It’s about you. How
you walk into a room, shaking your ass for everyone to see.”

Minka’s tongue makes a quick, sexy swipe at her
bottom lip. “I have a sweet round ass. No harm in showing off what God gave
me.”

Smiling despite my bad mood, I can’t argue with her
having a great ass.

“You got me wound up, Apples. With the good
fucking, comes the circle peeing.”

“If you really cared about me, you’d stop calling
me Apples.”

“Naw, baby, every man’s got to have a nickname for
his woman. My father called my mother, Apron Strings.” Minka frowns at this
information, and I realize her shitty upbringing made her weird. “Because she
was such a great cook and mother, you see?”

“Yeah, that’s sweet. In our case, you just
butchered my last name.”

Now I’m the one laughing. “That’s not why I call
you Apples. It’s these perky tits of yours,” I explain while taking in the
sight of them hiding behind a tight black and gray striped tee. “I noticed them
the first damn day when you were hurrying out of the office to tell Rafael
something. Those girls are ripe as hell.”

Minka glances down at her tits, studies them for
nearly a minute, and then looks back at me.

“Romantic.”

“Well, I think the Apron Strings thing might have
been an inside sex joke between my parents, but I wasn’t gonna ask.”

“Did your mom have a nickname for your dad?”

“She called him master.”

Minka gives me a sly grin that makes my dick
painfully hard. I love when she knows I’m fucking with her.

“You don’t need to worry,” she says in a loving
voice, “about Hayes or anyone else. If you and I end, it’ll be us who end it.
Not a third party.”

“We’re not ending.”

“I didn’t say we were.”

“I don’t mean now. I mean ever. You’re the one.”

Minka leans back against the door and studies me.
“Do I get a say?”

“Of course, but I know what I know.”

Minka’s dark eyes study me again, and I wonder what
she’s thinking. I’d love to crack open her head and see what goes on inside her
mind. I bet it’s a wild place.

“Did you park here because you were too angry to
drive or because you want to go shopping?” she asks, changing the subject.

“There’s nothing in White Horse to do. The bars are
closed. The bowling alley is in Hickory Creek, while the movie theater is in
Common Bend. So we can walk around this mall, or we can go back to the hotel.”

“Since you’re suffering from fucking sickness, I
guess I should give your dick a break.”

Minka opens her door and climbs out. I bolt from
the SUV, worried about trigger-happy assholes or even horny men making eyes at
Minka. She waits for me to join her.

“I like when your hair gets messy like this,” she
says, playing with my non-slicked-back hair. “This is how you look when you’re
on top of me.”

“Do you want me to fuck you right here?” I ask,
groaning as my dick grows too big for my slacks. “Let’s go back to the hotel.”

“Ice it down, Dino. I want to walk around and see
if I find you as attractive dressed as you are naked.”

I grip her hand in mine before noticing a dozen
college-aged men near the mall entrance. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders,
I keep her pressed against me.

“You could carry me like a baby on your hip if you
think that’d make your point better.”

I frown at a smiling Minka. “What happens when
women make eyes at me? Will you let them?”

“Sure. I don’t own you.”

Sharing her smile, I open the mall door. “You’re
full of shit.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

I give the college boys a nasty look, and the
little one appears ready to wet his fucking pants. My ego welcomes the shot of
confidence after Minka plays everything too cool. I want her worshipping me,
not weighing her options.

“Were your parents ever married?” I ask as we sit
on a bench near Macy’s and watch people walk by.

“For about a year. They tied the knot when she was
a few months into the pregnancy with me and were divorced not long after I was
born. Mom said she wanted to have all her kids in wedlock, but marriage wasn’t
for her.”

“Is that why you refuse to submit to me?”

Grinning, Minka slides her right leg over mine.
“I’m not submitting to anything. If you want that to happen, you’ll need to
break me.”

I shake my head and pat her knee. “No breaking. I
want you in one piece when you walk down the aisle.”

“Stop talking about shit like that. You think it’s
sexy, but it’s not.”

I wrap an arm around her shoulders and gently poke
her in the chest. “You know what I think? Your mom put these ideas in your head
about how men aren’t necessary. Now you’re a slave to her bullshit thinking.”

“You don’t know anything about my mother.”

“I know you don’t talk to her. Since I’m on your
side, I’d assume that makes her the bad guy.”

Minka shrugs, but I know I’ve hit a nerve. She glances
at a passing mother pushing a stroller.

“I don’t hate my mom.”

“Then why aren’t you in contact with her? That’s
your choice, right?”

“Yeah, I pretend I hate her because it makes
avoiding her easier. I’m more disappointed in her than anything else. I wish
she were different, but she isn’t.”

“Different how?”

“Less selfish. Never satisfied. Even when she had
things, she wanted more. She was always comparing her life to other people
doing better. She never felt blessed. I didn’t mind the crime. Her family only
knows one way to make money, and they don’t care how they take from others. But
they don’t appreciate what they’ve taken. They only want to find someone else
to take from.”

“I gotta say, I don’t have a lot of respect for
thieves. The jewel thief, maybe, or a bank robber. Most thieves steal from
people barely scraping by. That ain’t how life should be.”

Minka purses her lips, and I know she wants to
change the subject. A minute passes before she speaks up again.

“I talk to Verina every month, and she says Mom
lives comfortably. I don’t want to know more than that. Imagining her as an old
woman makes me feel guilty for never visiting or calling. Of course, my
grandmother was even more manipulative once she got old. She really played up
the elderly angle. Oh, and her memory was always iffy when it came to her
sins.”

“I’m lucky in that my family are pretty good
people. I never had to cut any of them off. If I did have to, maybe I’d feel
bad after a while.”

“I feel guilty because she’s my mother, not because
she deserves it.”

My thumb caresses her tense jaw. “I know. I ain’t
saying you should feel any different. What do I know anyway? I’m just thinking
maybe it bothers you because it’s unresolved. Not for her, but for you. I mean,
you left when you were young. Time has passed, and thinking of her as an old
lady all alone makes you feel bad. Maybe if you saw her or talked to her, you’d
see her the way she really is.”

“I don’t know,” Minka mumbles, frowning at the
thought.

“Look, I’m no therapist, and I ain’t pretending to
know about things. I did have a friend Johnny from middle school. He and I were
tight. We were just getting into girls, and we’d play pranks on people. He was
like a brother to me. I loved the guy, but then his dad got another job, and
they moved. It killed me. All these years, I was thinking of him as the Johnny
I knew, and I couldn’t stop thinking I’d lost something important. It nagged at
me, so I looked him up a few years back.”

The memory makes me frown. Minka nuzzles her lips
against my throat, and I shake off my bad mood.

“Johnny was living in Florida with his wife and
kids. I came down for the weekend, and you know what? I couldn’t stand the guy.
All the stuff I used to think was so damn great about him was annoying as fuck.
He was too loud. He talked about girls like we did when we were twelve. The guy
had a daughter but talked about pussy all the damn time. Not like a man would
talk about it, but like a twelve-year-old boy who don’t know about pussy would.
He never changed, but I did.”

“That sucks.”

“Not really, because I got the need out of my
system. I was always thinking I lost something huge, but I realized we’d have
grown apart anyway. We weren’t going in the same direction in life. Meeting him
again put things in place for me. I’m not saying that’ll happen with your mom,
because she’s your mom. Might not hurt to try, though.”

“Is it weird that I’m scared?”

“Naw, Apples. It’s your fucking mom. Parents have a
sick power over their kids. My mom can call me and whine about a plumbing problem,
and I’ll want to fly home to fix it for her. I’m lucky my ma don’t try to use
her powers to make me her fucking poodle, because she could.”

Minka smiles slightly. “I guess I ought to visit
her. Facing my fears worked with heights.”

“I could go with you if you want.”

Still nervous about discussing the future, Minka
shrugs. “Let’s see if I still like you in a week.”

“Baby, in a week, you’ll be kissing my feet. I
oughta get you kneepads to make the process easier.”

“Asshole.”

“I’m an honest guy. What can I tell you?”

Minka stands up. “You’re pissing me off.”

“Because I’m making you feel what you don’t want to
feel. You should thank me.” I stand up and take Minka’s hand. “What do you want
to do now?”

“Let’s walk around awhile. Seeing these happy
people makes me feel better about how miserable those people were this
morning.”

“You have a sweet heart,” I say, kissing her
forehead.

My arm wraps around her shoulders possessively.
This time, Minka doesn’t try to squirm away or give me an amused look. Talking
about her mom soured her mood. I ought to feel guilty, but she needs to face
facts about both her mom and us. I’m not going anywhere. While I have no
intention of breaking this powerful woman, I do plan on getting her a pair of
kneepads for all of the worshipping that she’ll do soon.