Page 52 of Left of the Slash
I laugh to myself. “Gang up on you? No, not at all, Nick. I'm simply here to reinforce the rules. I think your time working for Jon has given you the impression that your position in the company is higher than it really is. Jon was the CISO, which is a step below the CEO, and you are a step down from the CISO. Although he didn't act like it because he was terrible at his job, Jon was your boss. As far as the chain of command is concerned, you were required to speak to him before ever speaking to Olivia. So, like I said, I'm here to reinforce the rules.”
Nick scrunches his face so hard it looks painful. “What the hell are you talking about, Quinn? Rules? Chain of command? This isn't the military.”
“Nah it’s not, but the term still applies,” I say calmly. “So, here’s what we’re going to do from this moment on. Olivia Lucero is the CEO of this company. I am the chief information security officer, the second in command. You are the information security manager. You are below me. Beneath me. Under me. I am your superior, and no, I don't mean just while we’re at work, but I digress. The point is that you work for me, Nick. And as your superior, I'm declaring that you are no longer allowed to speak to Olivia Lucero without checking with me first. She is the CEO, and has plenty of shit to keep her mind occupied. She doesn't need your menial, childish, dumb fucking bullshit on top of her plate that is already full. So, if you want to complain, you will come to me, and you and I can have a discussion behind closed doors. If you don't like it, you can fucking quit.
“In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, I've decided that I am going to terrorize you until you either learn your place or resign. Your days of talking shit to Olivia are over. You won't speak this way toanybodyelse, or you’ll have to deal with me personally,and while I can't fire you—yet—because Olivia thinks your experience here is valuable, I can start the terror by demoting you and reducing your pay. I’ll have Rob Vaughn take your place, while you go down to do his job, and if you can't get your shit together there, I’ll drop you down to coding. I will ruin every positive step you ever took in this building until you're crawling on your knees like a dog when you enter these halls, waiting for me to walk by so you can beg to stand. You will be nothing and nobody at Obsidian. And HR won't be able to do a thing about it, because I'm the CISO, and everything is within my power. You have no idea what special treatment is, but I’ll gladly show you … and I'm a fucking sadist, which means I would love nothing more than to cause you pain.”
Nick’s eyes well up with tears as he looks down at the floor. I give him a second to let my words grease up the broken and grinding gears in his mind, then I bend my knees and lower my head so that he can't even look at the floor. I force him to make eye contact with me.
“You won't even be able to stare at the floor without my say so,” I snarl. “Now, don't think about it too much, because I don't want you to be confused. Just say that you understand, and we’ll move on from this situation that I'm sure is very embarrassing for you.”
Nick tries to look elsewhere, but I keep moving my face into his line of sight. So he has no choice but to nod. “I understand.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“No,” I say, digging the knife in further. “The proper response isyes, sir. So I’ll ask again. Do you understand the new rules, Nick?”
He swallows hard, shaking his head in disbelief, but I don't care if he believes it’s happening or not. This is his new reality, and he has no choice but to live in it.
“Yes, sir,” he says in a puny, whimpering little voice.
I nod and smile. “Good boy,” I finally stand up straight and allow Nick to stare at his feet, but then decide to take it one step further as I see Stephen glaring at us from behind his desk. “And the same goes for you, Stephen. You do not speak to Olivia. You come to me first, or you can pack every hideous thing in your office and get the fuck out. Do you understand?”
Stephen’s glare softens immediately. “Yes, sir.”
I nod and turn back to Nick. “Great. Now go to your office and get back to work, and don't ever mention the EWB proposal again. I'm pitching it with Olivia, and you're not. It’s over. Deal with it. Now go away.”
“Yes, sir,” Nick whispers again as he turns around and silently walks away with his head down.
The second he's gone, I turn to a wide-eyed Olivia, whose lips are pressed into a thin line as she tries to keep from laughing.
“That was … thank you, Q,” she says quietly.
I take a step closer to her and lean in until my mouth is right next to her ear.
“You're welcome. Let me know if either of them steps out of line. If they talk to you, I want to know about it. I don't even want them saying good morning. Okay?”
“Yes, Sir,” she replies with a devious grin. Her version ofyes, Sirisnotthe same as Nick and Stephen’s.
“Good girl,” I say, inching a little closer and ignoring Eden’s stunned face and gaping mouth. “Now, what do you have going on tonight after work?”
Olivia shakes her head. “Nothing. Why?”
“Because I'm coming over tonight.”
“Oh, you are?”
“I am,” I say. “There's still more you need to teach me, baby girl. And I'm in the mood to learn.”
THIRTY-ONE - Quinn
Parking in Olivia’s driveway is different this time. When I was here before, I was still battling uncertainty about who I was. I wanted to bask in the light and shun the dark, but ended up being pulled into it that night when Olivia took me down into her playhouse. I should've known then that I was always meant to be in the dark. I guess I'm a slow learner when it comes to myself, even though I'm quick on the uptake in everything else. Irony, I guess.
This time, there are no conflicting feelings. I know who I am now, and I'm leaning into it heavily. The conversation with my father was life-changing—the kind of talk that alters brainwaves and thought processes forever. In just one day I have come into my own, giving in to my true desires no matter how devious they may be, but I did it with calm, thought-out moves that didn't land me in handcuffs. I could've easily punched Nick in the sideof his big ass head when I saw him talking crazy to Olivia, but I kept that card in my pocket and played a better one. Now his entire work life has shifted. I beat him at his own game, because if I would've played my first card and hit him, it would've been assault, and I'd probably be both fired and arrested right now. He would've loved that, and so would Stephen. Now, they both have to answer to me, their superior. No jail time. Just Olivia’s playhouse and a dance in the darkness.
I have one goal tonight, and it can be summed up by one word. More. I want more of the things I've been running from. I want more of this lifestyle I've only just been introduced to and barely scratched the surface of. I want more of being a Dominant. More control. More pain. More pleasure. More Olivia.
