The Wife's Resolve

Chapter 2: Issusing the Threat

It was easy to see that Elena would remain a problem for Valerie. According to Damon, she had been his assistant for two years before he met Valerie. Even before he had risen to the head of the organization, he felt she was loyal to him. Damon and Valerie sat in his office, eating lunch together and discussing their weekend plans. The phone rang, and Damon got up and went to his computer for a brief moment. During that call, Elena knocked on the door and brought in the drinks Damon had requested 10 minutes before. Seeing that Damon was otherwise distracted, she walked over to where Valerie was standing to hand her the glass of red wine. She intentionally bumped into Valerie and ended up spilling red wine down the front of her shirt. Damon had been on a call and was looking away when it happened, and missed the whole interaction until he heard the glass hit the ground and shatter.

"Are you kidding me?" she yelled, "You did that on purpose," she accused.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Dare," she begged, knowing that Damon was watching now, "I did not mean to spill it, I promise. I'll clean it up right away."

"I'm sure it was an accident, Valerie," Damon defended, " go to the on-suite, I have changes of clothes in there. You should be able to find something in there that will suit you."

"Again, I'm really sorry, Mrs. Dare. If you bring me your shirt, I'm sure I can get the wine out of it," she carried on. Valerie was not impressed.

Instead, Valerie composed herself and faked a smile, "Oh, it's not that big of a deal. It's only silk, Miss Iris, have plenty more at home. You can try and get it out if you want to, but I hold no expectations of you being successful. I would, however, like this mess cleaned up before I get back." With that, she turned on her heels and went to change. Damon indeed had half a wardrobe in this suit and plenty of options for her to pick from. She selected a bright red shirt that buttoned down the front. Looking in the mirror, she undid the first four buttons. Enough that her husband would clearly see her black lace underneath. She laughed at her antics, but why not put those windows to good use?

When she came out, Elena was gone, and Damon was sitting leaned back in one of his chairs by the table. She thought about sitting on his lap. Instead, she chose to sit across from him. As she sat, he looked up and smiled. "Well, I would say Elena's mistake is my benefit; perhaps I should give her a raise," he chuckled.

I shook my head, "Maybe it is your benefit, but it was no mistake."

"She said it was an accident," he defended. "I have never known her to be vicious,"

"I want her gone," Valerie demanded, looking at him. "We have been married for a year, and despite what you say, she still treats me like I am some common girl off the street, not your wife. I called you last week and she flatly refused to put my call through. To make it even worse, she forgot to tell you that I called, and I ended up standing in the rain till Preston got there."

"Do we have to talk about Preston?" Damon rubbed his neck. "You know I don't like him hanging around you either."

Valerie laughed coldly, "You really need to get over yourself with that. There are worlds of difference between the two. First, Preston is your cousin. Second, he is a promising law student whom the firm can use when he graduates. Third, he has a wife and two small kids. What is it you're worried about?"

"Fine," he relented, "I have nothing to worry about. I am just the Alpha here, and he is someone who could easily make his own claim."

"But he won't," she laughed," and do you know why, Alpha?"

"I know what he says," he shot back.

"You know what you want to know. I believe that he wants to be out of crime. He wants his family to be safe. He does not want to worry about guns in the middle of the night. He does not want to have to hide in a panic safe and wait for the family to show up. He wants what is best for his family, and that is his career in my firm, not becoming an associate of yours. You know deep down he is no threat. Why do you keep dragging him through the mud?" he finished with a twinkle in her eyes. She could tell by his face that her words were hitting their mark.

"Are you?" is all he asked, reaching for his drink.

"Am I what?" Valerie asked, confused about what exactly he was asking.

"Are you afraid of guns in the night?'

Valerie laughed, "Oh Dear, we both sleep with loaded guns in our bedside table. I know we are both packing right now," she smirked as she said.

His eyes raked here over, "Where are you hiding it in that outfit?"

She smiled, "Why don't you come over here and look for yourself, Alpha?"

"I have a meeting in a few minutes," he stated.

"Cancel it, Alpha, and if I were you, I would frost those windows," Valerie stated. With that, she stood and started undoing more buttons. After three, he groaned and hit the buttons as the windows frosted. She instantly dropped her shirt to the floor. Elena needed a little lesson in not messing with the Luna. As Valerie dropped her skirt to the floor, a knock was heard at the door,

"Come back later," Damon yelled out.

"Mr. Dare, your meeting is in the conference room," came Elena's voice as Valerie walked toward her husband, shaking her head.

"Cancel it," he replied.

"Mr. Dare," she started, but was cut off.

"I said cancel it or tell them to wait, I am in a meeting of my own," he yelled, then yanked his wife down on top of his lap. "You lied," he chuckled.

"Excuse me," Valarie chuckled. "You want to accuse me of lying while I'm on your lap," she rubbed against him and began her work on unbuttoning his shirt.

"Where's the gun, Baby?" he whispered in her ear.

Valerie rose off his lap and stood before him smiling, "Of I believe I told you to find it."

"With pleasure," he started his search. As he removed the remaining clothes, he burst out laughing. Valerie could not help but laugh as well, "That will not help keep you safe, but I like. He placed his thumb on the gun tattooed on her inner thigh. "I should kill the guy who put this here."

"I'll let her know you are jealous. She left you a message for me in it." I said seriously.

"Well then, I'd better take a closer look." He carried her toward the sofa and laid her down. spreading her legs apart so he could read the message on the gun. "c*m omni amore meo," he read out loud, sending a chill up her spine as his hand inched higher.

"Maybe I should get a matching one with the words 'semper et in aeternum,'" he whispered, my skin again.

"Do I get to decide its location?" she giggled.

He smirked, "I did not get to pick yours," he whispered before kissing the mark and making his way up my body.

When they finished, they each needed to get back to work. Valerie stopped at the door. "I have a compromise for you. You need not fire Elena. You can transfer her somewhere else, and she can remain in the building, but not as your personal assistant, and I don't want to see her in my husband's office again. I will also replace Paxton with a new assistant when he graduates this spring and take a new assistant who is female. However, should you decide to keep her as your assistant, we will have no more lunches in your office." With that, she walked out, not waiting for his reply but hoping he would make the right one.

After three weeks of having lunch at his father-in-law's company, he conceded and moved Elena from his personal assistant to that of his brother and chose his enforcer Nicoli as his new assistant.