CHAPTER TEN
Pactio
“They said D.M.’s new lawyer is hot. #jealous>.< (@deisebloombastic)
The weekend seemed to drag on, no matter how much I hauled boxes and furniture around the house. I needed a home. Not a storage unit. And that’s where I focused my energy. Not on Dante. Not on his idiotic black rose. Dante needed to be out of my house.
“I’m throwing it away,” I told Célie after she commented for the fifth time on the beauty of the piece I’d put in a box and brought to the office.
“I don’t see anything wrong with receiving a thank-you gift,” she said, staring at the black rose.
I didn’t tell her about the letter. This gift wasn’t a simple present. It was intimidation. A constant reminder that Dante doesn’t understand the meaning of the word boundaries.
“What time are you leaving for Alta?”
I looked at the clock and realized I was stalling. I’d planned to leave half an hour ago.
“I’m going.”
“It’s been about twenty minutes since…” I stared at her. “Okay. My bad.”
I was ready to leave when someone rang the doorbell. It was the loud blonde girl who’d been at the courthouse, gossiping about Dante.
“Hi. How can I help you?” I said as I opened the door.
“Hi. I’m Emily Cameron, assistant intern at the prosecutor’s office.” She extended her hand toward me. “Prosecutor Quinn asked me to deliver this to you personally.”
I took the document, certain I’d be stressed by the time I finished reading it.
“We’ll be expecting you at the office.” The girl nodded and left. Smiling and happy to have pleased the boss.
“Did she just call me ‘ma’am’?” I growled indignantly.
“She must be what? About twenty-three?” Célie laughed. “They always think we thirty-somethings are old ladies.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I complained loudly, startling Célie.
“What is it?”
“William is questioning Marino’s choice of me. According to him, Marino chose me to compromise his trial.”
“But he can’t interfere with that.”
“That doesn’t stop him from trying.” I tossed the document on my desk and grabbed my purse.
“What are you going to do?”
I stared at Célie.
“First I’m going to make sure we have a case. And then,” I put the purse on my shoulder, “I’m going to the prosecutor’s office to show William I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to crush him in that courtroom.”
I sped to Braxton. I needed to get the documents signed by Dante before heading to the prosecutor’s office.
After waiting almost an hour for them to let me see Dante, they finally escorted me to the room. This time we didn’t have a solid glass block between us. This time I would be face to face with him again after a few weeks.
I had chosen a blue suit with a black button-up shirt buttoned all the way to the neck. I had arranged the papers on the table along with the pen for Dante to sign.
I heard the door open and a guard enter.
Soon after, another guard brought Dante in his red uniform and white sneakers.
Red was his color too, but I would never tell him that.
His hands and legs were bound by handcuffs and chains.
His hair fell disheveled over his eyebrows. The cut on his eyebrow was healing.
When he sat down, one of the guards released one of his hands while the other guard secured it to the table, along with his legs.
“Is this really necessary?” I asked, watching him tighten it too firmly.
“It’s for your safety, ma’am,” the guard replied, almost grumbling.
Dante said nothing. He just fixed me with an uncomfortable stare. As soon as they finished and left us alone, I took a deep breath.
“It’s good to see you,” Dante said, and I dropped my eyes to the papers in front of me.
“We don’t have much time…”
“How was your weekend, Doctor?”
“Great,” I lied. “Mr. Marino, your former lawyers sent me everything they had, but we’re going to need to update some information.”
“And your father?”
I looked up at him.
“No problem, Doctor. We’ll do whatever’s necessary,” he replied.
“Thank you.” I pulled the contract papers from the pile and handed him a copy. “Your parents received a copy and agree with the terms. But I’d like you to look it over carefully.”
Dante remained motionless even as I encouraged him to read.
“Mr. Marino… I”
“Dante. I prefer you call me Dante.”
“It’s more appropriate that I maintain formality… a judge could”
“It’s just you and me here, Helena.” He leaned forward on the table. “Except for the voyeurs out in the hallway.”
“Dante,” I said, trying to calm him down since he was clearly looking for a confrontation. “Can you read the contract?”
“I trust my parents’ judgment.” He leaned back again. “And yours.”
“Fine. You don’t want to read it.” I handed him the pen. “Can you sign?”
“Of course.” He took the pen, his fingers brushing lightly over mine. “But first… I’d like to establish some agreements.”
“But you haven’t even read the contract…” I had to rein in my own impatience. “What do you need?”
Dante pulled the contract toward him and flipped the page over, writing at the top of the reverse side.
“Addendums,” he said as he wrote on the page. “Just a few non-negotiable items so our contract is exactly what I need… from you.”
He smiled before starting to write item after item. The silence hung heavy in the room while he clearly enjoyed having me there, forced to wait.
“All done.” He slid the scribbled paper toward me.
My eyes scanned the list in disbelief. This was more than just a few extra demands. It was a damn deal with the devil.
“You can’t be serious.” My nostrils flared in response. No matter how many deep breaths I took, it still wasn’t enough.
“I need to ensure my wishes will be met.”
“I can’t accept this, Mr. Marino.”
“Dante.” He leaned over the table. “That’s the first item on the list, Doctor.”
His finger tapped the paper on the table—the most absurd list of demands I’d ever received from a client. Not even rock stars on international tours were this demanding.
“Some of these items clearly violate the basic principles of an attorney-client relationship.”
“I promise not to tell anyone,” he said, confident and arrogant.
“Dante… I need you to be reasonable.”
“I’m being reasonable, Doctor.” A dark half-smile settled on his face. “If I wrote down everything going through my head about us, you’d probably lock me up here for another thousand years.”
“I should get up, collect all these papers, and leave. I have no reason to put up with this.”
“But you won’t… will you?” Dante was only a few feet away, but his eyes made me feel cornered. Leaving would disappoint Celie and hand the victory to my father and William. “This is the case of your life, Helena.”
“I can find another client like you.”
“You can’t. And you know it.” He rolled the pen toward me. “Not because you lack the competence, but because this flame eating away at your insides is about much more than the desire to win a case.”
“You’re a spoiled brat.”
A mocking smile quickly faded into a deep, dark look.
“Used to getting what I want. And I’ve already said I want you, Doctor.”
I stared at the paper in front of me. Accepting this agreement would be selling my soul to the devil. It would mean touching those damn black petals.
Addendums:
1 - You must refer to me as Dante. Leave the formalities for others. I want you to see me as I am. Not the prodigal son. The man.
2 - Unrestricted access. You can’t prevent me from writing or calling you.
3 - I want to know how your day was. What you’ve been doing. What the weather looked like from your window. I want to know how the air feels when it kisses you, or what you’re reading. I want to be in your mind.
4 - You can’t lie to me.
5 - I want you to bring me books when you come. And to read with me.
7 - Protect my family from the media vultures. Don’t let them disturb my mother or Maressa. And keep me informed about how their lives are really going. Not the edited version Maressa brings me.
8 - I want you to put the flower in your bedroom, next to your bed.
“I want to negotiate the terms.”
“Of course you do,” he said. “But I think some of my terms are non-negotiable.”
“I can’t have you in my life, Dante,” I murmured.
“I think you’re facing quite the moral battle, Dr. Torres.”
My eyes dropped from his to the paper.
“I can bring your books… but I won’t read with you. I’m not your babysitter.” He consented, and I crossed out the item. “I threw your flower away.”
“No, you didn’t.” He ran his hand through his hair and
“I can’t disrespect your family’s privacy,” I explained before crossing it out.
“At least promise me you’ll tell me if something happens.” I nodded and crossed out the item.
“There’s no way I’m going to tell you what I’m doing. I don’t even give reports to my parents,” I grumbled when he refused. “You can’t expect me to write about my day like some teenager with a diary.”
Dante took the paper from my hand and scribbled something over it.
“Answer my letters,” he said. “That’s the best I can offer you, counselor.”
“Okay.” I nodded, already thinking of ways to get around this one.
“Don’t forget you can’t lie to me,” he warned, almost reading my mind.
“Relax. I’m an officer of the court.”
“So, counselor? Do we have a deal?”
Shit, shit, shit.
Addendums:
1 - You must refer to me as Dante. Leave the formalities for others. I want you to see me as I am. Not the prodigal son. The Man.
2 - Unrestricted access. You cannot prevent me from writing or calling you.
3 - I want to know how your day was. What you’ve been doing. What the weather looked like from your window. I want to know how the air feels against your skin, what you’re reading. I want to be in your mind.
3 - Answer my letters.
4 - You cannot lie to me.
5 - I want you to bring me books when you come. And read with me.
7 - Protect my family from the media vultures. Don’t let them disturb my mother or Maressa. And keep me informed about how their lives are going. Really. Not the edited version Maressa brings me.
8 - I want you to place the flower in your room, beside your bed.
x Dante Marino
x Helena Torres