Page 47 of Carnal

"Should I get her one?"

"Umm, no!"

Chanel exhales loudly. "But if all the other kids have one..."

"Seriously? If all the other kids were doing drugs, would you tell her it's okay?" I question.

"Of course not!"

The elevator stops on our floor. The doors open and Dante motions for me to go first. I step out and say, "Well, there's your answer. Did you figure out what you're doing for her party?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know this week."

"Okay. Stick to your guns. And I'll talk to her about the tattoo if you want," I offer.

"Awesome! I was hoping you'd say that! She listens to you more than me."

"Not surprising. You're her mom. She's not supposed to prefer your advice," I claim.

"Good point."

"Listen, Dante's here. I've gotta run."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Bye," I say, then hang up. I take the coffee out of Dante's hand and go directly to my office. If he's going to lecture me, I'm sitting at the desk. For some reason, it makes me feel more in control. I take a sip of my favorite drink and then smile. "Thanks."

"No problem. Was that Chanel?" Dante asks.

"Yep."

"Has she had any problems at the club?" he interrogates, his face hardening.

"Well, let's just get right into it," I chirp, setting my cup on my desk and taking off my coat.

Dante plops on a chair across from mine. He pushes the pads of his fingers together and, in a stern voice, warns, "Don't make light of this, Pina."

I toss back, "Don't make this bigger than it is."

Frustration fills his expression. I take a deep breath, telling myself to chill out a bit. When Dante wears that look, I shouldn't press his buttons too much. He shakes his head. "You're wrong."

I sigh. "What do you expect, Dante? It's a sex club. People go there wanting one thing. Everyone besides Biagio backed off when I made it clear I wasn't interested."

"This is exactly why you should have never been going in the first place," he claims.

Annoyed, I snap, "Is there a point to your visit? I have work to do."

"Don't get pissed at me," he asserts.

"Then don't act like a broken record. You already banned me. What else do you want?"

"Until I say, I'm adding security to you. If Biagio tries to contact you or you see him anywhere, you let me know immediately," Dante declares.

"Is this necessary? My driver—"

"It's not negotiable," Dante interjects.

We lock eyes, each challenging the other, but this isn't a battle I'll win.

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