Dave looked as dumb as if someone had asked him Pi to 13 places. He wasn't sure how to answer her. There was a helluva lot of reason why they couldn't get married however none of them what make sense for him to say right now.

"Dysi, you're too young to be marrying me." Dave said with a smirk, "I'm what, 12 years older than you?"

"Your point? Adam's 14 years older than me."

"Look dysi, I'm not trying to mess up what your dad has set up, for real." Dave said, "I respect him," There's the biggest lie ever told.

"How can you respect a man who all but auctioned off his daughter before she was old enough to keep her damn eyes open?"

Dave couldn't answer her. That was part of Kalista's charm; she had a way of backing you into a corner without there being a way out.

"Because that same man took two homeless teenagers off the streets and gave them a home, food and security."

"Understandable and commendable but you're not a starving homeless teenager anymore David,"

"But there are certain loyalties I owe to your father,"

"What about your loyalties to me David?"

Damn, she had done it again. She had managed to back him into yet another corner. And it was going to be damn near impossible to fight his way out of it, as was anything with her.

"Dysi, don't do this,"

"Don't do what David? Do you want to see me unhappy?" Kalista looked at him, "I hate Adam at times."

"Why Lista? Why are you so unhappy?"

"He makes me feel like a walking paycheck," Kalista let tears roll down her face, "I have no meaning to him, he just knows that in a year he's going to marry me and be a rich son of a bitch and I hate him for it." She looked at Dave, "but I hate my father even more because he's the cause of all of this."

"Lista,"

"I'm serious David. Maybe you can understand his motives but I can't and until he makes this right, there will be no love in my heart for him, I'm sorry."

David went over and put his arms around the sobbing girl, "You don't have a reason to be sorry dysi, and I'll talk to your father myself. Adam had no business telling you any ignorant shit like that anyway."

"Why wouldn't he?" she looked up into David's eyes, "His life is set, no matter what he does, his life is written. No matter how many times he hits me," she put her hand to her mouth, damn it, that slipped.

"No matter how many times he does say what?" Dave looked down at her.

"Nothing," she picked up her fork and picked with her cheesecake, "nothing,"

"Nothing hell!" Dave yelled.

"David keep your voice down, people are starting to stare,"

"I don't' give a damn, I own this place." He looked at a near by table, "that's right. I'm David M. Batista, owner of the Tramonto hotel and restaurant." He looked at Kalista, "Look at me Lista,"

Reluctantly Kalista looked up at David, meeting his glance, "Yeah?"

"How long has this son of a bitch been putting his hands on you?"

"I'm not answering that,"

"Let me ask this then," David asked, "when was the last time?"

"You remember that gunshot you heard the other day?"

"Jesus dysi,"

"I swear I'm going to kill him in his sleep one of these days."

"Shit you may have to stand in line," Dave looked at her, "Why haven't you told your father?"

"He threatened to have you fired if I told." She looked back down at her plate, "I don't want to live in that house if you're not there," she looked back at him with a new malice, "Besides, I've talked to Paul Levesque, and the contract is sealed. It's just so much easier to take him out of the equation."

"So you were serious when you pulled your piece earlier?"

"As heart failure,"

And she was. She was tired of Adam walking around like he ran the free damn world because he was promised her hand in marriage. Here's a news flash asshole, I have to walk down the fuckin' aisle and if I don't you'll be a broke motherfucker indeed.

There was a long silence between them. David always knew she had it in her to pull that trigger, in emergency situations of course, never just because she wanted to get rid of someone.

"Kalista you have to help me understand something," he said finally.

"He's broke you know?" she said finally.

Dave couldn't have been more shocked had she pulled her piece right there in the middle of his upscale restaurant.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The boy doesn't have two nickels to rub together," Kalista said. "I had Peter Senerchia do a little investigative reporting for me."

"Tazz?"

"He is the best at what he does, isn't he?"

"Hell yes," David said, "How much else do you know?"

"He's in on the Cena family for about 10 million plus interest,"

Dave's mouth nearly hit the floor, "Are you serious?"

"Hell yes," Kalista said, "What I can't understand is how, I mean John and I grew up together. Why would his family give Adam that kind of money?"

"I don't know," Dave said truly confused, "Have you talked to John?"

"No, I haven't. In fact you're the first person I've spoken to about it,"

"Okay, well you know you need to talk to your father tonight?"

Kalista shook her head, "I don't think so. I can't go back there tonight."

"Where do you plan to go Lista?"

She shrugged, "Who knows? I just can't be in there with them tonight."

Dave handed her his cell phone, "Call Adam and your father, tell them you're staying at the Tramonto hotel tonight and you'll be home tomorrow."

"Okay," she dialed her father first, "Daddy?"

"Lissie? Where are you it's getting late?"

"Daddy, I'm staying at the Tramonto hotel tonight,"

"What? Why?"

"Daddy just trust me, please,"

"Is David there with you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Put him on the phone Lissie,"

She handed Dave the phone, "Daddy would like a word,"

"Chyren?"

"David, listen to me," Chyren said, "Listen carefully."

"I'm listening," he said eyeing Kalista.

"Walk away from her."

"Excuse me a second Lista," David said getting up, "Order whatever you want,"

Lista just nodded. She knew the conversation would be about her, she just hoped David wasn't in any trouble for taking her out. Adam was such a bitch that if he had an inkling that anyone was moving in on what he called "his territory" he would go whining to her father. Bitch!

"I'm worried about Lissie, very worried."

"Why?"

"You know why. You know damned well that my baby doesn't just have these kinds of temper tantrums for no reason."

David sighed, he just realized what the tantrums were all about and he had every right to throw every single tantrum and then some. She would hold the bastard down why she shot him at this point.

"I know Chyren,"

"No, you don't know." Chyren said carefully, "And here's something else you don't know. Lissie doesn't love Adam,"

"What?"

"And I know you took her out tonight,"

"I always take her out Chyren, but back up for a second. I'm not following you."

"You and I both know Lissie loathes Adam. How many times have you had to listen to her bitch about him?"

Too many to try or want to count, "So she hates him? What does this have to do with me?"

"Call it a father's intuition but I have it on good authority that it's you that she does love." Chyren said, "And as you know, this was not a part of our deal,"

Dave felt the air leave his lungs. It was the equivalent of being sucker punched. "I beg your pardon?"

"Calm down David," Chyren said with a chuckle, "I will give my little girl whatever she wants, so I have postponed her being affianced for a little while because I indeed want to see how far you're willing to go with this."

"I have to be honest with you Chyren," David said, "I love your daughter, I love everything about her and that does not include her money."

"You're a good boy David, smart. You've done well what with your hotel and all." Chyren smiled, "and before you say 'I didn't tell you that' let me just say that it was my construction company that built it."

David smiled to himself, "Damn Chyren, you're good."

"The best," Chyren said, "Look, there's an amendment in Lissie's marital contract. A loophole if you will, if you so happen to find the loophole, Lissie is yours."

David smiled, "I've found the best loophole of all Chyren, I found her heart."

Chyren smiled, "Very good son. Now make good on it."

David hung up and returned to Kalista, "Come Lista, take your dessert upstairs."

"Okay."

-

Meanwhile Adam had just overheard every word of Chyren's conversation. He whipped out his cell phone.

"Orton it's Copeland, look it has to go down and I mean now."

"Just tell me when and where?"

"I'll be in touch,"