Lucky Spencer stared at his watch, frowning. "Where the hell is she?"
"Relax," Emily Bowen drawled dismissively as she programmed her cell phone for the hundredth time that day. "She'll be here."
Next to her, Nikolas Cassidine shared his brother's concern as he leaned in his chair, trying to get a better view of the door in case their friend should choose that exact minute to walk into Eli's.
The three friends were seated at a table for four in the popular rib joint, awaiting Elizabeth. They had decided to take her out that night; she had been in such a funk since she ended things with her serious boyfriend of two years, Michael "Sonny" Corinthos. It was high time that she get out of her apartment and actually do something instead of eat Haagen-dazs and watch An Affair to Remember for the tenth time in a row.
"Do you think she forgot?" Nikolas asked, propping his cheek in his hand.
Emily shook her head, still trying to find the right ringtone and driving the boys crazy in the process. "Nah. She doesn't forget."
"She never used to forget," Lucky corrected. "Ever since…last week, she's hardly been herself. I don't know – maybe she did forget."
"Try calling her again," Nikolas instructed. "We'll give her ten more minutes, and if she's not here by then, we'll go find her. This is ridiculous – I swear, if she's watching that Cary Grant movie again…"
Lucky rolled his eyes and pushed the second speed-dial button on his phone. Surprisingly, instead of ringing, it went straight to her voicemail.
"Hi, this is Elizabeth. If you're listening to this, it means I can't get to the phone right now – probably because Jason put it on top of the cabinets again. I'll call you back after I find a ladder and punch him in the kidneys."
The blonde smirked at the message. It didn't matter how many times he heard it – it was still hilarious. He could even picture Jason holding the phone just out of Elizabeth's reach as the petite brunette lunged for it and cursed him out.
Jason Morgan was Elizabeth's kinda-sorta roommate – at least, he was whenever he was in town. The man was a reputed mobster, and while Lucky wasn't sure if that was true, he knew that he'd rather do anything than get on Morgan's bad side.
The guy was a close friend of Elizabeth's big brother Steven, a lawyer for an infamous New York City mobster, and ever since the girl had found Jason bleeding in the snow one night, he had become a friend of hers as well.
She insisted that he stay with her until he got better, a move that didn't exactly please her big brother. But after Morgan convinced him that there was nothing going on, the older Webber didn't have any objections. Jason was rarely in town anyway – he was usually away on "business" for the local mob kingpin, a swaggering Latin man by the name of Lorenzo Alcazar. At least, he was if the rumors surrounding his employment were true.
He had made a habit of staying with Elizabeth whenever he was home, though, and nothing put a smile on the brunette's face like the sight of Jason waiting for her on the ratty red couch she kept in her living room.
Maybe that was what drove Sonny away, Lucky reflected as he clipped his phone to his belt away. The bartender was prone to insecurity, and maybe it was the thought that Jason had such a profound impact on his girlfriend that drove the sleazy Cuban to cheat on her in the first place.
Though he only met the man twice and had found him rather cold and forbidding on both occasions, Lucky found himself wishing that Jason was in town again. Even though he always worried for Elizabeth's safety whenever the supposed enforcer was around, Lucky knew that Elizabeth could really have used his company.
After all, sure, the four of them were close friends. Him, Elizabeth, Emily, and Nikolas did everything together, and had ever since they were in grammar school. They shared their triumphs and their fears with each others, just as best friends did.
But sometimes, Lucky found himself believing that maybe Jason outranked the four of them. Maybe he wasn't just another friend to the normally spirited college student – maybe he was more than a friend.
"Ten more minutes," Lucky agreed heavily. "That's all she gets."
"All right, kitten, you know the rules," Lucas Jones grinned as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. "You sure you still want to do this?"
"Cut the crap and let's ride, Jones," Elizabeth spit back, whipping out her leather driving gloves. The boy smirked and shrugged as if to say, it's your funeral, kitten.
His friends hung around the cocky blonde like a pack of mangy dogs, all of them trying to affect his foolishly arrogant demeanor. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a sneer, as she tugged her leather jacket on. Let the bastards say whatever they wanted – she'd show them good tonight.
If someone had told her a month ago that one night she'd be drag racing down the abandoned tunnels by the pier, she wouldn't have believed them for a split second. But then again, if someone had told her a month ago that her boyfriend of two years would cheat on her with some stripper named Daisy and knock the buxom blonde up, she wouldn't have believed that, either.
But that was the way the cookie crumbled, and Elizabeth climbed into her car when she heard Lucas revving his engine. Cocky little shitpot. She'd smoke him good tonight. Just like she had smoked an equally cocky asswipe by the name of Zander Smith the night before.
She wasn't the type of person to get involved with such…risky activities. She was the type of kid that was perfectly happy spending Friday night at the movies with some friends and then going out for cheese fries before watching a special about Egypt and the pyramids on the History Channel right before turning in.
But here she was, ready to burn major rubber and drive at ludicrously unsound speeds down abandoned and hazardous tunnels. Clearly, this was not her smartest moment, but then again, she'd be kidding herself if she pretended to actually give a shit.
"Hold on!"
She looked out the window at the sound of one of Lucas' minions calling out to her. "Change in route!"
Sighing, Elizabeth stepped out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition. If that little weasel was trying to make it easier for himself…
Lucas was smirking at her when she joined the group. "Tell you what, kitten," he purred, crossing his arms over his chest. "Since you seem so confident, what say we make this a little more challenging?"
"You guys are making a big deal out of nothing!" Emily Bowen whined as Lucky and Nikolas all but dragged her out of Eli's. "I'm telling you, she probably just forgot – I bet she's asleep on the couch at her apartment."
"Yeah, well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Nikolas replied testily, grabbing her free hand as she struggled to push the other one through the arm of her sweater.
The threesome drove back to Elizabeth's apartment and knocked repeatedly on the door. After standing around for several minutes and not getting any answer, Lucky finally entered using the spare key Elizabeth had given him in case of an emergency.
But Elizabeth was nowhere to be found, and the group hurriedly left and resumed their search.
"Maybe she's at Kelly's," Emily suggested helpfully. "Come on."
The three of them left the apartment building and walked the two blocks to the little diner that Elizabeth frequented, but the brunette wasn't there.
"Come on, we'll go out the back and walk to the Studio," Nikolas instructed, referring to the little poetry café that Elizabeth sometimes went to.
They waved to Tammy at the counter as they left, and had just stepped out the back door when they heard the loud, quarreling voices of the teenagers that usually utilized the alley out back to smoke, fight, and have carnal relations with each other.
"I'm telling you, if we leave now, we can make it," a tall blonde girl with entirely too much makeup was telling a stout, brown-haired boy her age.
"I don't care," he refused stubbornly. "We're waiting right here for Tim, and I'm not moving until he comes."
"But this is the woman that beat Zman," a short redhead with heavily done up eyes whined on her friend's behalf. "Didn't you hear about that?"
"She whipped him good," a lean boy with stringy jet-black hair tossed in. "I heard his car was totaled."
"And she got off scot-free," the redhead added. "And now she's against Lucas. I'm telling you, this is going to be wicked."
"If we leave now, we can make it," the blonde reminded the group. "I really want to see her in action – any girl that can beat Zman has got to be amazing."
"Oh, yeah?" the brunette was still unconvinced. "What's her name?"
"She calls herself – oh, what was it?" The redhead racked her head for the answer as she snapped her gum. "Oh, yeah. She calls herself Genie Webber."
"Genie?" the boy asked. "As in I dream of Jeanie?"
"I hope it's not as in Imogene," Lucky cut in with a groan.
"No way," Emily huffed, sounding less than convinced herself. "It can't be Elizabeth."
"Do any of you know what she looks like?" Nikolas asked the teens. "Have any of you seen her?"
"What's it to you?" the annoying redhead demanded, sneering at the older kids.
"Yeah, who wants to know?" the black-haired boy inquired suspiciously.
Nikolas sighed and pulled out his wallet. "Will this change your mind?" he asked, offering them a few bills.
The kids stared at the money and then back at him. "She's short," the blonde offered immediately. "Kinda long-ish hair, right past her shoulders, see?"
"And she goes to PCU," the dark-haired boy added. "That's all we know."
Lucky stared at his friends grimly. "How much do you want to bet that it's her?"
Emily shook her head. "But it can't be – Elizabeth wouldn't – what's it called? – drag race. She just wouldn't do that."
"You said she raced a guy last night?" Nikolas asked. Rewarded immediately with several nods, he turned to his friends. "We had plans last night – she broke them."
"She said she had a headache," Emily argued lamely. "And that she was just going to go to bed."
"Damn it," Lucky hissed. "Where's the race?"
The redhead stared back at him with wide green eyes. "Uh, at the tunnels by the pier on Elm."
Nikolas swore and half-shoved Emily after Lucky as the three of them ran back into Kelly's and to their car parked nearby. Lucky drove as fast as he could, cursing a blue streak the whole way.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" he demanded. "What the fuck does she think she's doing?"
"Maybe she's trying to prove a point," Emily replied, gripping the sides of the front seats. Nikolas in the passenger seat fumbled with his seat belt, his brows furrowed.
"Why wouldn't she come to us?" he wondered aloud. "She's always talked to us before – why would she do this?"
"Well, we can ask her ourselves," Lucky announced, parking the car and killing the engine. "That is, if the race hasn't started already."
Emily's eyes widened at that remark and the blonde all but shot out of the backseat in her hurry to find her best friend. "Let's go!"
"Jesus, which way?" Nikolas asked, looking around him. It was night and they were in the bad part of town, and he had absolutely no sense of direction about him. "Damn – we should have asked those kids for better directions."
"OK, they said tunnels by the pier on Elm," Lucky stated, trying to remain calm. "The pier's right over there, so we have to be close."
"Let's go to the docks and look from there," Emily suggested, grabbing both their arms and tugging them into motion.
The docks were silent and dark when the group arrived, and there wasn't a soul in sight. The water lapped loudly against the wooden planks, sparkling under the stars.
"OK, now what?" Lucky wondered. "Which way?"
"You want to split up?" Nikolas asked. "We could cover more ground that way."
"And we could also get lost more easily that way," Lucky pointed out. "No way – this isn't a safe part of town. We stick together."
The heavy thud of footsteps on old wood had the blonde nearly jumping out of his skin before he finished his sentence, and Emily instantly latched onto his arm.
"Shit," she whispered. "What kind of deranged lunatic would be on the docks at night?"
Nikolas' dark eyes darted fearfully around the pier. "Um, I almost hate to point it out, but we're on the docks at night."
The footsteps grew louder until Lucky pinpointed their location – the stairs on the far end, just a couple yards from where they stood. He immediately shoved Emily behind him, his anxious blue eyes straining in the darkness.
A pair of motorcycle boots appeared under the lone lamppost, followed by blue jeans and a worn leather jacket, and finally a familiar albeit unexpected face.
"Jason," Emily gasped. "Jesus, you scared us." She hadn't even known that the enforcer was in town – it had almost given her a heart attack to see him step up. It was one thing seeing Jason at Elizabeth's, and quite another to run into him on the dark pier.
"What are you guys doing on the docks this late at night?" the enforcer demanded, ignoring Emily altogether and frowning darkly at the boys instead. "Don't you know how dangerous it is? What are you doing here?"
Lucky gulped. "Uh, actually…"
"We're looking for Elizabeth," Nikolas spoke up, and Lucky immediately stumbled back a step at the fierce look that suddenly darkened Jason's countenance.
"Elizabeth?" The enforcer stalked forward, and Emily could see that his hands were clenched into fists. "Why would Elizabeth be out here?"
"Uh…" Emily swallowed noisily, moving back a step herself. "We heard that she's drag racing in the tunnels somewhere near here, but-"
She was cut off with one of the many dirty four-lettered words that made up Jason's vocabulary, and her eyes widened when the mobster turned on his heel.
"Come on," he ordered. "I know a shortcut."
Elizabeth licked her lips, pulling her gloves on tighter. The course had finally been decided – all the way down the tunnel, sharp ninety-degree right turn to the abandoned reservoir, and all the way down the progressively narrowing empty water duct. And of course, there was only one option: win. Because the loser would most certainly find himself with a totaled car and possible injuries.
Lucas revved the engine loudly, most likely doing his best to intimidate her in the few moments right before the race.
"All right," called the unofficial started. "The racers have agreed on the track and at the sound of the horn in t-minus ten seconds will begin."
Elizabeth gripped the wheel tightly as the anticipation built higher and higher. This was the moment she loved – those precious few moments right before the race that pooled her adrenaline and heightened her sense of adventure. Pretty soon, she would be hurtling down the tunnel with the wind in her face and an empty track before her, leaving her responsibilities and problems and duties all behind her.
"T-minus ten and counting…"
Another sound was heard in the distance, and as it neared it drowned out the sound of Lucas' engine. The started and Lucas' minions, plus the inevitable throng of spectators, had no idea what was going on and all craned their necks in various directions to see.
Out of nowhere, a motorcycle with blaring headlights came roaring into view, coming to a stop right before the two of them. The crowd all stepped back, clearly surprised at the unexpected and even frightening turn of events.
Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes and just sat still as a statue, gaping out the front windshield. The bike was no stranger to her, nor was its driver.
In an instant, she smoothly killed her engine and got out of the car on slightly wobbly legs. Nearby, she heard another car screech to a halt, but didn't see her three friends as they climbed out.
"Jason?"
He swung one leg up and climbed off the motorcycle, a dark and intimidating frown creasing his face. Lucas also killed his engine and got out, clearly irritated.
"What the fuck?" he demanded. "What the hell do you think you're doing, asshole?"
Jason stepped into the light and Elizabeth almost laughed at the look on Lucas' face – the blonde looked as if he was about to pee his pants.
"I think this race is going to be postponed," the enforcer stated smoothly, giving Lucas a look that practically begged a challenge.
A murmur ran through the crowd when the blonde didn't respond, and Jason turned his concrete glare on them. "There's nothing to see here."
It didn't take long for the tunnels to clear, the crowd going home disappointed at the lack of the race but oddly exhilarated at the alternative spectacle, and Lucas retreated to his group of minions and all of them left with their tails between their legs.
It took even less for Elizabeth's friends to surround her, demanding to know when, exactly, she had completely lost her mind.
"What were you thinking?" Lucky demanded, shaking the petite brunette by the shoulders.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous drag racing is?" Nikolas yelled. "You could have gotten hurt!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Emily tossed in for good measure, earning a quirked brow from her best friend. "What? I haven't said anything in a while."
Jason sighed and stepped forward, not liking the hard glint in Elizabeth's eyes, or the stern set of her full lips. That woman was going to be the death of him one day. "All right, I need a minute with Elizabeth."
Lucky stared at him as if he was crazy. "What? Oh, no – if you think I'm leaving-"
"That's exactly what I think," Jason countered smoothly. "Leave. All of you."
Lucky frowned and reluctantly let go of Elizabeth, allowing his two friends to pull him away. Elizabeth watched him go, her blue eyes emotionless, and slowly turned to look up at Jason when he approached.
The older man didn't say anything, just looked down at her so openly and honestly that Elizabeth couldn't take it.
"What?" she demanded. "What, Morgan? If you have something to say, just say it!"
He didn't say anything, just lifted a brow as she continued to rant.
"But you don't even have to – I already know what you're going to say." She threw her hands in the air, her exasperation and anger evident. "You're going to say that what I did tonight was stupid and irrational and dangerous, and that if I would have thought for one second, I would have seen that. You're going to tell me how you always said never to run off just to prove a point, and that you can't begin to imagine what I was thinking, and that even if I'm upset and hurt and angry about what that son of a bitch did, it's no reason to self-destruct. That's what you were going to say, right?"
Jason stepped closer, his thumbs hooked into his belt loop as the brunette beauty before him shot daggers at him.
"That's what you were going to say – I already know it. So you know what? Why don't you skip the whole schpiel and just save us both a lot of trouble by pissing off right now? Because if you think for one minute that-"
Jason silenced her by pulling a black helmet out from behind him and offering it to her. She took it, confused, and looked back up to see him hook a thumb toward his bike.
"You want to ride to escape?" he asked softly, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Why don't you let me drive?"