Before the Dawn
Warning to readers: this is not one of my romantic fics, this one has really bad language; strong sexual innuendos and situations, violence etc…EJ is not a knight in shining armor in this story. To be honest with you, he will probably be one mean son of a bitch for the most part, so if this type of scenario offends you, please go no further. I have plenty of good romantic EJami fics in my collection, but this fic will be kind of different from my other stories.
Prologue
It's always darkest before the dawn…
One, two, three, hell EJ didn't know how many drinks he'd had tonight, his anger growing with each sip until he took the crystal glass decanter he was holding and threw it against the fireplace, causing shards of the expensive glass to shatter into tiny fragments. The remaining liquid splattering haphazardly onto what had been an immaculate room when he had entered it earlier.
It didn't matter if he wrecked the entire house though he duly realized. He had the run of the mansion now. His father was long gone; Stefano having fled the country with his whore of a wife Kate when he realized his lies no longer would keep his son at his beck and call anymore. EJ guessed after he had tried to strangle his own father with his bare hands it had scared Stefano more than he cared to admit.
EJ looked down at his hands, remembering what it had felt like when he had almost strangled his father. If he had only held on for a few minutes more, Stefano would have been dead, but something had stopped him from killing him. A better revenge for his dastardly father would be having his son hate him for the rest of his miserable life, always wondering if or when EJ might lose it completely and come back to finish the job.
His own soon to be lying ex-wife was in jail, crying for the child she had stole from his other ex-wife whom was currently playing house with an imbecile he despised almost as badly as he did his father and Nicole. Not that he had much love lost for Samantha at the moment either because it was her treacherous lies that had started it all anyway.
"To hell with them all," he said aloud to the empty room and reached for another decanter, there were plenty of them for his use and no one around to stop him from drinking himself into oblivion. He needed some kind of escape from this mess momentarily, and this was the remedy he sought for now.
He knew when he went down eventually for all his many sins and transgressions he was taking the abysmal lot of them with him.
Chapter 1
Damn if he wasn't drunk, EJ thought to himself after he staggered slightly before haphazardly slinking into a high back chair that faced the fire place. Harold must have built a fire earlier in the evening before EJ dismissed him from his duties for the day.
Dismissed or something to that effect now that he thought about it he might have told Harold to get the hell out instead. He looked around thinking poor old Harold would have a mess to clean up tomorrow, but knowing the timid man would never complain about it in the least.
The man had no sense of humor at all, EJ mused thinking now if Bart were still alive and well at least he'd have some kind of comic relief in what now seemed to be endless days of reliving the past.
Lies, they all lied to him time and time again. Samantha, Nicole, Stefano, but Samantha's lies hurt the most. He had almost started believing in her again, that was until he overheard her talking to that tool Rafe at the Christmas Eve vigil being held for Sydney.
He took another long draw from the decanter, wishing with all his might he could forget overhearing her words that continued to haunt him even though he hadn't let on for one second he'd heard her words of hypocrisy. One thing was for certain Samantha had finally proven that she was more like the Brady's than she had ever dared admit.
"What? What's up?" Rafe asked as he looked at Sami.
"Nothing. Just on the way here, I was thinking... " Her words trailed off as she hesitated to say more.
"What? Tell me."
She began again, "About Nicole and what she did. And just wondering what our lives would've been like if she hadn't-if she hadn't switched the babies."
"We're going to have that life with Sydney. We're gonna get it back." Rafe said with his know-it-all attitude that he used with her.
"But EJ's in the picture now. Everything is so complicated. You know? It just could've been so perfect for us. You know? We could've-we could've had Sydney and we could've raised her-just you and me."
"Sami, hey, listen. I love Sydney. I will raise her like she is my own."
"I know you will."
EJ stood there his unbelief growing over what he'd just heard Samantha say to Rafe; especially after her apology to him at Grace's grave that day. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing he'd eavesdropped on them even though he should have just to embarrass the hell out of her for what she'd just divulged to Rafe. No he would save this knowledge for another time and place. His daughter's candlelight vigil was not it.
Instead he simply said, "Hey. Sorry I'm late."
Sami looking at him giving him a welcoming smile after she'd just told Rafe she would have kept the knowledge of them sharing a child together all over again if she had the chance, "Hey, you know, I just got here too. I was telling Rafe about, um, how I talked to Nicole earlier. And you know how she remembers that voice, right? Well, she's saying she thinks she knows who that voice is. She thinks she knows."
"Samantha, I'm sorry, she's just stringing us along 'cause she's starved for attention." EJ said thinking that after all Nicole had done to them, now Samantha was going to start believing in that lying whore again. Evidentially the stupidity ran rampant in Salem and Rafe's lack of intelligence was sadly rubbing off on Samantha too.
"No. I know. I-I really believe Nicole this time. I think that she's telling us the truth that she is going to remember who that voice is. She's going to help us get Sydney back."
He wasn't going to argue with her over the merits of Nicole telling anyone the truth and just went with a simple response of okay.
"Sami, hey, if Nicole remembers, that is great news. Doesn't matter, we're gonna get Sydney back anyways. It's my gift to you." Rafe bragged proudly to her.
EJ took another drink and then spit into the fireplace, "My gift my ass," he muttered disbelieving under his breath as Bridgette the new maid came into the room, her eyes all aglow as she caught the sight of her boss slinging back drinks like there was no tomorrow.
Sami felt her anger rising as she heard Arianna talking to Rafe in the other room of the apartment she now shared with him. Ari had wanted to talk to her brother alone she stated primly much to Sami's chagrin.
Little did they know Sami always eavesdropped especially after she heard Rafe raise his voice to his younger sister about none other than EJ DiMera.
"Ari, you can't be serious. EJ is a snake, the man is immoral."
"Rafe, I have seen a different side to EJ. He is kind, he needs a friend…"
"Not you! Are you out of your mind? EJ is a DiMera for god's sake!"
"I am going to stand by him no matter what you say," Ari stated matter of fact to her brother making his face turn all sorts of shades of purple as his anger grew over the fact that his sister was being hoodwinked by EJ. Couldn't she see what kind of man he was? No he guessed not as she was about to turn on her heel and leave, but he caught her before she could go.
Sami wanted to go in there and slap Arianna silly. How dare she extol the nonexistent virtues of EJ. He was not a nice man, not one at all.
EJ was a man you didn't let get too close to you or he'd make you do all kinds of things you'd later on regret. Well if Rafe didn't get through to Arianna about leaving EJ alone she'd make sure EJ didn't ensnare Ari into his trap. She knew firsthand what happened if you dropped your guard around EJ.
So she knew what she had to do. Go stop EJ. Arianna didn't know how he was, not really, but she did. She was ready to storm out into the living room and then thought better, grabbing her coat before she entered the room asking Arianna would she mind staying with Rafe for a little while because she needed to talk to Hope.
Arianna reluctantly agreed to her request while Rafe gave Sami a quizzical look. He shrugged it off when Sami gave him a peck on the cheek telling him she would be home soon.
"Mr. DiMera, I didn't mean to intrude," Bridgette began hesitantly as she took in his visage, rumpled grey dress pants, white dress shirt unbuttoned about halfway down his chest, his tie loosened and hanging around his neck, his face darkened by stubble.
EJ took a long look at her, she was pretty with shiny dark hair and eyes to match, and thank goodness she wasn't a blonde. He gave her a wicked smile and beckoned her closer.
"Care for a drink Bridgette?" He asked as he held up the bottle in the air.
"No sir, I don't think that is in my job description," she began only to be cut off by his raucous laughter.
"To hell with your job duties, come have a drink with me and we'll just see if we need to broaden your job description just a smidgen," he said sexily as she walked over closer to him in her tight little maid's outfit that hugged her body perfectly.
"Okay, just one maybe," she agreed trying not to smile because this was the best offer she'd had all day after cleaning up this mausoleum of a house.
Sami knocked on the door of the DiMera mansion and waited impatiently, her breath coming out in cold wisps in the night air as she rubbed her hands together trying to garner some warmth. She knocked again wondering where Harold could be, he always answered the door promptly.
She almost turned away and left until she heard a loud thump followed by the unmistakable shriek of laughter coming from somewhere nearby. What in the world was going on? She decided to turn the knob seeing that no one was apparently coming to answer the door.
She walked into the darkened foyer, her eyes adjusting to the darkness that was unusual for this section of the mansion and sure enough she heard another bout of laughter coming from the study. She quickly made her way to the room, she knew the location of the rooms all too well from her time living here at EJ's wife.
The door was slightly ajar and she pushed it open the rest of the way, there was someone in the dark room, the only light coming from the glow of the fire in the fire place and whoever was in here they were laughing like hell over something.
Her eyes widened when she caught the sight of him or rather them. EJ was laughing chugging a bottle of something while on her knees kneeled in front of him was someone apparently giving EJ a blow job.
Sami made a noise trying to get his attention, only to have him laugh more when he caught the sight of her.
"EJ, um…" Sami begin trying to avert her eyes away from the sight of the dark haired girl bobbing her head up and down on EJ's lower part of his anatomy.
"Samantha, what a pleasant surprise," he slurred slightly acting as if having one of his servants servicing him in a most inappropriate way was nothing out of the ordinary for him.
Bridgette on the other hand raised her head slightly from her current task at hand with something akin to horror in her eyes being caught by someone since she thought she and EJ had been the only occupants in the mansion.
Sami straightened her shoulders, trying not to let the shock of seeing EJ with another woman bother her, her voice tight with anger questioned the girl, "What are you doing here at this time of night? Are you still working?"
"Oh no mam' I'm not on the clock right now," Bridgette stated nervously trying to get up from the floor with some difficulty since EJ was absentmindedly petting her head.
"Darling, the girl isn't on the clock. Can't you see she is on my co…"
Sami interrupted him before he could state the obvious. "Get her out of here."
"Why?" EJ asked while Bridgette finally stood up trying her best to pull down her already too short skirt.
"Because I said so," Sami replied tersely, pissed off beyond belief that EJ was acting this way.
"And that is reason enough to send this poor fetching girl out into the night?" EJ questioned while Bridgette curtsied to Sami.
"We have some things to discuss and I'd prefer not to do it in front of the hired help," Sami stressed as she gave Bridgette a look that could kill.
"Well," EJ deadpanned, "if you just have to speak with me alone."
"I do," Sami hissed, gritting her teeth in the process.
"That is quite all right, I do need to hurry along," she said rushing past Sami as she left EJ sitting in the chair by himself to face Sami's wrath.
"Thanks for the entertaining evening," EJ called out in a sing song manner to her as the door slammed in the wake of her departure. "Lovely girl; that one, and the things she can do with her mouth…"
When Sami was sure she had left the room, she began her tirade, "You are despicable, nasty…"
EJ laughed all the more, making Sami angrier as he grabbed the arm of the chair and righted himself to standing, adjusting his zipper with some effort on his part as he kept bubbling over with laughter.
"Don't you dare laugh at me," Sami started which only caused him to laugh more.
"Darling, if you wanted to join us you were more than welcome," EJ suggested giving her look as he started to unzip his pants.
"No!" Sami called out as her eyes widened thinking EJ was about to strip down to his boxers or god forbid he wasn't wearing anything at all under those dress pants he wore so well.
"No?" EJ questioned with a raised brow. "Are you sure? God knows you haven't been fucked good and proper since the last time we were together."
Sami sputtered with anger, her face glowing crimson red in the shadows of the fire, "How dare you talk to me like that! You are coarse, vile, arrogant…"
"What do you want?" EJ took a step toward her causing her to take a step back from him, his height in the dark shadows of the room looking opposing as he eyed her suspiciously.
"I came to talk to you," Sami said, hating the fact she was not standing her ground against him, but she'd been so caught off guard by what she'd walked in on that her thoughts were all escaping her beyond the thought that she was now alone in the mansion with a very drunk EJ.
"You could of called," he said his voice hardening even though in the dark Sami could see that wasn't the only thing that was hardening on EJ.
"Well, I…" she faltered as EJ backed her up against the wall.
"Is it something about Johnny? Is he all right? Have you heard anything else about Sydney?" EJ fired off a round of questions rapidly as he towered over her, casually reaching out to pull a strand of her wayward hair and twirling it around his finger.
"No," she answered feeling short of breath having him so close to her, her muscles tensing in anticipation of his next move.
"If you aren't here to discuss our children," he stressed tightly, "then you need to get the hell out of my house because Sweetheart that is the only thing between us anymore, isn't it?" He placed his other arm up against the wall, leaning against her, the fumes of the brandy he'd been drinking ripe upon him and leaving her with absolutely no doubt that he was fully aroused.
She needed to get away from him, coming here tonight was a mistake, a big one at that because she could start to feel the beginnings of that dark and dangerous desire she kept in check for him trying to claw its way out of the recesses of her innermost being.
He could see it, she wanted him, just as badly as he wanted her, but damn it if he was going to fall for her lies again. She couldn't just come in here demanding they talk anytime she felt like it, or anything else either.
Sami felt her stomach start to knot, EJ wasn't in the mood to play games with her, and she hadn't seen this side of him in a long, long time. It was in the tone of his voice and the bleakness of his eyes, they were cold, no warmth in them like he usually had in them for her after they had made up at Grace's gravesite.
"You need to go home to your knight in shining armor, your hero" EJ scoffed with contempt along with an added roll of his eyes, "because I don't think you can handle being here with me tonight."
He'd thrown the gauntlet down, just daring her to take him up on his challenge, but she wasn't prepared for this, for her wanting EJ again despite all her protests that she was over him, that the only thing she was interested in him was for the welfare of their children. He was a complication she needed to steer clear of if she had any god given sense in her head.
She attempted to push him away, but not before he could lean down and whisper hotly in her ear, his lips mere centimeters away from her, "Don't come back here unannounced unless you have something new tell me about Sydney or to bring Johnny to me, unless of course you want something more than what you are apparently getting at home."
She narrowed her eyes, ready to give him a scorching retort when he gruffly laughed again at her and abruptly backed away from her gesturing with his arms for her to leave the room. Sami was flustered, and she needed to get her bearings before she started something with EJ she wasn't sure she could finish.
With her head held high, she left the room, trying to leave with her dignity intact before she did something incredibly stupid that she would regret for the rest of her life.
Days Transcript taken from US airing 12/24/09
Chapter 2
When Sami returned to the apartment, she was still flushed, recalling all the things EJ had said to her. He had been close to being downright vulgar to her and she had done absolutely nothing about it. Why she should have told him off in no uncertain terms, but after seeing the menacing look in his eyes, she had thought better than to chance angering him further.
If truth be told though she was also angry at herself because her initial mission of warning EJ to stay away from Arianna had been completely forgotten as soon as she had witnessed EJ and what she guessed was his new maid. She sorely wished Mary had not left the DiMera's employ for family reasons of her own. Where was a kindly old frumpy maid and nanny when you needed one?
The thought that the new curvy and apparently sexually appetite Bridgette might indeed be Johnny's new nanny brought forth a fresh new wave of anger within her. No way in hell was EJ going to have some slut helping to look after their son Johnny when he was with EJ on his visitation days.
EJ also telling her she wasn't welcome at the mansion was a huge joke. He wasn't going to get away with telling her that she couldn't come by unannounced. Why she would go there any time she freaking felt like it, he wasn't going to tell her what she could and couldn't do. If EJ thought he was scaring her away from him then he had another thing coming to him.
She was so worked up over her failure to accomplish a single thing she had previously set out to do when she spoke with EJ tonight that she told Rafe she had what she thought might be the beginnings of a terrible migraine coming on. Rafe had fetched a cool washcloth to sooth her aching head Sami had meekly suggested that it might be best if he stayed in the guest bedroom tonight.
After shooing a puzzled Rafe off to the other bedroom so that she could have some peace and quiet, her mind began to run rampant with multiple plans swirling around about she would do about EJ. No way was EJ going to get the best of her, no way at all, not while she had breath left in her body. She would not go down without a fight; that was for sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hours later EJ awoke alone in his bed, still halfway dressed in yesterday's clothes, vaguely looking around to see if anyone was in the room with him. He squinted his eyes at the shafts of daylight pouring through his bedroom window wincing at the immediate pain that was shooting like a round of fireworks in his temples. He was hung-over; something that wasn't the norm for him no matter how much he drank.
He tossed off his clothes as he made his way to his bathroom, pausing only momentarily to take a gander at his reflection in the mirror. Shaking his head only made it hurt more, but he knew with a certainty he wasn't going to end up like that alcoholic Lucas had over Samantha. Damn that woman was a toxin to any man's system apparently.
He turned on the faucet and cupped his hands to get some cold water to splash on his face. The cold was a shock to his system that was needed to get his thoughts going in the right direction this morning. He had big plans and clueless Lucas had fallen right into the web he was spinning.
Well his good fortune in having found out that Kate had been shagging Roman behind Stefano's back had been like winning the lottery. The pictures of them together were more than a bit disgusting and close to border line disturbing seeing as how he had slept with her too, they were just the trick he needed to bring Kate back to town.
While he wished he could of waited a few more days before he had to see her, timing was of the essence because he needed Kate to help him aggravate Samantha. Oh she was going to be fit to be tied when Kate dropped this latest bombshell upon her. Why with the news of Sydney being kidnapped, this should help drive the woman he used to love just a teeny tiny bit closer to the edge.
He readied himself to get into the shower after reaching into the medicine cabinet to grab a bottle of aspirin, opening the bottle and shaking out a handful hoping like hell they would help this headache. Taking the aspirin with him he momentarily returned to his bedroom to grab a bottle of bourbon, hair of the dog he surmised, as he took the aspirin along with a quick swig of the bourbon to chase it down.
Now he could take a shower he thought as he began to recall his telephone conversation late yesterday with his step-mummy. He began to chuckle as he imagined what kind of story she concocted to leave Stefano's tightly fist grip on her to come back to Salem.
"Kate darling; or should I call you Mum instead," EJ had started off their conversation with a sweet sarcastic tone in his voice.
"EJ, what do you want?" Kate instantly went into suspicious mode, surely EJ wasn't calling her to inquire about her good health, of that much she was sure recalling how angry EJ had been trying to strangle his father only a few weeks earlier.
"Oh is that anyway to greet your favorite step-son?" EJ asked injecting a slight bit of hurt into his voice as he leaned up against the wall, wishing he could see her face in just a few seconds from now.
"I don't have time for your games," Kate stated tersely only to be interrupted by EJ's laughter on the other end of the line.
"Now that is where you are wrong," EJ dropped any indication of laughter from his voice immediately. "I need you back here in Salem before noon tomorrow."
"I can't do that," Kate began wondering exactly what EJ was up to now. "Your father has no desire to come back to Salem any time soon after you tried to kill him."
"You can and you will, without Father," EJ ordered into the phone, "unless you'd rather I tell him about your latest endeavors with a certain Salem police officer."
"I don't know what you are talking about," Kate stated even though in the back of her mind a fear started to form that EJ had somehow found out about her little indiscretion with Roman from a few weeks earlier. She had been sure no one would have found out about it, she had been so careful.
"Do you really want me to go into explicit detail over the phone or would you rather just get your ass here and speak with me in person?" EJ questioned without even a modicum of civility in his voice now.
"EJ, let's be reasonable, your father keeps a rather tight schedule for me…"
"I don't care what you have to do or how you have to lie to him, just get here before noon tomorrow or your world as you know it will come crashing all down around you. Without Father's help I believe you would be rotting in a jail cell somewhere, but if he finds out what I know I think he will be the first one in line to see that you go to prison after all."
Kate started to reply only to have the line go dead on her. EJ had hung up on her. Her hands started to shake, if Stefano ever found out that she had cheated on him, prison would be a far kinder fate than whatever he would do to her. She took a deep breath, stood up straight and went to go give Stefano a performance that would rival anything she had ever done before because she had to get back to Salem before EJ completely destroyed this new life she had created for herself when she became Stefano DiMera's wife.
Chapter 3
Sami paused, in the process of putting in her diamond earrings when she heard the door open in her bedroom. Her thought of concentration completely shot she dropped one of the precious diamond studs onto her dressing table and immediately her eyes began to search for the gem amidst the littering of jewelry that were arrayed upon the table along with various makeup and expensive perfumes.
He had come home earlier than she had anticipated; she wasn't even fully dressed yet. What would he think of her not being ready when he had specifically told her tonight was to be a very special one indeed for the two of them? He needed her help in securing a new business deal and here she was not even halfway ready.
She caught a glimpse of him in the gilded mirror as he pulled off his silk tie; letting it dangle in between the opening of his starched white dress shirt where she spied just the beginning of those crisp dark chest hairs that fanned out upon his broad chest and had to suppress a sigh of appreciation when she thought of where his chest hair tapered down to a thin ribbon of hair beneath his naval. How would she ever make it though the evening's dinner of polite conversation without wanting to sneak away to get a better look at where that trail ended?
It only took a few moments for his long stride to close the distance on the hardwood floor between them and then he was standing behind her, his front to her back, the darkness of his large tanned hands started a slow progression down her arms, making a stark contrast to her pale, creamy skin that wasn't clothed yet beyond the camisole that hung snuggly over her ample chest along with her lacy panties barely concealing her bottom.
"Why aren't you ready yet?" His hot breath made her shiver slightly when it reached her ear as he whispered his inquiry.
She bit her lower lip, thinking should she tell him she had wanted him to find her like this, that she wanted him to take her before they began a night of business, that she wanted her pleasure before business and hopefully afterwards too? Instead of replying though, she said nothing offering up no excuse to him.
"You naughty girl, standing here looking all inviting in your lingerie when we don't have much time before our guests arrive," he pulled her directly to him, his hands starting to roam aimlessly over her body as she felt the full, blistering length of his erection against her ass, trying not to squirm against him when she felt the floodgates of wetness that he had managed to arouse within her.
She reached up, tugging on one ribbon strap of the camisole and purposely slid it down her arm, immediately exposing one rosy crest of a nipple for him to view, "I guess you'll need to show me the error of my ways."
He chuckled catching her eyes in the mirror, "Oh you wicked temptress, what am I ever going to do with you?"
"Why fuck me of course," she said in a throaty whisper as he quickly lifted her up into his arms taking her straight to the bed.
Sami awoke feeling as hot as if she had running a marathon and to the point of being short of breath. Her pj's were twisted about her sweat soaked body and she realized one hand was delved past the drawstring of her bottoms, touching an aching part of her that was slick with need.
She guiltily removed her hand and cursed the man that had been front and center in her highly erotic dream. "Damn you EJ."
She didn't need this annoyance, didn't want him, but so far she had been unable to control her dreams of him, ones that were steadily growing more vivid with each passing night. She was over EJ, she loved Rafe, or at least that is what she kept telling herself, but as looked down at her still flushed body and closed her legs she knew her traitorous body was telling her something else entirely different than what her mind was trying to say.
Noon finally arrived and Kate was on time, prompting a surprised look from Harold when he opened the door to the DiMera mansion even though he never commented beyond a "Good afternoon Mrs. DiMera."
"I need to see EJ," Kate informed the butler curtly to which he directed her to the study.
"Kate such a pleasure to see you again," EJ arose from the desk and heading straightway to her, placing a light kiss upon her cheek. "Thank you Harold for seeing Kate in, that will be all for now."
"Yes sir," Harold bowed slightly before taking his leave of them, all the while thinking this entire family was such a strange lot, he would be glad when Master DiMera finally returned to the mansion because quite frankly he couldn't figure out what in the world the younger Master DiMera was up to between nights of drinking until the wee hours and while he was not one much for gossip he'd heard rumors of various beautiful women coming to the mansion to see him although none had spent the night so far as he could tell.
"You can stop the pretense of being happy to see me," Kate informed EJ as she pushed away from him and headed to the wet bar, pouring herself a generous helping of bourbon before returning to face her wayward stepson.
"Oh but I am happy to see you Kate," EJ replied as a smile formed upon his lips even though it never fully reached his dark eyes.
Kate pressed her lips together, whatever the hell EJ had better be good because she was going to make him pay dearly for summoning her here. Stefano had been suspicious as soon as she had announced she needed to take leave of him for the day and it had taken all of her strength to keep her wits about her. She was the new matriarch of a very dangerous family and her newfound position was precarious at best.
"What do you want?" Kate knew better than to show EJ that he had scared her on the telephone yesterday, god only knew what hell would break lose should Stefano ever even consider that his new wife was already cheating on him behind his back. She shuddered to think of the consequences.
"Just a small thing actually, well rather two things, but first things first," EJ went over to the desk and pulled out two official looking documents deftly handing them over to Kate for her perusal.
Kate took the documents doing her best not to let her hands shake as she quickly scanned the contents of the documents, turning her eyes up to EJ before uttering, "You can't be serious."
"Very serious Kate, either you have Lucas committed to this sanitarium indefinitely thereby granting you custody of his parental rights of Allie until he is released or I will have no other choice than to let dear old Dad realize what a slut he had wed." EJ tapped her lightly on the nose, clicking his tongue in mock disapproval until Kate jerked her head back away from him.
"Lucas will never forgive me if I do this to him," Kate turned pleading eyes to EJ wondering what had happened to make him so cold and unyielding.
"I don't give a damn what Lucas thinks about anything," EJ scoffed thinking they would all be well rid of him, pesky little troll that he was not even being able to keep his new wife from straying, well he guessed Chloe had grown tired of Lucas' incessant whining and demands just as Samantha had over time. "Plus aren't you sick and tired of having Samantha refusing to let you see your granddaughter now that Lucas went into the alcohol rehab program? Why Samantha was the one who suggested that Lucas go there wasn't she? Guess she had planned all along to get full custody of her daughter one way or another from Lucas hadn't she?"
"What will gaining partial custody of Allie do for me?" Kate's eyes narrowed until it hit her; oh my god EJ really was going to do a number on Sami. Maybe he was finally seeing her for what Lucas and Austin had already bitterly learned that Sami was a lying whore, one that was not good enough for either one of her beloved sons.
"Why bring our family together again of course," EJ stated matter of fact. "Although you will need to convince Father to come back home, that I have found it in my heart to forgive him."
"You have no heart EJ," Kate was quick to inform him.
"Which makes us all such a lovely family, doesn't it?" EJ asked his voice on the verge of sarcasm, but not quite hitting the tone just yet. "Just think how wonderful it will be for all of us to be reunited under one roof and now as soon as you get your imbecile son committed the sweet and innocent Allie will be residing with us as well. Whatever will her mother do knowing both her babies will be with us instead of just Johnny?"
"You are forgetting Sydney?" Kate twirled the strand of black pearls she was wearing around her finger, casting EJ a curious look.
EJ looked Kate up and down before replying, "I could never forget my precious baby girl. Somehow I have a feeling she will be back with us soon."
"What have you done EJ?" Kate asked thinking her stepson knew more about the kidnapping than he was letting on to everyone around him.
"Nothing my dear Kate, beyond doing my best to find out who was stupid enough to kidnap my daughter and when I do find whoever it is they will pay with their miserable life," EJ stated knowing that when he found his daughter he was bringing her home to live with him and if Samantha objected well he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. It was time that he finally took back what was rightfully his and damn anyone who stood in his way.
Chapter 4
Kate hated this feeling of doom that had come over her ever since that phone call she had received from EJ summoning her back to Salem and now standing here in a private waiting room of New Horizons rehab center she knew the course of action she was about to embark upon was going to be a heartbreaking one for her. Her son Lucas would hate her forever; she could already imagine how his face would contort in anger when he finally realized what she was going to do to him.
How was she going to tell him that he wasn't going to be coming home soon, instead he was going to another facility? A place where he would be heavily sedated; especially after she had patiently explained to Dr. Joe Briggs that it would be in her son's best interests to be committed to Serenity Haven.
Dr. Briggs looked over Lucas' file, a frown forming on his face as he read it, casting an unbelievable look to Kate, "You really want to have your son committed? I mean, he does have a severe drinking problem, but New Horizons would be better suited for him to be able to go back to his life eventually. If you have him sent to Serenity Haven, they are going to have him so doped up he won't know whether he is coming or going most of the time."
"Dr. Briggs, while I realize you think you are an incredible doctor," Kate began, only to have him interrupt her immediately.
"I am a brilliant doctor," Joe stated emphatically, hating all of these people who felt like they owned him, calling him up for favors whenever something happened in their crazy psychotic families. Why if anyone needed to be committed, the lady standing in front of him should be one of the first in line. Any woman that would willingly marry Stefano DiMera had to be slightly off kilter.
Kate stepped in closer to Dr. Briggs and placed her heavily ornate ringed finger on his chest, "Considering that Stefano paid off your sizable debt to Dom, I thought you would be more than willing to help our family in our time of need, especially after Stefano was also able to secure you a nice position on staff at Salem University Hospital."
"Lady, and I use that term lightly, I just traded off one debt for another," Joe rolled his eyes, wishing he hadn't of been backed into a corner by Dom, but if Stefano hadn't of stepped in with his very generous offer of help to Joe to be rid of Dom and in turn allowing Joe not to have to marry Dom's daughter Jules, he would have been stuck into a loveless marriage for the rest of his miserable life, much like the woman standing in front of him right now was in for as long as Stefano wanted her in his life.
Kate smirked thinking this boy had balls considering how close he had come to having his own death sentence served by the hands of one of the most notorious crime families on the East coast. She had scoffed at her husband when he had told her that he was helping out someone who would be very valuable to their family seeing as how Lexie was reluctant to be the family doctor. She rather liked how he was close to balking over her suggestion to have her son committed to the sanitarium, but she had to do whatever it took to keep her position with Stefano good, she needed his protection to keep from going to prison.
"Now Dr. Briggs, Stefano would be saddened to know that you aren't happy with your new job and consequently your chance to start a new life in Salem," Kate smiled a sweet saccharine smile in his direction, maybe this young man would prove to be valuable to her in more ways than one, she might have needs of some of his other talented services especially since she was going to have to come back to Salem herself per EJ's request.
Joe gave her what he hoped would pass for a smile, "Have no fear Mrs. DiMera, I am thrilled for my new lease on life."
Kate patted his cheek gently, "So glad to hear it, Dr. Briggs, now if you can go give your professional evaluation to the staff for Lucas to be immediately referred to Serenity Haven, I would be in your debt. Remember that this little favor is just between you and me, Stefano doesn't need to be bothered with something as trivial as this meeting was about Lucas."
"Whatever you need Mrs. DiMera, I'm here to help you," Joe actually felt a smile forming sensing Kate had something to hide and he would take the time when he returned to Salem today to start digging around to see what it was that she was trying to keep Stefano from uncovering.
"Thank you," Kate said softly, wishing once again that things were different; the next few hours of her life would be taxing on her. She hated having to sacrifice Lucas, but really in the long run he would be better off because this way Sami wouldn't ever be able to sink her claws into her hapless son ever again.
EJ sat alone at a table in the Brady Pub, silently engrossed in reading the newspaper article The Salem Spectator had written about Sydney's kidnapping. He was frustrated, the Salem PD and the FBI had no new clues to his daughter's whereabouts or rather if they did they were not telling him anything about it.
He knew the Brady's hated him and his family, which made the reason for his stop at the pub all the more important, this entire self-righteous family needed to know he was not going to be deterred by their snubs. He didn't give two damns if any of them were civil to him; it was just delightful to see how he grated on their nerves by his mere presence in what they fully viewed as Brady territory. Plus he needed to speed up his progress he seemed to be making with Rafe's sister Arianna. Anything to upset Rafe was a win-win situation seeing as how that bastard had helped Samantha keep the truth of being pregnant with his child away from him.
EJ had big plans for making Rafe suffer, why that imbecile was number one on his list of people he planned to destroy. He hated Rafe for convincing Samantha to keep his child away from him. What right did that man have concerning any of his children? None and Mr. Hernandez was going to pay dearly for trying to insinuate himself into his children's lives. If he wanted to screw Samantha, then he could have her, but he was not going to be a father figure to any DiMera's.
He kept reading the paper, trying to not let his plans of revenge cloud his judgment, right now he needed to shore in Rafe's sister. One step at a time, he reminded himself trying not to smile as he saw her approach him out of the corner of his eye.
"Hi EJ," Arianna began giving him a beaming smile as he put the newspaper down, being sure to have the headlines on the table so that Arianna could see what he had been reading so intently. The pot of coffee in her hand immediately refilling EJ's cup of coffee before she sat down by him at his table hoping he didn't mind that she was taking the liberty of sitting down with him.
"Good afternoon Arianna," EJ's voice was kind, no hint of anything beyond that in his tone. "I am so glad you joined me, most people tend to avoid me like the plague lately."
"They just don't know you like I do," she gave him a tentative smile, hoping that he would return one to her, but he seemed so filled with sadness that it made her heart break each time he turned those troubled eyes in her direction.
"You won't win any approval ratings from anyone in town for befriending me," EJ said quietly, as he noted Carolyn's obvious frown from clear across the room when she saw Arianna sitting down with him.
"I don't care what they think," Arianna shrugged her shoulders, thinking most people just didn't take the time to see that EJ DiMera was a nice man, he was hurting and it infuriated her that Sami was getting all the sympathy while EJ was apparently going it alone without anyone on his side beyond his sister Lexie. Brady and Rafe were wrong about him, EJ was a good man, they just couldn't get beyond their hatred of the DiMera's to take the time to get to know him like she had done.
"Maybe you should, I mean I don't want to cause trouble for you with your job," EJ tilted his head in Carolyn's direction causing Arianna to turn her head to lock eyes with the eldest of the Brady clan now that Shawn Sr. had passed away. Carolyn immediately turned her eyes away from Arianna and walked away in a huff turning for what looked like the storage room of the pub.
Arianna reached out to touch EJ's hand, "You are my friend and if people have a problem with that they are just going to have to deal with it, I am not abandoning you during your time of need."
EJ gave her a grateful smile which made Arianna want to melt from the inside out. How could people be so mean to this man was beyond her stretch of the imagination? She gripped his hand tighter and scooted her chair closer to him unbeknownst that her brother and Sami were coming into the pub.
Rafe felt anger come over him like a storm cloud, apparently his sister hadn't listened to a word he tried to tell her last night concerning that scum DiMera. Why she looked like she was about to crawl right into his lap during broad daylight at the pub.
Sami couldn't believe what she was seeing, why was Arianna apparently trying to comfort EJ? If that silly goose could have seen him last night at the mansion all dark and angry telling her to leave unless of course she wanted something more from him she would get up from there and not have anything at all to do with him. EJ wasn't some kind of helpless creature; no he was strong and capable of doing terrible things.
Nasty, tempting things too, the voice inside her echoed traitorously in her head, things that would make you blush profusely in public if people knew what you were truly thinking. She shook her head, silently scolding her inner voice for trying to state the obvious that the man sitting in the pub, letting Arianna hold his hand was a virile specimen of manhood, one that could have you begging for release if you were lucky enough to be alone with him.
He didn't even have to turn around to feel her enter the room, damn her, he thought doing his best not to let the power Samantha Brady apparently still held over him even flicker across his face. But one thing he knew he wasn't going to let her get the best of him anymore. He had to play this well, like he was indifferent to Ms. Brady, especially if he wanted Arianna firmly entrenched in his corner.
Which he did, Arianna was vital to his plans, so he kept his cool as he turned his eyes to face the one woman who didn't deserve any modicum of kindness or concern from him. He wasn't going to let Samantha Brady wreck his life ever again.