Jason Morgan walked into the home of Sonny Corinthos at precisely 8:26pm. With an army at his back, he took everything in the house that dealt with business. Records, invoices, tax documents. He had an accountant moving every thing that was found to be a business asset from Sonny's bank account to his own. He took it all. Anything and everything that he would need to be the boss. The only thing that he didn't take was Max.
"I can't believe you're doing this to Mr. C. After everything…"
"It has to be done, Max." Jason ran a hand over his short cropped blonde hair, then down his face. He sighed and said, "I could tell you that Sonny doesn't have any money to pay you, anymore. I could also tell you that Sonny's gonna be hard to deal with when he finds out, and you'd be better off coming with me."
"But…"
"But, instead, I'm giving you this." Jason handed him a thick, manilla envelope. "Let Sonny think you're working for him for less money. That you're doing this all out of loyalty to him."
"But, really, I'm doing it because you're paying me." Max groaned. He didn't like this, but he had to get paid. And he didn't want to leave Sonny alone. Jason knew that. Jason had gambled on that. As he took the padded envelope from Jason he said, "I still end up on your payroll."
"He's gonna lose it, Max, you know that, and he'll probably be in danger. He needs somebody to have his back. Somebody other than Ric, and I'm paying you to do that."
Jason was also gambling that Ric would take this as the perfect opportunity to step in and replace him. He claimed that he wanted to get along with his brother, that he wanted to help him, and this would be the perfect opportunity. Sonny would need support, and he would need a lawyer. Ric would step in as both.
"Does Mrs. C know what you're doing?"
"If I kow Carly?" Jason sighed. "If I know Carly, she's already picking sides, and I have to hope that she picks mine." He shook his head and sighed again. "I have to know that I can trust you, Max. I'm not doing this just to take over. I'm not doing it because I want to be the boss. But, Sonny has to learn that he needs to stay focused. He has to learn how to treat people with respect. And he's got to learn the consequences of his actions."
"If Mrs. C picks your side, what does that mean for the boys? Are you taking them, too, Jason? The business and the boys?"
"Why do you think I want her to pick my side?" Unlike Sonny, Jason had no problem explaining his actions to those he believed needed to understand them. Sonny spent the last ten years telling people as little as possible, ordering them around with little to no respect. Jason wanted Max to understand so he could keep Sonny safe from himself. So he could stop him from doing something that would go too far. "If he gives them up, I'll give everything back. Sonny acts like he's my boss, but he hasn't been my boss for years. We were partners, and if he does what I want him to do, I'll take my half in money and let him have everything else."
"Am I supposed to tell him that? Are you sending a message?"
"Take it however you want, Max. Tell him whatever you want. I don't care. I'll tell him myself, but we both know that there was no way for this to go over smoothly if he were actually here. As it is, I'm gonna have to hit you."
Max's eyes went wide. "What!"
"Sonny's not gonna by the story of you picking his side if I don't make it look like you fought this thing. I'll knock you out, have you tied up, and when Sonny gets back, you can tell him I made you listen to everything. Go ahead and tell him I had a message for him, and I sent it loud and clear through you."
"I don't like this." Max groaned. "I get what you're saying, but that don't mean I gotta like it. And what about the other families? My job has always been to keep both of you safe. I'm keepin' Mr. C safe from himself, but who's keeping you safe from the other families?"
"Don't worry about it. I have it under control."
Max's eyelids fluttered as he sighed. He hung his head and groaned. "You've already talked to 'em. They're taking your side."
"This is about the boys for me, Max, but it's business for them. Plain and simple."
"So, when Mr. C tells me to call 'em up for a meeting…"
"They won't come. And if they do come, it's not gonna be pretty."
Max groaned again, and Jason felt pity for him. He was caught in the middle of something that was greater than a simple mob war. He was caught in between the personal war that Jason had decided to wage on Sonny. This was a little far out of his job description. He was supposed to protect Sonny from other people, not from himself. But, if things went the way he expected when he met with the heads of the other families, it was entirely possible that Max would be earning his money.
"Mr. Morgan?" Jason turned and gave a nod. Looking at Bernie was eerie. Even more eerie was the fact that he was in the same line of work, in the same business, as his twin brother Benny. Jason lucked out finding him. He didn't have any allegiances to either side. His loyalty was to the person paying him, and right now, that was Jason. "We have everything we need."
"Alright. Tell everybody to clear out. Take everything back to the penthouse."
"And Ms. McCall? If she's there?"
"I'll talk to Sam when I get there. Just move everything into my office, and have everybody get ready."
Bernie nodded and walked away. Jason took in a deep breath and centered himself. He hadn't warned Sam that this was happening, and she would be angry. He was putting her in a lot of danger, but there wasn't any time for him to tell her. And he couldn't take the chance that she would talk him out of it. This had to be done, and if she couldn't handle it… It would hurt, if she couldn't handle it, but it had to be done.
"Alright, Max, here we go." Jason turned back to him and took the envelope from his hands. "I'm putting this over here in this drawer." As he spoke, he did exactly what he said he would do. He put the envelope in a drawer in the foyer. "If Sonny finds it on you, then we've done this part for nothing."
"Just get it over with, huh?"
Jason sighed, turned half to the side, then threw a solid punch. He put all of his weight behind it, and connected at the base of the jaw. Max crumpled to the floor, and Jason waved two guys over. "Tie him up." He shook his hand and flexed his fingers. "Don't hurt him, just tie him up enough so it's obvious he couldn't get loose. Then get out of here. I want all of you gone by the time Sonny shows back up."
Jason turned and walked out of the house, pausing for a minute at the door. Sonny hadn't lived there long, but Greystone held enough memories for a lifetime. All bad memories. This was where it all began. Where Sonny's betrayal of everyone he claimed to care for started. If he'd just listened to him about Sam not being involved, maybe they could have stopped Faith before she took Michael and Morgan. Maybe it could have been taken care of earlier. But he hadn't, and this was where they ended up.
Sighing, Jason pulled out his phone and made a call. He turned and walked out of the house. And on the way down the drive, his call picked up. "Carly, it's Jason. Take the boys to Bobbie to watch, then meet me at the penthouse. And could you please not fight with Sam? I've gotta talk to both of you, I'm only doing it once, and I don't need you fighting on top of it."