4.
He gnawed his thumbnail a moment longer in contemplation of his lack of options and then, accepting his fate, hit send on a sigh. He may not be sure of his life expectancy afterward, but he was certain this was a call that could not be postponed. It was at times like these the Jackal wished his career choices hadn't born him into such a solitary existence, for it would have been nice to have a teammate to delegate this responsibility to now. She didn't like surprises, even good ones which he was inclined to believe this was all things considered. But you never could tell with her, so... he was nervous.
His thoughts drifted, as they were prone to do whenever his mind was left idle for more than a minute or two, and he wondered why his boss didn't like surprises. Who doesn't like a good surprise? She was a meticulous planner and methodical control freak, sure, but it wasn't like she wasn't incredibly quick on her feet and capable of adapting to the turn of a dime. The woman was, quite literally, a genius. Her brain calculated moves beyond the scope of the world's most notable chess masters. Her intelligence combined with the training she'd received and natural talent for the Machiavellian made her quite a deadly force to be reckoned...
"Verify." His boss prompted, interrupting his thoughts.
Jackal, was his reply.
"Verify." She stated again with impatience and a hint of the temper not to be tried.
"But why can't I still be Jackal?" Spinelli argued as dismay over the loss of his coveted codename trumped all other concerns.
"Everyone knows me as the Jackal. It's my signature... my, my trademark!" He sputtered in vain, ignoring the fact that he'd answered his own question.
"5, 4, thr..." She sounded off.
"Crush." After his favorite soda, he finally acquiesced. He knew what happened when she got to one. She hung up and made a personal visit instead. He wasn't looking for a repeat of that harrowing experience.
"Status?" She inquired.
It was one word, but her tone made clear nothing short of a glowing report would go over well. He gulped. "There was a slight change of plans."
"Explain." That edge was in her voice, the one that told him he better make it good and brief.
"Forty-six minutes after Evil Al and I departed his estate, a call came in from the gatehouse reporting an attack. At first, I thought it might be you making your move since I wasn't privy to that part of plan B. But I was able to verify through security footage and GPS that it was the transporter. He seems to have survived his latest vehicular mishap only slightly worse for wear and returned for the package without missing a beat. Both now appear safely ensconced on the shore by the sea. Evil Al has tasked me with locating and tracking. I've stalled results so far, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold off without drawing suspicion or if it will do much good. A guard confirmed the transporter's identity so he has others on the lookout for him as well. The Russian Rogue is, as one would imagine, quite livid. He has ordered all players on the field, but remains coaching from the sidelines for now. What are my instructions?"
He hoped to keep her focused on forward momentum rather than which part of his anatomy she might like to shoot first. The line grew quiet with not even a breath between them as a silence ensued the likes of which Damien Spinelli was certain stretched beyond all measures of time.
No worries, he told himself. She's probably only taking a moment to picture my lifeless corpse. Finally, eight and a half seconds later, she spoke again. "Where are you now?"
Spinelli took a steadying breath as he glanced about his empty room. Her question was not a comforting one. Why did she need to know his exact location? Could she truly be plotting his untimely demise? He shook the thought off. He was being ridiculous. She had taken him in after the grandmother that raised him died. She'd given his life direction when it had none. She cared for him, albeit in her own detached and arctic way, as if he were family. More like a distant relative many, many times removed than son or brother, but still... family nonetheless. His anxiety, if he were honest, was based mostly in his fear of disappointing the closest person to family he had left rather than any fear for his personal safety at her hands.
"My suite." He replied with renewed confidence. Everything would be fine. This was but a mere glitch in the code. Her plan would prevail and he would help her see to it.
"The transporter vacated the premises with the package in tow by the time we received the call so we continued on to the hotel as planned." He continued. "Evil Al refused to let anything interrupt this meeting. He and his partner both agreed it was important to reassure the new allegiance of any apprehension that may arise once word of the attack spread. He just stopped in for an update and now he's headed downstairs to dine. Hopefully his dinner companion will keep him preoccupied long enough to buy a couple of hours, but he's sure to expect answers when he returns."
"If there is any truth to the reputation that proceeds her, you won't be hearing from him at all tonight. Stall until 0800 your time, but not at the cost of exposure. This shouldn't be too difficult. A diversion is headed their way to assist you. When ordered to retrieve the hotel's security footage... do it and show them exactly what you see. Follow all leads this gives you and tell them everything you find. I'll have incentive in place by sunrise to get the transporter and his package moving. Continue tracking and monitoring all channels. Further instructions will follow soon. Keep me posted." She ordered.
"Will do." Spinelli complied as the call was silenced.
He breathed deep in relief only to have that dread sink lower into his gut. Diversion, she'd said. Knowing her, that could mean anything from a car bomb to a call girl. He'd been tempted to ask, but knew better than to inquire further. She kept all information strictly compartmentalized, sharing only the pieces each player on the board needed at any given time. She trusted no one with everything and this, he suspected, was key to how she continued to beat the devil at his own game.
xxxxx
"Yes?" An unidentified voice answered as they stepped through the double doors.
"Slight change of plans. The transporter reclaimed the package from the estate. Continue as scheduled, but I need you to identify the transporter instead." A woman replied.
"Are you sure? Won't that put heat on the package as well?"
"I have that under control. This actually works to our advantage. It's one more measure to help ensure his willingness to play an away game."
"Fine by me. Consider it done."
"Good. Call as soon as you're free. Keep me posted." She replied.
"Right, gotta go now. Wouldn't want to be late for the show."
A wry smile twisted into place on the woman's face. "We'll be sure to roll out the red carpet upon your return, in honor of this heart-stopping performance."
A deep throaty laughter erupted on the other end just before the line went dead.
xxxxx
"Bienvenue, Monsieur Alcazar. It is a privilege to have you here with us again at the Hotel Palais De La Mediterranee. Welcome back to the Padouk. It has been far too long. We always look forward to serving you."
"Merci Pierre." Luis grinned. He was a foreigner and when the French kissed your foreign ass you could be sure you had arrived.
"Your usual tables, monsieur?" The host inquired as he lowered his pen onto the reservation log. Luis Alcazar always reserved two tables; one for him and one for his personal security.
"Oui."
"Your guest will be joining you shortly..." Pierre trailed off in question, not wanting to suggest a man of his caliber would ever be stood up.
"Yes, a raven-haired beauty." Luis informed with pleasure lighting his eyes. He couldn't wait to see her again. She would make a fine distraction until Samantha was in his possession once and for all and perhaps even after, perhaps even...together. She seemed a daring enough sort that just might enjoy it and Samantha... Well, Samantha would learn to be a good little housewife and do as she was told. And if she had to learn the hard way, all the more fun for him.
"Tres bien, Monsieur. Right this way, si'l vous plait." He smiled directing his very important patron and guard to the tables he'd reserved for them.
The guard was stationed at a table just behind him and to his left while Luis was seated closer to the front facing the main entrance. He wanted to soak up the sight of her from the moment she walked through the door. A thrill raced through him minutes later to find she didn't disappoint. She stalked toward him in her crimson heels like a panther to prey. The color of sin sculpted every curve of her, threatening to spill her ample bosom over a plummeting neckline with every move.
He watched as she approached with a wicked gleam and devilish smile curving the corners of her succulent pout. He licked his lips as each step she took stretched that slit up the side of her thigh, revealing long toned legs he couldn't wait to have wrapped around him. Tonight marked their third encounter and he would make certain it was charmed.
Luis stood from his chair to greet her as the host held out her chair for her.
"Good evening Ms. Zacharra." He tilted his head with a dashing smile.
"It is now." She purred. "Thank you." She told Pierre as she was seated then directed her attention back to her date. "And please, Luis, I thought we'd established... it's Claudia."
He nearly lost himself in the husky timbre of her voice as visions of what that voice would be begging of him to do to her later pervaded his consciousness.
"Whatever you desire." He responded thick with the sexual deviance overwhelming his senses.
"Careful, I desire a lot." She issued in sultry warning. "More than most would be willing to give."
"Likewise." He confirmed as his eyes darkened on her cleavage before returning to her eyes.
The moment was disrupted by the waiter with menus and a wine list. Claudia allowed Luis to order for her. He enjoyed having control so she would allow him the illusion of it... for now. It wasn't until their server returned with the chosen Cabernet and left to check on their orders that conversation continued.
"I must say," Claudia began with a swirl of her goblet as she admired the earthy bouquet. "I'm impressed. I heard about your little mishap at the mansion this afternoon."
She flit a glance his way in observation of his reaction. "I'm surprised you didn't call to postpone for time to regroup."
"Not a chance." He insisted as he casually sipped from his glass. "I didn't get where I am today without learning to prioritize. What happened this afternoon was a minor inconvenience, certainly nothing worth distracting me from having what I want."
His pants tightened as she stared at him while licking the wine from her lips. If she kept this up they would never make it through the meal.
"And what is it exactly that you want?" There it was again. That teasing huskiness that had his lower-half reacting in ways few women ever accomplished with mere words.
"The same as you; money, power and all the pleasures they bring." He smiled a knowing smile and he could see from the way she returned it that she knew of exactly what pleasures he inferred.
"You're right. I do want those things, all of those things." She smiled saucily and bit her lip. "I only hope that little inconvenience earlier won't delay arrival. If so, I need to know. I have clients to notify." Her eyes held his as she rested her glass back on the table. He could see there would be no more talk of pleasure until business was settled. A woman after his own heart.
"All is well." Luis assured her. "Your order is on the way as we speak. It is due to land in Canada late tonight and will board the freight for its final destination tomorrow morning. The weddings and receptions will go off without delay. I will be there personally to ensure it. The only problem I foresee is having enough honeymoon suites to go around." He chuckled at his own inside joke, enjoying her laughter as it vibrated from her slender throat. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into that neck and leave his mark on her.
"I assure you." She replied through a sexy laughter that fueled his desire. "The grooms won't be disappointed with the accommodations and from the pictures I've seen they won't be disappointed with their brides either. I've rented a mansion on a secluded island just off shore. It will serve as a secure place of transition until the marriages have been thoroughly consummated. Several clients have even paid in advance to stay several weeks until conception is confirmed, an additional service provided for those clients choosing to do business through the U.S. affiliate."
"Sounds perfect." He told her, genuinely impressed with her entrepreneurial skill. "It is, after all, in their best interests to knock them up right away which is why we go to the added pains of scheduling delivery when they are most likely to provide their new husbands with little bundles of joy or should I say little bundled insurance packages?"
Claudia simply smiled deep in thought as she savored her wine, never taking her eyes off of him as the waiter returned with their appetizers.
The rest of the meal was filled with light conversation and more of the same heavy innuendo which signaled to Luis that he'd done his job and reassured her fears about the transaction since they were back to speaking of pleasurable things. However, near the end of the main course he felt compelled to mention something that had been on his mind since they first met.
"No offense, Claudia, but I'm surprised by your lack of distaste for this business considering..." He trailed off suddenly unsure if he should really go there or leave it alone. What if he caused her to have second thoughts? He needed this deal.
Luis had finally convinced Karpov to expand operations into the United States. He'd been hesitant due to his distaste for all things American and the risks and complications it posed to the business. Alcazar had convinced him the money made the complications worthwhile and their new alliance with the Zacharra organization would make the risks limited. This deal would cement their foothold into lucrative new territory. He needed it to go well to further prove himself to Karpov almost as much as Claudia needed the influx of cash and show of strength to prove her rightful place as leader.
Claudia stopped short of finishing her wine as she finished for him instead. "What… considering I'm a woman?"
Luis raised his brow and gestured with a single nod.
She laughed with a smile spread thin on her lips, but if her coal black eyes had hardened any more they would have shined like diamonds. "If you're worried about offending my delicate sensibilities, Luis, don't. I assure you I have none. I see no reason to fix what isn't broken just because my father is no longer in charge. I'm a businesswoman and the business comes before the woman. I have an organization to run. My father made a very profitable investment with you before he died and I intend on reaping its rewards. Those women sign a contract, do they not? They go into the marriage and stay in the marriage of their own free will. They have a choice. It may not be much of one, but it's there nonetheless. Why should I feel guilty if they choose to play martyr rather than make the tough call? Life is hard. It's cutthroat and if you're too weak to cut the throat of the person holding you back then you deserve what you get. I learned early on success is a matter of survival of the fittest and I'll be damned if anyone, woman or man, succeeds at my expense. With me or against me, there is no middle-ground."
Luis had never been hotter for a woman. It was everything he could do to keep from snatching her up out of her seat and carting her off to the nearest dark corner.
"Excusez moi." Their waiter chimed. "I trust everything was to your satisfaction mademoiselle?"
She turned to the young man in response. "You can trust if I end up unsatisfied tonight, it won't be you I hold accountable." She then returned her heated gaze to the man across from her.
The young man cleared his throat with a blush staining his cheeks. "Oui mademoiselle, would you care for dessert?"
She didn't acknowledge him again. She just held Luis' gaze until he finally addressed the boy. "We would care for the check. In fact, charge it to my suite."
Luis rose from his chair and offered his hand to Claudia as she accepted and stood as well. She noted the guard she'd spied at the start of their evening rise from his table too and paused in thought as he neared.
"On second thought," Claudia reconsidered as her fingers tip-toed up her companion's lapels. "Now that I think of it, some chocolate crepes with extra chocolate sauce on the side might make for an inspired nightcap. Maybe a bottle of Taitt and fresh strawberries too?"
Luis wrapped an arm around her lower back as she molded herself to his side and allowed his hand to tease the exposed flesh just above her firm buttocks.
"The lady and I will be enjoying... dessert upstairs. See that order is sent up to my suite immediately." He ordered of the red-faced young man before walking arm in arm with his temptress out of the restaurant and through the lobby toward the elevator.
"Oui monsieur tout de suite. Avoir une bonne nuit." The waiter called after regaining his voice, but they were too far gone to hear him wish them good night.
Waiting for the elevator with her lithe body rubbing against him bested his remaining patience. By the time the doors slid open he was pushing her as she roughly pulled him onto the elevator. Both held tight never losing their grip as her back hit the wall with a thud. She gasped as the impact knocked the air out of her allowing his tongue to slip in her mouth as they continued to grab and caress one another over their clothing. They remained completely oblivious to the stares as Thaddeus held up his hand to prevent anyone other than the three of them from entering and pushed the button for the floor to his boss' suite.
xxxxx
"Hello daughter." She answered happily after checking her caller ID.
"Mom, I can't take it anymore! You've got to come home now. Dad has lost it. He's being completely unreasonable."
While the words Sonny Corinthos and unreasonable were never shocking when used in the same sentence, they did leave cause for concern.
"Kristina, sweetheart, breathe." She sighed while pocketing a second phone. "What has your father done this time?"
Kristina paced her bedroom floor glaring at the closed door as she recalled the conversation with her dad minutes ago. "He's refusing to let me take my driving test for my birthday. He says I won't be getting a car until I'm in college. Mom, that's crazy! All my friends are getting cars this year. It isn't fair for me to suffer because my father is a male chauvinist with double standards when it comes to men and women. He says Milo will continue to drive me wherever I need to go, but if I was his son I would already have a sports car waiting in the garage."
"Krissy, you've known me your entire life. Do you honestly think I could marry a man and stay with him all these years if he, for one second, treated me as anything less than his equal?"
Um, Alexis Davis? Hell no. "No, but..."
"No." Alexis confirmed. "And knowing me and the way I've raised you, do you believe I would ever allow any man, father or not, to treat you as if you were inferior to them either?"
Kristina huffed in defeat. She hated when her mother brought logic into her perfectly sound emotional tirades. "No." She admitted begrudgingly.
"Right again. Now, using that new found wisdom I've imparted to you, what other explanations might you draw from your father's most recent behavior?"
Kristina sighed. "That it scares him to see me growing up so fast and he's reacting irrationally to that fear in order to hold on to his little girl."
She heard her fifteen year old's dramatic sigh across the line and was glad she wasn't standing in front of her because she couldn't hide the rueful smile that formed. She was so much like her father most times, but she cherished the moments she reminded her of herself. There was no way anyone could have ever had Sonny seeing reason this quickly. This was definitely a trait Kristina Adela Corinthos shared with her mother.
Her smile brightened like any proud mother's would. "Brilliant and, aside from insults and ultimatums, what other way might you go about resolving this conflict?"
Kristina's thin dark brow arched in thought. "I could remind him how responsible I am and how hard I've worked to earn his trust and that no matter how old I get I'll always be his baby girl."
"Oh" Alexis groaned. "Baby girl, you fight dirty! He's going to tear up for sure when he hears that."
Krissy grinned at the compliment she knew it was. "Thanks. I learned from the best."
"Hm." Alexis hummed. "Good to know something got through even when you were doing your best to ignore me."
Kristina's smile softened and so did her voice. "I love you mom. I miss you. When are you coming home?"
She knew she should be used to it by now. Her mom was always off on some boring business trip, but she wasn't usually gone for this long and she missed her and their talks. It wasn't the same over the phone. Her mom couldn't hug her over the phone or run her fingers through her hair as they fell asleep watching old Bewitched re-runs on the sofa together. It was something her mom used to do with her own mother and Kristina loved that they did that together too. Her mom never really talked about her parents or her childhood and Kristina had always held on to every story she shared like a gem.
Alexis sighed. She wished she had an answer her daughter wanted to hear. "I love you too, sweetheart. I can't wait to see you again, but something has come up and it looks like it may be another week before I can leave."
"Isn't there anyone else that can take your place for a few days? You've been in New Haven for over a month and you promised you'd be home in time for my sweet sixteen next week." Kristina couldn't hide her disappointment any longer and the pleading tone had Alexis flashing back to a time when her little girl was in pigtails and no taller than her waistline.
"I know, sweetheart. I know and if there were any way that I could hurry this along any faster I would. I promise you that I will do all I can to make it there for you on your birthday even if it's just long enough to hug you and see you blow out your candles and open your presents. I love you, Kristina. Do you know how much I love you?" God, she hoped she did. She hoped both her daughters would once this was all over.
"I know mom." Kristina reassured her. "I know because it's how much I love you too."
Alexis knew her daughter meant every word. She just hoped she still felt that way a few days from now.
"Listen sweetie, I'm sorry, but my students are arriving now so I have to go." She channeled her thoughts and spoke succinctly so her voice wouldn't give her away. "Take a breather and then go talk to your father. Remember what we talked about and just keep plugging away at his stubbornness until you reach a compromise. I'll call you tonight to see how it went, alright?"
"Okay." She agreed. Kristina could tell she'd upset her and felt bad for it. Whenever her mom enunciated each syllable that carefully it meant she was fighting to keep her emotions from showing. The only emotions she ever tried to hide from her were anger, fear and sadness and she knew her mom wasn't angry right now and couldn't think of any reason she had to be afraid. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I really miss you, but I'm really proud of you too. It isn't every Yale Law graduate that gets invited back to lecture."
"Thank you, baby." Alexis smiled as her eyes teared up with love and guilt. "Love you."
"Love you back!" Krissy told her and then took a deep breath as her mother ended the call and she began contemplating the right time and place to have that talk with her father.
xxxxx
No time like the present was what she'd decided so, after taking several minutes to prepare her arguments, Krissy headed off downstairs on a mission to get through to her pigheaded father and be a license-carrying minor by the end of the following week.
She was at the top of the stairs when she overheard him on his cellphone. She stopped to try and gauge if it would be a short call or if she should come back.
"Better yet," Sonny grinned. "Why don't I come to you so I can show you just how much I miss you?"
Oh geez. Kristina shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Her parents were flirting again. She bet her mom called to give him the heads up about their talk. Her mom was probably laying out the terms for the compromise he would magically offer up after a little more resistance. She turned around, prepared to give them their privacy, when the next words stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Damn it, Natasha. You're fighting dirty again. You know how hot you make me when you boss me around like that. Alright, fine. You win... someplace public so we won't be tempted to end up like last time. How about the docks in front of Kelly's in say... a half hour?"
She heard her father laugh at something the other woman said and then tell her that he couldn't wait either and not to worry. He would be careful not to be seen.
Kristina felt sick. She instinctively backed away from the landing when her father turned her way so he wouldn't see her. She wasn't ready to confront him. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was Brenda all over again only it was worse, because at least he'd loved Brenda and been engaged to marry her before he married her mother. This Natasha woman was someone new, proof that the promises her father made to her and her mother four years ago were nothing but lies. She wasn't some naive teenager. She knew her parents didn't start off as some great love story, but they had grown into one -or so she thought.
Her mother had been in her final year of law school when the firm she interned for assigned her to help prepare a case for a client. The client was Joseph Scully Senior and one of his employees was in some trouble with the law. That employee turned out to be Sonny Corinthos and that was how her mom and dad met. After Alexis helped win the case, her dad ended up talking her into having a drink to celebrate. One drink led to another and they ended up turning one night into a brief affair which was when her mom got pregnant with her. She was born nine months later on July 4th, 1990.
Her dad always knew about her and she even carried his last name and his mother's first name as her second, but Alexis had turned him down when he proposed. The story her mother told her was that she didn't want to marry him because they weren't in love at the time and they both had different career goals which Kristina could understand. Now that she was older, she realized her father had been in the mob even then and was now the biggest mob boss on the Eastern seaboard while her mother was sworn to uphold the law and, at the time, had been debating a career as a federal prosecutor.
For the first seven years of Kristina's life it had been just her, her mom and her nanny all alone in the Big Apple with occasional visits from her father as her mother slowly earned a reputation as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the state, but then something changed. Kristina wasn't sure what it was exactly. Her mom said she'd just finally decided to stop denying the love she had found for Sonny and the fact that she wanted them to be a family. She was just a kid at the time and had accepted that answer, but as the years passed a feeling grew within her that there had been more to that story. She'd always felt like there were pieces missing when it came to understanding her mom and dad even before she was ever old enough to place what that feeling was.
At any rate, her mom tracked her father down on an island he ran to after leaving Brenda at the altar. Krissy's best friend, Brook Lynn, was a Quartermaine and according to Brook this Brenda lady was a close friend of her family so Brook had given her all the gossip she had to give. Apparently her dad had left Brenda at the altar because he didn't think she could handle his life and he wanted to protect her from the violence. It was like some tragic love story and if it hadn't meant the destruction of her family, she probably would have rooted for the two of them to find their way back together somehow.
That didn't happen though. What did happen was the union of her family. Krissy lived with her mom and dad on the island he'd purchased where they bonded together for nearly a year before finally making it official. Her mom and dad were married on the beach at sunset with Krissy as the flower girl and her uncle Luke and nanny, Viola, as witnesses. A month later the three of them returned to Port Charles as a family with Viola too. They were happy, and together, and it was great... until Brenda returned to Port Charles four years later. She came to town looking for help from Sonny, but eventually ended up leaving with another man named Jax.
It was a miracle her parents hadn't divorced and, if her father had actually cheated on her mother, Kristina was sure her mom would have gone through with it. But he'd sworn to both of them that he stopped things before it ever went that far. He promised to never stray again. Her mother decided to believe him. She admitted she had been pulling away from Sonny for some reason that she never fully explained, at least to her anyway, and said her actions had played a part in what led Sonny to Brenda. It didn't excuse his behavior, but her mom loved him and wanted another chance to keep their family together. Kristina decided to believe him and forgive him too, but she was twelve. What did she know? Obviously not too much since I'm standing here feeling like a complete idiot now. She kicked herself for not listening to her gut even though she was a kid.
She'd seen the way Brenda looked at her the day she first met her in the park. It was like it all suddenly became real to the woman that Sonny was a married man with a daughter. Kristina saw regret, sadness, guilt, love and hope. It was the strangest thing to be on the receiving end of all those feelings from a complete stranger, not to mention a woman that was trying to ruin her family. But that was just it. In her gut, Krissy always had a feeling it hadn't been her dad at all who had stopped things from going too far. After seeing Brenda's face that day in the park, she'd always wondered if it wasn't Brenda that stopped it. And now that he was obviously seeing someone else behind her mother's back she was convinced her father never would have stayed with them if Brenda had told him she wanted them to be together. Krissy and her mom were the consolation prize. They were second best and apparently they still were.
Kristina wiped absently at the tears she hardly knew were falling as anger began to build. My mom is the best! Her mom didn't deserve this and neither did she. Kristina watched her father douse some cologne on his neck and exposed skin at his chest then grab his keys and head for the front door. She was going to follow him and catch him red-handed. There was no way she would let him wiggle and lie his way out of it this time.
xxxxx
She was crunched for time so she had to pick her battles. She could have taken one of the spare cars from the garage, but if she were stopped without a license she might not get it for another year, or longer if her mom found out, so Milo drove her to Kelly's.
Getting there had been the easy part, but convincing him to wait in the car for her while she waited for her friends to show had been impossible. He insisted on taking a table at the back where he could keep an eye on all the exits as he guarded her. She rolled her eyes and held up a hand when he started to follow her toward the back.
"Bathroom!" She told him. Milo hesitated briefly then nodded taking a guarded position at the hall entrance.
It wasn't easy scaling the trash can and climbing out of the ladies room window, but she'd managed. Thank goodness she'd changed her mind last minute about the jeans, because that skirt just wouldn't have worked at all. She regained her footing after an awkward landing outside in the alley and made her way around to the docks.
There was a spot near a bench beside the stairs Kristina had once chased into after a puppy. She was nine at the time and had scared the crap out of her mother after making a game out of it, watching as her mom called out for her in vain. She would never forget that day because she had never seen her mother so shaken as her frustrated tone gave way to panic. Her mother never panicked. She could still hear the fear and desperation in her mom's voice as clearly as if she had just cried out for her. Kristina had kept her promise that day ever since and had never given her parents or her guards the slip again, until today. She was older and bigger now, but still petite enough to squeeze in the space. It was a tight fit, but she was totally concealed and there was just enough room under the stairs to have a good view of most of the expanse of dock where her father was set to meet his mystery woman.
She wasn't under there long before she heard footsteps on the stairs above. She could see it was her father as he stepped into view and with him were four of his guards. That surprised her. He usually only traveled with two unless he went out of town or there was trouble. Must really be concerned for his mistress, she huffed.
She watched as his right hand, Cody, and three of his most trusted guards spanned out to the four corners high and low as her dad turned to stare out at the harbor. She heard footsteps again, lighter this time, but confident in their approach and looked on horrified yet unable to turn away as her father greeted a tall redhead with a dimpled grin. She couldn't see the woman's face because her back was to her, but she could see her father's as he pulled the woman into a heated kiss and it sickened her. She'd only ever seen him look at her mother that way. That was a look that was supposed to be just for her mom, not this slutty home-wrecking whore.
The kiss was brief, but intimate. Definitely not a first. How long had her dad been cheating on them? She couldn't make out their words from where they were and was both glad and terrified when they moved closer to be seated on the bench next to her. She was so close now she could practically reach out and slap them if she wanted and she so wanted, but she forced herself to stay put. More than anything she wanted to be sure to give him enough rope.
"What would your wife say if she saw you kissing a hot redhead?" The woman asked with a thick accent. It sounded Russian.
Her father laughed as if betraying his family was some hilarious joke.
"I'd rather not find out. Her tongue has a razor's edge, but her bark is nothing compared to her bite. Maybe we should take this some place more private; less exposure, less danger." Sonny suggested.
"Maybe I like being exposed." The woman commented and Kristina watched as her father's eyes darkened with desire.
"Maybe I like danger too." She teased as her hands slipped in between them.
"Oh, Natasha." Her father ground out as Kristina tried her hardest not to imagine where the woman's hands may have gone. "There's no maybe about it. You definitely have a thing for danger."
"I have a thing for you." The woman laughed as she squeezed his thigh a little harder, but it was quickly silenced as his mouth covered hers.
Kristina held her hand to her lips to prevent the bile or sobs from escaping, she wasn't sure which, as hot tears trailed down her cheeks. How could her father do this to them? She knew she should probably wait to see if he confessed to any more before she revealed herself to them, but she'd seen all she could stomach. She was just about to crawl out of the space when a familiar voice stopped her.
"Hello husband." The redhead pulled back and gazed into his eyes as she caressed his cheek. "I've missed you."
Kristina knew that voice. She had known it all her life, but she was unable to reconcile what she heard with what she saw. That voice had come from the redhead, Natasha, but it belonged to her mother and where had Natasha's accent gone?
"I've missed you too and so has our daughter." Sonny told his wife as he took her hand in his and kissed it.
"I know." Natasha admitted. "She told me earlier when we spoke. I miss you both so much. I hate keeping my distance, but it's worth it if it means my daughters will finally be safe."
Kristina felt like all the air had been pressed from her lungs. Her mind was racing to make sense of what she was hearing. That redhead was her mother, but why was her mom in disguise and why wasn't she in Connecticut like she said? Was this some kinky role-playing game they played? She knew it had to be more than that. Her mom would never stay away from her for any length of time for something so trivial. And what was that about keeping her safe? Wait. Had her mom just said daughters, as in plural? That was impossible. Kristina was her mother's only child and her father didn't have any other children either, that they knew of.
She watched as her father placed a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Hey, it will all be over soon and you, Natasha Cassadine, will finally have your revenge and your daughters will finally have the chance to know and love you as much as I do."
"I'm not sure I ever want my girls to see me as Natasha and know what I'm truly capable of. Alexis Davis may be a lie, but she is a far better mother than I could ever be. I only wish I knew how to tell them the truth. Samantha thinks I'm dead. I left her to grieve over me for years and once Kristina knows Alexis Davis was a lie she will mourn the loss of her mother as well." Natasha knew it was a very real possibility that she could lose them both in the end, but at least they would be safe.
Kristina didn't understand what she was hearing. Her mother was two people? No, that wasn't right. She said Alexis Davis was a lie. So, if Alexis was a lie that meant Natasha Cassadine was the truth? Her mother was really Natasha Cassadine? Cassadine. She'd heard stories about the crazy Cassadines from her uncle Luke. Her mom was related to them? If her mom was really Natasha Cassadine then that meant there never really was a woman, lawyer, wife -a mother named Alexis Davis. As she sat there watching them spill their secrets she'd never felt so betrayed, not even when her father nearly cheated on them with Brenda.
She suddenly found herself wishing this Natasha person had been her father's new mistress, because at least then she would still have her mother. As it was now she realized she never really knew either one of them at all. Her entire life had been a lie. The realization filled her with anxious energy and it was all she could do to sit still and not run screaming and crying as far from these two liars as she could get. Hypocrites! How many times had her mother and father lectured her about the importance of always being truthful to herself and with them? How many times had they raked her over the coals and disciplined her for even the smallest of white lies and here they were keeping this from her the entire time?
"I know what you mean. There's a part of me I never want Kristina to see either, but there's something really important I want you to remember." His calm and confident demeanor seemed to soothe her mother as he spoke.
Natasha met her husband's solemn gaze with one of her own. He was the only one who ever really knew her. There were a select few who knew her secret, but none other than this man she'd grown to love had ever known her, really known her, down to the depths of what little soul she had left.
"I know you know." She nearly whispered. "It was one of the very first things that drew me to you years before I ever shared my secret with you."
She leaned her head against his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. "What is it you want me to remember?"
Sonny tipped her chin up to look into his eyes as she rested against him. "Alexis Davis isn't the lie. The lie is allowing yourself or anyone else to believe she isn't real. She is real. She's a part of you. I know it feels like you're two separate people a lot of the time. We've both become very good at turning those parts of ourselves on and off whenever needed. So good we almost forget that other part exists at times, but that's just it. It is part of us, part of the whole that makes us who we are and if we deny that part of us exists then we're lying to ourselves and that would do a lot more damage than good in the long run. Alexis Davis is the part of Natasha that never got a chance to be and all that love and guidance Alexis gives our daughter... that's you, Natasha. She's just as much a part of you as the part that would easily put a bullet through anyone's skull that dared to harm anyone you love. It's all you and any girl would be damn lucky to have you as their mom. No matter what name you go by."
"Thank you." Natasha told him as her hand raised to his cheek to pull him into a kiss. It was tender, passionate and lasting like the love he had always shown her, like the love she felt for him.
He pulled back with a little smile, slightly breathless and still just as taken with her now as the day he first met her, more actually. "No need to thank me for telling the truth."
"Kristina's lucky to have you, too, you know? I wish I could have given Samantha a father as loving and protective as you."
Sonny rubbed circles over his wife's back wishing he could rub her regrets away just as easily. "You were only a few months older than Kristina now when you gave birth to her on that very island twenty-six years ago and in a few hours she will return to you on that same island as well and everything will have come full circle."
Her father's arm lifted as he spoke of the island and Krissy followed his finger as it pointed out toward Spoon Island about seven miles off shore from them in the middle of the harbor then lowered once again to clasp her mother's hand.
"Yes. You gave her up at birth, but you've devoted your entire life to keeping her and your sister as safe as possible until you could get them back. I wish you could have had more time with Kris, but I swear you will have all the time in the world with Samantha. You're not alone anymore. You've got me now. We're a team and we won't let anyone get between you and your girls ever again. You've given your daughters everything you could and once they learn the truth, the whole truth, they'll know like Kris and I that you never stopped fighting for them. You never stopped loving them and they won't be able to help loving you even more for it. Just like me and just like your sister too."
God how she wanted to believe he was right. It was true that Sonny had accepted her faults and all. It was one of the things that made it impossible for her not to love him no matter how hard she fought it in the beginning. Sonny started out as nothing more than a fling, a passing fancy to serve her needs, and eventually she'd turned that into what was only supposed to be a power-play, but he'd managed to win her over in a way no other man ever had. There wasn't anything she hadn't or wouldn't do in the name of protecting her baby sister and her daughters and when Sonny discovered this about her he didn't just love her in spite of it. He loved her because of it and, God help her, she ended up loving him the same.
He was right about her sister too. Kris forgave her for her failure to rescue her sooner, but Kristina, or Kris as she preferred, had been more like their mother. Kris and Kristin's hearts were more open than either Natasha or Samantha's. Though Kris had been kidnapped during infancy and their mother had been reduced to being the other woman, their lives remained relatively untouched by evil until the very end. That wasn't the case for Natasha or Samantha and Samantha was a lot like her mother whether she knew it or not. This led Natasha to believe Samantha would probably feel the same as her given the similar circumstances.
Natasha loved her parents and always had, but there was still a part of her that burned with the betrayal of being left to fend for herself against a monster like Helena. It had been easier to forgive her mother than her father, whom she both loved and resented still to this day. After all, Helena had murdered Kristin and given her no real choice in the matter of leaving her two daughters to their fates, but that knowledge never stopped a small part of her from hurting over the abandonment she felt. Natasha did virtually the same thing to Samantha that her father had done to her by allowing her baby girl to go off alone with Andre and she wasn't sure it was something Samantha could ever forgive, or even if she should, no matter how much Natasha wanted it.
Sonny's arms tightened around his wife sensing her distress as she pressed her face into his chest, discreetly drying her tears. Natasha Cassadine seldom showed her vulnerability this way, but he knew how much this meant to her. It had been years in the making and the closer she got to finally achieving her goal the more she feared she would never reach it. This wasn't something they had ever spoken about. He just knew her that well. He knew her better than he knew himself sometimes, and she him. Natasha was a strong woman, the strongest he'd ever known, but hope was a hard thing to hold onto when those that should be closest to you fought to crush it at every turn. Instead of hope, she'd learned to hold onto the promise of vengeance instead. It was something Sonny himself knew a thing or two about and one of many things that had bonded them so completely over the years.
Sonny admired his wife beyond words. Her strength was how he'd known she was the one he could actually make a life with even before she entrusted him with her true identity, but it wasn't until their time together on the island that the chemistry and friendship they started with grew into real love. And that love was what allowed her to finally trust him in a way she had never trusted anyone before, not just with her secret, but with her feelings.
She'd shared all of herself with him that day on the island and that was the moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Natasha Cassadine understood him, challenged him and accepted him in a way no other woman ever had and she was strong, stronger than him even. She was strong enough to handle his life and help keep their daughter safe and the day she made herself so incredibly vulnerable to him was the day Sonny vowed to do everything in his power to help bring her sister and first born home safe so she could finally know peace.
Kristina felt numb. She'd heard their words, some of them at least. She'd zoned out on parts of it, but she still didn't know what to make of the things she had heard. Her mother was Natasha Cassadine. Alexis Davis was a lie. Her mother had a baby girl when she was almost her age and she gave her away and let her grow up thinking she was dead. Kristina had a sister, Samantha, they had called her and she was 26 which meant she was ten years older than her.
A sister, she'd always wanted a big sister. Most kids asked their parents for another baby, but Kristina had never asked for a baby brother or baby sister. She'd only ever asked her parents for a big sister and it wasn't a request that had died down when she grew older. She still to this day made mention of the fanciful wish from time to time.
Now all those knowing looks between her mom and dad made sense and something else too. She remembered all the times she and her mom would walk along the waterfront on their way to Kelly's and she'd ask to stop and see the boats. She would often catch her mom staring out at that island with such a sad look on her face, but when she asked what was wrong her mom would just tell her the island seemed like such a lonely place that it made her sad to think about it. Krissy always wondered if there was more and now she knew. That island was the place her mother had given birth to her other daughter, the one she gave away.
How could her mom love one child so much and give away another? Why was it such a big secret that she was related to the Cassadines? And what did her father mean when he said she would return to that island in a few hours? Was her sister on their way home to them? So many questions raced through her head and she wished she could turn to her parents for the answers, but she just didn't trust them to tell her the truth anymore. She would have to find the answers on her own. She wiped her tears and remained silent, hoping they would leave soon so she could begin her search for the truth.
Natasha sat in her husband's warm embrace for countless seconds taking solace in the momentary calm before the storm. Taking comfort was a rare indulgence, but it helped fortify her resolve. She knew she could do it alone; she had for most of her life, but the love he gave made it easier. He shared his strength with her and she felt stronger for it.
"So what brings you out of hiding? I know it has to be important if you didn't want to discuss it over the phone. Has there been a change of plans?"
Sonny hated ruining the moment, but it was risky for them to be together in public. She'd done a wonderful job of disguising herself as usual, but Helena could have her people watching him and he didn't want to give the woman any cause for question.
Natasha closed her eyes, nuzzling into his chest once more as she hugged him. Another moment of calm was all she could permit before slipping back into reality. She inhaled his scent smiling as she caught a hint of her favorite cologne. He smelled as if he'd been standing in a redwood forest just after a rain and then sprinkled with fresh ground pepper. It wasn't his favorite, she knew. He wore it just for her and that was what made her smile.
She sighed and pulled herself up to see him as she answered. "There was a slight change, but that isn't what concerns me. It only adds to the honey that will draw the fly." She paused anticipating his reaction to her next words knowing how it would affect him that she had learned of this first. "Helena is in town."
His eyes turned black as his jaw tightened. "Where and for how long? Dammit! How did she get past my people?"
Sonny stood and began to pace in front of the bench awaiting her response. She knew he would feel as though he'd let her down. He'd sworn that his men were set to spot Helena the second she stepped foot in Port Charles, but she knew better and had planned accordingly. She didn't fault him. Helena was as slippery as they came. She'd made a life's work of eluding her enemies and she was very good at it, but Natasha was better. She captured his hand as he passed in front of her, her eyes beckoning him to settle as she gave his hand a tug to be seated once more.
He sighed and relented as she smoothed a hand over the tension in his shoulder. "It's okay. We knew she would come, planned on it in fact which is why I've had Wyndemere under surveillance. I knew she kept eyes and ears on the place and that curiosity would get the better of her when she learned of the recent activity there. She arrived in town early this morning and purchased a small craft from one of the marinas. It's anchored just inside one of the caves."
"I'll send some men over. We'll make sure..."
"No!" She cut him off abruptly and then softened as he looked at her guiltily and somewhat confused. "She actually believes she can come and go as she pleases with us none the wiser and that's exactly how I want it to stay."
Sonny's brows furrowed. "But if I send my men over we can detain her and make sure she shows and that she doesn't tip Karpov off."
Natasha shook her head. "Trust me, when she gets wind of what's going down she won't be able to resist attending that party. I'm not worried about her being a no-show. This is exactly the kind of entrance Helena lives for."
"Okay, but what if she manages to learn something while she's roaming around free and gives Andre the heads up?" Sonny didn't like it. He wanted that bitch tied down to a chair until she had a bullet in her brain. He didn't want to risk her hurting anyone else he loved.
Helena had already arranged for someone to kill Natasha's sister in that warehouse explosion and framed him to look responsible for it. If Natasha hadn't known him as well as she did, she may have actually pulled the trigger, she was so torn up with grief. And then his daughter wouldn't have her father anymore and the woman he loved would never forgive herself when she finally came to her senses. He hated that woman for what she'd done to his wife almost as much as he hated his step-father for what he'd done to his mother.
"There's nothing for her to learn. You know me. I don't leave loose ends. No one knows the entire plan except me and any of the pieces she might be able to string together now won't be enough to keep Karpov away until it's too late, especially after tonight."
"I still wish you would trust me with everything." Sonny saw the regret and conflict flash in her beautiful brown eyes. "It's okay though." He rushed to reassure her. "I know this is just something you have to do in your own way. I get it."
"I do trust you." It was a statement that begged believing.
Sonny gripped his wife's hand as he held her gaze and nodded. "I trust you too."
He saw some of the tension melt away with his words and was glad. She carried enough misplaced guilt on her own. She didn't need him adding to it.
"I'm not worried about keeping tabs on Helena. I've got that covered, but now that she's here I am worried about Kristina. I don't want her running into that woman, but Krissy is too sharp. If we add more guards or try to restrict her social calendar she's going to insist on answers we aren't prepared to give. I think it might be a good idea to send her down to the island until it's safe."
Sonny agreed. "I'll call Tommy and have him ready the jet for tonight. I'll just tell Kristina it's an early birthday present. Maybe sweeten the deal by offering for her to bring a friend or two along and promise to have her home in time for her party next week."
"She'll still suspect something is up since it's so last minute, but at least she'll be too far away to prove anything. The last thing we need is for Kristina to go looking for answers. I want her as far away from Spoon Island and Helena as she can get."
Their thoughts were interrupted by Sonny's cell phone going off. He pulled it from his pocket to check the caller. "It's Milo." He told her as he answered.
Natasha's heart beat faster. Milo had been the primary guard charged with Kristina's protection since she was twelve. He was a loyal young man with a good heart and little brother to Sonny's personal guard, Max. Milo's boyish charm helped him to blend in well with the younger crowd and made him deceptively lethal with his training which is why she trusted him above all others with her little girl, but she had a bad feeling about this call.
Sonny's eyes widened as he looked back up to his wife. "What do you mean missing? What the hell happened? Where are you?"
Sonny rose from the bench and Natasha followed wishing she could hear the other side of the conversation. "Alright, I'm on the docks in back. Get down here!"
He flipped his phone shut and Cody, having heard his boss' raised voice, vacated his post to stand by his side. "That was Milo. He says Kristina has gone missing."
Natasha felt sick, but she refused to assume the worst. "What happened?"
"He says he drove her to Kelly's shortly after I left. She tried to get him to wait in the car while she went inside to meet up with friends, but he refused as usual. When they got inside there were no friends and she immediately headed for the restroom. He followed her and ended up guarding the entrance. After nearly ten minutes he sent a waitress inside to check on her and she was gone. The restroom was empty and no one entered or exited from the time she went in. He said the window was open and the trash can had been moved under it. It looks like she gave him the slip. He searched the diner inside and out, but there's no sign of her."
"That doesn't sound like her, Sonny. She hasn't done that since she was a little girl. She knows how important it is to stay with her guards."
She tried not to jump to conclusions. Kristina was a teenager and she was upset with her father. Ditching the guards might be her way of sticking it to him for their fight earlier, but she had never been one to act out that way.
"I'm sorry boss." Milo rushed on the scene, devastated. "I should have checked the restroom before she went in."
"It was Kelly's, Milo, and you had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary did you?" Natasha reassured him because she knew Sonny wouldn't. He looked ready to shoot someone.
"Not really." Milo shook his head. "Kristina always tries to talk me out of shadowing her so closely. It's almost become a game. She begs. I refuse, but this time it wasn't so playful. There was something urgent about it and when she asked me to drive her at the house it looked like she'd been crying. I asked her about it, but she said it was nothing." He ran his hand across the back of his neck shaking his head. "I should have known something was off."
Sonny breathed deep and cursed aloud as Natasha implored him to remain calm with a look. "She had a fight with her father earlier. She's probably just acting out like the angry teen she is. It's not your fault, Milo. She's usually so responsible it's easy to forget she's still susceptible to bouts of juvenile behavior."
"Cody, get with Milo. Have him give you a list of all the places Kristina frequents. Take as many men as you need to check every location and contact all her friends. Find out who she was supposed to be meeting. See if anyone has seen or heard from her since she disappeared." Sonny ordered.
"I'm on it!" Cody nodded.
"Mike said he'll keep a lookout and let us know." Milo added.
Sonny nodded trying to control his temper. Milo was one of his best and he knew he would take a bullet for his daughter in a heartbeat before he ever let any harm come to her. "Good. Get going and call every half hour, and sooner the second you have anything. I want her home before nightfall. Got it?"
Cody and Milo's faces hardened with the seriousness of the situation and nodded before turning to head out in search of Kristina.
Page 25 of 25 Created: 2012-03-02 Updated: 2014-07-23 Words: 10970 Characters: 59410