ffPart Three

They got they mind on they money- money on they mind.
They got they finger on the trigger- hand on the nines.

See everyday they feel the struggle but staying on they grind.

And ain't nobody taking from us and that's the bottom line- Wyclef Jean

Claudia was at her desk, using the landline to call Milan and speak to her uncle Rudy, when a text came in on her cell phone.

Ten minutes. Don't make me wait.

She recognized the number well, it belonged to her ex-boyfriend Jason Morgan. Before he started working for Sonny he had been her summer fling, turned three year long hot and heavy affair. That was more than a decade in the past though. They would be married right now, and running this town the way it should be run- ruthlessly- if not for the fact that on the day they first slept together Jason had already been in love with Carly. In the end he went back to her, just like Claudia feared he always would, and took a job with the best friend of Carly's uncle- even though he knew the Corinthos family were the biggest rivals of her own family. Those duel moves were the same as if Jason had spit in Claudia's face, to her way of thinking.

With every breath she inhaled, even when she was rolling around in bed with another man, she ached for Jason. And with every breath she exhaled she once again remembered why she hated his guts.

If Jason wanted to meet with her, it was business. And if she didn't show up it would be seen as an act of disrespect to The Five Families, potentially starting a mob war. By the terms of the last truce, Claudia agreed to work with Jason to arrange safe passage of his shipments through her shipping lanes, in return for him letting her boats unload on his docks. She was already sick of having to meet with Jason weekly to work out details, since they could never leave it the same because then the cops would get hip to their routine and raid their boats.

Saying good-bye to her uncle, Claudia grabbed her purse and told Carlo. "Bring the car around. And get Zander and Niko. I have a meeting to get to. Chop, chop. Time is money! And if you cost me even one dime you'll be the sorriest unemployed man in the cemetery."

"Yes, Ms. Z. Right away, Ms. Z."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam felt her stomach knot when she walked into her bedroom and found Logan there. His back was to her, but she could tell he was holding a picture off the night stand of her and Johnny. She had no clue why Logan had been downstairs talking to Claudia but seeing him upstairs was a bad sign.

How could she hope to keep her marriage strong with him around? And she had to keep her marriage. It was the best thing that she could have ever done for Lola- giving her a loving home to grow up in where she would want for nothing with two parents that loved her more than they loved themselves or even each other. She would have killed to have that as a kid. She would kill to keep it for her little girl.

Sam asked "What in the hell are you doing in here?"

Logan slowly turned around. He wore the same crooked grin she remembered from their childhood. It cut right into her heart. She had loved that smile from the day they met. She had been eight years old and it was the first day of a new school year, in their barely on the map town in Texas. Even at that age they were both bitter already. Him because his mom was always sick and his dad lived across the country. And her because all she had was an adopted mother who never let her forget she was the kid she didn't want to be stuck with. Cody had wanted a child but after a few years, he got bored with Sam and Evelyn, and ditched town, leaving mother and daughter stuck with only each other- a situation both despised fiercely.

Sam had a crush on Logan from day one, so when he dumped his girlfriend and came immediately to her house that day when they were fifteen, all she could think was that God had finally heard her prayers. He gave her something that was all hers. This boy she could pour all her love into, all the love no one else had ever wanted from her. And for a little while it had been that way. But then Cody came back. And her hell on earth began.

Smiling, Logan walked towards Sam and hugged her. She stood there stiffly, trying her damn hardest to not cry. He pulled back and beamed at her. "Damn, girl, you went and got rich, huh?"

"Yeah, lucky me," she choked out.

"Well this is a lifestyle like we could have only dreamed about as kids but if you don't like it...I'm more than willing to help you break out of here right here, right now."

She held up her hand, showing him her ring. "I'm right where I want to be."

He took a step back. "Well, that's great, darlin."

"And what are you doing here? Last time I heard you were in Iraq."

"Cooper moved to town a few weeks back and I followed him." Logan shrugged as if it was a perfectly natural explanation.

Sam couldn't help thinking Why didn't you follow me when Cody ripped me away from you?

But she knew that wasn't a fair reaction. Logan had been fifteen, a kid like she was. He couldn't have been her hero, even if he had wanted to. "Coop's here. I'll have to catch up with him. Port Charles' so small I'm sure I'll run into him at Kelly's or The Metro Court, eventually, though. Its been nice seeing you." She gave him a strained smile. "But you should go now. Claudia doesn't like anyone on the second floor who isn't family."

"Claudy sent me up here, actually," Logan said with smile. "She hired me to be your bodygaurd."

"She did WHAT?!"

"You say that like you didn't miss me. Don't be that way, Sammy. Didn't you ever even think about me. We were," his voice dropped to a low and intimate tone, as he remembered all the times they shared together "best friends...once."

Walking across the room, so she didn't have to look at him and see all she couldn't have, Sam said "Cooper has always been your best friend, Logan."

"There some rule that a guy can't have more than one best friend?"

"This will not work." She reached into a drawer and took out a check book. She quickly wrote a check and then walked over and pushed it into Logan's hand. "You're fired. He's your severance pay."

He looked at the check for a long minute. Genuine hurt was in his eyes but he played it off by saying "Sorry, darlin', but a deal's a deal and I got one with your bitch of a sister in law. So I'm gonna have to turn down your generous buy out offer."

"I don't want you here."

"I got that much. You got a reason?"

"It's not personal. I do have...fond memories of you."

"You don't even sound like yourself. You sound like Pod Sam. You become a stepford society wifey when you married this jerk?"

Sam pushed Logan hard in the chest. "Don't you ever talk bad about Johnny. He saved me!" Tears came to her eyes as she remembered what it was like to live with Cody, and all the disgusting men who came after him. "He loved me when no one else was there! Where were you, huh? Where WERE you? Gone! Gone to some war I know you don't even believe in. You know how I know that Logan? Cause you've never believed in anything in your whole damn life!"

Grabbing her arms, he stilled her and leaned in close to her. With their eyes only an inch apart he said "I believed in you. I believed in the way it felt when you said I was the only man you would ever love...the only person on earth, is what you said. So what happened to all that love, Sam? I know you had to move away but nothing stopped you from coming back later. Unless you lied...unless there is someone else on earth you love more than me."

"Now there is." Her little Lola.

Logan took three big steps back. Sam almost fell over because he so abruptly let go of her. Glaring at her, he took in a few short breaths and then said "Freaking fantastic. I can't wait to meet your husband. There's no reason this has to be...hard. We used to screw when we were teenagers. Its not like you're the only chick I've ever been with. I need a job and for as long as Claudia says so, you are it."

"And you...won't try to mess up my marriage?"

"What makes you think I even still want you? I asked if you still loved me. I didn't say I still love you."

Her eyes searched his. "And you don't right? Seeing me hasn't made any old feelings come back, right?"

"Nah. I'm good."

"Good."

Jagger knocked on the door. Sam opened it. He said "Lola is calling out for you."

"I'll be right there. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Zacchara."

Sam turned to Logan. "I have to go."

"Where you go, I go."

"That's ridiculous! I'm perfectly safe in my own house."

"You'll be safer with me next to you."

"When Johnny comes home, he's gonna reassign you. If he doesn't kill you first, that is."

"Is he violent with you?"

"Of course not!"

"Good. Cause then I'd have to kill him," Logan ground out, meaning every word. He never let chicks get underneath his skin but Sam had been in his life before he had that rule. Sam was the reason for the rule, actually. He never wanted to miss someone as bad as he had missed her.

Sam sighed. "This is not gonna work. I really hate Claudia for doing this to...all of us."

"I can handle it. You can handle it, right?"

"Right!"

"And I'm sure the good and perfect Johnny can handle it. So what's the problem?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Sam bit her lip before admitting "There's another person to consider. You were standing right there when Claudia told me to go take care of my daughter...I have a 2 year old, Logan. Lola is who I live for...not for me and not for any fantasy I let myself believe about me and you when I was a teenager. Not even for Johnny or for this fancy life he gave me. I live for my child. And if you cost her the only family she knows...her safety in this world...I will never forgive you."

"How can I do that? Unless you still love me? Is that what your trying to tell me? Cause...the offer stands. Me and you and your kid...we can walk out of here right now and never look back." It was crazy to even think about doing something like that. They would be hunted everyday of their lives. But that sounded better to Logan than going home tonight and knowing Sam was curled up in bed with some mob prince. It had been one thing when he hadn't seen her for years. He could tell himself he only had such strong feelings cause she was his first love and first heartbreak, but seeing her again confirmed she could be even more to him if they got a second chance. "What do you say?"

"What do I say?" Shaking slightly she demanded " I say quit your job!"

"Hell no, honey. I'm not the quitting type. Besides I think I'm gonna like hanging around you again. And whatever happens between us...believe me, it will be exactly what you want."

But that was what Sam was most afraid of.