Author's Notes: A big THANK YOU to everyone who still reading this story even through my long periods of inactivity and writer's block...I really appreciate it!

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Chapter Seven: Revelations of Skin and Secrets

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"Taa-daa!" Greenlee announced as she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom in the turret later that night. The petite woman with shoulder-length brown hair had changed into a black lace and satin nightgown that left little to the imagination. From where he was laying on the bed, Leo immediately set down the magazine he had been browsing and sat up slowly. A chuckle escaped Greenlee as she noticed her husband's reaction and she spun around slowly. "What do you think?"

"I think I like." Leo commented, walking over behind her and wrapping his arms around her. A smile appeared on Greenlee's face as she felt the very familiar warmth and security that radiated from him. "I also think that it would look better crumpled up on the floor."

"Hmm." Greenlee replied, resting her head against his chest and looking up into Leo's eyes. "You remember how your father whispered something into my ear at the hospital?"

"Yeah." a curious Leo nodded.

"Well," Greenlee replied with a mischievous grin. "He asked me to do my best to take your mind off of things, like his condition and Jean. This is what I came up with."

"It definitely takes my mind off of anything else." Leo shrugged, sitting back down on the bed. "Remind me to thank Dad for the suggestion."

"Don't thank him yet," the still-smiling Greenlee whispered as she sat down on Leo's lap.

Feeling Greenlee's lips touch his own, Leo felt a wave of passion surge through him and he pulled his wife closer to him. As they continued to kiss each other passionately, Greenlee slowly moved her hands from Leo's back to the front of his shirt, which she quickly unbuttoned and threw aside like a rag. He pulled her towards him as the pair fell back upon the bed, still savoring the taste of each other. Leo could suddenly feel Greenlee finger the button of his pants.

"Oh, geeze!" a startled David exclaimed as the door to the room came flying open. Greenlee and Leo looked up from the bed at the suddenly red-faced doctor, who hid his eyes behind his hand. "I knew that I should have knocked first!"

"It could have been a lot worse, David." a shrugging Leo laughed as Greenlee got off of him and threw Leo's nearby robe around her.

"Thank you for that visual, little brother." David shuddered, rubbing his brow to clear the mental image.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that." a curious Leo said as the tall, brown-haired man sat up again. "At what time during the pregnancy, do we have to stop having…"

"Oh, for crying out loud, Leo!" David exclaimed, looking at his younger half-brother in disbelief. "Can't you just abstain until the baby comes?" An awkward silence filled the room as the two brothers just exchanged looks. Sighing, David shook his head again. "Forgot who I was asking."

"So, what do you want, David?" a curious Greenlee inquired, knowing that the dark-haired man, as tired as he seemed to be, would not have climbed all of the way to the top of the turret unless the news was urgent.

"Well, the Count's surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow morning." David said, sitting down in the wooden chair next to the bed. "And I'm afraid that I'm going to have to leave for Pine Valley immediately after that."

"Why?" Leo asked, wondering why his brother was leaving so suddenly.

"Erica called me." David replied, referring to Erica Kane, an acquaintance of all present parties and Pine Valley's most notorious resident. "The police are turning up the heat on all of the suspects in the Michael Cambias investigation."

"And leaving the country, no matter what the reason, isn't going to make anyone look good." Greenlee reasoned.

"Bingo." David nodded before looking at Leo. "I guess Erica also heard that your name has been added to the list of possible suspects, little brother."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me." Leo grinned, folding his arms behind his head as he layed back against the pillow. His thoughts turned to the mystery of who really did kill Michael Cambias, the man that had raped Bianca Montgomery (who was like a younger sister to Leo) and had walked free. "If there's trouble in Pine Valley, my name always seems to be connected somehow."

"Well," a serious David said, looking at his younger brother. "I know that you certainly had the motive, and, since the probable weapon was a .38 caliber handgun, I know that you had the means. The only thing that I don't know if you had the opportunity." His dark eyes narrowed and watched his younger half-brother's every move carefully, letting Leo know that, unlike he had in the past, there would be no dodging the question this time. "Tell me where you were that night, Leo. Were you anywhere near Michael's condo?"

"I was going to be." Leo admitted with a gulp. His thoughts turning to his actions that fateful night many months before.

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Hearing a soft snore come from Greenlee, Leo opened one of his eyes. The petite woman was laying sound asleep next to him, and du Pres was forced to smile himself upon seeing the peaceful one on his wife's face. She was clearly far away in her own dream world, one away from the nightmarish reality clutching Pine Valley. The reality where a criminal could walk away without paying for his crime.

Michael would pay for even thinking about harming Bianca. Leo assured himself of that fact as the tall, brown-haired, above-average looking man slowly got out of bed, carefully not to do anything to wake Greenlee. Scooping up the blue jeans and crimson t-shirt he had worn the previous day, du Pres made his way quietly into the nearby hall. He made sure that the bedroom door was shut quietly and tightly behind him before throwing on the clothes in his hands over his boxers. Next, he slowly walked down the hallway to the guest bedroom/office, carefully not to make a sound and mistakenly wake Greenlee up. His wife was the last person Leo wanted to see right then as he knew that she would only try to talk him out of what he had to do.

The idea that he had to make Michael pay for raping his best friend solidified in Leo's mind upon seeing the first glimmer of the silver and black pistol kept in the safe in front of him. Taking it in his hand, Leo simply stared in awe at the weapon. His father, the Count du Pres, had given it to him months prior to make sure that he stayed safe, and it was the perfect weapon to ensure that his loved ones remained protected as well. Stuffing the weapon in his pants pocket, Leo exited the room and headed for the front door of the penthouse loft.

"What are you doing?" a curious Greenlee asked just as Leo's hand touched the knob on the front door. Her voice suddenly became more upset. "Where are you going with that?"

"With what?" an innocent Leo asked, turning around and holding his arms out innocently.

"That." Greenlee replied as she pointed to Leo's pocket.

Looking down at his pocket, du Pres was stunned to see that the handle of the pistol was sticking out. As he took it out of his pocket, he looked into his wife's eyes and was greeted with a firm, upset look in her wide brown eyes.

"You can't just go and kill Michael, Leo." Greenlee stated.

"Death is the least he deserves." Leo said in a low growl.

"Well, I can't argue with that." Greenlee admitted, walking over.

"Then, don't try to stop me." Leo replied, unlocking the door behind him. He was about to open it when Greenlee put a hand on it, stopping it.

"No," a firm Greenlee said, shaking her head. "I'm not going to lose you again! Not after I just got you back."

"Greenlee." Leo said, wishing that she would just leave him alone.

"Do you really want to throw your life away for one act of revenge?" Greenlee asked, looking deep into the much taller man's eyes. "Is Michael Cambias really worth the lifetime in prison?"

"Bianca needs justice, Greenlee." an honest Leo exclaimed, banging his fist on the door behind him. "The man who raped her needs to pay, and if the criminal justice system doesn't want to do it, then I will!" Suddenly, the man's voice went quiet and his gaze turned to the floor. "Because I couldn't protect her in the first place."

"Don't even go down that road, Leo." Greenlee begged, putting her hands on her husband's shoulders. She could clearly sense the man's anguish over not being able to protect the one who was like a little sister to him.

"I have to do this, Greenlee." Leo replied firmly, turning around. However, the brown-haired man had only managed to take a single step before a massive surge of pain radiated from his chest. Groaning, he wrapped his arms tightly around his body. The unused pistol clattered on the floor. What in the hell was wrong with him?

"Leo?" a concerned Greenlee asked, putting her hands on his back. "Leo?! What's wrong?"

"I need to go to the hospital." a wincing Leo gasped.

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"A flare-up of your gunshot wound?" David guessed as Leo finished telling him the truth. The younger man silently nodded. "I thought so. You were still recovering back then, and it's quite common. Especially in times of stress."

"We've got a copy of the medical bill and report." Greenlee said, knowing that David would ask about that. "And I'm sure that Joe Martin, who was the one to see Leo, will also vouch for us."

"Sounds like your alibi is rock-solid then." a relieved David sighed.

"What about you, David?" a worried Leo asked as the dark-haired, older man stood up. Much like Leo, David had never shared with his brother where he had been that night. "Where were you that night?"

"Don't worry about me, little brother." David smiled, shaking his head. "I'll be fine."

"Okay." Leo nodded, feeling more worried than ever.

To be continued...