Chapter 11

"Hey, thanks for coming. Are you okay?" Johnny asked Claudia.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine." she was in her father's office.

"I know you were stuck with Jason Morgan in quarantine. Did he say anything that upset you?" Johnny looked his sister in the eyes. She refused to meet his gaze. Jason's words had not upset her. Quite on the contrary, they made her feel like she was on a cloud, but it was her feelings towards the events of the day that bothered her so much. How could she be scared stiff for Jason's life? It was completely out of her character. It was also out of his to say something like he had today. Her brother's voice broke her trance.

"Claudia?"

"Oh, no John, he didn't upset me. I'm just tired. Okay, so what's this problem with Trevor, Lulu and Dad? What do you think is going on?"

"I think they're bribing Lulu, or trying to use her against me," he said, " she could get easily manipulated by Trevor. She could get hurt."

Claudia was really getting irritated. She didn't really give a damn about Johnny's little girlfriend.

"Look, this is an emergency?" she yelled, infuriated, " I told you she was trouble. When you two get in trouble with the cops, don't you dare say that I didn't warn you."

"well this is a rare sight, my daughter yelling at my son," said Anthony from behind them, "what is it this time?"

"None of your business," Johnny said coldly. Anthony ignored his comment.

"Claudia, why didn't you kill Jason Morgan when I told you to?" he asked her, "as I hear, he's still walking around. His death was your ticket back into the business. I thought that's what you wanted. What gives Claudia?" Claudia refused to look her father in the eyes. Instead she looked at her feet. She had been doing that a lot lately.

" Daddy, Jason Morgan saved my life; a life you and Trevor tried to take away from me. I owe him my life and I don't think taking his would be the payback he's looking for," she said clearly and strongly.

"what are you talking about?" he father said, "Trevor and I had nothing to do with that."

"That's right," Trevor said. Claudia and Johnny looked up. There was Trevor, standing in the doorway.

"No, it's not right," she said, her temper rising, "you know probably more than anyone that you and my father sent that hit man to kill me. If Jason hadn't have been there, I would be dead!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Trevor said. Claudia glared into those cold dark eyes she hated so much. She could sense his panic.

"Oh I think you do," she said, "you manipulated my father to send someone out to kill me. It was a brilliant plan, but you got screwed around when Jason showed up and helped me escape. The hit man died and I survived. I'm still a threat to you, Trevor. I'm one more thing standing in between you and the head of the business."

"Claudia, you're not a threat," said Trevor, "you've always been the one afraid o me, remember?" a smirk crossed his face. God how she hated that smirk. She narrowed her stare and stood up straight and tall.

"Not anymore," she said with a deadly quietness, " now the cards are switched. You're the one who's scared of my influence while I'm still going strong. You know I won't fall into your traps and that scares the hell out of you." With that she walked out the door and to Sonny's house. What Spinelli had said wasn't just ringing in Jason's ears, but in hers as well. She had to make sure Sonny wasn't going to make a move. She had a family to protect. It may not be the best one, but it was hers all the same.