Johnny was walking around Port Charles grabbing a bite to eat. He knew it wouldn't take long for either Jason or Sonny to suspect he was the guy who offed Sanchez. Hell, even Sonny's cop offspring was grilling him the other day. He was even less surprised when he saw Sonny coming towards his direction. It wasn't like Sonny to take a stroll in Port Charles. Great, just what he needed. He already pushed his buttons by starting a fake relationship with Kristina plus the added bonus of Michael wanting to have a career in the mob business. Johnny had just finished getting a to-go bag when he was stopped by Sonny.
"Hey, Johnny..."
"Cut the crap, Sonny. What do you want?"
"I don't know. Maybe tell me why Sanchez ended up dead on the docks?" he could tell Sonny's patience was waning and he wanted answers.
"Really? Didn't know..."
"Didn't know...yeah, so I guess the fact that one of your men was spotted lurking around the scene of the crime was just a coincidence."
"That's hearsay."
"What are you, a lawyer now? One of my shipments ended up missing and just reappeared near the crime-scene. Now, I remember we both agreed on a truce. You really want to go back on that?"
"I really don't have time for this. My meal's getting cold." Johnny just loved making Sonny squirm.
"Your last meal if you don't stop trying to pin that murder on me!"
"Are you threatening me, Corinthos?"
"You damn right I am. Stay out of my way, Johnny, and tell your psycho father to do the same!"
"He's not my responsibility. Though, wouldn't blame him. Michael did off his only daughter...not to mention she married scum like you."
"I'm trying to be as patient as I can...one warning, stay out of my way."
"And what if I don't? Are you gonna bump me off like you did to Claudia?"
"I didn't kill her!"
"No, you brainwashed your son to the point that he bludgeoned my sister with an ax. Don't worry, Sonny, I'll stay out of your way. Just as long as you do the same." Johnny left with a smug satisfaction that he got under Sonny's skin. Sonny had to refrain from pulling out his gun and blowing Johnny's brains out. Johnny didn't know how many times he had gotten lucky. Sonny would make sure that next time he's not. Max and Milo came around the corner once they saw Johnny pass them.
"Hey, Boss. We saw Johnny. Everything okay?"
"What took you two so long. Johnny could've wasted me by this time!"
"Sorry, Boss. Won't happen again."
"I want you two to tail Johnny Zacchara. I want you know his every move. That son of a bitch killed Sanchez and I want proof!"
"You got it, Boss."
Azalea was in her apartment plugging away at her laptop. Johnny had asked her get the official police report in the homicide of Eddie Sanchez. It took her all night and several attempts to not be detected. So much, that she didn't get a wink of sleep. The whole night was filled with her downing Mountain Dew and Sour Skittles. Azalea continued to type away creating a phantom IP address feeling her caffeine high slow down making her crash. She heard the knock at the door and knew it was Johnny. She was still furious with him for that stunt he pulled in front of Steve. She opened the door glaring at him.
"Come on! It's been a few days since that thing. You're still pissed? Remind me to never do a favor for you."
"Yes. And, by the way, you looked like a male hooker I hired to play my boyfriend. I got the police report for you..." she yawned.
"You're tired?"
"Screw...you. You know what, I'm too tired to argue. So far, they couldn't find any conclusive fingerprints or DNA. Eddie was last seen heading towards a bar called Jake's? The gunshot wound destroyed his heart and major organs..." Johnny could tell Azalea was getting sick by each detail she told him. He knew the kid didn't have the stomach for it. A small part of him didn't either.
"Spare yourself the details." Azalea sat down on her couch to catch her breath. She didn't even know her breathing had labored. "I got something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"I know this business can be tough, but you have to think of it as kill or be killed."
"I know." just like that Johnny saw her smile, but he can see it. Her onyx eyes looked so sad and lost. "I might eat later...I just need a nap. I was up all night for your ass..."
"Fine, though you didn't have to agree to...never mind, take the rest of the day off. You look like shit."
Thanks, asshole." Azalea gave a half-smile. Johnny smiled and left her food sitting on the table as he left her apartment. Azalea's smile faded once Johnny closed the door. She felt as if she was at the crime-scene all over again telling the horrendous details.
Johnny left Azalea's apartment and headed to his own. His mind was on Azalea. He felt guilty for pulling her into such a life. Though he wanted to take the blame, it was Azalea's choice to work for him. Johnny turned his attention to Sonny Corinthos. He did get a kick out of ruffling Sonny's feathers a bit. The man deserved so much more for being the cause of Claudia's death. He saw Anthony tending to his orchids which annoyed him to no end. The man values the life of plants than he does human life.
"You look happy today. I'm pretty sure the food from Kelly's hasn't gotten any better. Though the food is more palatable than the garbage they serve in Pentonville." Johnny's wished he was still rotting in Pentonville right now instead of being Mr. Greenthumb.
"I saw Sonny. He's not happy that one of his shipments ended up at the crime scene. Don't you think stealing something from his warehouse and planting it at the crime-scene is a little bit much?"
"It's perfect. Sonny was his biggest threat. Why not point the cops in his direction? Gets the cops off the backs of the real people responsible for it...us."
"Maybe too perfect. Though, I did love to see the little worm squirm. I saw Azalea." Anthony knew that tone. He had to be weak and have a conscience for corrupting Azalea.
"How is the lovely little fuchsia-haired beauty?"
"She got into the PCPD records. They didn't find any conclusive DNA or fingerprints."
"That's good. Now they have more reason to believe Sonny was the one who bumped Sanchez off."
"Why did you ask Azalea to work for me? She obviously don't have the stomach for this business."
"I thought she could handle it. I mean, what she does is on the same spectrum in the line of work we do."
"No, it's not. Azalea just steal information from people. We actually kill them." with that thought, Johnny saw how much of a monster he was. He killed a man who had children and a wife. He was becoming more like Anthony by the second. He was callous, not caring who got hurt in the process. Azalea saved him from completely shutting the world off. Her naïve view of the world made him forget all the sins he made in his life.
"You sound like you have a thing for the girl. Johnny, I can see having a few nights of passion with the girl, but falling for her. She knows that you killed Eddie Sanchez right in front of her. You can't trust someone with that much leverage over you."
"I know that...I just think what we're doing is not right. Look, I'm going to take a shower. Try not to get into any more trouble. I have enough shit to deal with already."
Johnny went upstairs to his bedroom closing the door behind him. Kicking of his shoes, he made his way to his luxurious bathroom. He turned on the faucet stepping back to undress and to wait for the water to heat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his reflection in one of the mirrors on his bathroom. He despised the man looking back at him. This man was cold and had no room for remorse. He ended Sanchez's life without thinking of the consequences.
Once all his clothes were off, Johnny stepped into the shower loving the nearly scolding hot water beat against his shoulders. He wished that water could wash away all the past sins he's committed. His mind turned to Azalea again. She was like some dark angel. In a way, she commit crimes that have potential to harm people and disrupt their lives. On the other hand, he could tell by her sullen onyx eyes that she was not ready for his world. Always looking over your shoulder, claiming territory like an animal, having to make hard choices that could either give you more power or destroy you altogether.
His father always exaggerating. There was no way he liked Azalea. She was too strange for him. He would never like her in a thousand years. For one, her hair made her look child-like and Johnny wanted a woman. A woman like Olivia. He tried to fill the void with Lisa if she wasn't obviously devoted to the 'saintly' Dr. Patrick Drake. He hated himself for ruining their relationship over some stupid beef with Sonny. Only, if wasn't just some stupid beef. It's building an empire knowing you could hold the fate of Port Charles in your hand with just the right decisions. Anybody would be tempted to lie, cheat and steal to achieve that goal.
