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Chapter 9
"Aren't we waiting for Cody?" Liz asked her friend. They were on the terrace with their coffee.
"I never wait on a man." Diane said arching a brow with a wicked grin. "If I had waited for Francis to ask me out, we would still be having eyeball sex across the table in the boardroom. Lord did that man move slow. I get that his last relationship didn't end so well, but I'm a much more amazing woman than she was."
"I'm going to have to agree with you there." Liz hadn't been a fan of Francis's ex. "She was a diva, and not in a good way."
"It's okay, I rescued him." Diane opened her laptop. "Since I assisted with Greystone I know the basics. Things like the minimum size of the house, location, the distance from the company headquarters." Diane went down the list. She pulled up the appropriate website and starting filling out the search requirements.
"Five thousand square feet?" Liz asked surprised. That was the smallest the houses they were looking at would be. "That's huge. What are two people supposed to do with all that space?" Jason said the house would be big but in her mind that meant around three thousand square feet.
"Trust me, you can't go smaller. Otherwise the security changes will be obvious." Diane explained. "Get a housekeeper because that's a lot of cleaning." The lawyer chuckled. "As for what you can do with the space. Jason needs an office, you will need studio space." Her current location wasn't going to work anymore. "Plus eventually you will have children for me to spoil. From what I hear small humans need a lot of room."
"I thought Greystone's size had everything with Carly wanting to have a castle to be the queen of." Liz could admit that. She was laughing at Diane. The woman never failed to say what was on her mind.
"Nope." Diane had also not been a Carly fan. "That size was Sonny's need to be a dictator." The mansion was just over twelve thousand square feet. "Your house doesn't need to be that big, but a small cute little cottage isn't going to happen. How about we cap it at six thousand square feet? That should still give you a handful of options."
"Okay." Liz was going to trust her friend. "Why don't you guys have a house?"
Diane grinned as she answered. "The first pair of shoes I ruined would be the end of that house. I'm a city mouse. If one of the homes down on the other end of the harbor became available I might consider moving. Chloe's home is lovely." Diane looked at the listings. "You are in luck. Sonny and Carly had four houses to pick from, you have ten." The attorney knew that Liz was narrowing the contenders to a few that Jason would look at. "Don't pass out at the prices okay?"
"I know that the houses are going to be very expensive. Five thousand square feet doesn't come cheap." Liz could be stubborn about paying her own way. This situation was different. They were looking at a certain type of house so that her guy, and someday their family, stayed safe. Having been shot, she really understood now why that was important. So she wasn't going to argue.
"Shall we?" Diane wanted to know.
Liz nodded pointing at the screen. "This one first."
Jason took the papers that Angie was holding out. "Francis and Johnny will be here shortly. You can just wave them in, even if I'm on the phone." He told his assistant.
"Not a problem." Angie replied before turning back to her computer. She liked working for Jason. He was really laid back and left her alone to do her job. She also didn't have to worry about him hitting on her.
Because his friends were coming down he didn't bother to close the office door all the way. Leaning back in his chair he shut his eyes for a moment and told himself not to call Elizabeth. Again. He called on the way to the safe house, and then on the way back into the city. Both times his girl said she was fine, and he believed her. She was dealing well with the events of yesterday. Probably better than him.
He had to keep reminding himself that she was okay. Yes she had been injured, but she was okay. For the first time in his life yesterday Jason had no trouble imagining how a situation could have played out differently. Bullets were odd creatures. They didn't always go in straight lines, and they liked bouncing off of surfaces. Anyone of those bullets could have killed Elizabeth. It had been too close. Entirely too close.
He opened his eyes when the door opened. "How are you?"
"Fine. Only a little sore." Johnny said with a shrug. Jason had trouble lying due to his injury, and that rubbed off on most of the people around him. Even little white lies didn't happen much. "From what they said in the hospital today should be the last of that. Francis said Lee was up."
"Yeah. Lee said he felt like he got hit by an elephant." Jason knew what the guard was talking about. "The doc is going to set up after care for when Lee is ready to come home. He'll need a nurse for the first couple of weeks."
"We've come a long way with our health care. We used to have to hide when recovering." Francis said with a grin.
"I don't think Jason was complaining the last time he got shot." Johnny replied smirking. Their friend had spent a month earlier in the year in Liz's art studio with the nurse providing bedside care. That month was all it took for them to realize it was time to stop fighting their attraction. "How is Liz?" Johnny was taking a good look at his boss. Jason looked a little stressed, which wasn't surprising given the events of the last twenty-four hours.
"Holding her own. She had some bad moments last night but for the most part she's processing what happened well. I think it helps that Sonny is gone, and that we aren't staying next door." Jason shared with Johnny the same thing he told Francis during the car ride. "She's doing better than me. I want to kill Sonny. I'm not sure that feeling will pass."
"A lot of guys are pissed. Renaldo did a drive around this morning and then popped into my office. The guys feel betrayed. By Max, but more so by Sonny. They think the two of them took us to the brink of war without considering how everyone else would be effected. I'm really hoping Maximus says that Sonny is not coming back here. If he does someone is going to take him out."
"He needs to come back to wrap up his life. A long term stay will be tricky." Francis looked between his two friends. "How will you handle it if Maximus doesn't dissolve the partnership?"
"No clue." Jason answered truthfully. "That's a worst case scenario. I'll deal with it if that is the decision he reaches." Like Johnny, Jason thought if Sonny moved back he wouldn't be breathing for long.
The three friends were sitting in silence each thinking about Sonny when the phone rang. Angie knew about the call from Palermo because Jason left a voicemail. When important calls like that were coming in everything else got put on hold or shifted to Francis.
"Morgan." Jason answered the phone.
"Jason." Maximus had spent the morning first yelling at Max for making a mess in Port Charles, and then listening to Shawn's report. That report included the recommendation from the doctor at the hospital where Sonny was currently residing. The mob boss's medical records had been faxed over, and they proved to be very helpful.
"Don Giambetti, how are you?" Jason asked getting the pleasantries out of the way. He actually liked Maximus, and the Don liked him as well.
"I'm well thank you. How are you? More importantly how is Ms. Webber?" Maximus shuddered when Shawn mentioned that the young woman had been injured. It was Maximus's greatest fear that Margareta would be hurt by the life he led.
"I'm fine and so is Elizabeth. Fortunately it was just a deep graze and in a couple of days she'll be back to one hundred percent." Jason passed along. "She will have a small scar, but hopefully it won't be too noticeable."
"Hopefully. Let's get to business so that you can get back to her." Maximus would have a hard time letting his wife out of his sight if he was in the younger man's shoes. Which would make his wife want to kill him. "If your guys are there you may put me on speaker."
"Thank you." Jason hit the button and put down the receiver. "Francis and Johnny are here."
"Gentlemen." Maximus said in greeting. He didn't worry that anyone else was there. Jason had earned that trust.
"Don Giambetti." Francis responded.
"Don Giambetti." Johnny replied.
"Let's get started." Maximus reached for his notes, and his reading glasses. "Let's start with Max. He will not be returning, which won't surprise you. He is officially retired. I hope that his behavior has not affected your opinion of his brother."
"Milo is very much respected here." Jason took that worry from the Don. "He is welcome to stay, but I will understand if he wishes to return home. It can be hard to be far from family."
"It can." Maximus got that if Milo came back it would be his choice. So that was put aside. "Sonny also will not be returning. I have sent paperwork to Ms. Miller's office that gives you permission to dissolve Corinthos Morgan. Included is a settlement agreement. When I was deciding how much money you need to give Sonny for his share of the business I took into account the damage he did before leaving." Maximus was not going to cheat Sonny, but the man had to make this right.
They had the answer. Jason was being given all of Port Charles to run. No one in the office was surprised by this announcement. "Thank you Don Giambetti."
"You're welcome." Maximus reached for a pen and crossed that off his list. "Before you dissolve the partnership you need to authorize two payments. One to John Zacchara and the second to Elizabeth Webber, for damages. You have Sonny's power of attorney so you can do this with no problem."
"The payment to Elizabeth may cause an issue. She is my girlfriend and legally that could raise eyebrows." Jason pointed out. Maximus knew a great many American laws, but not all of them.
"Make the payment to me then and I will have a check cut for Ms. Webber from my bank. She is owed restitution." Maximus would set Sonny straight if he got an attitude about that. "I sent paperwork for that in the bundle Ms. Miller received, but I will have my lawyer send an updated version with the name change."
"Diane will be informed." Jason looked at Francis who just nodded. "Will Sonny be returning to the states at all?" Jason wanted to know.
"I have not decided where Sonny will end up. Or if he will be returning. No matter what he will not be placed near you." Maximus could do that much. That decision might save Sonny's life.
"Thank you." Jason very much appreciated that consideration.
"Which just leaves Crimson Pointe." Maximus was silent for a moment. "It's been a pain in the ass for years. I swear there is a part of me that believes that the territory is cursed. No matter who has held it, they have always clashed with whomever was in Port Charles." Again there was another pause. "I was reading the paperwork on it after it became suspected that the Zaccharas were involved in Michael's shooting. Two Dons ago the decision was made to divide Port Charles and Crimson Pointe into two different territories to increase profits. One month after the decision was made the first war broke out."
The men in the office sat quietly and listened to the history lesson. Maximus didn't talk to hear his own voice, so there was a point to all this.
"If you are a believer in omens then you might say it was sign." The Don resumed talking. "So I have two choices, one is to put someone in Crimson Pointe that you will not ever go to war with. That makes a short list. In fact the only two names on it are the men in the office with you. Are either one of you interested in being a boss?"
"No." Both men said in stereo. Johnny was shaking his head for emphasis even though Maximus couldn't see him. Being a boss meant a lot of time behind a desk. Today was already proving to be entirely too long. As head of security he rarely had to deal with paperwork. Usually it was just reports from their overseas holdings. Besides Nadine had to live in Port Charles for work. When they became an item he needed to respect that she had a career she loved.
For his part Francis was saying no because Diane would kill him.
"I thought not." Maximus was trying not to laugh. He could only imagine the frown on Jason's face. The younger man didn't want to be in charge either. "So option two, Jason, is to give you back Crimson Pointe. That gives you all the docks, and a solid power base. So I'm going to do a restructure."
"How so?" Jason was guessing it was more than adding on the neighboring territory.
"I'm going to give you Crimson Pointe, Buffalo, and Rochester. In exchange I am going to take your territory in Colombia. You will keep Port Charles and Puerto Rico. I will also give you Bermuda and Aruba." Maximus had a map on his wall with all the territories on it. He had seen how to make Jason's life easier by putting all his holdings closer together. "The two islands together equal the value of your South American holdings. The Upstate New York territories are yours because you can keep the region stable. Is this an acceptable deal?"
"Yes Don Giambetti. Thank you." Jason didn't really have a choice he had to take it, however he was actually happy with what he was hearing. He wouldn't have new neighbors to deal with, and he no longer had to fly to Colombia. His holdings had almost doubled in value. It was a win all the way around. Plus the islands he now controlled were somewhere he thought Elizabeth would enjoy visiting.
"Good. I will keep you up to date as far as Sonny's movements are concerned. From this point forward his personal wellbeing is no longer a worry for you. I will also make it clear to him that if he decides to return to Port Charles for any reason he must receive your permission first. If he doesn't what happens to him is his own fault."
"Understood. I will allow him to say his goodbyes." Jason could do that, but Sonny would have an escort and he would have a time limit to handle his business.
"Then that concludes our business." Maximus very much preferred it when things were quiet. He expected that Jason would not tolerate any problems because he liked calm as well. "Gentlemen." With that the Don hung up.
"Congrats." Francis said with a grin. "You made out good."
"Let me know when I need to go to Bermuda and Aruba." Johnny said with a grin. "I'll suffer through inspecting the holdings." He wondered if Nadine had ever been to either of those locations, and if she would go with him.
"Can I be there when Liz gets her check?" Francis asked causing trouble. No doubt there would be a lot of zeros on it. She wasn't looking to get paid, but she had a right to compensation. "You should let Diane handle the argument Liz will put up."
"She won't argue until she learns she has to keep the money." Johnny said laughing. To give it away would cause Sonny to lose face. While O'Brien thought the older man deserved it, Liz wouldn't. She was going to forgive him because that was who she was, and because Sonny was ill when he pulled the trigger.
Johnny approached the situation from a different view point. Sonny choose to stop taking his medication even though Lainey told him what would happen if he did. So Johnny had no forgiveness in his heart. Francis and Jason would think the same way. It might be cold, but it was also the truth.
Elizabeth would take the money once she knew what it signified. Jason was hoping with it in the bank his girl might agree to leave the hospital. With a healthy balance in her accounts she wouldn't feel like she was looking to him to provide for her. She would feel like they were partners in the relationship.
"Okay, now that we've handled that I'm going back to my office." Johnny got to his feet trying not to pout.
"Go home and rest." Jason looked at his friend. "That's an order."
"One day as the only boss and already he's ego tripping." Johnny just shook his head. He was going to have fun with this.
Jason just rolled his eyes. "Go measure penthouse four and figure out where you will put your couch."
"If I move in Liz won't come visit." Johnny pointed out. The place would hold bad memories.
"She'll come visit." Francis answered before Jason could. "She won't let Sonny do that to her, she just doesn't want to be there day after day. She also probably won't go in the kitchen anytime soon."
Jason got to his feet because he was leaving too. His phone rang and he looked at the text message that just came through. "Elizabeth has picked some houses." He looked at Johnny. "Want to come give your opinion? That way I can keep an eye on you." Francis was in charge today with Renaldo backing him up until Cody was done with the ladies.
"Absolutely." Johnny perked up, sitting at home sounded boring. "Mostly because I'll get to see where you live before Francis does."
Francis just laughed as they all walked out of the office. Jason told Angie he could be reached on his cell phone and headed for his car. He was excited to see what Elizabeth had selected.
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