Chapter 21:

Lulu woke up when the plane's wheels hit the runway. "We are home, baby," he whispered in her ear.

"That fast?" she asked as she straightened on the sofa.

"It's fast when you sleep the entire way back home," Dante said, rubbing her back. "You were out cold the minute we hit cruising altitude."

"What did you do for the entire flight?" Lulu asked.

"He watched you sleep," Morgan answered from across the plane. "It was kind of creepy because he had this really silly smile plastered across his face. You better watch it; I don't want Dad to catch you looking at my sister like that."

"Yeah, you might be losing a very important limb," Michael added.

"I hate to be a party-pooper but you are going to break up with the good doctor?" Morgan asked. "I mean…"

"Matty-Boy," Dante corrected.

The plane came to a stop. The doors opened and Sonny boarded the plane with Max and Milo in tow. "Hey, sorry for you to come back to town so quickly before you were completely healed." Sonny said as he hugged Lulu.

"It's okay. I am fine. I am sure the doctor told you that when he checked me over," Lulu said.

"He did. I just wanted to hear it from you," Sonny smiled. "Speaking of which, someone has been anxious to see you again."

Sonny made a motion with his hand; Milo waved someone on the plane. Dante could hear the footsteps.

"Lulu!" Matt breathed as he stepped on the plane with a relived look on his face. "It's so great to see you!"

Dante sighed to himself. He was hoping that he was going to spend some time with Lulu on their first night back to town. Now he had to share her with his rival.

Dante helped Lulu to her feet. Matt raced over to her, giving her a gentle hug and gave a kiss on the cheek. "You look so much better since the last time I saw you."

"The last time you saw her she was sewed up like a ragdoll," Morgan said.

Michael elbowed him in the ribs to preventing him from talking anymore.

"Well, you do look great. You got some color from the island," Matt said, stepping back so he could get a better look at her. "I wanted to come and visit you, but Sonny wouldn't let me."

"It was for your safety," Sonny said.

"You are here now, that is all that matters," Matt said. "I have a reso at the Metro Court for a late dinner."

"Lulu is tired, we had a long flight," Dante answered. "She might not be up to it."

"She slept the entire way back," Morgan said. "She missed out on the grub. Lulu must be starving."

"Milo will be your guard," Sonny said. "Like you said Dante, it was a long flight. You must be exhausted. Go home and get some sleep. Milo has this."

"I will get her home at a decent hour," Matt promised, he held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Lulu took his arm. "Okay. I'll see you at home, Sonny."

"Just take good care of my little girl, okay?" Sonny asked. "She means the world to me."

"I'll take the best care of her," Matt said.

They walked out of the plane with Milo and Max close behind. Sonny followed them out.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Dante demanded Morgan when Sonny was out of the plane. "I thought you two were cool that I was seeing your sister."

"We are. Lu needs to let Matty-Boy down gently. Why not now? I mean why wait?" Morgan asked.

"I don't like it, her being alone with him," Dante said.

Michael patted Dante on his shoulder. "That is called jealousy my friend."

Morgan slung his bag over his shoulder. "You know where they are going. Go claim your lady love."

"I feel like a slob," Lulu commented as she and Matt were seated in the Metro Court. "I should have changed before went out to eat."

"You look beautiful," Matt said.

"You are just saying that. I must look awful. I am in yoga pants, a hoodie, and flip flops. The servers are giving me a look," Lulu complained as she read her menu.

"They are looking at you because you are so beautiful," Matt said.

"What did I miss while I was gone?" Lulu asked.

"Well Epiphany and the new doctor got in a tiff about something. I tried to warn him to be on her good side. He thought I was kidding. He doesn't realize that the nurses run the place."

Lulu laughed. "I can imagine. She was the nicest one there when I was in the hospital when I broke my arm. She kept me entertained when she was ordering around the interns."

"You broke your arm, how?" Matt asked.

"It happened before I went to live with Sonny. Lucky and I were in a car accident," Lulu explained.

"Is that why you went to live with Sonny?" Matt prodded.

"That and some other stuff that happened. Let's talk about something else, okay? I am starving," Lulu said.

The elevator doors slid open. Dante saw Lulu and Matt seated at a table obviously enjoying their company. They were eating a cheesy appetizer. Milo was several feet away from them watching them.

Dante changed into a pair of dark pair jeans and a button down shirt. He made his way to the bar. He plopped down. "A beer please, whatever is on draft," he requested from the bartender.

"Who is the girl?" the bartender asked. "Who is she with?"

"The girl is very important to me," Dante answered. "She is more important to me than she ever realizes."

"Then you better get her before she leaves with the good looking guy," the bartender observed.

Lulu looked over Matt's shoulder as she dug into her salad. Dante was sitting at the bar drinking a beer. Why was he here? She couldn't break up with Matt in a restaurant with Dante watching. It was something that she needed to do privately.

"So how was the island?" Matt asked.

"Breathtaking," Lulu answered.

"You have to take me there sometime and show me around," Matt smiled. "From what Sonny told me, he is very proud of that place."

"He is. Dad's house is very beautiful," Lulu said.

"How was it being there alone with Dante until your brothers got there?" Matt asked.

"It was fine."

"What did you two do?"

Thoughts of them making love in her room and their close call in the lagoon filled her mind. "I showed him around the island," Lulu said instead.

"Is that all?" Matt pressed. "I mean you were on the island for a long time with the just of two of you."

"We just watched a lot of movies in the theater room." Lulu shrugged.

Matt seemed to buy it. "Okay, not that I was worried or anything."

"So what did you do while I was out of town?" Lulu asked.

"I worked a lot," Matt said. "I tried to get Sonny to let me visit you a few times."

"So I have been told," Lulu said. "I am glad that you were here when I landed."

"What were you sick of seeing only your brothers and Dante on the island?" Matt smiled.

Dante watched as Lulu and Matt were brought their dinner. He was already almost finished with his fourth beer.

"Just tell her how you feel," the bartender advised as she placed another beer in front of Dante. "The way that the good doctor is looking at her is like she is the only person in the room."

"Wait, you know Matt?" Dante asked, sitting up straight. "Has he been her while Lulu was out of town?"

"Dr. Hunter has been in here with his brother, sister-in-law, and niece. He spent the entire time talking about some girl… Lulu. I bet that is the girl that you have been staring at ever since you sat down at the bar."

"I haven't been staring at her," Dante protested.

"If you stared any harder, you would bore a hole through her," the bartender corrected.

Dante laughed. So she noticed that he had been staring at Lulu. He hoped that Milo missed it or thought that Dante was trying to keep Lulu safe on his time off.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were back in town?" Olivia asked as she sat down next to him.

The bartender poured Olivia a glass of white wine.

"I literally just got in. What are you doing here?" Dante hissed.

"I work here, what is your excuse?" Olivia asked.

Dante motioned with his head to Lulu's table.

"So that is Lulu, huh? I didn't get to see her when she was in the hospital. She looks good for Sonny's daughter," Olivia pointed out.

"He is her legal guardian," Dante corrected. "He never adopted her."

"But he would have if he could," Olivia said. "Does she call him Sonny or Dad?"

"Why do you care?" Dante asked.

"I don't want Sonny to hurt you when he finds out that you are….seeing his little girl."

"Can we leave my love life alone, please?"

"Who is she sitting with? He is cute."

"Matty-Boy," Dante grumbled. "I mean its Dr. Matt Hunter. He couldn't wait to see her. He was on the jet a minute after it hit the tarmac."

"Do I sense a hint of jealously there?" Olivia noted.

"No."

"Yes," the bartender answered with a smirk. "He has been staring at her since the moment that he came in."

"Aren't bartenders like shrinks? Whatever I say goes to your grave?" Dante asked.

"Don't blame the bartender," Olivia said. "Why are you still here licking your wounds? Go claim the woman that you are in love with."

"Love? I never said that I-"

"If a man looks at a woman the way I saw you looking at Lulu…" Olivia trailed off. "Just long as Sonny knows about you two."

The server cleared their dinner plates away and handed them some dessert menus. "It's so good to be able to eat solid foods again," Lulu said. "I was going nuts eating nothing but mush."

"Four-star mush," Matt smiled.

"Okay the mush wasn't half bad. Being waited on by hand and foot wasn't so bad either," Lulu said.

"Don't you get that at Sonny's as well?" Matt asked.

"Not really. I had my own chores to do when I was little. I had to clean my room. The maids just did the laundry," Lulu explained.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. You are the only girl. You have Sonny wrapped around your little finger."

Lulu scanned the menu as the server returned to take their orders and pour them some coffee. "I hardly think that is the case, Matt," Lulu said.

"Whatever you say, Lulu," Matt said.

He reached across the table and patted Lulu's hand.

Dante watched as Matt took Lulu's hand in his. He gripped the beer bottle in his hand so tightly that he thought that he was going to break it.

"You are so jealous," Olivia said. "Do something about it. Aren't you supposed to be her guard? If you are not careful, Milo might have to be waiting in his car outside of Matt's house."

Dante slammed the beer on the bar with such force that it scared Olivia. "That is going to happen over my dead body."

Lulu and Matt were sharing a Frozen Chocolate-Covered Cappuccino Crunch Cake. "This is so good," Lulu said, taking a bite.

"This is," Matt agreed.

"Hey Lulu," Dante said as he approached the table. "Shouldn't you call it a night? You are supposed to get your deposition first thing tomorrow morning."

"Can't we finish the dessert first?" Matt asked. "I thought Milo was Lulu's guard for the evening."

"Dante is just concerned for my well being," Lulu said. "He went over and above the call of duty when he was on the island with me."

Matt's cell phone went off. He sighed as he looked at the caller ID. "At least we got to dessert this time. I have to go."

Matt reached into his wallet, pulled out his credit card. He handed it to a passing server. "I need the check please."

He bent down and kissed Lulu on the cheek. "It's great to see you again, Lulu. Hopefully we can get through the next date without any interruptions before you head back to school."

"She's heading back to school in two weeks," Dante said.

The server came back and Matt signed the bill. "You will see her home, right?"

"Of course, it's my job," Dante answered.

"Make sure she gets home in one piece this time," Matt advised.

Matt left the restaurant.

"I would have decked him if he stayed any longer," Dante said. "Better yet, I would have shoved the coffee cup down his throat."

"How much did you have to drink?" Lulu asked, handing him her untouched cup of coffee.

"Too much. Thanks," Dante said.

Milo came up to them. "I don't think its going to be wise for you to drive home, why don't I drop you off at your place on the way back to Mr. C's?"
Dante nodded.

"Okay I am going to bring the car around front. Take Lulu downstairs and wait for me in the lobby," Milo ordered.

"Got it," Dante said. "We will see you soon."

Lulu sat down at the table. Dante sat across from her. "You look gorgeous today," he said.

"I am in yoga pants and a hoodie. I hardly look like a beauty queen," Lulu finished the last of the dessert. "And I just got off a plane, too."

"Face it Lulu, you look good in anything," Dante asked. "Let's go. Milo must have gotten the car by now."

"Are you okay?" Lulu asked, getting to her feet.

Dante brushed off her concern. "Baby, I should be asking you that. You were the one that had a bullet in your chest a few weeks back."

They walked to the elevator. The doors slid open. Dante pressed the button for the lobby.

The doors shut, they began to descend when there was a loud noise, and the elevator shook, and came to a complete stop. "What the hell?" Lulu said. "This is not good!"

She reached for the emergency phone. A moment later someone was on the other line. "We are stuck in the elevator."

"Hang tight. It might be awhile," the female on the other end said.

Dante instantly recognized the voice as his mothers. Dante took the phone from Lulu. "Thank you take, your time."

He replaced the receiver.

"What the hell was that?" Lulu demaned.

Dante took Lulu's hands in his. He walked her backward until her back met the one of the walls. He pinned her hands above her head. He kissed her neck. "Why don't we make good use of the time we have together?"

Read and Review! :D