Kiriakis Mansion
(and Victor's memories of Miami, 1985)

This was hardly the first time Victor found himself dealing with Caroline's disapproval. He was plenty used to it. And as on most other occasions, willing to ignore her. Better that then allowing her provincial attitude to get either of his sons killed because he'd already been down this route before and Tony DiMera was not his responsibility…

"I'm waiting, Victor."

Leaning back comfortably across from him on the couch, Tony's expression was deceptively mild and Victor wondered if this wasn't a mistake. Nickerson hadn't been the only one to warn him DiMera might be trouble. Whatever the prevailing consensus when it came to this playboy versus the father who'd raised him, the Count had learned more than his share from the old man and he recognized immediately Victor was doing him no favors here.

"Your father asked for my help," explained Victor evasively. He wasn't sure how much Tony knew about Enrico and the less he learned about how much Victor knew, the better.
"Did this assistance have something to do with my mother, or ruining Stefano…or both?"
"It hardly matters at this point."
"To you maybe, but so far all you've done is ask me to rid you of a problem that is likely more of an issue for you at this point than it is for me."
Victor frowned, certain Tony was trifling with him now. "You don't want revenge?" he asked and the smile that appeared on Tony's face in response displayed little humor.
"Revenge and putting the two of them out of their misery don't necessarily go hand in hand."

What was implied in the comment, uttered is such a cultured, civilized tone, took a minute to register completely, maybe because Victor hadn't been expecting it. The DiMeras were old world. Crossing them was always a mistake they took care of in the most permanent fashion and never more so than when it related to family.

Left to Stefano, the man sitting in front of him would be dead, and even thirty years of believing Tony his son hadn't been enough to keep Stefano from following through.

Not to mention, a lifetime of devotion to Tony's father hadn't stopped Stefano either. He'd murdered Enrico without a second thought so Victor's first instinct made him think the younger DiMera was bluffing.

"What I said earlier, about you being their first target wasn't educated guesswork. They're on a mission, DiMera, to put you in a grave."
"Yes," the smile grew a bit more lopsided. "They've both been working on it for a couple of years now and instead I'm sitting here in your parlor."
Victor shrugged. "Luck only goes so far."
"It tends to go a lot further with those who ignore its existence entirely."
"That sounds just a clever way of suggesting you're being underestimated."
The complacency he'd worn a few moments before returned to the count's face. "If you like."

Victor stared at him a moment and stewed internally. He would have liked to assume the man was nothing but a damn fool with an ego but that didn't coincide with the rest of his behavior. In Victor's experience, DiMeras were predictable when it came to getting even so what made this one different?

"What is it you want, DiMera?"
An air of cynicism hardened the Count's gaze. "To murder Stefano?" He shook his head. "Not a thing."

"And your cousin?"

"I think you've missed my point."
"Oh?"
"I am NOT your hired assassin, Kiriakis," he practically spat at the older man and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"I brought you here to save your life…"
"And take care of Stefano and my cousin so they won't cause any difficulties for you back in Salem."
"It's YOUR neck on the line here," hissed Victor, exasperated at the other man's stubbornness. "They're not going to kill me, for heaven's sake."
"Good," said Tony, rising to his feet, a pleasant smile frozen on his lips that by no means erased the menacing glare still aimed at Victor., "Then obviously, we don't have a problem and whatever I choose to do won't be of concern to you. Was there anything else you wished to discuss?"
Victor nearly choked on his frustration. "Where are you going?"
"The only place I have any desire to be at the moment," said Tony over his shoulder, "back to my wife."

"DiMera, don't be a fool. If they don't use her to get to you, she's still in the middle of this war and you know better than me that your cousin would go to any lengths to slide right back into her life…pretending to be you."

That stopped the younger man dead in his tracks and he continued standing with his back to Victor until the clock on the mantle chimed and then he spun around and snarled at him. "Fuck you."
"I'm not the one that started this…"
"No, but you're more than willing to use the situation to get what you want…me at Stefano and Andre's throats for as long as it takes to keep them busy. Right?"
"Appearance can be…"
"Exactly the way they look and don't bother trying to spin this," said Tony, shaking his head angrily, "not to me."

"Alright," agreed Victor. "But how exactly does that change your situation?"
Tony ignored that bit of logic and asked instead the question Victor had side stepped a number of times since the conversation began. "If you want them dead, there must be a reason and correct me if I'm wrong, but it has something to do with Enrico, doesn't it?"
"I've already told you…"
"No, you haven't and for all I know, you'd rather I be the one to tangle with the old man so he doesn't find out just how complicit you were in ruining his marriage."

The guess was way too close to the truth for Victor's liking. "Stefano ruined his own marriage."
"Oh come Victor, you know just as well as I do that he's not the type to look at the situation like that rationally and Stefano NEVER forgets a slight."
"That sounds close to being a threat," said Victor angrily.
A smile reappeared on Tony's face, though it contrasted with the steely blackness in his eyes. He was definitely laying his cards on the table. "You're the one refusing to afford me a reason why I should give you the benefit of the doubt and believe me, you'll be much further up the list than me if he were to learn you had anything to do with…well, providing my father the means to help my mother and I disappear all those years ago. "
"You have no proof…"
The smile widened. "And when has Stefano ever stopped to worry about that?"
Victor swallowed carefully. "What is it you want?"

"First, the charges against Anna get dropped. Today."
"I don't have the kind of influence with Abe Carver you seem to think I do."
"You won't need it. Van Zandt is alive and Emma Donovan knows precisely where he's hiding so that won't be a problem, will it?"
"Alive, eh?" For the last several months, there had been too many other things on Victor's plate for him to waste much time with Emma's amusements. A mistake he needed to remedy. She had come in handy causing problems for her ex-husband and Kimberly but apparently her talents were being wasted and Victor was never one to ignore talent when it presented itself. "Consider it done. Anything else?"
"Once she's cleared, you and your associates will leave Anna alone and I promise you Victor, if any of my people find you've not kept that promise, no matter what happens to me, you'll regret it."
He nodded though he wore a sour look. He was not in the habit of agreeing to blackmail and the younger man's tone only made it worse. "And what will you do in return?" he asked and it sounded almost like a demand.
"Well, I won't inform Stefano who betrayed him," came Tony's rather amused reply. "But other than that, you'll just have to accept me dealing with the situation my own way."
"You're not going back to Salem?"
The humor dancing in Tony's eyes only a moment before vanished. "No."
"And would you need a ride anywhere in particular?"
"From you?" It took Tony a moment to remember his manners. "No, thank you. I can manage."
"Then I will wish you luck."

"I do have one question for you," said Tony who'd crossed to the door already and was reaching to open it. "If Stefano never figured out you were the one helping my father, then who betrayed Enrico?

Even from across the airy drawing room, the Count's keen gaze stabbed at Victor where he'd remained sitting and it caused his heart to speed up though he was careful to keep the expression he turned to meet those dark eyes as steady as possible.

But Tony had already guessed the truth and he didn't wait for Victor to lie to him.