Chapter 53

Dante moved quickly toward Lulu, his body language protective, as he dropped to his knees beside her, his hand brushing an errant lock of hair from her forehead.

"Are you all right? Did he-"

"Dante. I'm fine," Lulu whispered, looking down at his furrowed brow and his expression of worry.

She watched as his hand drifted from the side of her face to rest upon her abdomen, his eyes warm and loving, his hand caressing her baby bump. She saw the emotions pass over his face, as he looked at her mother, his mother and then back to her.

He rose, paced back and forth a few seconds, before turning to Lulu with exasperation.

"Are you trying to make me an old man?" Dante said, the concern evident in his voice, as he ran his hand through his hair, "Because I think that I aged about fifteen years when I walked in here."

"He came out of nowhere," Laura stated, defensively, as Luke walked in the door, his gaze locked on his wife's. He moved toward her, took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I was so worried about you," Luke shared, peering into her eyes, "Where did you-"

"We had it under control," Olivia interrupted, turning toward her son.

"You should have kept the door closed. Waited for me," Dante answered, his focus on Lulu, as he chastised his mother, "I love you, babe. I love this baby. If-"

"Wait a minute here- You tied him up?" Luke asked Laura, who simply smiled back at him, "And you, too," Luke asked, looking toward his daughter, who nodded.

"Yo, don't forget me. I had a hand in this, too," Olivia chimed in.

"Several," Lulu grinned, looking at Dante's mother and mouthing, Thank You.

"I have never been more proud. Who would of thought? My two girls," Luke grinned, brushing the skin beneath Laura's eyes with his thumb."

"Proud? You're patting them on the back? Are you crazy?" Dante replied, his agitation marked clearly in his posture with his stiff stance and his hand pointed at Matt Hunter.

"He could have hurt them," Dante said, shaken.

"We are not weak women, Dante. I think we've proved that we can handle ourselves," Olivia informed them.

"We're wasting time. Just let me take him for a walk, Dante. He looks like he could use some fresh air," Sonny said, moving toward Matt Hunter, whose eyes had enlarged two-fold.

"I know I could use some air about now," Luke replied, his eyes hard, as he looked at Matt Hunter.

"I'm not going to sit back while you ensure that he has an accident in the lake, Dad!" Dante exclaimed, noticing Lulu's startled look.

"You can't let him-" Lulu started to say, worried.

"Listen to her," Matt Hunter shouted to Dante, "He's going to cut me down. You know it. I know it," Matt said, pointing his finger at Sonny, "Don't you people care that he's like freaking Al Capone, the Untouchable, doing whatever he wants."

"Yo," Olivia said, standing and waving her hand in the air, "Keep your clam shut," she ordered, pointing at Matt Hunter, " And you, if you think that I'm going to just let you waltz in here and take over," she responded to Sonny, "Well you have another thing coming, honey. We don't need you drifting in here, tooting your horn, and dragging him out to the lake. We did a good thing here. We," Olivia reminded Sonny, lowering her voice and directing her hand to include Lulu and Laura, "We don't need you putting the screws on him and dropping him in the drink. Hand him over to the cops."

"Putting the screws on him?" Sonny grinned, "Where the hell do you come up with these things?" he continued, amazed.

"Ma, I called Lulu's brother, Lucky. He should be here any minute," Dante assured her, taking Lulu's hand as she rose to her feet and stood beside him.

"I have it under control, son. Now, if you'll excuse me, Luke and I, and our pal here are going to take a look at the dock where I'm thinking of parking my new boat," he told them, while untying the cords that were wrapped around Matt Hunter's. He smiled while Matt Hunter flinched.

"Dad, I can't let you-" Dante began, as the door opened behind them.

"I got here as soon as I could Dante. Where's-" Lucky asked, as he entered the room, "Dad, what is going on here? Mom?" Lucky said, relieved."

"I'll take over, if you don't mind," Lucky stated, taking Matt Hunter by the arm and pulling him toward him. He reached for his cuffs, yanked Matt Hunter's arms behind his back and slapped them on him.

"Mr. Hunter and I were just going to-," Sonny noted, as Lucky interrupted.

"What? Take him outside so that you could have him whacked," Lucky answered.

"Actually, Luke and I were just going to show him my boat, weren't we Mr. Hunter?" Sonny added, looking at Matt Hunter.

"These people are crazy," Matt Hunter answered, turning to look at Lucky Spencer, "they should be locked up. Every one of them," he whispered.

"Crazy?" Lucky replied, staring back at Matt Hunter.

"He wanted to take me down to the lake," Matt told Lucky, pointing at Sonny and gesturing with his hand from left to right on his neck.

"I know. Sonny just said that," Lucky answered, needling Matt Hunter.

"Well, it wasn't to look at some damn boat," Matt replied, shaking.

"And the women...well, that one hit me over the head. Knocked me out cold. I woke up tied up and them...cooking," Matt Hunter exclaimed.

"Cooking?" Lucky answered, in disbelief.

"It was that crazy old bird that told them to tie me to a chair," he said, directing his hand at Olivia, "I want to press charges. I know my rights."

"Yo, who you calling old," Olivia replied, while Sonny held her back.

"You guys have been busy," Lucky smiled, turning his gaze back to Matt Hunter, "You want to talk about rights? You have the right to remain silent-" Lucky told him, walking Matt Hunter out the door, as the others stared at his retreating back.

"It's over," Lulu whispered, as Dante took her into his arms, "Hey, it's all right," he said, as he felt her body tremble.

"What's going to happen now?" Laura asked, as Luke placed his arm around her shoulder.

"Lucky will take him to jail," Dante answered, as Lulu rested her head against his chest.

"What if he gets released," Lulu asked Dante, raising her eyes to his.

"Well, I'm no cop, Lulu," Dante told her, as his hand stroked her back, "but, judging by his history, I don't see that happening. You're safe. We're all safe," Dante reassured her, including his mother and Laura in his gaze.

"Nothing is final, Lulu," Sonny told her, guiding his wife toward the door, "Only death is permanent."


"What do you think your Dad meant?" Lulu asked Dante, her head against his chest, as she lay sideways on the bed and Dante's arm was draped across her legs, his hand stroking her abdomen.

"Hm," Dante answered, smiling, as he brushed her hair off of her face.

"Sonny? He said that only death is permanent."

"We're in bed. Naked," Dante grinned, leaning over to kiss her, "And you want to talk about my Dad. I must be doing something wrong."

"I'm being serious, Dante," Lulu told him, turning toward him, her swollen belly pressing against his chest, "Do you think that he-"

"No, I don't, Lulu," Dante assured her, as his hands reached toward her and teased her nipples. They instantly blossomed to attention under his touch.

Lulu brushed his hands aside, attempting to thwart his playful attempt at changing the subject, "Good. I want our wedding to be perfect, Dante. No interruptions. If your Dad-"

He smiled, leaning closer, as his lips settled upon the soft skin of her neck. The spot right behind her neck that...

"Oh, my," Lulu gasped, as she felt his lips brush against her skin, causing her nerves to jump and her heart to beat faster, as her hands braced themselves on the buckboard behind him.

His hands massaged her back, slowly moving downward until they clutched her cheeks, molding them beneath his onslaught.

Her hands moved into Dante's hair, as his lips continued their journey down her neck, toward her breasts, his mouth settling upon one nipple, suckling, as his hands played with her backside and she sighed, her hands pulling at his hair and moving his head closer.

"Still want to talk about Sonny," Dante asked with a cocky grin, as Lulu let out an exasperated sigh and she found herself flat on her back.

She watched Dante's eyes locked on hers. Smoldering. Full of passion. She felt his hands gripping her thighs, their strength strong, but gentle, as he held them against the bed.

He leaned over, his face disappearing, as her hands grabbed his shoulders, her fingers pressing against his skin in anticipation. She felt his breath upon her. A soft breeze that caused goosebumps.

Then, his lips licked and her body jerked, the strength of his arms holding her captive, as he tormented her with his mouth, eliciting delicious sensations that caused her body to tremble.

She felt his weight leave her, his arms release her thighs and she wrapped them around him, as he moved above her. He entered her gently, holding his weight off of her, as he slowly rocked against her, resting his head against the side of her face. He clutched the back of her head, turned his head to caress her forehead with his lips, as his eyes watched the emotions playing on her face and he continued to move against her. It was a slow build, not hurried or rushed. Their bodies joining on a deeper level, their hearts beating against each other, moving in time with each other. Dante leaned over her, splayed his hand across her baby bump and pressed, as deep as he could go. His lips captured hers, he trembled, his shudders matched with hers, their sighs and groans mingled, as they each found their release.

"I love you so much, Dante," she sighed, pressing her lips to his chest, as Dante held her gently and shifted their bodies to the side.

He cradled her head in his hand, and whispered the same, holding her against him, as she drifted to sleep, wrapped in his arms.


Matt Hunter's thumb was pressed into the dark ink, its color discoloring his skin, as it was forced against the paper several times, marking his indent.

He was pushed toward a wall, a plaque with numbers thrust into his hands, as a bright flashing light pulsed momentarily against his eyes. Then, he was ordered to turn sideways and another picture was taken."

"This way," the guard ordered, taking him down a hallway.

He was sent to a room where he was told to disrobe, his clothing taken and the drab orange color of prison garb thrust into his face. Once dressed, the guard with the monotone voice and expressionless face handcuffed him once again and took him to the interrogation room, pushed him inside, releasing the cuffs and pushing Mr. Hunter into the chair behind the desk. He locked his hands once more before him, shackled to the desk, before the guard closed the door behind him.

Matt Hunter sat in silence. No sounds in the room, but the loud beat of his heart and the strong wind of his breath as he breathed in and out.

He couldn't go back.

His mind tormented him with thoughts of his former life behind bars.

The isolation. The constant look over your shoulder to ensure your safety.

The knowledge that you could be jumped at a moment's notice and that no guard would save you.

No. He absolutely would not go back.

He looked up, watched as Detective Spencer entered the room and took a seat opposite of him.

He placed a recorder on the table, pushed a button and sat back in his seat, "Detective Spencer, PCPD, questioning Matt Hunter."

"Mr. Hunter, why don't you tell me what happened at the lake tonight? Why were you following Lulu Spencer? What's your connection to Sonny Corrinthos?"

"I'm not talking until I get a lawyer," Matt Hunter told the detective, a determined glint in his eyes.

"Suit yourself. You and I both know, if Sonny has anything to do with it, you won't make it a night in Pentonville, let alone a week," Detective Spencer told him, leaning toward the table, "But, talk to me, Mr. Hunter and I may be able to strike a deal with the D.A. What do you say?"

"I'm not going back to prison, Detective. So, unless you can get me a lawyer that can get my charges dropped, well, I'll take my chances with the judge," Matt Hunter told him, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You harassed my sister. You terrorized my mother...and you want all charges dropped, " Lucky stated, moving closer, "What guarantee do I have that you won't walk out of here and go after them again?"

"I never wanted them, Detective," Matt Hunter told Lucky, smugly, "You see, Detective, you and I, we want the same thing."

"And what is that?" Lucky asked, as Matt Hunter gloated.

"Sonny Corrinthos," Matt Hunter answered, "Behind bars. Although, I would settle for his rotting corpse at the bottom of the Hudson River. Now, do we have a deal, Detective?"

"I'll talk to the D.A," Detective Spencer replied, standing and walking from the room.

"Are you really going to let him walk?" Officer Newman questioned Lucky, as they stood outside the PCPD interrogation room.

"The man tried to harm my family, Officer. What do you think?" Detective Spencer told him, picking up the phone.

"But, you just said that-"

"I said I'd try, Officer. I never promised anything. But, if it gets me Sonny Corrinthos, gift-wrapped and delivered with a bow, the man can have prime rib in his cell for the remainder of his sentence."


"No. I just want to stay in bed," Dante argued, gripping his pillow tightly and refusing to budge.

"Honey, we promised," Lulu told him, her hands perched on her hips.

"What kind of mother is nearly kidnapped, ties up the intruder and then hours later feels the need to bake," Dante told her, reluctlantly sitting up and tossing his legs over the side of the bed.

"The Spencer kind," Lulu grinned, kissing Dante on the lips, "You love my crazy family."

"Not nearly as much as you love mine," Dante answered, standing and pulling her into his arms, "Come back to bed, please!" Dante begged, as Lulu returned his kiss and smacked him on his bare ass.

"Dressed. Kitchen. In that order, Chef Falconeri," Lulu ordered, tossing a pair of pants and tee shirt at him, as Dante grinned.

"Yes, Ma'am."

A few minutes later, he was pulling the tee shirt over his head when Lulu walked back into the room, her hair pulled into a ponytail, wearing a soft mauve sundress.

"Are you going commando?" Lulu asked him, as she stared at Dante's butt when he walked by and he turned to her and smiled.

"You're not wearing a bra," Dante replied, smugly.

"The pregnancy is making them ache," Lulu admitted, stomping her foot, "And you're not helping."

"Me?" Dante exclaimed, acting innocent.

"Yes, you, Dante. You and your lips," she whispered under her breath, proceeding Dante out of the room.

"How am I supposed to concentrate on tasting cake for the reception-"

"When you only want to taste me," Dante answered with a cocky grin, "Likewise, babe. It will take all of my strength not to drag you from that kitchen and show you exactly how much I love you without a bra."

"Well, then," Lulu said, releasing a breath, "We'll just have to be on our best behavior."

"Our best, Dante," Lulu ordered, as Dante's hand caressed her bottom, sending tingles up and down her spine.

"Lulu?" Dante said, calling our her name, as she turned to him about to ask what he wanted.

He pressed her against the wall, kissing her soundly, his hands molding her breasts, while his thumbs teased her nipples beneath the soft cotton fabric.

Lulu's leg rose high on his thigh, pulling him closer, as her hands wound throughout his hair. He was stealing every breath from her body, entangling himself into every fiber of her being. She wanted nothing more than to turn around and find themselves locked in that bedroom until the wedding day.

"Dante, my mother-" Lulu told him, starting to lose her train of thought.

God, he felt amazing, she thought, his hands and lips setting her on fire.

He pressed her harder against the wall, nudging her legs apart and sliding her up against the wall. She could feel him pressed against her, his hardness not quite in the right spot. She tried to move, but he held her still, his hand drifting beneath her dress and teasing the soft skin of one thigh.

"Is this what you want?" he whispered softly, teasing her folds with his thumb.

"Oh God," Lulu panted, trying to get closer, as Dante suddenly pulled away from her, grinned with smoky eyes and kissed her quickly on the lips.

"What? But we-" Lulu asked, as Dante turned toward her.

"Now, you definitely will not be thinking about the food," Dante smiled turning, as she pretended to kick his retreating backside.

"Oh, you," she said, stubbing her toe against the wall, "I hate you," she whispered, dreaming up all of the ways that she was going to make him pay later, while she tried to calm her awakened senses.