A/N- Thanks for the comments! Okay, I think I can't finish this one by Friday. I don't want to rush it. So….I will submit a chapter tomorrow and not Friday and then start back up on the 30th.
Chapter 44
Jason picked up Manny's gun and stood as everyone watched him with amazement. He picked off several people before clearing the doorway.
Johnny followed behind him and they methodically took out many of Sonny's men.
"Come out, you coward," Jason yelled.
Due to the position of some of the guard's bodies, he figures out Sonny is on the balcony and heads there.
A bullet whizzes past his head when he gets close and he ducks.
"Where's that asshole, Ronnie?" Johnny asked.
"He's not here. The fucker ran a few minutes ago." If there is any justice, he'll be found and executed.
"You got this?" Johnny asked just as Francis joined them.
"Yes."
Johnny took off.
"Where is he going?"
"To find Ronnie."
Once they got a little closer, they took out the last guard and Sonny started firing wildly.
Jason shot him in the leg and he dropped the gun as he cried out in pain. "I am going to make you suffer for what you did."
Sonny grunted. "Fuck you, Jason."
A few guards moved next to them.
"The police are here, we need to get him out of here," Micah said.
"You know where to take him," Francis said.
"Give me your guns."
The men handed them over and the guards dragged Sonny to the back stairs. They'll hide out in a room for a while and then drug him before sneaking him out of the building later.
Jason and Francis moved back into the room and watched as Jeff tried to save Manny's life. Eva is inconsolable as she observes, and Diane is doing her best to calm her.
"It never ends," Carolyn said.
Nicole shot her a look. "For years I wished you were alive and now, I realize that I am way better off without you." She can't remember her mother ever being so fragile, but then again, she would have never imagined she would have left them either.
"I'm sorry I'm not perfect. I'm sorry I had a freaking nervous breakdown!"
"Cut the crap. When you recovered, you still didn't try to fix what you did. I needed you so badly. I felt like it was my fault and that I was unlovable and then later, they hurt me and took what they wanted, and I needed my mom, and you weren't there because you were off playing house with someone else. You replaced us. I don't know how I can forgive that." Nicole turned as she started to cry and Frank grabbed her and held on tight.
"I failed you too, but I'm here now. It's going to be okay." He feels enormous guilt that he didn't realize how deep his problems with his ex-wife had gone and as a result, his children had suffered for it. While he knew that she was unhappy and despondent, he was blindsided when she left.
She gripped his jacket. "Daddy, can you check in with Johnny?"
"I just sent him a text a few minutes ago."
They broke apart. "Thank you."
"You were always lovable. I missed you so much—you and Francis. I had a picture of you I kept and would look at. I don't think I've ever forgiven myself."
"But you're not sorry because you did what was right for you and left us to pick up the pieces."
"She suffered. You don't know how much," Jeff said.
"Ditto." She turned towards her father. "I want to go hold my baby."
Carolyn gasped.
"That's right, I have a baby girl and she's gorgeous and smart and I'll never walk away from her. In my darkest moments, after being beaten and raped repeatedly, I didn't want to live, but then I found out about her and she gave me strength."
"What—who is her father?" Just thought of another daughter being raped disgusts her and she silently prays that the father isn't one of the rapists.
"Luckily, it is my fiance. Goodbye, mother."
Frank addressed Francis. "I'll see her home."
"Thank you. I'll have someone shadow them." The Webbers won't be able to breathe without them knowing it.
Frank nodded and left.
Finally, the area is cleared and the cops and some EMT's finally make it into the room and Manny gets the help he needs.
"Jason Morgan and Francis Corelli, why am I not surprised?" Taggert said.
When he only gets silence back, he presses forward.
"Anyone want to tell me what happened?"
Jeff and Carolyn had been warned not to throw them under the bus or he'd pay. He cleared his throat. "We were talking and we heard someone yell something and then there were gunshots coming into the room and we dove to the floor. Some of the guys barricaded the door and honestly, the rest of the time, I focused on my wife because she was so scared.
"So you never saw who was shooting?"
"No."
"Some of those men were identified as working for Sonny Corinthos."
"And?" Francis said.
Taggert rolled his eyes.
"Detective, we could do without the theatrics," Diane said.
"I have a room full of dead people and most of the people in this room don't have guns which is unbelievable."
Eva tries to follow the EMT's but is detained.
"You can't leave."
She steps closer to Taggert. "Then you're going to have to freaking arrest me because that is my boyfriend on that stretcher and there is no way in hell I'm not going with him. He could die."
Taggert's admiration of her beauty is short-lived because of her association with Manny. "What is it with the women in this town and mob guys?"
"Manny is more of a man than you'll ever be. You have no integrity and don't give a shit about the truth. I can come down to the station when he is stable. You have a room full of witnesses to keep you busy. I'm a lawyer and I know how this dance goes and if you don't let me go, I will make your life a living hell!"
Diane's brows are up and Jason and Liz move to Eva's side.
Jason leans closer. "Evangeline, breathe…"
She closes her eyes. "If I don't leave here in the next few minutes, my breathing will be the least of his concern." Jason is seriously going to have to hold her back.
Jason locks gazes with her as Taggert pulls out his cuffs. "If he takes you downtown, he'll hold you as long as you can, so you have to calm down, okay?"
She nods.
"You're under arrest."
"What!" Diane yells.
Mac moves forward. "Taggert, enough."
"But she threatened me and is not cooperating."
Eva gave him a look of death that even Jason was impressed with.
"Are you purposely trying to get on her bad side?"
"Mac…"
He focuses on Eva. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."
"I'm Evangeline Williamson—esquire."
"I'm Mac Scorpio and if you promise to come to the station and give a statement by the end of the day tomorrow, you can go."
She relaxed a little. "Thank you. I'll make it happen." She started to leave and then looked back at Jason. "Thanks."
Elizabeth slipped her arm around Jason's waist.
"Hello, Elizabeth," Taggert said.
"Do I need to stay?" She wants to get far away from her parents right now.
"Can you make a quick statement?" Mac asked.
"I already gave one to Cruz."
"Then yes, you may go."
She turned to Blackie. Will you come to the hospital so we can talk?"
"Sure. Can you give me a ride?"
"Yes."
Emily approached them. "I'm done too."
"Emily, this is Blackie Parrish."
She smiled. "Hi."
He smirked. "Hello. You look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you."
"Is she coming with us?"
Liz shrugged. "That's up to her."
"I'll tag along."
They walked away with a guard and Francis shook his head.
"It's your brother," Jason said.
"I'm not sure why God has cursed me with Johnny and a wannabe Johnny."
Jason smiled. "You're just a lucky."
It took two hours before they could go to the hospital and check on Manny.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI
When they get to the hospital, Manny is in surgery. His family is sitting next to Eva in the waiting room along with Epiphany and Diane. Lorenzo had gone home.
"Any word?" Jason asked.
Hector stood. "We haven't heard anything yet. Who are you?"
"I'm Jason Morgan."
His wife rose and pushed him aside. "You're Manny's Jason?"
He nodded.
"I'm Luella, his mother. He considers you a friend." She studies the stoic younger man and wonders what drew the two together.
"I feel the same way."
Leo interrupts them to give an update.
"You can tell us in front of them," Hector said.
"He's stable. We lost him twice, but he fought. Right now, he's being taken to recovery for a while and then a room. You can see him once he is settled, but for everyone else, it will be a few hours." The loss of blood had weakened Manny so much that they weren't sure if they could transfuse him fast enough.
"Do you think he'll pull through?" Javier asked.
"The first twenty-four hours are crucial, but I don't think he's the type to give up."
His mother smiled proudly. "He's not. Besides, he wouldn't leave his family, friends, or girl."
"The nurse can bring you back to recover and then he'll be taken to the ICU. It's important to monitor him closely."
She gripped her husband's hand and right before they moved forward, she turned slightly. "Evangeline, as soon as he is settled I'll come to get you."
"Thank you."
Once they were gone, Eva started to cry and Liz sat on one side of her and Piph on the other.
Jason knelt in front of her. "He is crazy about you and has wanted to date you for what probably seemed like forever to him. I don't think he's going anywhere."
She sniffed. "I think it's just hitting me. Watching him bleed and pass out just did me in."
"Taggert is probably still trying to find his spleen," Piph said.
"I was horrible," Eva said chuckling as she wiped her face.
"I enjoyed it," Jason said as he stood.
She giggled as Liz rubbed her back. "Thanks, guys."
Emily and Blackie approached them with coffee.
"Just what I needed," Piph said.
"I like to make sure that beautiful women have what they need," Blackie said.
Nicole who had just joined them after seeing her daughter snickered. "You do know that she is Francis's girl, right?"
Piph is amused.
Blackie's eyes sparkle with mischief. "And?"
"Deathwish," Nicole said as she pretended to cough.
Emily plopped down next to Elizabeth as Nicole, Piph, and Blackie continued to banter.
"He's so hot."
"Just be careful." She has a feeling that her new brother is slick with the ladies.
"I will, but I might just melt if he kisses me."
Nicole had heard her. "Just remember, as soon as Manny is able, it's dinner time at the mansion."
Emily chuckled. "Definitely…"
Luella came back and Eva stood. "Come on, he's still unconscious, but he needs to feel your presence."
"Okay."
They left and Javier and his father took a seat.
"Got any good Manny stories?" Nicole asked.
Javier grinned. "I've got a lot."
"You're going to sell him out?" Jason asked.
"Hell yeah. He'd do the same to me. Where should I begin?"
Javier had the girls in tears as he told story after story. The antics the boys got into were ridiculous.
"Maybe I shouldn't have listened to all of this," Hector said.
"Pop, you had to know that we were no angels."
"Of course I did, but you two—there are no words. You can't tell your mother."
Nicole cracked up.
Slowly, Jeff and Carolyn approached them.
"How is he?"
Jason stood. "He's stable."
"Elizabeth, may we speak to you?"
She stares at them for a long moment. God, she thought she knew them, but apparently, they had fooled everyone. The fact that her mother basically abandoned all her children and Jeff keeps protecting her is deeply disturbing. "Do we have to do this tonight?"
"I guess not. How will we contact you?"
"Give me your number and I'll call you when I'm ready to talk."
Jeff fished a card out of his pocket and handed it over.
Carolyn's gaze went from Blackie, then Elizabeth, and finally landed on Nicole. She'll probably never have a relationship with any of them and she'll have to live with that. She admires their strength because they are stronger than she has ever been. "Let's go."
They retreated and Nicole let out a long sigh. "Why do I feel guilty for hating her?"
"Because you're a good person. Look, sometimes your parents can't be who you want them to be. Carolyn has mental issues and seems paranoid. Maybe the lifestyle perpetuated it, but it probably didn't cause it. Jeff enabled her for reasons I don't know. She's a beautiful woman. Maybe he fell in love and decided to be her protector. I don't stand with any of his decisions that ultimately hurt you. At some point, you'll have to decide whether you can forgive her. It doesn't mean that you'll forget, but holding on to hate won't help," Piph said.
"You're right. This has all been a lot to process and I'm having a problem accepting that she just had this whole other life. I think the best thing that came from that is Elizabeth."
Liz grabbed her hand. "I'm glad we're related."
"Me too."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Blackie said.
"I'm really going to enjoy your interactions with Johnny," Piph said.
Jason glanced at his phone. "I have to go." They are moving Sonny.
Liz gave him a hug. "Be careful."
"I will."
Piph cleared her throat and he turned. "Where's mine?"
Jason smirked. "It's around here somewhere."
She moved closer. "Waiting…"
He gave her a hug. "Behave."
"I'll think about it," she leaned closer. "Don't let him rattle you."
"I won't."
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI
Ronnie drove towards the border as fast as he could. The night had gone well. He had told Sonny to wait before attacking, but he just wouldn't listen. Now, he has to remove himself from the equation for a while before he can get close to Nicole again. She is the piece that will unravel the family. Francis will do anything to get her back and while they are losing their minds with worry, he'll strike against their business. His new silent partner wants to move fast. Considering his clout, Ronnie is definitely seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI
Francis entered a conference room at a secure location.
"Do you have Sonny Corinthos?"
Francis sat across from Sal, a member of the five families. An emergency meeting had been called in light of the very public shooting.
"Yes."
Dominic studies him, looking for signs of weakness. Normally, they deal with Frank. "Why should we look the other way?"
"Let's not pretend that Sonny was some great leader or businesman. He squandered his money, made stupid decisions, and is mentally ill. He did you no favors."
"That's not up to you decide."
"When he shoots up a room full of my friends and family, I get to have retribution."
"Does that friends list contain Jason Morgan by any chance?"
Francis sighed. "Sonny betrayed Jason and set him up for murder so he could control him. They were through. Jason is a good man and with more training, he'll be the top in his field. Why would I not offer him employment? His reputation will protect our profits. Isn't that what you care about the most?"
