Since the fire in the warehouse, everyone in the organization seemed to be on high alert. The organization called a meeting the following Friday to discuss what was going on. Every ear and eye remained opened to make sure whoever was causing problems would be caught and dealt with. A lot of regular business stuff got set aside to put all attention on the person targeting their organization.
Jason had a list of situations that needed to be taken care of, only to find his list getting longer. The fire and Brenda were the ones that he still didn't know how to deal with. Every lead he or his men followed always lead them down a dead-end path. The only thing that seemed to be coming to an end was the Luis Torres situation. The day of Luis trial was finally here came a month almost to the date, since the warehouse fire. Everyone involved was ready dealing with Luis to be over, especially one particular person.
Ally stared at her reflection, wearing a black pencil skirt with a white button-up blouse and black high heels. Maxie had spent all morning making sure she wore the perfect attire. She needed to look cute but professional, or that's just what the fashionista said. At that moment, she realized she resembled a completely different person, then who arrived with Spinelli at the penthouse months ago. This woman in front of her had confidence and happiness she hadn't seen in a long time. She smiled at just how much she had changed. Smoothing down her skirt, she sat at her vanity, slowly brushing her hair. She pinned back a few strands of hair, curling the rest of the ends. She attempted to put on her necklace as Jason entered the room.
Ally glanced over her shoulder, rising to her feet, noticing the man grinning at her. She grinned, giving him a once over. Jason strutted toward her, dressed in a pair of black trousers and a black long-sleeved button-up shirt. Silence remained as he took the necklace from her, placing it around her neck. He planted a small kiss behind her ear while encircling his arms around her waist.
"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear, feeling her body sink into his.
"Thank you," she whimpered, closing her eyes, enjoying this moment. "Can we just stay right here and not go to the courthouse?"
Jason snickered, "I like the way you think, but this needs to be over. Luis needs to pay what he did to you and everyone else."
The woman gradually turned, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know I just hate that I have to look at him."
"I'm going to be right there with you the whole time, and if you need to go see Dr. Collins afterward, I will take you," he promised, planting a kiss on his lips.
"Mmm, thank you," she replied, kissing him back.
The kiss didn't last as long as they desired. Diane requested they be at the courthouse at a specific time, so pulling themselves apart, they shuffled downstairs. Brenda was pacing the floor, while Max and Milo waited patiently by the entrance.
"You have to let me go with you," the model demanded.
"No, you have to stay here. Joseph will be outside the door," Jason instructed her.
"Jase..."
"Brenda, stop. For once, just listen to me. Someone is trying to kill you. I don't want to have to worry about you while I'm at the trial," he emphasized. "Please, just stay put."
The model responded, "Fine. Will you at least keep me updated?"
"I can do that," he grumbled.
"Good luck," she whispered to Ally before they left the penthouse.
"Is she going to be okay?" Ally questioned, linking her arm into Jason's, as they rode the elevator down to the garage.
"Yeah, believe it or not, Brenda is tough."
Ally smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. She may not be the woman's biggest fan, but Ally understood Brenda.
The drive to the courthouse was a quiet one. The young woman clung to Jason the whole time. The closer they got, the tighter her grip grew. He glanced down at her a couple of times, perceiving that this was going to be extremely difficult for her.
"You want me to call Dr. Collins and have him meet us at the courthouse? It might be comforting for you just to see him there," the enforcer recommended.
"Seeing Luis is going to make me feel nervous no matter who is there," she answered, looking up at him. "Besides, I think he is already going to be there. He is testifying, I believed."
The enforcer understood that Ally had been dealing with a lot. His job wasn't helping, but she knew that he didn't do this to hurt her. He did consent to check in as often as possible, to ease her mind a little bit. Dr. Collins and her seemed to have been making a lot of progress over the weeks. Her stress levels weren't as high and she found herself relaxing more and more each day.
Entering the courthouse, Ally felt her stomach become uneasy. She took a couple calming breathes to overcome the anxiety. She knew that she needed to testify against the man that hurt her. Though looking him straight in the eye, was going to be hard. Luis damaged her and the people she cared about. No matter how much this was getting to her, she had to be strong.
"Mr. Morgan, Miss Lynn...glad to see you decided to finally join us," Diane addressed the couple, entering the courtroom.
"Diane, we are early," Jason countered, pulling off his jacket.
"I just want to go over some things with Ally. Make sure she is prepared to testify against the slime today," she emphasized.
"Diane, you're not prosecuting today is. Scorpio is..." he reminded her.
"You're right, but I'm here to make sure that her rights are protected. I'm doing you a favor. I'll be sitting right behind DA Scorpio. If I feel something isn't right, I'll definitely let him know."
"Thank you, Diane," Ally smiled.
"It's why I get paid the big bucks," she stated, winking at Jason.
"Yeah, whatever," he sighed, shaking his head.
"Boss, the PCPD prisoner van just pulled up," Max notified, entering the room with brother in tow.
"Okay," he mumbled, turning to Ally. "You are safe. I'm here, Max and Milo are here. There are police and guards everywhere. He can't hurt you," he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.
Ally wrapped her arms around the man, clutching on for dear life. In a matter of minutes, she would be face-to-face with the man who shot her. The man who let her friends be shot. The man who helped steal her security. She shut her eyes and recalled some of the words Dr. Collins had said to her. He reminded her that Luis had taken enough of her life, she needed to take it back. She took a few deep breathes, reciting those words continuously in her head.
Her concentration was interrupted by the sound of clanking metal. She pulled away from Jason, turning to make eye contact with Luis. The prisoner smiled at her, causing her to scowl. The man's smile vanished when Jason stepped in front of her. The hitman's eyes drilled through the man. He might not be able to get to him right now, but his reach was long. Jason wanted Luis to remember that.
"Sit," Diane whispered to the two.
The couple's eyes lingered on Luis as they attained seats in front of Max and Milo. Ally yanked her eyes away from the evil man, scanning the room. She smiled at how many familiar faces that she spotted. Many were witnesses to back what had happened to her and show motive for Luis' actions. Seeing Sonny and Carly actually surprised her. She knew it probably had to be for Jason, but part of her wanted to believe it had to do with her.
DA Scorpio had just joined the courtroom when the bailiff instructed everyone to rise. The judge summoned the court to order, then addressed both attorneys.
"DA Scorpio, you may start with your opening argument," the judge directed the striking older gentlemen.
"Thank you, Your Honor," he grinned, his Australian accent echoing through the room. "And thank you all," he declared, turning to the jury. His words were lost on Ally, as her sights moved to the man sitting in the blue-gray jumpsuit. She unintentionally squeezed the hand of Jason, her eyes remained fixed on the unscrupulous man.
"Hey, I got you," Jason murmured in her ear, bringing her gaze to his. She smiled, letting him place a kiss on her cheek.
Luis' attorney talked, but Ally tried to drown out the words. She understood that he was doing his best to make Luis seem like a victim in all this. She couldn't stand to hear him say offensive things about her or the people that she cared about. She acknowledged that this was the man who was going to attack who she was before she came to Jason. She just prayed her past would remain there.
"Prosecution, you can call your first witness," the judge informed DA Scorpio.
The man turned to look at Ally, "The Prosecution calls Ally Lynn."
All eyes settled upon her as she casually stood up. This was going to be the most difficult part, but she could do it. She wanted to let go of Luis and all that he did to her.
"Do you swear…" The words played like mumbles, entering her ears. She needed to concentrate on what was going on, not allowing her anxiety get the best of her. She slowly settled herself in the chair after agreeing to tell the truth.
"Ms. Lynn, can you state your full name for the record?" DA Scorpio requested.
"Ally Lynn," the woman answered.
"Ms. Lynn, how long have you known the defendant?" the Aussie questioned.
"Almost three months," she responded.
"How did you come to meet Mr. Torres?"
"I came to stay with Jason Morgan and met him through him," she informed.
"What was Mr. Torres to Mr. Morgan?"
"A bodyguard."
"Can you tell the jury in your own words what led up to the night you were shot."
Ally glanced down at her hands before shifting her eyes to the jury. Twelve pairs of eyes stared, causing her heart to race. She needed to make sure she told the exact truth, but not the truth that would destroy Jason.
"I, um, heard Max and Milo Giambetti discussing that Luis and his brother, Mateo, were upset cause Jason had cut their pay. I knew that Jason was unhappy with them, but I didn't know why. I understood they were on his radar for a while, but that's all it was. Or so I thought," she began to explain. Her eyes drifted to Jason, who gave her a small smile.
"What happened the night you were taken from Mr. Morgan's penthouse?"
"I was in my room, recovering a massive hangover," she smiled slightly at the memory. "I heard the door open, thinking it was Jason or Spinelli coming to check on me," she described.
"Damien Spinelli?" the DA investigated.
Ally responded, "Yes." She shifted to look over at Luis as she continued to speak. "I was shocked when I saw Anthony Zacchara."
"The Organized Crime Lord?"
"Objection," Luis' attorney spat out. "Speculation."
"Sustained," the judge responded, turning towards the DA.
"Sorry..." he spoke quietly, turning his attention back to Ally.
"Anthony Zacchara was standing in your bedroom, why?"
"I was engaged to his son, Johnny. He was horrible to me, so I left him. I guess, he didn't like it," Ally explained.
"What happened after he entered the room?"
"He called me by some very colorful name. Said that I should have never left Johnny and that I was going to pay for turning my back on him and his son." She swallowed hard. "He then proceeded to pull a gun on me and escort me out of my room towards the stairs." Her eyes moved to Spinelli. "As we reached the stairs, Spinelli was there. He was holding a gun, trying to protect me. But Anthony shot him right before he yanked me out of the penthouse." Tears fell down her face as she relived the moment of her friend being shot.
"Are you okay to continue?" the attorney asked her.
"Yeah," she whispered. "He then pushed me towards the elevator, yelling at me, telling me all this was my fault. Right before the doors closed, I saw Milo laying in the corner, blood running from his chest." Ally described, more tears falling from her eyes. She continued to explain everything that had happened in the lobby, to the point where the men laid lifeless on the floor.
"The shooting stops; then what happens?"
"I checked myself pver to make sure I didn't get shot. I remember looking at my hands and seeing them just tremble. It was during all this, I heard Luis' scream echo through the lobby. I glanced up, thinking he was going to help me. He had to help me, he worked for Jason," she emphasized. "But the minute he went to Anthony and started interacting, I knew there was something wrong. It didn't make sense to me why Anthony would waste his dying breath to speak with the man that worked for his enemy," Ally stated, eyes drifting to her hands.
"Can you explain to the jury how you ended up outside in the cold, with a bullet in your back?"
Ally slowly looked up, her eyes shifted from the DA to Jason's. "When I figured out something was going on with Luis and Anthony, I knew I had to get out of there. The elevator was just too far away, plus Luis had every key to the building, I wasn't safe. So...I did what I had to do to survive, I ran out of the building. I heard Luis yell at me. Thinking back, I believed I heard a gunshot but I wasn't sure. I didn't feel the bullet enter my body. Doctors say that it was due to the adrenaline pulsing through me," she resumed, eyes lingering on Jason. Every smile he gave her kept her calm. "As I ran, I could hear him taunting me, assuring me that he was going to finish me off. It was what Anthony wanted. The next thing I remember was almost getting hit by a car and hearing Jason's voice. What happened after that I don't know, because before I knew it, I was waking up in the hospital being told that I had been shot."
DA Scorpio beamed at the young woman, "No further questions, Your Honor."
"Mr. Granger, your witness," the judge uttered.
"Ms. Lynn, you say you went to stay with Jason Morgan about three months ago, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"What was your motivation for that?"
"I hired Spinelli to figure out if Johnny was having an affair. He was able to supply proof. So when I confronted Johnny, he threatened to kill me. Spinelli was able to help me escape and hide at Jason's," she answered, calmly.
"Did you really believe that Mr. Zacchara would kill you?"
"I did. Johnny was very abusive for so long. I didn't know what he was capable of," Ally explained.
"If Mr. Zacchara was so abusive, why didn't you report him?"
"I did."
"Why wasn't there any police report filed?"
Ally sighed, "Cause I changed my mind about filing charges when the police got there."
"Or maybe there wasn't any abuse at all," the attorney countered.
"That's not true."
"Maybe the reason you left Mr. Zacchara had to do with the fact that you wanted to be Mr. Morgan instead," the lawyer continued to attack.
"No…"
"Maybe the reason you moved in with Mr. Morgan had to do with the fact that you were the one having an affair."
"NO!" she shrieked.
"Do something," Jason mumbled to Diane. "This isn't right."
"He is trying to break her. Ally needs to stand on her own. She's got this," Diane whispered back.
"Johnny is an evil man, who hurt anyone who defied him. I defied him and he didn't like it. His father snatched me out of my room and had me shot by that man," she explained, eyes directed at Luis.
Mr. Granger licked his lips as he took a step forward. "Where is Johnny Zacchara?"
Ally's eyes darted to Jason's. She wasn't sure how she was going to reply, but DA Scorpio saved her.
"Objection," he yelled. "Mr. Zacchara's whereabouts has nothing to do with this trial."
"Your Honor, I promise you, this most definitely has to do with this trial."
"Overruled, the witness will answer the question," the judge instructed.
Ally sighed, "I don't know."
"You need to remember you're under oath, Ms. Lynn."
Ally glared, "I remember and I'm telling you, I don't know where he is."
Truthfully, she didn't know where he was. She didn't know where Sonny's men took the body after Jason took her upstairs. She just knew it was gone when she came down later that evening.
"So you didn't see Sonny Corinthos shoot Johnny Zaccahara in Mr. Morgan's living room?"
"Objection, Your Honor. Where is Mr. Granger's evidence that this even happened?" DA Scorpio expressed, standing up.
"My client stated in his testimony that the reason Mr. Morgan cut his pay was that Johnny Zacchara entered Harbor Veiw Towers while it was under his guard. He also claimed that Mr. Corithos shot Mr. Zacchara," the man responded, approaching the bench.
"Did your client see this happen?" The lawyer shook his head. "Did your client see the dead body of Mr. Zacchara." Once again, he shook his head. "Then we move on."
"No further questions, Your Honor, but request to call this witness at a later time," the lawyer expressed, taking his seat.
"Any other questions for Ms. Lynn, DA?" the judge asked.
"Yes. Ms. Lynn, did you live in fear while with Mr. Zacchara?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you live in fear now with Mr. Morgan?"
Ally smiled, "No. Jason saved my life."
DA Scorpio grinned, "No further questions."
"You may step down, young lady," the judge informed her.
Ally nodded, removing herself from the witness stand. She kept her eyes on Jason. She couldn't look at the man, who was staring at her. She could feel the resentment he had radiant towards her, but she didn't care. For the most part, she had done what she needed to do, the rest was up to the remaining witnesses.
Jason was summoned to the witness stand next. He marched confidently towards the bailiff. Ally watched him be sworn in, never once breaking character. She could tell this wasn't the first time that he had to do this. With his line of business, it probably wasn't going to be the last.
"Mr. Morgan, what is your association with Mr. Torres?" the DA asked, walking towards the stand.
"He used to work for me," Jason answered, eyes on Robert.
"What sort of work?"
"He was hired as a guard. To keep watch over properties that I own," he revealed.
"How long had he worked for you before the incident?"
"About 18 months."
"Did you have any difficulties with him before that?"
"Before Ally graced my doorstep, there wasn't really much going on in my life. I lost..." Jason paused looking towards Sonny. "I lost my wife about six months after obtaining Luis and Mateo, but neither had anything to do with her death," Jason responded, swallowing hard.
"Mr. Morgan, can you tell me what occurred the night in question?"
"I had spent the day taking care of Ally and Maxie Jones. They both were recovering from hangovers. I departed around seven that night to the coffee warehouse to do inventory. It was approximately ten, I got a call from Carly Corinthos notifying me that there had been a shooting at my building and Ally was missing."
"What did you do next?"
"I rushed back home. Met up withDetective Lucky Spencer and Commissioner Scorpio. They notified me of the situation at hand."
"Did anyone know what had happened to Ms. Lynn at that moment?"
"No," he answered, eyes moving to Ally.
"Did you suspect Mr. Torres of anything before leaving the building to search for Ms. Lynn?"
"No, all I knew was that his brother was dead and he was missing. Ally was the only one concern at that moment," he clarified.
"Your statement to the PCPD says that you found Ms. Lynn five miles from your building. What was her condition when you discovered her?"
"When I found her she looked disoriented. I could tell that she was doing everything in her power to keep going. I called out to her a couple of times, but she didn't comprehend it was me. She collapsed in my arms the second I reached her. It did my best to wrap her up with that robe that she had cause of how cold it was. It was during that, I noticed that she was bleeding and that she had been shot."
"Did you see who shot her?"
"No, I didn't even know anyone was after her till I got her in my vehicle."
"Who was pursuing her?"
"Luis Torres."
"What occurred after you put her in your vehicle?"
"Luis appeared out of nowhere, pointing a gun. It didn't make sense at first, but he was quick to clarify that Anthony desired for Ally to die. He was going to complete the job and take me out as well," Jason described, eyes locked on Luis.
"So he threatened to kill you?"
"Yes."
"Did you fear for your lives?"
"I feared for Ally's life."
"But not your own?"
"I only feel fear for others, not myself. It's just how I'm wired, I guess," he answered, honestly.
"What happened after he threatened you and Ally?"
"He informed me about how he deliberately let Anthony into the building, so he could go after Ally. He said it was because he was sick of working for me," he explained.
"Did you shot Mr. Torres?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"To protect Ally. I knew that if he got the best of me in some way, he would kill her," Jason spoke, eyes going back to Luis.
"Not further questions, Your Honor" DA Scorpio informed.
"Mr. Granger," the judge offered.
"Mr. Morgan, why do you need bodyguards?"
"Everyone needs extra security here and there?"
"So you don't need them because you work for Mob Boss, Sonny Corinthos?" he inquired.
"Objection...that's speculation."
"Withdrawn."
"Mr. Corinthos and I run a coffee import business and we need guards around to keep unwanted people away," Jason explained, smugly.
"Were you upset with Mr. Torres and his brother for allowing Johnny Zacchara to get into your building?"
"I was."
"Why?"
Jason's eyes veered upon Ally. What he was about to answer was going to bring up something that hadn't been addressed, at least between them, in over two months. "Johnny almost raped Ally."
"Almost?"
"Meaning he was stopped."
"And how was he stopped?"
"Sonny walked in and stopped him," he said, eyes never leaving Ally's.
"How?"
"He urged him to leave at gunpoint," Jason clarified.
"Mr. Morgan, I need to remind you that you are under oath," the lawyer said, stepping in front of him. "I'm going to ask you again. How did Mr. Corinthos stop Mr. Zacchara from hurting Ms. Ally?"
"Objection. Asked and answered," the DA expressed.
"Sustained," the judge said, glancing at the defense attorney.
Mr. Granger continued to try and obtain information from Jason. Searching for anything to help his client, but continually came up empty-handed. The police testified that the bullet that was pulled from Ally's body, came back matching the gun that Luis was carrying. Nothing appeared to help Luis at all. The only hope the prisoner had right now was the person he had contact with. He knew that if they didn't come through for him, he was a dead man. Jason Morgan would get to him the instant he stepped inside Pentonville prison.
"Court is adjourned for the day. We will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10. Dismissed," the judge expressed, banging his gavel.
"We have to do this again tomorrow," Ally groaned into Jason's shoulder.
"Hey, you did great today," he responded running his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead.
"He is right. That lawyer is grasping at straws. His client will be convicted by the end of the week and Luis Torres will just be a bad memory," Diane said, turning to the prisoner.
They watched as two officers began to shackle the man. His eyes bored towards Ally, causing her stomach to turn. She turned her face into the enforcer's shoulder, trying to not let Luis see that he was getting to her. The guards were escorting him away when he called to them.
"I see it didn't take you long to find your way into his bed. Just remember woman that end up in his bed usually don't live long to talk about it," he warned her.
"Get him out of her," Diane yelled, placing her hand on Jason's chest. "You stay put," she growled at the man, who was ready to pounce on the man.
"He just threatened her," Maxie bellowed.
"In front of law enforcement, he isn't too bright," Diane sighed. "You need to not let him get to you, or you," she addressed Jason and Ally. "He wants you to do something, cause he knows he going away. He going to try to take you with him."
"Stone Cold, maybe you should accompany the Fair Maiden home. You both are in need of some time alone," Spinelli suggested.
The hitman nodded, pulling Ally out of the courtroom. He needed to get her home. The day had been very encouraging, but emotionally draining at the same time. This whole week would be this way for the couple as long as the trial continued. He just need to make sure that as soon as it was over, that he had a plan set in motion to get rid of Luis Torres once and for all.
Author's Note: Hey All! I hope you enjoy this. The next post may take a while cause I don't have the next day typed out. This has been saved for a long time. I wanted to share it will you. I hope you enjoy it. I hope I did it justice. It took a long time to write. I added the first two paragraphs this evening. Again leave reviews. I grateful for all of you. LOVE YA! GUEST REVIEWER: I LOVE THE COMEDY BETWEEN JASON AND SPINELLI SO I HAVE TO ADD IT NOW AND THEN! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!