Part Twenty-One
Jason had waited a long time for this day. He looked at Johnny, who stood behind him and nodded. Johnny was there for backup, in case Jason needed him. But Jason was going to do the job. Both men crept silently down the hallway, towards the main office.
With each step, Jason thought of Gia. Since that day months ago when she announced that she would marry him, he had worked hard on finding the man who ordered the shooting. And now, with their wedding just a week away, he had found him. He hadn't seen his face, but nothing short of the devil would surprise Jason. He pulled out his gun and kicked open the door.
A tall man on the other side immediately stood up. "What is going on?"
"Mr. Madrigal, I presume." Jason said training his gun on the nervous man.
"What is the meaning of this?" David Madrigal asked but he already knew. He knew that he was a dead man. He knew that when he ordered the hit on Gia Campbell if he was ever found out his life was all but over.
"You were a hard man to trace." Jason said stepping closer. "But I wasn't about to give up. You really stepped wrong. If what you had planned went through I would be standing here ready to do much worse." He fired the gun, hitting Madrigal in the left knee. The older man cried out in pain and slumped down in his chair. "Did you think I would let you harm my child? My wife?"
"Your wife?" Madrigal repeated.
"That's right, by this time next week, she will be Gia Morgan." Jason said savoring the sound of the name. "And you'll be rotting in whatever sinkhole Johnny and I decide to throw you in." The gun fired again striking the other knee. "You made a mistake the day you decided to go up against Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan. You made an even bigger mistake the day you decided to use an innocent woman and child to do so. And your biggest mistake was thinking that I wouldn't do anything about it." A final shot rang out, ending the life of David Madrigal.
Jason turned back to Johnny. "Gia will never know about this."
****
"Carly, it's got to be simple." Gia announced, adjusting herself in the plastic chair. Her expanding belly was becoming a little bit of a problem, especially when it came to trying to shop for a wedding gown.
"I can't believe you left it to the last moment." Sarah said from behind a rack of designer gowns. "This is your wedding."
My wedding…Gia said. Jason had let her plan everything. She was told that she could have everything she wanted. Instead, Gia had planned a simple April wedding with very few guests at St. Anne's church. Her wedding gown was the last thing on her list. She stood up again, an act that was getting harder every day. Her little baby was getting bigger by the week, progressing healthily since her January scare. The little kicks every once and awhile made her smile.
"I think we should be in a real wedding gown shop." Carly said combing the racks. She didn't know why Gia had insisted on coming to a store that only sold evening gowns.
"It's got to be simple." Gia repeated. "Like my wedding…"
"I can't believe you aren't trying to throw a huge wedding to rival any celebrity. You're model…you own kind of celebrity. You're wedding announcement made Entertainment Tonight." Sarah told her.
"Get out!" Carly cried.
"Probably has something to do with who I am and what Jason's line of work is." Gia crossed the room and pulled out a gown. She held it up to her and sighed. She was getting tired and her feet hurt. Plus she was craving some fries. She turned back and looked across the store. Her eyes fell on a simple white gown. No lace, no beads…just a white gown. She held it up to her, already knowing it would fit over her belly. She disappeared into the changing room and came out a few moments later returned with it on.
"Oh Gia…" Carly said stepping out from behind the rack and standing next to Sarah. "It's beautiful."
"It really suits you." Sarah added.
Gia looked in the mirror. What she saw shocked her…she was no longer the flighty model, she was a woman about to become a mother. She really had changed. "I think it will do."
"Will do…Gia, its perfect." Carly said, sensing something was wrong with her friend.
"Do you think the priest will mind if I wear white?" Gia joked her hand falling to her stomach.
"Father Coates isn't like that." Carly said. "Gia, what's the matter?"
She let out a long sigh. "I know I said I would marry Jason. But what if I am doing the wrong thing? What if down the road, both of us regret putting ourselves into a loveless marriage?"
"Jason loves you Gia."
"I know, he told me. But it's not the kind of love that I want." Gia reminded her. "It's the kind of love you would expect an honorable man would have for the mother of his child. I want to feel needed and wanted. Like the night we made this baby…the night he took me in his arms."
"Gia, I know Jason…and I know that it will happen." Carly said. "All the signs are there. The question is, are you going to give Jason the kind of love he wants?"
"I don't know. I don't know if I can. I've only had one love…Nikolas, and look where that got me." Gia said.
"Jason would never hurt you like that." Carly assured her.
"I know." Gia sat down on one of the chairs again. "But I don't know if I can fall in love with Jason the way I thought I loved Nikolas."
"Gia, no love is the same." Sarah spoke up. "I loved my husband very much. When he died I never thought I would love again. But Lucky came into my life and proved me wrong. I love him very much too, but it's not the same kind of love that felt for my husband."
Gia just nodded.
"Give it a chance…and some time." Carly added. "I married Sonny even though we were not in love but now I could never imagine a day without his love."
"I'm going to get out of this dress." Gia said. She closed the changing room door. "I'll give it a chance." She paid for the dress and the three friends headed for the exit. They were almost there when they heard a voice.
"What are you doing here?"
Everyone turned to see Elizabeth standing there.
"Is that any of your business?" Carly asked. She couldn't believe it. This was her first time coming face to face with Elizabeth since that day in September. She had done a good job of avoiding the blonde.
Elizabeth just shrugged, grabbing two dresses and putting them over her arm. "I'm shopping for a gown for when Nikolas and I go to Greece. Stefan is getting married this summer and I want to look my best."
"I'll have to send him a letter congratulating him." Gia said holding her head high. She was going to remain calm for the baby. Dr. Meadows said no more stress. She hadn't had much stress since the day she announced she was marrying Jason to her family. They had gotten through it though and she was sure that secretly, Florence was happy for her.
"Congratulations are in order for you as well." Elizabeth said. "I am surprised it took Jason that long to decide he didn't want his baby born a bastard. Why else would he be marrying you?"
"Gia…" Carly said sweetly. "Leave, will you?"
"Huh?" Gia was confused.
"Things are about to get real ugly and I don't want my god-child hearing what I am about to say." Carly said, her eyes never leaving Elizabeth.
"Me neither." Sarah added. It was time to let Elizabeth know how she felt as well.
Gia silently cheered for them and took her leave. She didn't want to be around to put her baby in the middle of fight but she wanted so badly to hear what Carly and Sarah were about to say.
Once Gia was out of sight, Carly crossed her arms. "How dare you even mention the word bastard in the same sentence as Jason and Gia's baby? How dare you come in here and insult Gia?"
"I can do what I want."
"Obviously." Sarah remarked. "How dare you look down on me for sleeping with Lucky? You weren't even with Lucky at the time. Gia was still with Nikolas. But that didn't stop you. You're nothing short of a hypocrite."
"You're my sister!" Elizabeth cried, stung by the words out of Sarah's mouth.
"Oh, so now I'm your sister!" Sarah laughed a little. "But I wasn't your sister when Lucky and I decided to get together. Funny how that works. I bent over backwards to try to be your sister again and you threw me off. You care about no one but yourself."
"That's not true."
Carly spoke up again. "I had you pegged from the day you moved in with Jason. I knew you would hurt him but you stood there and told me that you would care for him. I should have tossed you out on your ass then. Instead I had to stand by and watch as you told Jason that you were falling in love with him. I had to let you in my home because I love Jason. You're lucky…so lucky that you're still alive. I have only one last thing to say to you…Elizabeth, you're nothing but a slut. I hope you're happy living in isolation on Spoon Island. I hope Nikolas was worth losing all your friends…"
"You sister." Sarah added.
"Everyone." Carly summed up. "Because Jason is doing so much better for himself. Gia is perfect for him. You should see his eyes light up when she's in the room. You are nothing compared to her." She looked over at Sarah. "You want to add anything?"
"You said it all." Sarah nodded. "Let's go. Goodbye Elizabeth." She said as the two left Elizabeth stunned in the middle of the store.
****
"Madrigal is dead." Jason announced as he poured himself a drink. "You don't know how good it felt to end his life. I shouldn't have enjoyed it so much but knowing that the man who tried to kill Gia and my child is dead makes me feel 100% better."
"Now you can concentrate on the baby and your wedding." Sonny said from his couch.
"I feel even better when Gia is safely living in the penthouse." He said just as the door opened.
Gia stopped. "I am not leaving my home." She announced to the two startled men.
"Where's Carly and Sarah?" Sonny asked.
"Coming, and don't change the subject." Gia looked directly at Jason. "You think I am going to live in the penthouse?"
"I just want you to be safe." Jason told her.
"I want my house." Gia told him firmly. "I have been living there since the middle of February. My fears are gone and there is bullet proof glass and plenty of guards. Why can't we live there?" She asked. "I want my child to have a backyard to play in."
"Gia…"
She stomped her foot. "I have made my decision. Jason, if you want to marry me, you are going to live in the house."
"Alright." He said.
"That was easy." Gia said.
"Sonny told me never to anger a seven month pregnant woman." Jason told her.
"Sonny's a smart man." Gia said grinning.
"I got you something." Jason said pulling open the drawer of Sonny's desk. "I realized I had forgotten all about it and you never said anything to me." He opened the tiny box to reveal a silver band with a beautiful diamond.
Gia's hand reached out to take the box. "It's stunning." She slipped it on her finger. "But you didn't have to."
"I want everything to be right." Jason said. "And that includes an engagement ring."
Gia impulsively kissed him and then went off to show it to Sarah and Carly.
****
Gia stretched and yawned like she did every other morning when she first woke up. She already felt her nerves working up. This wasn't every other day…this was her wedding day.