Chapter 14
The next day
Riley walked back into Jason's room. She'd been there most of the night except for when she left to make phone calls. Her brother was going to meet her in the first floor lobby in two hours. Carly had called to inform her that she would be coming to check on them as soon as Micheal was off to school.
For the most part Jason was doing okay. He still hadn't waken up yet but the doctor wasn't so sure of whether or not that was a bad thing. She sat down beside the bed and took his hand in hers. She remembered the last time she had done this. It seemed like so long ago.
But Jason is not Charlie. Charlie died, Jason will survive, he has to.
A knock at the door startled her. She looked up to see a woman watching her intently.
"May I help you?" Riley asked.
The woman stepped into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Monica Quartermaine, Jason's mother."
~~~
The man from the Parisian hotel walked into his newly aqquired room at the PC Hotel. After placing the Ice Princess in the room's safe he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Deception Cosmetics," came the voice that answered.
"I need to set up a meeting with Laura Spencer, this morning if possible."
"She has one slot availible. It's at 9 am."
"I'll take it."
"What name should I put down?"
The man thought for a moment. "Nicolae Miko." He hung up the phone.
~~~
Riley stood up. She had heard about Monica from Emily when she and Jason had gone to visit her. She knew that Monica was a kind, usually loving woman and that she loved Jason despite what he did for Sonny and despite the fact that he wasn't her biological son.
"I'm Riley Charles," she said.
"Emily told me about you."
Riley chuckled. "Only the good stuff I hope."
"She said that you really loved Jason."
"I do."
~~~
Laura walked into her office where Elton happily greeted her like always.
"Oh, Mrs. Spencer. I took care of the orders and I've got the conference with Tokyo scheduled for this afternoon." Elton looked over his notes. "And Mr. Nicolae Miko called, I set up an appointment with him for 9."
Laura only nodded taking her mail from Elton as she slowly made her way to her office. She closed the door behind her blocking out his jovial voice. She'd had a foreboding feeling for the past few days and was afraid that something was going to go wrong.
She set her mail on her desk and looked at what Elton had scheduled for the day. Most of it was just sales meetings but one in particular caught her eye.
Nicolae Miko.
Her breath caught in her throat. It couldn't be. He was dead, he had been for years. He couldn't come back. She sunk into her chair.
It WAS him. He was alive and he wanted to talk to her.
~~~
Sly Eckert walked into Robert and Anna's motel room carrying several cups of Kelly's coffee. Luckily no one who knew him had been there like Luke or Lucky. He sighed as he set the coffee on the desk. Robert and Anna looked up as Leilani emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. She took one of the cups and began to slowly drink it as she sat on the bed next to Robert.
"I can't believe my brother!" Frisco said as he walked into the room.
"What'd Tony do this time?" Anna asked nonchalantly sipping the cup of coffee that Sly had given her.
"He gave me another lecture about being away for so long."
Sly and Leilani looked at each other before they burst out laughing. "We'll probably get the same lecture when we get around to stopping by the club," Sly said.
"Or worse," Leilani added.
"You're damn straight," a voice said from the doorway. The group turned to see Luke standing in the door frame a slight scowl on his face.
~~~
Riley watched as Monica stood by Jason's bedside. She let a small smile grace her lips before the room phone rang. She answered it quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, darling. I heard about your friend."
Riley visibly stiffened, getting Monica's attention. "What do you want Helena?"
"I called to offer my sympathy."
"It's neither wanted nor needed."
"And some advice," Helena went on as if Riley hadn't said a word. "Don't get involved any further with Mr. Morgan. What happened yesterday was a warning, next time he won't be so lucky."
Riley paled at the threat. She knew that Helena meant it. "I only have one thing to say to you Helena."
"And what is that?"
"Always remember Nicolae. Do zvidaniya, priyatel." She hung up before Helena had the chance to reply.
Riley covered her emotions with a cold mask as she began to plan. She had to call Nicolae and make sure that he was still on track and not faltering.
She glanced around the room, suddenly finding it suffocating. She had to get out, she had to get away. She nodded poitely to Monica before she grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room.
~~~
"Hello, Luke," Sly said with a lopsided grin.
"Slyster," he said glancing at his cousin's son. "Leilani." He turned to Robert and Anna. "Well, can't say I'm surprised to see ya, but I am surprised that my loving daughter here knew and never told me."
~~~
Riley walked into Kelly's. She saw Nikolas sitting at the counter and suddenly wished that she had gone somewhere else. He turned to face her. She shook her head nad rushed out of the resturant. She couldn't face him, not yet, not with the secrets she knew.
~~~
Nikolas ran out of Kelly's. He had to stop Riley before she did something crazy which he knew she would. She ran to the docks and disappeared into the catacombs. He breifly wondered why she was running from him and where she was going but all thoughts crossed his mind at a rapid pace as he lost sight of her.
~~~
Nicole Miko walked into Laura's office. She was sitting behind her desk working but looked up when she heard the door close.
"I assume that you're hoping to avoid Helena, *Nicolae*?" Laura asked sarcastically.
He merely smiled. "Hello, Laura."
"Don't play games with me. Tell me why you're here and what you want before I call Luke and have him ask."
"Spencer had always been worthless," he said.
"To you, but I love him."
"You never even considered loving me."
"How could I?"
"I was a monster."
"Helena was the monster."
"But I listened to her, did her bidding."
"She was controlling you."
"But I let her."
"You couldn't have stopped her."
"I could have killed her."
"Mikkos could have as well, but he didn't."
"Instead he went insane."
"So why are you here?"
"Riley Eckert-Charles. I'm sure you know who she is."
"Nikolas' former fiance."
"Yes, but there's something that you don't know. Riley was pregnant at the time of the engagement."
"Nikolas?"
"No, Zander Scorpio."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because I'm working with Riley to get rid of Helena."
"How?"
"Faison."
"He's alive?"
"Yes."
"What else aren't you telling me Stavros?"
~~~
"Well," Leilani began. "They didn't want anyone to know."
Luke glanced at Robert with raised eyebrows. Robert grinned. Sly sighed. Leilani chuckled.
"Okay," Luke said. "We can catch up later. I want to know what's going on."
"Nothing's going on," Leilani said.
Luke gave her an incredulous look. "Sure and Riley's been sitting in Morgan's hospital room all night for no reason."
"What exactly are you asking, Luke?"
"I want to know everything."
"Sly shot Jason," Frisco jumped in, glaring at the younger man.
Luke turned to Sly.
"What, they told me to take the hit."
"Why don't you all start from the beginning?"
~~~
Riley needed help but she wouldn't admit it to herself. She had to get to Sonny. She would get his help and then she would call Nicolae. She would follow his plan. He was going after Helena while she went looking for Lena. She just hoped that they all survived. Despite how she currently felt, she still wanted Nikolas to meet his father. She wanted Lena to know Zander and his family. She wanted to know her own family. The cousins she had met only in passing and who didn't know who she was. Carly had no idea that they were related.
She pulled out her cell phone as she stood in front of Harborview Towers. "Sly, it's me. I'm not at the hospital. I'll be at Harborview. Meet me there. Bring Leilani, we have to plan. Nicolae is in town and he's going after Helena."
She stopped te message then hoping that Sly would get it soon.
The next day
Riley walked back into Jason's room. She'd been there most of the night except for when she left to make phone calls. Her brother was going to meet her in the first floor lobby in two hours. Carly had called to inform her that she would be coming to check on them as soon as Micheal was off to school.
For the most part Jason was doing okay. He still hadn't waken up yet but the doctor wasn't so sure of whether or not that was a bad thing. She sat down beside the bed and took his hand in hers. She remembered the last time she had done this. It seemed like so long ago.
But Jason is not Charlie. Charlie died, Jason will survive, he has to.
A knock at the door startled her. She looked up to see a woman watching her intently.
"May I help you?" Riley asked.
The woman stepped into the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Monica Quartermaine, Jason's mother."
~~~
The man from the Parisian hotel walked into his newly aqquired room at the PC Hotel. After placing the Ice Princess in the room's safe he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Deception Cosmetics," came the voice that answered.
"I need to set up a meeting with Laura Spencer, this morning if possible."
"She has one slot availible. It's at 9 am."
"I'll take it."
"What name should I put down?"
The man thought for a moment. "Nicolae Miko." He hung up the phone.
~~~
Riley stood up. She had heard about Monica from Emily when she and Jason had gone to visit her. She knew that Monica was a kind, usually loving woman and that she loved Jason despite what he did for Sonny and despite the fact that he wasn't her biological son.
"I'm Riley Charles," she said.
"Emily told me about you."
Riley chuckled. "Only the good stuff I hope."
"She said that you really loved Jason."
"I do."
~~~
Laura walked into her office where Elton happily greeted her like always.
"Oh, Mrs. Spencer. I took care of the orders and I've got the conference with Tokyo scheduled for this afternoon." Elton looked over his notes. "And Mr. Nicolae Miko called, I set up an appointment with him for 9."
Laura only nodded taking her mail from Elton as she slowly made her way to her office. She closed the door behind her blocking out his jovial voice. She'd had a foreboding feeling for the past few days and was afraid that something was going to go wrong.
She set her mail on her desk and looked at what Elton had scheduled for the day. Most of it was just sales meetings but one in particular caught her eye.
Nicolae Miko.
Her breath caught in her throat. It couldn't be. He was dead, he had been for years. He couldn't come back. She sunk into her chair.
It WAS him. He was alive and he wanted to talk to her.
~~~
Sly Eckert walked into Robert and Anna's motel room carrying several cups of Kelly's coffee. Luckily no one who knew him had been there like Luke or Lucky. He sighed as he set the coffee on the desk. Robert and Anna looked up as Leilani emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. She took one of the cups and began to slowly drink it as she sat on the bed next to Robert.
"I can't believe my brother!" Frisco said as he walked into the room.
"What'd Tony do this time?" Anna asked nonchalantly sipping the cup of coffee that Sly had given her.
"He gave me another lecture about being away for so long."
Sly and Leilani looked at each other before they burst out laughing. "We'll probably get the same lecture when we get around to stopping by the club," Sly said.
"Or worse," Leilani added.
"You're damn straight," a voice said from the doorway. The group turned to see Luke standing in the door frame a slight scowl on his face.
~~~
Riley watched as Monica stood by Jason's bedside. She let a small smile grace her lips before the room phone rang. She answered it quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, darling. I heard about your friend."
Riley visibly stiffened, getting Monica's attention. "What do you want Helena?"
"I called to offer my sympathy."
"It's neither wanted nor needed."
"And some advice," Helena went on as if Riley hadn't said a word. "Don't get involved any further with Mr. Morgan. What happened yesterday was a warning, next time he won't be so lucky."
Riley paled at the threat. She knew that Helena meant it. "I only have one thing to say to you Helena."
"And what is that?"
"Always remember Nicolae. Do zvidaniya, priyatel." She hung up before Helena had the chance to reply.
Riley covered her emotions with a cold mask as she began to plan. She had to call Nicolae and make sure that he was still on track and not faltering.
She glanced around the room, suddenly finding it suffocating. She had to get out, she had to get away. She nodded poitely to Monica before she grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room.
~~~
"Hello, Luke," Sly said with a lopsided grin.
"Slyster," he said glancing at his cousin's son. "Leilani." He turned to Robert and Anna. "Well, can't say I'm surprised to see ya, but I am surprised that my loving daughter here knew and never told me."
~~~
Riley walked into Kelly's. She saw Nikolas sitting at the counter and suddenly wished that she had gone somewhere else. He turned to face her. She shook her head nad rushed out of the resturant. She couldn't face him, not yet, not with the secrets she knew.
~~~
Nikolas ran out of Kelly's. He had to stop Riley before she did something crazy which he knew she would. She ran to the docks and disappeared into the catacombs. He breifly wondered why she was running from him and where she was going but all thoughts crossed his mind at a rapid pace as he lost sight of her.
~~~
Nicole Miko walked into Laura's office. She was sitting behind her desk working but looked up when she heard the door close.
"I assume that you're hoping to avoid Helena, *Nicolae*?" Laura asked sarcastically.
He merely smiled. "Hello, Laura."
"Don't play games with me. Tell me why you're here and what you want before I call Luke and have him ask."
"Spencer had always been worthless," he said.
"To you, but I love him."
"You never even considered loving me."
"How could I?"
"I was a monster."
"Helena was the monster."
"But I listened to her, did her bidding."
"She was controlling you."
"But I let her."
"You couldn't have stopped her."
"I could have killed her."
"Mikkos could have as well, but he didn't."
"Instead he went insane."
"So why are you here?"
"Riley Eckert-Charles. I'm sure you know who she is."
"Nikolas' former fiance."
"Yes, but there's something that you don't know. Riley was pregnant at the time of the engagement."
"Nikolas?"
"No, Zander Scorpio."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Because I'm working with Riley to get rid of Helena."
"How?"
"Faison."
"He's alive?"
"Yes."
"What else aren't you telling me Stavros?"
~~~
"Well," Leilani began. "They didn't want anyone to know."
Luke glanced at Robert with raised eyebrows. Robert grinned. Sly sighed. Leilani chuckled.
"Okay," Luke said. "We can catch up later. I want to know what's going on."
"Nothing's going on," Leilani said.
Luke gave her an incredulous look. "Sure and Riley's been sitting in Morgan's hospital room all night for no reason."
"What exactly are you asking, Luke?"
"I want to know everything."
"Sly shot Jason," Frisco jumped in, glaring at the younger man.
Luke turned to Sly.
"What, they told me to take the hit."
"Why don't you all start from the beginning?"
~~~
Riley needed help but she wouldn't admit it to herself. She had to get to Sonny. She would get his help and then she would call Nicolae. She would follow his plan. He was going after Helena while she went looking for Lena. She just hoped that they all survived. Despite how she currently felt, she still wanted Nikolas to meet his father. She wanted Lena to know Zander and his family. She wanted to know her own family. The cousins she had met only in passing and who didn't know who she was. Carly had no idea that they were related.
She pulled out her cell phone as she stood in front of Harborview Towers. "Sly, it's me. I'm not at the hospital. I'll be at Harborview. Meet me there. Bring Leilani, we have to plan. Nicolae is in town and he's going after Helena."
She stopped te message then hoping that Sly would get it soon.