**A/N – Here is the new part! I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think.**
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~*~ An hour later ~*~
" … and don't even get me started on the rest of the Quartermaines," Carly finished, watching with a grin as the man next to her chuckled helplessly.
"Carly, it took you a full hour to tell me about your first husband. I don't know whether to keep on laughing because it is absurdly funny, or cry because that plan was so ridiculously ingenious that it could have worked," he said as he tried to control his laughter due to that it was causing him some pain. Carly sobered as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, well – should-a, would-a, could-a. Or is it would-a, should-a, could-a?" Carly asked, frowning in thought over the saying.
"Were you really that in love with Jason?" Lorenzo asked suddenly, causing Carly to look over at him. She tried not to think that much about what happened in the past between her and Jason. It hurt too much.
"Yes, I was," she said without hesitation. "I would have done anything for him. I guess, I still will do anything for him. He's my best friend." Lorenzo didn't say anything, just looked straight ahead.
"You realize that Sonny isn't doing this on his own, right?" he finally asked her. Carly nodded after she thought about it for a second.
"And you realize that Jason could be the one he's working with?" he asked again. This time Carly shook her head.
"No, Lorenzo. Jason does not have anything to do with this. He would not let Sonny do this to me, I know it. He is out there, looking for both of us," she said seriously, believing it in her soul. Lorenzo let her faith in her best friend wash over him as he nodded.
"Then if Jason isn't behind this, there is still a mystery person unaccounted for," he said, racking his brain to come up with a viable suspect.
"Faith?" Carly asked. Lorenzo shook his head.
"Faith talks big. But behind the bravado is nothing really. She fears retribution. She knows my associates would come after her," he said. Carly let the name slide, but she still had her suspicions.
"Okay – Ric, then. You did mess up his kidnapping ploy. And you did try to kill him," she said. Lorenzo shook his head again.
"He wouldn't team up with the brother he hates just to take me down. Not at the expense of Elizabeth," he disagreed. Carly's face scrunched up in distaste at the young woman's name, causing Lorenzo to chuckle.
"Okay, not Faith, not Ric – then who?" she asked. Lorenzo shook his head.
"I don't know. The Five Families and I have stayed out of each other's ways. And the Cassidines wouldn't be stupid enough to try something like this," he said. Carly frowned.
"Cassidines? What do they have to do with you?" she asked. Lorenzo cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"They owe me a significant amount of money," he said. Carly's eyes widened.
"Significant? The Cassidines?" she asked, incredulous. He nodded with a small smile.
"So, as their creditor and a notable enemy – they would rather have me dead. They wouldn't leave me locked up here with the chance of me getting out alive – and repaying them," he explained. Carly's face warmed when she realized that he trusted her enough to tell her this. She'd never heard so much about the business in her life. It was a heady feeling. She was about to say something to him, but the door interrupted her. Two guards stood near the door and Carly stood up when she saw Sonny enter. He looked amused when he saw her standing there.
"I should have figured you would have bullied your way into staying in here," he said. Carly twisted her face into a sneer as she scoffed.
"Yeah, you should have figured," she said testily. Sonny shrugged his shoulders as he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt.
"Doesn't really matter, I guess, whether you are here or not at this moment. We have a surprise guest – more of a present for Mr. Alcazar," Sonny said as he nodded to the guard by the door. Carly crossed her arms in impatience as they waited for Sonny's new arrival. Two guards accompanied a bedraggled and dirty form into the room. She heard Lorenzo suck in a sharp breath. Carly's eyes narrowed as she tried to get a better look at the worn form. Then the woman looked up, and Carly's heart stopped as the beautiful features stowed away in memory flashed in her head.
"Sophie Germaine," she said, the name struggling past her lips. Carly's head turned, almost in slow motion, to look at Lorenzo. The man's face was unreadable as he cast a fleeting look at Carly and then returned his gaze to the woman standing next to Sonny.
"Surprise," Sonny said jovially. Carly glared daggers at him, but he only grinned at her. He then turned to the woman at his side.
"I do believe introductions are in order," he said. "Sophie Germaine, this is my wife, Carly Corinthos. Carly, I believe you may already know of Ms. Germaine." Carly could have been speck of sand in the Sahara for all Sophie Germaine seemed to care. Her eyes had been trained on Lorenzo since the moment she entered the room.
"And I believe you know Lorenzo Alcazar," Sonny said cheerily, although Sophie was paying him no attention. The absolute enjoyment in her husband's voice made Carly sick to her stomach. But what made her positively nauseous was the soft, loving 'Lorenzo' that had escaped the other woman's lips. Before Carly could blink, the captive woman was at his side and tenderly brushing his hair away from his forehead. Carly started when a hand grasped hers. She looked up to see Sonny next to her, his eyes watching her closely.
"Come, Carly. Let's give them time to talk – we have things to discuss as well. And I may actually let you see our daughter," he said, a smile gracing his features for a moment. Carly didn't even look back to where the other couple sat. She nodded her head slowly as her husband led her away. As the door closed behind them, Carly looked back. She caught the sight of Sophie laying her lips over Lorenzo's before the door shut firmly. An indescribable feeling settled in her heart, and she wanted desperately to reach up and itch it away. Instead, she lifted her chin higher and followed her husband into another room – to talk.
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This was not his Sophie. It was the first thought he'd had when she walked in the door. Lorenzo pulled his lips from hers and sat back a little to look at her. It was her body, her lips, her face, her voice – but it was not the Sophie Germaine he had known and loved years before. There was a game being played here, and he was acutely aware of it. He just didn't know what. Somehow, Corinthos found out about her and had searched her out. And here she was – alive and being held at the mercy of a vengeful man. Lorenzo only wished he knew what Corinthos' motivations were concerning her. He didn't want her harmed in this debacle that didn't concern her. After a few awe-struck moments Sophie began to talk and he listened. She told him of what had happened, how she had gotten out of the village and survived. She told him how Luis had been the one to keep them apart all these years – how he'd said that Sophie was no longer a priority in Lorenzo's life. How she'd then made a life for herself in Europe and had been living in London when Sonny's men had found her.
"Why are you in Port Charles, Lorenzo?" she asked after she finished her story. His eyes met hers.
"Luis," he told her, and it was partly true. Sophie didn't say anything, but he noticed that her eyes had hardened at the mention of his brother.
"Is everything about Luis?" she asked, trying to keep the anger suppressed. A ghost of a smile appeared on Lorenzo's face before it vanished completely. A typical question coming from Sophie … but instead, he thought about Carly.
"No," he said honestly. "Not everything is about Luis." Sophie sat back against the wall next to him. After a second of silence, she turned to look at him.
"Why is Mrs. Corinthos being held?" she asked. Lorenzo remained silent as Sophie's eyes searched his face. "You care about her, don't you?" Again, Lorenzo remained silent. Sophie reached out, took Lorenzo's face in her hands, and turned him to look at her.
"You don't have to say anything, Lorenzo. I can read it in your eyes, you forget I know you," she said softly.
"No, Sophie, you don't know me. Not anymore," he said back. One of her hands lightly ran over his cheek.
"We were in love once," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Lorenzo reached up and took her hands in his, bringing them down.
"Yes, we were. Time marches on, Sophie. You have a life in London – and you will return there when this is all over. I have my own life," he said.
"In Port Charles?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in doubt. Lorenzo turned away from her, not saying anything.
"Sonny Corinthos hates you. He will not let you live in peace here," she said sadly. "He will live here with his wife and his children, and you – you, Lorenzo – will be on the outside looking in." Lorenzo smirked inwardly. Whatever Sophie's true purpose in this, he had to give it to Corinthos for working every angle. A pit bull with a bone - that's what Corinthos was. The door opening caused Lorenzo to look up. Two guards approached the pair on the floor and picked Sophie up.
"Time's up – time for you to get back to your room," one of them said. Lorenzo said nothing as Sophie pleaded for them to let her go. Her eyes went to his, asking him to do something … anything. There wasn't much he *could* do at this point.
"Good-bye Sophie," he said. He watched as the door closed behind them knowing that he needed to think like Corinthos. He needed to try to get a step ahead of Corinthos in order to outsmart him and get himself and Carly out of this alive. Carly. Lorenzo closed his eyes. Again, he had to hand it to Corinthos. He certainly knew how to throw out all the stops when there was something standing in his way. Keeping Carly around when he brought Sophie in had been a masterful touch. Lorenzo couldn't have orchestrated it better himself. Carly had been thrown for a loop. He had seen that clearly in her eyes. And in any other situation, he would have sat back and enjoyed watching how being thrown for said loop would affect Carly and how she reacted. But this situation was completely different – completely uncontrollable. What he had seen in her eyes had worried him. It wasn't just shock. It had been a mixture of fear, sadness, self-recrimination, regret, uncertainty, wariness – all emotions that he knew attributing to Carly could end up being disastrous. For all of her wonderful qualities, Carly was also unconsciously insecure and frighteningly obstinate. She acted and reacted without thinking. Lorenzo held no illusions that Carly wouldn't take this situation to heart in the worst way possible. And that is what scared him. Especially since she was alone with her equally unpredictable husband.
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Jason sat looking through the folder that Luke had allowed him to take. He'd already looked through the papers for hours and he still felt like he was failing Lorenzo Alcazar 101. Jason could tell anyone who asked what grade Alcazar received in his high school health class, what the name of his dog was when he was 15 – even what color toothbrush the man used. That's how good Luke's people were. But there was still a critical link missing. A piece of paper, a name – whatever it was, it amazed him that how something so small could cause such a problem. With a tired sigh, Jason closed the file and picked up his cell phone. He impatiently tapped his finger on the coffee table as he waited for the other person to pick up.
"Luke Spencer's House of Petulance, how may I help you?" Luke's voice rang out. Jason smirked.
"Luke, I've looked through everything. I can't find a damn thing," he said, pausing when the door to his penthouse opened, admitting Courtney. The look on her face said that she was not happy. She hung her coat and purse up on the coat rack and walked by him to the kitchen. Jason let out a sigh in his head. She hadn't been happy with him since the moment he told her that he was looking for Lorenzo Alcazar. She hadn't been any happier when he told her why. She'd told him straight out that Alcazar wasn't worth the trouble and that Carly was stupid for thinking he was.
"Jason? Are you listening to me?" Luke's voice brought him back to the present.
"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Sorry," he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Well, kid - what I was saying was that one of my guys called in earlier and said that he may have found something. He's going to fax the stuff to me soon," he said. Jason sat up straight.
"Did he say what it was about?" he asked. Luke gave a negative, causing Jason to curse.
"I know kid. But one way or the other, we'll get this figured out and Caroline home safe," the elder man said. Jason told Luke that he would meet him at his place and then hung up. He stretched as he stood up telling himself that anything, at this point, was better than nothing.
"Jason?" Courtney's voice asked timidly from behind him. He turned to look at her, the couch separating them.
"Yeah?" he asked. There were dozen's of questions in her eyes, but she had one general one to cover them all.
"What's going on?" she asked, concern touching her voice. Jason shook his head.
"You don't want to hear about it," he told her. Courtney crossed her arms, her eyes turning icy.
"Is it about Alcazar?" she asked, bitterness dripping from her question. Jason remained silent, neither confirming nor denying anything. Courtney nodded, realizing that his silence said more than he ever could. "You're leaving."
"I have to for a little while," he said. Courtney rolled her eyes.
"You don't have to do anything," she said. Jason walked to the door and grabbed his jacket. He simply held it in his hands for a second as he looked at her.
"Carly is missing again, Courtney," he said. He watched as a mixture of emotions crossed her face. It took her a second before she spoke, regret in her gaze.
"Is she … do you know if she's okay?" she asked. Jason shook his head.
"What about Leigh and Michael?" she asked.
"They're okay," Jason assured. Courtney nodded, wrapping herself in her arms.
"Do … do we know who took her?" Courtney asked, dreading the answer when Jason nodded.
"Sonny," he said before he opened the door and walked out it.
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"What have ya got, Luke," Jason asked as he walked in the door. He came to a halt when he saw Dillon Quartermaine sitting at the bar. Luke and his cousin had seemed deep in conversation when he had entered.
"Isn't it still illegal to serve minors?" Jason asked as he sat down next to Dillon. Luke smirked.
"It isn't so much me serving this youngen as what the youngen is serving me," he said, a grin spreading across his face. Jason groaned.
"Don't tell me this is 'your guy'," he said. Luke looked at him, baffled.
"What do you take me for? An idiot? Of course this isn't my guy – but young Quartermaine here has been able to pull something together for us," he said. Jason looked to his cousin, who was watching him closely. He gave a quick look heavenward before turning to the teenager.
"What have you got?" he asked. Dillon straightened in importance.
"Well, I've been helping Alcazar out on the side every now and then so when I heard he was missing, I … um … decided to try and find him," he said. Luke laid another folder on the bar.
"Our little gumshoe here broke into -" Luke started.
"Hey! I did not break … break in anywhere," Dillon defended himself causing the two men to stare at him expectantly. Dillon's shoulders slumped a little in defeat, but he didn't give up completely. "I just let myself in quietly." Luke snorted.
"Anyways, as I was saying – our little flatfoot here 'let himself in quietly' to Alcazar's place. He came across some papers that would be of interest to us. He also heard that you were looking for our good friend Alky and came here looking for you. Lucky I came across him. Lookee what he found," Luke said, pointing to the papers. Jason took them and flipped through them. Jason nodded in comprehension.
"It looks like Alcazar was having Sonny tailed pretty closely the last month or so before he disappeared," Jason said. Luke nodded as he poured himself a shot and took it. He winced before saying anything.
"That's not the interesting part, read paper number four," he said roughly over the alcohol, pointing at the folder. Jason picked up said paper and quickly glanced over it.
"My God. That's almost a million dollars transferred to an off-shore. To be specific, Sonny's off-shore," Jason said, his eyes wide. Luke nodded, a twinkle alighting his eyes.
"Know what that means?" he asked. Jason looked up at him.
"It means that Alcazar knew something was going to go down. He just didn't know what," Jason said. Luke nodded in confirmation.
"But that's not the best part. This means that Corinthos is not the mastermind behind this wild goose chase. Corinthos is the pawn," Luke said as he poured himself another drink. "And what better man to get to do the dirty work than a man bent on payback." Silence fell over the three men. Luke and Jason thinking over what they had just learned and Dillon – well, he didn't know exactly what to say in a situation like this that wouldn't get him shot. The ringing of the fax machine had the three of them sprinting for the office.
"Let's see if this is something we haven't learned already," Luke said as he pulled the paper from the tray. His eyes ran expertly over the paper before handing it to Jason.
"It looks like we have a name to go off of," he said before pulling a cigar off a holder on his desk. Jason quirked an eyebrow at the man before looking at the paper.
"Haven't you told Bobbie that you would quit smoking those things?" he asked, skimming over the information. Luke grinned as he lit it.
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," he said. Jason shook his head.
"There sitting right there on your desk, Luke. She'll figure it out," Jason warned. Luke laughed again.
"You're not telling me that after all the time you spend with my niece you haven't learned the Spencer trade secret," he said with a roll of his eyes. Jason rolled the name around in his head a few times as he kept his attention on Luke.
"Oh? And what secret would that be?" he asked. Luke grinned again as he gestured to his cigars.
"If you don't want it found, hide it in plain sight. My lil' sis has been in this room dozens of times, and you think she's found them? They're still here, aren't they?" he asked smartly. Jason shook his head.
"Cassie Castillo? That's not a name I know," Jason said. "What are the odds that's a fake name?"
"Gazillion to one, bub," Luke said while puffing out a smoke ring. "I wouldn't want my connections to Sonny Corinthos to leak. Fake name on a bank account – Mobster 101. Did you miss that day?" Jason shook his head. There was something in the back of his mind that kept bothering him – but it wasn't the fake name business. That could eventually be traced. Suddenly, it hit him.
"Shit! We've been overlooking the obvious!" Jason said as he leaned onto Luke's desk. Luke stood up quickly and watched Jason as he began to pace.
"Did you think of something?" he asked, snuffing out his cigar.
"You said it yourself, Luke. 'Hide it in plain sight.' I've been looking all over the damn globe -" he started.
"-when you should have been looking right here in Port Charles," Luke finished for him, grasping the younger man's train of thought.
"I never even thought to look here, how stupid was that?" Jason asked, more to himself than any of the observers. He paced for a few more seconds before stopping to point at Dillon.
"Dillon! Do you think you can quietly let yourself back into Alcazar's apartment?" he asked. Dillon's eyes went wide at suddenly being put on the spot.
"Uh … uh … sure," he said. Jason nodded.
"Luke can go with you, he'll know what to look for and you can help him," he said. Luke watched Jason carefully.
"And what are you going to do, amigo?" he asked.
"I've got to get over to the warehouse. I need to look through the property documentation that we have," he said. Luke nodded.
"I see where you're going with this. Let's go, kid," Luke said to Dillon while grabbing his jacket. Dillon looked at Jason for a second before Jason nodded for him to follow – which Dillon promptly did. Jason, too, took his leave.
"God, Carly – I'm an idiot," he muttered to himself as he rushed out the door.
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**A/N – Sooooooo, what did you think????? What ARE you thinking?????? **