Anthony stewed in his own anger as he rode in silence alongside his
father, the earlier events replaying again and again in his mind. The idea
that his wife and some whore had gotten the better of him that evening
enraged him to the extreme. Not to mention that the entire scene had taken
place in front of Joseph and Jason Morgan. That only fanned the flames of
the fire.
The long stretch limousine stopped for the heavy iron gates that encased the Malucci compound to swing open, giving them entry. Anthony stole a sideways glance at his father, who hadn't spoken a word to him since leaving the party in haste, knowing that the disgust he felt for his son and his actions was written all over the older man's face.
Anthony attempted to aid Rocco into his wheelchair but the elder Malucci's outstretched hand stopped him in his tracks. He knew for sure now that he was in for a lecture that he had heard one too many times already.
"Anthony," Rocco's voice was hard. "That display of yours tonight......."
"Can't I at least get out of this wet suit?" Anthony cut him off.
"Think of it as a reminder of what an ass you made of yourself tonight – not to mention the family as a whole!" Rocco shot back. "What were you thinking?"
"What?" Anthony didn't understand.
"Don't play fucking stupid with me!" Again the frail man's voice boomed.
"Everything was fine until Elizabeth showed her face!"
"EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE! You should feel damn lucky that Joseph even took the time to discuss your little indiscretion. If roles were reversed I don't think I would have done the same!"
"SEE!" Anthony said as if his father had made a miraculous statement. "That's why you deserve to sit at the head of the table, not Joseph Morgan. You would know how to keep things under control!" Anthony did his best to sway Rocco to his own version of the way he felt things should have been.
"Make no mistake son," Rocco's voice was steely. "I will control this situation."
"Now that's what I have wanted to hear all along," Anthony smiled, misreading the meaning of his father's words.
"I don't think so!" the older man countered.
"Huh?"
"I meant every word I said this evening. If you so much as even think about crossing on to Morgan turf, the action taken against you will be swift and severe!"
"But ..."
"NO! There will be no buts this time. I have had more than enough of you. Son or no son, I will not let you ruin what it has taken me years to build. That includes the lucrative business that I have made with Joseph Morgan."
"MORGAN AND HIS CREW ARE PRACTICALLY RAPING US!" Anthony shot back.
"Hardly!"
"You just fucking doubled our tribute and he accepted it. You don't call that raping?"
"No. I call it adjusting for the wrong my son has committed. You, for one, should be grateful that Joseph took the offer."
"WHAT!?!" Anthony's anger exploded again.
"You heard me. You could just have easily ended up at the bottom of the Chicago River, hell maybe even worse."
"So what you are saying is that I have to sit back and take the pittance that Morgan and his father throw my way?!" The thought of that furthered angered Anthony.
"YES!"
"This can't be happening. You can't be serious. We should be running the fucking organization not kowtowing to the likes of Joseph and Jason Morgan!"
"ENOUGH! Do you understand me Anthony? I will not tolerate any more of your games. That includes you blatant display of women that parade in and out of your life."
"Excuse me?" Anthony put his hand to his as if to feign being deaf. "The king of the goomahs is telling me that it's not longer proper to have them?" Anthony stifled a laugh.
"There is a time and a place for everything and tonight was certainly not the place to show up with any woman other than your beautiful wife."
Again Anthony did his best not to laugh. Yes, Elizabeth was indeed beautiful but she hadn't been his wife, not in the way he needed her to be in quite some time.
"I know the reason behind your marriage to Elizabeth. I know that you thought that it would buy you some sort of nobility. Sorry to say that the way you are handling the situation, you will never achieve what you are looking for."
"Exactly what are you trying to say?" Anthony questioned.
"I am saying that if you want to be respected then you have to stop playing the thug. You want what Joseph Morgan has then you have to learn to play by a different set of rules. You can't buy respect, not in the lawful world and you certainly can't buy it in ours. And you most definitely won't get it by marrying into a respected family. YOU HAVE TO EARN IT! And until such time as you figure out just how to do that, well then you are a liability to me."
"So you have said!" Anthony tried to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"It's about time that you started respecting the institution of marriage as well. What you said about me was indeed true, but I was never so openly disrespectful to you mother as you have been to Elizabeth. Tonight she should have been the woman on your arm, not your latest conquest."
"Yeah right! Elizabeth doesn't give a damn what I do or who I do it with!"
"I don't believe that to be true. I certainly saw an angry young woman tonight who had been pushed to her breaking point. I think you are lucky you ended up in the pool before she had the chance to get at you!" Rocco smiled for the first time during their entire conversation.
"Well she will think better of it the next time." Anthony's tone was cryptic.
"I would rethink that if I were you son. The one thing I will not stand for is action taken against any woman. So understand this and understand it well. If I so much as think that you have brought harm to your wife, for something that was of your own making, I will castrate you myself! Am I making myself clear?"
"Crystal!" Anthony said biting his tongue.
"Good. I am going to retire for the evening. Might I suggest that you do the same? I believe you could use the time to think about all that we have discussed here this evening. Oh yes, by the way," Rocco said turning back to look at his son. "I felt it was better to have Elizabeth away from the house this evening, just in case you chose not to heed my words."
Anthony stared at his father's retreating back in disbelief. Each new statement that fell from his lips compounded the facts that he already knew to be true in his mind. Those being that he would be destined to play second fiddle to the Morgan Family for as long as his father was alive, and to add insult to injury, his wife now had a place before him in his father's heart as well.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth mindlessly paced the four corners of the room while Johnny stood watch at the door. On one hand she had been thankful at being whisked away from the scene she had created, but on the other Elizabeth was feeling more like a prisoner than ever. At least in her own home there weren't guards at the door.
"I'm sorry but you need to stay here until Mr. Morgan arrives," Johnny said as Elizabeth reached to his side for the knob of the door.
"What?" she returned in shock knowing she truly was a prisoner now.
"Mr. Morgan's instructions were to make you comfortable until a time when he could join you. Can I have one of the servants bring you something?" he asked politely.
"Make me comfortable?" Elizabeth parroted.
"Yes. Those were my orders. Can I have something brought to you?"
"NO!" The thunderous sound of her voice surprised Johnny. "The only thing I would like is to leave NOW!" Again she made an attempt at the door.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Malucci but that isn't possible."
"Not possible?" Elizabeth's voice was mixed with anger and fear, thinking that maybe all that she had heard whispered about the Morgan Family could be true.
"No."
Elizabeth returned to her pacing, seeing that the large man wasn't about to relinquish his post. The reality of exactly what she had done came crashing down on her. The pleasure that she received in seeing Anthony land in the pool would be short lived. Elizabeth knew full well that she had pushed her husband too far that night.
Still perplexed as to why she had actually even done it, Elizabeth looked out of the many windows in the room. The night sky was a glow with stars as far as the eye could see. 'What a wonderful night to be celebrating an engagement,' she thought. Her mind wandered to the evening of her own engagement party. Not expense was spared and she had at the time fully believed that she was marrying her very own Prince Charming. What a slap in the face it had been when she came to understand all of it was just a smoke screen. A smoke screen for her father to hide behind, along with Anthony. "AARRHH!" Elizabeth let out a frustrated scream as the alcohol began wearing off.
"Mrs. Malucci?" Johnny questioned.
"Nothing." Elizabeth brushed him off.
Jason silently entered the room indicating to Johnny that he was no longer needed. He stood with eyes trained on her still form at the window. The silky black material of her evening gown clung to her petite frame while the thigh high slit exposed her supple skin. Jason shook his head in an effort to remember whom she was married to, but that was a difficult task at best.
"Mrs. Malucci," he said crossing the room to where she stood.
"Oh," she jumped.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you."
"You didn't," she countered harshly not wanting to show any vulnerability.
"I'm Jason Morgan......"
"Jason Morgan? You're Jason Morgan?" she repeated. The man that stood in front of her wasn't at all like the image she imagined. For all of Anthony's horrific words she had expected to see some vile monster, but rather an incredibly handsome man confronted her.
"Yes," he said. "You are surprised?" he asked attempting to read her expression.
"No...yes..." she tried to catch her breath. "Does this mean I am free to go now?"
"Not quite."
"What?" So much for the idea that his attractive face and piercing blue eyes made him any different than the man she was married to.
"For all concerned, don't you think it would be wise to give Anthony some time to cool off?"
Elizabeth knew that she could have given him days to cool down and it wouldn't have made any difference. She had stepped over that imaginary line and for that she would pay. "I don't really think it matters."
"Well your father in law feels differently. Rocco asked that you be kept away from the house this evening..."
"Excuse me?"
"He said that he needed the time alone with his son. I feel that I must agree with him..."
"Oh really? Why would you care?" Elizabeth looked at him unsure of his true motives.
"To be honest with you Mrs. Malucci...."
"Elizabeth please," she corrected him not needing a further reminder of who her husband was.
"Elizabeth, to be honest with you, I don't. But I do know that my father respects Rocco Malucci and for that reason I intend to abide by his wishes. Not to mention that I think it's in your best interests to steer clear of your husband at least for the evening."
"Oh what a gentleman you are!" Elizabeth quipped yet her sharp tongue was only a mask for a sudden flood of excitement that filled her.
"Anthony is gone so if you would like to rejoin the party," Jason motioned toward the awaiting door.
"I don't think so." The idea of being a spectacle again wasn't something Elizabeth was in a hurry to do. In fact she wished she had never done it in the first place.
"I assure you, Mrs. Malu...I mean Elizabeth, you are quite safe in my home, no matter what your husband might have lead you to believe."
"What are you trying to say Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth felt the sudden urge to defend the man she was married to, no matter what a sham her marriage might have been.
"I think you know what I am saying. I can't believe that you don't know of our rivalry and severe dislike for one another, however that in no way translates to you. Not to mention the fact that my own father would never allow any harm to come to a woman. He's of the old school."
"Meaning?" Elizabeth questioned.
"That women go untouched, no matter what their crimes."
"And you? How do you feel about women Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth heard the onset of seduction in her tone.
"I agree with him."
"So then what is my crime?" Elizabeth said continuing to play.
"You mean besides marrying Anthony Malucci?" Jason laughed. "Or the fact that you picked a rival family's house in which to publicly humiliate him? I really couldn't say."
"Would you like to find out?" Elizabeth brought herself closer to him.
Jason felt her breath on his cheek as she spoke. It peaked something in him he hadn't expected, something he needed to squelch immediately not only for her safety but his as well. "What I would like is for you to rejoin the party."
"I would prefer not to make myself anymore of a side show attraction than I already have," Elizabeth said sobriety getting the better of her.
"Understood," he smiled. "Let me make my apologies to my family and then we can find you somewhere safe to wait out the storm."
Elizabeth stared at Jason as he exited the room, thoughts running wild through her mind. "Two can play this game," she smiled as another plan formed in her head.
From the passenger seat Elizabeth stole sideways glances at Jason Morgan as he drove deeper into the heart of Chicago. There was very little she could do to stop from staring at him. It was hard to tell if it was because she couldn't reconcile the man who had spoke with her and the man Anthony made him to be, or if it was just the fact that he held such a sexual allure. Either way, Elizabeth found her eyes fixated on his strong profile.
"Where are we going?" Elizabeth finally spoke.
"To The Drake Hotel."
"Excuse me?" she said pretending to be disturbed by the remark.
"I have a penthouse there, for when I do business in the city. Nothing more," he assured. The last thing he needed was another complication in his life, especially if it was one that was tied in any way to Anthony Malucci. However Jason had a difficult time not imagining what it would be like to have her supple skin touch his own.
"Evening Mr. Morgan,' the attendant said as the darkened driver's side window came down to reveal his presence.
"Ronald," Jason returned as he opened his door and handed the man his keys. "Elizabeth, would you mind waiting for me over there?" he questioned. "I need to speak with Ronald in private." Not knowing what to say she complied with his request all the while looking at him over her shoulder.
Once Jason felt it was safe to speak, he gave Ronald orders that his car was to be parked in its usual hiding place and no one was to know he had been there that evening.
"Yes sir," the man said as he had done on numerous occasions before.
Satisfied that Elizabeth would be out of harm's way for the evening, he joined her at the curb. "Shall we go inside?" Jason asked.
"I suppose."
The rode in silence as far as the elevator would take them. The confined space of the car had both Jason and Elizabeth uneasy, suddenly overly aware of each other. The shrill ring of Jason's cell phone broke the obvious tension in the air.
"Morgan......I understand......yes I will be sure that I wait until mid morning......no, he will understand......"
Elizabeth stood listening to the one sided conversation that Jason was having. In all the years of being married to Anthony she still was intrigued by the goings on around her, but she would have been better off leaving them all alone.
"Who was that?" she asked as he flipped the phone closed.
"Rocco...."
"My father in law?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He wanted me to know that you weren't to be delivered home until mid morning. He will be sure that Anthony is out of the house by that time."
"Have me delivered? What? Am I some UPS shipment?" Elizabeth was all of the sudden angry and began to rethink her grand plan.
"Not quite."
"Then what?" she pressed.
"I believe that Rocco is only looking out for you. You can't think that your husband," Jason purposely used that word again to remind himself that Elizabeth was indeed a married woman. "wouldn't be ticked off at what you did tonight."
"What I did?" she retorted angrily. "I wasn't the one at a party with another man!"
"I understand that, but you have been the block more than once and needless to say, Tony ole boy is less than discreet when it comes to his roving eye." Jason announced as he led her down a narrow corridor to yet another elevator.
Slipping a coded key card into its designated slot the doors before them glided open. Jason's pointed remark regarding her husband hit home for Elizabeth as the doors closed to reveal a mirrored surface before them. She was forced to stare straight ahead but even in doing that, there was no escaping his reflection looking back at her.
She studied him closely, wondering if he was doing the same. Elizabeth wanted to stop the thoughts that invaded her head, wanted to remain true to the agenda in her mind, but the man standing alongside of her was making that a difficult task at best.
"After you," Jason spoke as the elevator came to a stop again.
Elizabeth stepped through the doors into the most lavish surroundings that she had ever seen. She had thought the Morgan house had been grand, yet this, well this was breathtaking. Immediately she was drawn to a bank of windows that looked out over the Magnificent Mile, which was alive with lights and people enjoying the nightlife.
Jason absently watched as she made her way from room to room, thinking how beautiful she was and what a fool Anthony Malucci was for not seeing it. Without realizing it, he had followed her to the master bedroom. There, as she stood bathed in the moon's full light, Jason fought hard against the urges that filled him.
As if feeling his presence, Elizabeth turned and looked at him. "This is a spectacular view of Lake Michigan."
"I know." Was all he was able to utter.
"Do you come here often?" she asked in a vain attempt to make small talk.
"Only when it's needed," he returned vaguely. "I know you weren't anticipating an overnight stay, so if you would like, I could call and have something brought up for you to sleep in. Something a bit more comfortable."
"That would be nice. Thank you."
He took the opportunity of making the call to front desk as a way to gather his scattered thoughts. The idea of spending the remainder of the evening alone with her, Malucci's wife or not, had Jason treading in some uncharted waters.
Upon his return, Elizabeth was still standing looking out over the dark lake. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, wishing he had never agreed to this. Why hadn't he just gotten Johnny or one of the other men to stay with her? Why hadn't he just been smart enough to keep her at the house? There were enough rooms there for a small army to get lost in. Why did he feel that he had to personally see to her safety?
Jason tried to fool himself into believing that he was doing it out of his father's respect for Rocco Malucci, but if he listened closely to the weak voice coming from the depths of his heart, Jason knew the answers to all those very pointed questions.
The way Elizabeth had taken on Anthony that evening may have not been the smartest thing he had ever witnessed, but there was no denying that it had taken guts on her part. His answers were a mixture of admiration and his sudden unmistakable need to be close to her.
"Here you go," he finally said laying the robe and other things on the bed.
"Thank you. It really is beautiful here. I could stand here all night just watching the water."
"Well, it's getting late. I think that I will turn in. Do you need anything before I do?" he asked knowing that he needed to distance himself from her.
"No, I should be fine. Isn't this your room?" she questioned looking around. "I mean, don't you want to sleep in here?"
"That's fine. I will take one of the other rooms. You seem to be enjoying the view, so you might as well keep the room."
"Thank you." Elizabeth eyed him curiously. In so many ways he was the antithesis of Anthony, yet she couldn't stop herself from remembering that this was how it had begun with him as well. She couldn't allow herself to get wrapped up in some fantasy world. She needed to stay focused, needed to follow through with the outline of the plan in her head. Why wasn't that going to be as easy as she once thought it to be?
The long stretch limousine stopped for the heavy iron gates that encased the Malucci compound to swing open, giving them entry. Anthony stole a sideways glance at his father, who hadn't spoken a word to him since leaving the party in haste, knowing that the disgust he felt for his son and his actions was written all over the older man's face.
Anthony attempted to aid Rocco into his wheelchair but the elder Malucci's outstretched hand stopped him in his tracks. He knew for sure now that he was in for a lecture that he had heard one too many times already.
"Anthony," Rocco's voice was hard. "That display of yours tonight......."
"Can't I at least get out of this wet suit?" Anthony cut him off.
"Think of it as a reminder of what an ass you made of yourself tonight – not to mention the family as a whole!" Rocco shot back. "What were you thinking?"
"What?" Anthony didn't understand.
"Don't play fucking stupid with me!" Again the frail man's voice boomed.
"Everything was fine until Elizabeth showed her face!"
"EVERYTHING WAS NOT FINE! You should feel damn lucky that Joseph even took the time to discuss your little indiscretion. If roles were reversed I don't think I would have done the same!"
"SEE!" Anthony said as if his father had made a miraculous statement. "That's why you deserve to sit at the head of the table, not Joseph Morgan. You would know how to keep things under control!" Anthony did his best to sway Rocco to his own version of the way he felt things should have been.
"Make no mistake son," Rocco's voice was steely. "I will control this situation."
"Now that's what I have wanted to hear all along," Anthony smiled, misreading the meaning of his father's words.
"I don't think so!" the older man countered.
"Huh?"
"I meant every word I said this evening. If you so much as even think about crossing on to Morgan turf, the action taken against you will be swift and severe!"
"But ..."
"NO! There will be no buts this time. I have had more than enough of you. Son or no son, I will not let you ruin what it has taken me years to build. That includes the lucrative business that I have made with Joseph Morgan."
"MORGAN AND HIS CREW ARE PRACTICALLY RAPING US!" Anthony shot back.
"Hardly!"
"You just fucking doubled our tribute and he accepted it. You don't call that raping?"
"No. I call it adjusting for the wrong my son has committed. You, for one, should be grateful that Joseph took the offer."
"WHAT!?!" Anthony's anger exploded again.
"You heard me. You could just have easily ended up at the bottom of the Chicago River, hell maybe even worse."
"So what you are saying is that I have to sit back and take the pittance that Morgan and his father throw my way?!" The thought of that furthered angered Anthony.
"YES!"
"This can't be happening. You can't be serious. We should be running the fucking organization not kowtowing to the likes of Joseph and Jason Morgan!"
"ENOUGH! Do you understand me Anthony? I will not tolerate any more of your games. That includes you blatant display of women that parade in and out of your life."
"Excuse me?" Anthony put his hand to his as if to feign being deaf. "The king of the goomahs is telling me that it's not longer proper to have them?" Anthony stifled a laugh.
"There is a time and a place for everything and tonight was certainly not the place to show up with any woman other than your beautiful wife."
Again Anthony did his best not to laugh. Yes, Elizabeth was indeed beautiful but she hadn't been his wife, not in the way he needed her to be in quite some time.
"I know the reason behind your marriage to Elizabeth. I know that you thought that it would buy you some sort of nobility. Sorry to say that the way you are handling the situation, you will never achieve what you are looking for."
"Exactly what are you trying to say?" Anthony questioned.
"I am saying that if you want to be respected then you have to stop playing the thug. You want what Joseph Morgan has then you have to learn to play by a different set of rules. You can't buy respect, not in the lawful world and you certainly can't buy it in ours. And you most definitely won't get it by marrying into a respected family. YOU HAVE TO EARN IT! And until such time as you figure out just how to do that, well then you are a liability to me."
"So you have said!" Anthony tried to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
"It's about time that you started respecting the institution of marriage as well. What you said about me was indeed true, but I was never so openly disrespectful to you mother as you have been to Elizabeth. Tonight she should have been the woman on your arm, not your latest conquest."
"Yeah right! Elizabeth doesn't give a damn what I do or who I do it with!"
"I don't believe that to be true. I certainly saw an angry young woman tonight who had been pushed to her breaking point. I think you are lucky you ended up in the pool before she had the chance to get at you!" Rocco smiled for the first time during their entire conversation.
"Well she will think better of it the next time." Anthony's tone was cryptic.
"I would rethink that if I were you son. The one thing I will not stand for is action taken against any woman. So understand this and understand it well. If I so much as think that you have brought harm to your wife, for something that was of your own making, I will castrate you myself! Am I making myself clear?"
"Crystal!" Anthony said biting his tongue.
"Good. I am going to retire for the evening. Might I suggest that you do the same? I believe you could use the time to think about all that we have discussed here this evening. Oh yes, by the way," Rocco said turning back to look at his son. "I felt it was better to have Elizabeth away from the house this evening, just in case you chose not to heed my words."
Anthony stared at his father's retreating back in disbelief. Each new statement that fell from his lips compounded the facts that he already knew to be true in his mind. Those being that he would be destined to play second fiddle to the Morgan Family for as long as his father was alive, and to add insult to injury, his wife now had a place before him in his father's heart as well.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elizabeth mindlessly paced the four corners of the room while Johnny stood watch at the door. On one hand she had been thankful at being whisked away from the scene she had created, but on the other Elizabeth was feeling more like a prisoner than ever. At least in her own home there weren't guards at the door.
"I'm sorry but you need to stay here until Mr. Morgan arrives," Johnny said as Elizabeth reached to his side for the knob of the door.
"What?" she returned in shock knowing she truly was a prisoner now.
"Mr. Morgan's instructions were to make you comfortable until a time when he could join you. Can I have one of the servants bring you something?" he asked politely.
"Make me comfortable?" Elizabeth parroted.
"Yes. Those were my orders. Can I have something brought to you?"
"NO!" The thunderous sound of her voice surprised Johnny. "The only thing I would like is to leave NOW!" Again she made an attempt at the door.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Malucci but that isn't possible."
"Not possible?" Elizabeth's voice was mixed with anger and fear, thinking that maybe all that she had heard whispered about the Morgan Family could be true.
"No."
Elizabeth returned to her pacing, seeing that the large man wasn't about to relinquish his post. The reality of exactly what she had done came crashing down on her. The pleasure that she received in seeing Anthony land in the pool would be short lived. Elizabeth knew full well that she had pushed her husband too far that night.
Still perplexed as to why she had actually even done it, Elizabeth looked out of the many windows in the room. The night sky was a glow with stars as far as the eye could see. 'What a wonderful night to be celebrating an engagement,' she thought. Her mind wandered to the evening of her own engagement party. Not expense was spared and she had at the time fully believed that she was marrying her very own Prince Charming. What a slap in the face it had been when she came to understand all of it was just a smoke screen. A smoke screen for her father to hide behind, along with Anthony. "AARRHH!" Elizabeth let out a frustrated scream as the alcohol began wearing off.
"Mrs. Malucci?" Johnny questioned.
"Nothing." Elizabeth brushed him off.
Jason silently entered the room indicating to Johnny that he was no longer needed. He stood with eyes trained on her still form at the window. The silky black material of her evening gown clung to her petite frame while the thigh high slit exposed her supple skin. Jason shook his head in an effort to remember whom she was married to, but that was a difficult task at best.
"Mrs. Malucci," he said crossing the room to where she stood.
"Oh," she jumped.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you."
"You didn't," she countered harshly not wanting to show any vulnerability.
"I'm Jason Morgan......"
"Jason Morgan? You're Jason Morgan?" she repeated. The man that stood in front of her wasn't at all like the image she imagined. For all of Anthony's horrific words she had expected to see some vile monster, but rather an incredibly handsome man confronted her.
"Yes," he said. "You are surprised?" he asked attempting to read her expression.
"No...yes..." she tried to catch her breath. "Does this mean I am free to go now?"
"Not quite."
"What?" So much for the idea that his attractive face and piercing blue eyes made him any different than the man she was married to.
"For all concerned, don't you think it would be wise to give Anthony some time to cool off?"
Elizabeth knew that she could have given him days to cool down and it wouldn't have made any difference. She had stepped over that imaginary line and for that she would pay. "I don't really think it matters."
"Well your father in law feels differently. Rocco asked that you be kept away from the house this evening..."
"Excuse me?"
"He said that he needed the time alone with his son. I feel that I must agree with him..."
"Oh really? Why would you care?" Elizabeth looked at him unsure of his true motives.
"To be honest with you Mrs. Malucci...."
"Elizabeth please," she corrected him not needing a further reminder of who her husband was.
"Elizabeth, to be honest with you, I don't. But I do know that my father respects Rocco Malucci and for that reason I intend to abide by his wishes. Not to mention that I think it's in your best interests to steer clear of your husband at least for the evening."
"Oh what a gentleman you are!" Elizabeth quipped yet her sharp tongue was only a mask for a sudden flood of excitement that filled her.
"Anthony is gone so if you would like to rejoin the party," Jason motioned toward the awaiting door.
"I don't think so." The idea of being a spectacle again wasn't something Elizabeth was in a hurry to do. In fact she wished she had never done it in the first place.
"I assure you, Mrs. Malu...I mean Elizabeth, you are quite safe in my home, no matter what your husband might have lead you to believe."
"What are you trying to say Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth felt the sudden urge to defend the man she was married to, no matter what a sham her marriage might have been.
"I think you know what I am saying. I can't believe that you don't know of our rivalry and severe dislike for one another, however that in no way translates to you. Not to mention the fact that my own father would never allow any harm to come to a woman. He's of the old school."
"Meaning?" Elizabeth questioned.
"That women go untouched, no matter what their crimes."
"And you? How do you feel about women Mr. Morgan?" Elizabeth heard the onset of seduction in her tone.
"I agree with him."
"So then what is my crime?" Elizabeth said continuing to play.
"You mean besides marrying Anthony Malucci?" Jason laughed. "Or the fact that you picked a rival family's house in which to publicly humiliate him? I really couldn't say."
"Would you like to find out?" Elizabeth brought herself closer to him.
Jason felt her breath on his cheek as she spoke. It peaked something in him he hadn't expected, something he needed to squelch immediately not only for her safety but his as well. "What I would like is for you to rejoin the party."
"I would prefer not to make myself anymore of a side show attraction than I already have," Elizabeth said sobriety getting the better of her.
"Understood," he smiled. "Let me make my apologies to my family and then we can find you somewhere safe to wait out the storm."
Elizabeth stared at Jason as he exited the room, thoughts running wild through her mind. "Two can play this game," she smiled as another plan formed in her head.
From the passenger seat Elizabeth stole sideways glances at Jason Morgan as he drove deeper into the heart of Chicago. There was very little she could do to stop from staring at him. It was hard to tell if it was because she couldn't reconcile the man who had spoke with her and the man Anthony made him to be, or if it was just the fact that he held such a sexual allure. Either way, Elizabeth found her eyes fixated on his strong profile.
"Where are we going?" Elizabeth finally spoke.
"To The Drake Hotel."
"Excuse me?" she said pretending to be disturbed by the remark.
"I have a penthouse there, for when I do business in the city. Nothing more," he assured. The last thing he needed was another complication in his life, especially if it was one that was tied in any way to Anthony Malucci. However Jason had a difficult time not imagining what it would be like to have her supple skin touch his own.
"Evening Mr. Morgan,' the attendant said as the darkened driver's side window came down to reveal his presence.
"Ronald," Jason returned as he opened his door and handed the man his keys. "Elizabeth, would you mind waiting for me over there?" he questioned. "I need to speak with Ronald in private." Not knowing what to say she complied with his request all the while looking at him over her shoulder.
Once Jason felt it was safe to speak, he gave Ronald orders that his car was to be parked in its usual hiding place and no one was to know he had been there that evening.
"Yes sir," the man said as he had done on numerous occasions before.
Satisfied that Elizabeth would be out of harm's way for the evening, he joined her at the curb. "Shall we go inside?" Jason asked.
"I suppose."
The rode in silence as far as the elevator would take them. The confined space of the car had both Jason and Elizabeth uneasy, suddenly overly aware of each other. The shrill ring of Jason's cell phone broke the obvious tension in the air.
"Morgan......I understand......yes I will be sure that I wait until mid morning......no, he will understand......"
Elizabeth stood listening to the one sided conversation that Jason was having. In all the years of being married to Anthony she still was intrigued by the goings on around her, but she would have been better off leaving them all alone.
"Who was that?" she asked as he flipped the phone closed.
"Rocco...."
"My father in law?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He wanted me to know that you weren't to be delivered home until mid morning. He will be sure that Anthony is out of the house by that time."
"Have me delivered? What? Am I some UPS shipment?" Elizabeth was all of the sudden angry and began to rethink her grand plan.
"Not quite."
"Then what?" she pressed.
"I believe that Rocco is only looking out for you. You can't think that your husband," Jason purposely used that word again to remind himself that Elizabeth was indeed a married woman. "wouldn't be ticked off at what you did tonight."
"What I did?" she retorted angrily. "I wasn't the one at a party with another man!"
"I understand that, but you have been the block more than once and needless to say, Tony ole boy is less than discreet when it comes to his roving eye." Jason announced as he led her down a narrow corridor to yet another elevator.
Slipping a coded key card into its designated slot the doors before them glided open. Jason's pointed remark regarding her husband hit home for Elizabeth as the doors closed to reveal a mirrored surface before them. She was forced to stare straight ahead but even in doing that, there was no escaping his reflection looking back at her.
She studied him closely, wondering if he was doing the same. Elizabeth wanted to stop the thoughts that invaded her head, wanted to remain true to the agenda in her mind, but the man standing alongside of her was making that a difficult task at best.
"After you," Jason spoke as the elevator came to a stop again.
Elizabeth stepped through the doors into the most lavish surroundings that she had ever seen. She had thought the Morgan house had been grand, yet this, well this was breathtaking. Immediately she was drawn to a bank of windows that looked out over the Magnificent Mile, which was alive with lights and people enjoying the nightlife.
Jason absently watched as she made her way from room to room, thinking how beautiful she was and what a fool Anthony Malucci was for not seeing it. Without realizing it, he had followed her to the master bedroom. There, as she stood bathed in the moon's full light, Jason fought hard against the urges that filled him.
As if feeling his presence, Elizabeth turned and looked at him. "This is a spectacular view of Lake Michigan."
"I know." Was all he was able to utter.
"Do you come here often?" she asked in a vain attempt to make small talk.
"Only when it's needed," he returned vaguely. "I know you weren't anticipating an overnight stay, so if you would like, I could call and have something brought up for you to sleep in. Something a bit more comfortable."
"That would be nice. Thank you."
He took the opportunity of making the call to front desk as a way to gather his scattered thoughts. The idea of spending the remainder of the evening alone with her, Malucci's wife or not, had Jason treading in some uncharted waters.
Upon his return, Elizabeth was still standing looking out over the dark lake. He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat, wishing he had never agreed to this. Why hadn't he just gotten Johnny or one of the other men to stay with her? Why hadn't he just been smart enough to keep her at the house? There were enough rooms there for a small army to get lost in. Why did he feel that he had to personally see to her safety?
Jason tried to fool himself into believing that he was doing it out of his father's respect for Rocco Malucci, but if he listened closely to the weak voice coming from the depths of his heart, Jason knew the answers to all those very pointed questions.
The way Elizabeth had taken on Anthony that evening may have not been the smartest thing he had ever witnessed, but there was no denying that it had taken guts on her part. His answers were a mixture of admiration and his sudden unmistakable need to be close to her.
"Here you go," he finally said laying the robe and other things on the bed.
"Thank you. It really is beautiful here. I could stand here all night just watching the water."
"Well, it's getting late. I think that I will turn in. Do you need anything before I do?" he asked knowing that he needed to distance himself from her.
"No, I should be fine. Isn't this your room?" she questioned looking around. "I mean, don't you want to sleep in here?"
"That's fine. I will take one of the other rooms. You seem to be enjoying the view, so you might as well keep the room."
"Thank you." Elizabeth eyed him curiously. In so many ways he was the antithesis of Anthony, yet she couldn't stop herself from remembering that this was how it had begun with him as well. She couldn't allow herself to get wrapped up in some fantasy world. She needed to stay focused, needed to follow through with the outline of the plan in her head. Why wasn't that going to be as easy as she once thought it to be?