CHAPTER EIGHT-SIX
Sweet Lies, no Lullabies

"I'll repeat the question, Carly. Were you expecting Sonny? Did you call him here to meet you?"

Carly had retreated to her seat behind the desk, as though it offered her protection from the man standing opposite her. She looked up at him and shook her head insistently. "You think I want to see him?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Mason shrugged. "Maybe you got it into your pretty little head that confession might be good for the soul and you invited him over for a little tête-à-tête." His voice hardened. "Let me suggest to you that it would not be a good idea."

"I didn't call him!" Carly swore, a desperate tone in her voice. "Look, I've had enough to deal with today and too many questions from too many men – and the last thing I need on top of everything else is you coming in here and trying to threaten me with your questions either!"

"Trying?" All traces of the smooth- talking lover was absent from his eyes. "I would never try and threaten you, Caroline. But at any rate, it's not me you should be concerned with at all, but Helena. And trust me, she never threatens. She only promises."

He walked to the desk and poured two cups of coffee. He handed her one, holding it out until she was forced to accept it. "But darling Caroline, don't think that I don't care. I still am very fond of you. For instance, tell me, what else have you had to deal with today? Who else was questioning you? Jax?" She was silent at first, so he persisted. "Come now, you know that sooner or later you will tell me what I want to know. Let's make it easier on the both of us, shall we?"

He had pretended to be Alexis' friend, hadn't he? Knowing Jax obviously wouldn't stop Mason from going after him if it got him whatever it was he wanted. That realization, added to the look in his eyes told Carly that he wouldn't stop until he knew the truth. He had the upper hand and they both knew it. And if he even thought that Jax was involved for a minute, there was no telling what he might do in retaliation. So reluctantly, she told him about the call from the DA's office.

"Interesting." Mason commented when she was done.

"I didn't tell him anything either."

"For your son's sake, I'm sure you didn't." Mason said with a smile. "He's such a delightful boy. Full of fire and a sense of adventure and daring – just like his mother, I might add. You should have seen him when we were exploring the caves beneath Windermere. Totally fearless. He told me he couldn't wait until we did it again. I had to tell him that I didn't know when that would be though. He was so disappointed."

He looked at Carly meaningfully. "But I can promise you, he can't wait until the next time I see him. Do you think he'll be as happy to see me as you used to be?"

She stared up at him with equal parts of anger and fear. Anger at herself for having been so stupid to have been attracted to him, fear for what might happen to her son because of it.

Mason laughed at Carly's expression. "I see you've caught my little innuendo. Good for you." He moved closer and took a lock of her hair between his fingers and caressed it softly. He let his fingers trail across her cheek, his eyes never changed as she flinched at his touch.

He smiled down at her again before turning away and walking to the door. He opened it and turned back to her. "Don't worry. As soon as Helena's plans are completed, we will all be free to go on with our lives."

"She..she has Alexis. What is she going to do with her? What else does she want?"

"I don't think you really want to know that, do you? It seems like you have enough secrets you need to keep. And now that I think about it, that concerns me." Mason paused, losing himself in thought for a moment. After a long moment, he turned back to face Carly, slowly closing the door behind him. "I'm afraid that the situation calls for a change in plans. Your plans."


A short time later, Jax was still sitting at his table when Mason joined him.

"That must have been an interesting conversation." Mason said with his usual sardonic smile. Jax was obviously very much preoccupied by whatever had gone on. He stared at the stairs, not replying for a moment, then as though some inner sense had finally noticed Mason, he caught himself with a little shake and turned to the other man. "What did you say?"

"I said – that must have been an interesting conversation. Very interesting." Mason exaggerated a look around the area. "Corinthos is gone, there's no broken barware, no blood on the floor, furniture in order and you're still in one piece. What happened? Did the two of you have a sweet little get-together to do what? Exchange recipes?"

Jax ignored his remarks, not bothering to rise as usual to Mason's taunts. When he didn't reply, Mason shrugged and switched topics. "I had a long conversation with Carly and I think she's in need of some serious TLC, so I hope you don't mind if we take a long lunch today. That won't interfere with your plans, will it? Jax?"

Jax nodded absently. "Have you spoken to Alexis lately?"

If he was surprised by the question, Mason barely showed it. With his usual smoothness, he recovered from the unexpected turn of the conversation without missing a beat. "No, not today."

"No, wait." Mason paused in a calculated move, shaping his features into a frown. "Not today, but yesterday. It was the last time I did see Alexis, in a park on the other side of town. You had just had lunch with her, she told me. When I ran into her in the park she appeared to be having an argument with a man. It was AJ Quartemaine." Mason leaned across the table and looked in his eyes, in an attempt to express a false concern. "What's going on, Jax? Is something wrong?"

Jax was still staring at the club's entrance, his mind racing. "I don't know yet."