Jason stood waiting for the bartender to return with the four bottles of beer he had asked for. Glancing over his shoulder back towards the table the four of them had taken in the far corner of the bar; Jason saw the forlorn expression on his teammate's face even though Leo was doing his damnedest to hide it. What Jason wouldn't have given to have kicked Weston's ass the whole way back to Charlotte for the underhanded way he handled himself out on the track that day, hell every day, Jason thought to himself.

"Here you go," the busty blonde said giving Jason a wide smile.

"Thanks," he returned reaching for the frosty bottles suddenly uncomfortable when the young girl's hand lingered a bit too long on his own.

"Anytime," she purred but had a sudden change of tune when she saw the petite brunette stroll up behind the object of her seduction and wrapped her slender arms around his waist. "That will be seven dollars," she said almost curtly.

Jason felt Elizabeth's arms wrap tightly around his waist and couldn't contain his smile. "Keep the change," he said handing her a ten dollar bill. "Do you have ESP?" he asked quickly turning to capture a kiss on her full red lips.

"Who me?" Elizabeth said slyly glancing over Jason's shoulder at the bartender whose stare still lingered on the pair before returning his kiss with a rather passionate one of her own. "Let me take those." She entwined two of the long neck amber bottles in her fingers and reached for Jason's free hand with hers leading him back to their awaiting friends.

"You ready to wipe the floor with them?" Melanie asked Leo referring to the rematch game of darts that the foursome had talked about on their way to the bar.

"Not sure it's my night," Leo returned solemnly

The defeated look on Leo's face broke Elizabeth's heart. She knew from past experience that there were no words to take away the disappointment that hung heavy around Leo's neck. It was one thing lose your place in a race to a spin out, it was a completely different story when that spin out was intentional and done by your own teammate no less.

Before she was able to say anything, the door to the bar swung open and Billy Weston and his pit crew made a rowdy entrance shouting a round of drinks for the bar on him. Elizabeth saw Leo's jaw clench tightly as his eyes stayed glued to his adversary. "Don't let him do this to you," she said reaching for Leo's arm. "He's not worth it! And I should know," she added softly turning her head to look at the man she once thought was the love of her life. "Come on, let's play some darts. I have twenty bucks that says Melanie and I can beat the pants off the two of you!"

"Oh you think so?" Jason chimed in. "I'll take that bet no doubt! What about you Leo? You think these two girlie girls can take us?"

Elizabeth watched the corners of Leo's mouth begin to curl into a smile. She knew he wasn't one to turn down a bet especially if it was one that included taking her down.

"You're going DOWN!" He said with a serious grin yet it wasn't lost on those at the table that he had never taken his eyes off of Billy as he said those words.

Billy signaled the buxom blonde behind the bar to fill the shot glasses sitting empty before him and his friends. She smiled and licked her lips seductively as she leaned in giving him a bird's eye view of her ample cleavage. "So, what are we celebrating?" she whispered leaning in closer.

"A win at Bristol," he answered leaving out one critical detail that he wasn't the one that actually won the feature but in his mind it should have been. If only he had had a few more laps, he could have stolen that first place spot from Morgan and next time he intended to.

"Congrats," she purred. "Here's another on the house," she said setting a second bourbon filled shot glass in front of him.

"Thanks. What's your name?" He asked closely giving her the once over.

"Tina."

"Well Tina how'd you like to….." But before Billy could finish his pick up line the sound of Elizabeth Ryan's infectious giggle pierced his ears. He turned to the back of the bar and found Elizabeth laughing with her hand outstretched and Jason and Leo both digging in their wallets.

"You wanted to ask me something?" the bartender's anxious voice finally caught his attention.

"Yeah, I want another one of these!" Billy ordered as he slammed the second shot of amber liquid she had given him. Quickly he downed the next shot and pushed the empty thick glass towards her again never once taking his eyes off of Elizabeth and the others. His blood bubbled as he watched Jason easily slip his hand into the back pocket of Elizabeth's jeans pulling her body closer to his before leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. Billy heard himself growl at that sight. Yet it was Elizabeth's returning lingering kiss that had Billy seeing red. She had never been so free with her affections when they had been together. "What the hell makes him so special?" Billy mumbled to himself.

"What honey?" the blonde bartender asked thinking Billy was talking to her.

"Nothing," he said as he lifted the empty shot glass shaking it in her face indicating that he wanted another. Jason Morgan wasn't just going to pay for taking Billy's spot at Ryan Racing but he was most definitely going to regret the day he thought he could have Elizabeth!

"Fork it over Jorgenson!" Elizabeth said with a laugh wiggling her fingers waiting for Leo to retrieve the crisp twenty dollar bill from his wallet. "Thank you!" she said as he laid it squarely in the palm of her had. "You too mister," she said poking Jason in the ribs. "And you really thought you could take us?" she laughed. "Really, what were you boys thinking?"

"Yes what were they thinking?" Melanie rang in as she too waited for her hands to be filled with the winnings of their bet.

"Least you two could do is buy us a beer, don't you think?" Leo asked looking over at Jason.

"Yeah, a beer sounds good," he concurred slipping his hand into Elizabeth's back pocket pulling her close before bringing his lips down to hers. She immediately melted into him and playfully parted his lips with her tongue letting it dart in and out in a way that she knew drove Jason wild. "You're so bad," he whispered in her ear.

"Don't I know it?" she quipped back.

"So what about those beers?" Leo asked suddenly feeling awkward watching his two friends in the midst of what he was sure was some sort of foreplay for them. And if that wasn't discomforting enough the tension between him and Melanie at the moment was more than he could take. They had never truly addressed their kiss from days ago and then to have her nearly bowl him over with her tight embrace at the end of the race after pretty much avoiding him at all costs just served to cloud his judgment all the more about what Melanie meant to him and better yet what he might mean to her.

"Isn't it the losers who are supposed to buy the drinks?" Melanie asked giving Leo a quick punch in the shoulder.

"You have all our money," Jason shot back eyeing both girls sheepishly.

"Yeah, right! Did you forget I know what you do for a living? Broke you ain't!" Melanie quipped.

Elizabeth let the pair banter back and forth for a bit before offering to go to the bar and get them their drinks. She was enjoying watching Leo and Melanie finally relaxing around one another again. There were still plans in her head brewing to corner her friend when it came to her feelings about Leo but for now it was just enough to see both of her best friends smiling and having a good time.

"Hey beautiful." Elizabeth turned around to see Billy standing inches from her. Instantly she felt her muscles tense. "You don't know how much knowing you were in the stands today helped me." The heavy scent of whiskey on his breath nearly knocked her over. "Just having you there really put me back in the racing grove," he announced gently caressing her bare arm. Billy did what he could to hide his ire as Elizabeth abruptly pulled her arm away.

"What are you babbling about?" she asked harshly.

"It was just so good to know you were at the race today. It was like old times."

"You can't honestly think I was there for you?" Elizabeth scoffed.

"What can I get you?" the young man behind the bar asked her.

"Four beers please," she answered.

"They're on me," Billy offered placing his money on the dark lacquered bar.

"Are you kidding me?" Elizabeth shot back. "Not on your life! Billy what the hell do you want?"

Billy held his tongue for a moment before the word you slipped off of it. The nearly fifth of bourbon he had consumed was getting the better of his good sense.

"Here you go miss. That will be seven dollars," the bartender said giving Billy a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Keep it," Elizabeth returned laying one of the twenties that she had just won from Jason and Leo.

"Thanks," he replied with a big smile.

"Would you get out of my way!" Elizabeth demanded.

"I just wanted to talk to you. I mean my racing…." Billy paused for a second, "it's just been off since you and I broke up but today, well today it was right on target and I know it was because you were at the race."

"And like I said before, I so WASN'T there for you!"

"I'm back in my grove and I know next time I will take first place and it's all because of you!" he grinned reaching to hug her. Immediately Elizabeth stiffened her body.

She stared at him in disbelief. He actually believed each and every word that came out of his mouth. "You have got to be kidding! Really first place that's what you think you deserve? The only way you can win is by playing dirty! You know it – everyone on that track today knows – Leo should have been the one on that podium standing next to Jason NOT YOU!"

"Liz, come on baby, don't be like that. It was an accident that thing with Leo today. I was just trying to get by him. If he would have just moved over none of that would have happened."

"Seriously?!" She was amazed at his audacity. "That wasn't just an accident! You purposely clipped him knowing that he would spin out!"

"That's not true," Billy asserted reaching for her arm as she turned away from him. "Don't walk away from me!" he shouted digging his fingers into her soft flesh.

"Ouch!" she yelped.

"Hey buddy," the young man who Elizabeth had just so generously tipped tried to step in putting a stop to what he saw happening. "Take it easy. The lady apparently isn't interested."

"Mind your own damn fucking business!" Billy seethed.

"I wonder what's taking Liz so long with those beers?" Melanie asked wrenching her neck to see across the bar.

"Yeah, she has been gone a long time," Jason agreed turning around to scan the crowd for the petite brunette. It didn't take long for him to catch sight of her and what he saw wasn't anything he liked in the least. The distressed and pained look on her face was enough but the fact that Weston had her firmly by the arm had Jason out of his seat as if he had been shot out of a cannon.

In just a few strides Jason made his way across the scarred wooden floor and placed himself between Elizabeth and Billy. "If you are ever expecting to use that hand again, I might suggest you let go of her arm – NOW!" Jason barked.

Billy however didn't readily comply with the other man's order and continued his solid grasp on Elizabeth's arm who at the moment was trying not to wince in pain because she knew that any sound from her would only serve to further the already intense exchange and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Are you deaf and stupid?" Jason questioned as he easily reached for Billy's free arm twisting it tightly behind his back with enough force that the other man instantly gave way of his hold on Elizabeth. "Are you alright?" He asked her as she gingerly rubbed the spot on her arm where the impressions of Billy's fingers were already beginning to form.

"I'm fine," she said hesitantly holding back a few tears that were fighting for escape.

"You're a bastard you know that!" Jason's snarled. "It would serve you right if I were to bust your arm right off." Jason tightened his grip on Billy's forearm wrenching his shoulder further out of its socket.

"Trying to put me out of commission huh?" Billy countered trying not to allow the pain Jason was inflicting on him show threw in his tone. "That way you don't have any true competition on the track!"

Jason did little to hold back his laughter. "You – my competition? I could be driving blindfolded and I would still wipe the track with you!"

Elizabeth stood watching the altercation escalate as Billy incessantly ran his mouth like he always did. But when he began a diatribe into how Jason would never be half the man he was not on the track or in her bed she knew he had crossed the line. "Jason, DON'T," she pleaded as she watched him pull back his chiseled arm like a cobra ready to strike.

"Do something!" Melanie said to Leo as she pushed him from the vinyl clad booth. Up until this point Leo was enjoying the show, he loved every second of Jason having the upper hand. If it had been up to Leo he would have let Jason wipe the floor with the ass but he knew Melanie was right. This wasn't going to end well and Leo needed to look out for his friend even if he would have much rather have joined him in beating Weston to a pulp.

As Elizabeth watched Leo come forward she didn't know if she should breathe a sigh of relief or worry that her best friend was just there to offer back up to her boyfriend. On any other day but today she would have bet her life that Leo would have used his good sense and put a stop to what was about to happen but after what Billy had done to him on the track that afternoon she wasn't so sure.

"Jason, man, he's NOT worth it!" Leo stated as he stopped his friend's fist in midair. "Don't let him goad you into doing something that you will regret!"

"Regret – kicking his ass – I don't think so!" Jason's ice blue eyes could have pierced a hole through Billy's heart.

"That's what he wants you to do!" Leo tried to use his voice of reason but all of his arguments sounded hollow. "Don't give him the satisfaction of getting you suspended from the next race. You're best revenge will be beating him out on the track!"

"Jason, Leo's right." Elizabeth's soft voice picked at Jason's ears. "Don't let Billy ruin things for you. He's just playing dirty like he always does. Please, baby, this isn't worth it," she pleaded.

Jason looked down at Elizabeth's face and knew there wasn't a thing he could deny her. "You're one lucky bastard!" Jason growled shoving Billy hard enough to send him sailing to the floor. "Are you sure you're alright?" his voice softening as he reached for her arm. Gently he ran his fingers over the bruise that had started to form on Elizabeth's fair skin.

"I'm fine," she assured him but he was less than convinced. Jason pulled her into his chest large arms encircling her tightly. She willed herself not to cry knowing that would only serve to keep Jason's anger brewing. "Thank you for wanting to protect me," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Jason gently kissed the top of her head.

"So what about those beers?" Leo asked with a lopsided grin in hopes of lightening the mood. Elizabeth held them up for him to see. "Well then I say it's time for a rematch. We are so not losing a second time!" he said slapping Jason in the shoulder.

The remainder of the evening Billy sat perched at the far end of the bar his eyes fixated on Jason and Elizabeth. He knew that he should have exited the bar the minute his altercation with Jason had finished yet he couldn't will himself to leave. There he sat watching the two of them loving on one another, dancing, playing darts and just being a happy couple without a care in the world.

He was now more determined than ever to end Jason Morgan! Billy wasn't about to let anyone take over his rightful place in the Ryan Dynasty and that included Pat Ryan's beauty of a daughter.