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Chapter 10

"Have a good time." Jason leaned over and gave Elizabeth a soft kiss. "Max will be sitting in the reception area if you need him."

"I doubt that I will, but it's nice to know that he is there." Being alone was one of the things she was struggling with. At the moment she just felt safer with someone else around. It didn't necessarily have to be one of the guys. She had felt so much more relaxed hanging out with Em and their friends the night before the trip, then she did after they left. This feeling would pass, and in the meantime she would just work through it.

The coming spa treatment would go a long way towards making her feel better. From time to time she treated herself to a massage back home and always felt great after. "Sonny assured me that this location was top notch. Since it's in the hotel you guys own I'm not surprised." She said smiling. They were on the resort grounds and would be hanging out here today because she requested to. "What are you going to do with yourself while I'm inside?"

"Hang out and get into trouble with Johnny and Renaldo. I think we have enough time to get arrested and still make bail while you are getting your massage." He said laughing.

"You'll look good in your mug shots." He was in grey hybrid cargo shorts, they could be worn in the water as well, and a vibrant blue t-shirt. "That's really what is most important."

"If that is the criteria then we should wait for you." Jason liked her pink polka dot sleeveless top. She was also wearing black shorts which was surprising as she rarely wore the color. On her feet were pink sneakers. She had the same style of shoe in about twelve different colors and that had been a bit of running gag when he first started to getting to know her. The first time they exchanged Christmas presents he gave her a pair in black, because he never saw that shade on her feet, which was how he learned she didn't generally wear the hue. However he noticed that she wore those sneakers quite a bit.

"I've never been booked. Emily said it's not fun." Liz said with a sunny smile. "Carly concurs."

"There is a reason we don't let them go out unsupervised that often." Jason didn't want to think about his sister's wilder years. It was never too bad, but Em had really given the family grey hairs. It didn't help that she managed to shake every guard she had until he assigned Cody to protect her. "Go in before you are late." Jason said looking at the clock. She leaned over and kissed him again before opening the car door.

Max was right there to help her down. He had been waiting for her to be ready. "I'll call you when the treatment is done." There was a good chance the spa would throw in extra time because Liz was a guest of the owner.

"We won't be too far away." Jason wasn't even going to be leaving the grounds while they were apart. He got out of the parked car and watched his girl walk in the building. Once she disappeared from sight he got into the backseat of the car that parked next to his. "I need to do some shopping."

"What are you getting?" Renaldo wanted to know. Almost anything his boss wanted could be gotten at the resort. They had a Main Street section just for shopping.

"I need a camera and then I need to go to a jewelry store." Jason replied as he buckled up.

Renaldo and Johnny just grinned at each other. That hadn't taken long at all. While there were many things their boss could be getting at that second stop, smart money said he was picking out a ring. Not an engagement ring just yet, but something so other guys knew Liz was spoken for. "After that where are we going?" Renaldo figured neither stop would take long, with the second being the longer of the two.

"No clue. We can just sit somewhere and wait for Elizabeth to be done." Jason figured they would kill the ninety minutes arguing about sports.

"Camera shop first." Renaldo put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking spot.

"What brand of camera does she like?" Johnny loved gadget stores. He could get lost in them for hours if left unchecked. Today he didn't have the luxury of time to waste so he would have to control the urge to whip out his credit card.

"I'm going to start with the color." Jason had something specific in mind.

"A bold, yet unusual shopping strategy." Renaldo was looking around the store. He shopped here often and knew most of the staff. "The cameras are this way." He pointed to his right. "What color are we looking for?" He was guessing that the color named would be Elizabeth's favorite.

"Yellow." Jason followed his friend deeper into the store. When they reached the correct section he looked around and was surprised to see more than a handful of the devices in the color he wanted. "Everyone take a camera, that way we can find the best one faster. Johnny stay focused." Jason just grinned.

"Very funny." Johnny said moving off to look at a camera.

Renaldo located the camera that Jason decided to purchase. They were heading to the register when the head of the island guards spoke up. "Do you need to get Liz a phone?" The people in the organization carried satellite phones instead of those tied to terrestrial landlines. If she didn't have one now it was only a matter time before she switched over. The store they were in carried a large stock because this was where the organization came to outfit their workers.

"Good call. I may as well pick that up now. Where are they?" Jason asked looking around.

"They are kept in the back." It was an item ordered special for them. Renaldo also began looking around. He was seeking the manager.

"They only come in black." Johnny knew that much from purchasing them in Port Charles. "I'm not sure the covers come in anything but black or camo."

"Elizabeth will not mind if her phone isn't yellow. I just wanted the camera to be yellow because it's her favorite color." Jason told his friend.

Renaldo grinned at being correct. He spotted the manager. "Come on." He lead the way over to the person they were seeking.


"The jeweler is two doors down." Renaldo pointed to his left and they headed that way. He held the door for his friends and followed them inside. "There are more jewelry stores in Dorado proper." The resort was technically just outside the incorporated city limits. "If this one doesn't work out."

"We looking for a yellow stone?" Johnny wanted to know. This was not a place he felt a desire to shop. His watch and St. Christopher medal were the only pieces of jewelry he wore.

"No yellow and no amethyst." Jason told the guys. "No diamonds either. I was thinking a sapphire." It was his birthstone and Elizabeth looked good in all the various shades it came in. A yellow diamond would be used when he proposed, and amethyst was the birthstone of February. That was not his girlfriend's favorite time of the year.

"Mr. Morgan, welcome to the store." The manager came out to greet the VIP customer. He'd never been in before, but it was smart to know the important people in the area on sight. "How may I help you this morning?"

"Sapphire rings?" Jason hated to be fawned over. He preferred to shop uninterrupted, business owners back home knew that. Down here they wouldn't, so he was going to try not to snap at being given good customer service.

"We will take it from here." Johnny said when the manager pointed out the appropriate case. "We will call you when we're ready." He grinned at Jason, his friend wouldn't have said anything. Part of being a VIP customer was getting your personal needs met. If Jason shopped more he would know that.

"Absolutely." The manager walked to the other side of the store and locked the door.

Since they weren't needed Renaldo and Johnny just hung back and watched their boss. Neither one of them was surprised that he didn't take long to make some initial selections.

Jason looked over at the manager who immediately came over. "I'd like to see several rings from the case."

"Let me get a tray." The manager quickly returned with a black velvet square. "What can I take out for you?"

Jason pointed to four sapphires and one ruby. "You guys want to come criticize my taste?" He asked his friends with a half-smile.

"Sure we do." Johnny would not let an opportunity to do so pass. "Nice." He said looking at the rainbow of stones. True to his word Jason had not selected a yellow or purple stone. "I've never in my life seen an orange sapphire before."

"Me either." Renaldo kind of liked it though. "If you go that route you know the ring will be unique." He noticed that in addition to sapphires, Jason had selected only cushion cut rings. Either he really liked them or Liz did.

"Get rid of that one." Johnny pointed to the third ring in the row. "It's too big for her hand."

"I have to agree with Johnny, it's going to look gaudy." Renaldo looked over the selection. "Carly has ruby, so you might want to get rid of that one too." Jason's brother and sister in-law were frequent guests at the resort, so Renaldo knew them well. That left the orange stone, a pink stone, and one traditionally blue sapphire on the tray. All of them would look good on Liz.

Johnny was guessing that yellow would come into play when Jason proposed. So he went a more traditional route now. "I like the blue. It's the same color as her eyes. Women notice details like that."

"I like the orange." Renaldo voiced his opinion. "Mainly for the uniqueness I mentioned earlier. Another thing ladies like." He grinned when Johnny nodded.

"Take away the pink." Jason told the manager. His friends had zeroed in on the two rings that he liked the best. The rings didn't look a thing alike. The blue stone was rectangular and offset with round diamonds in a tapering band. The orange stone was a rounded square surrounded by a halo of round diamonds. It was also the larger of the two stones, not that his girl would care about carat weight. It was a dilemma. "I'll take them both."

"Can't decide?" Johnny smiled at his boss.

"No." Jason shook his head as he laughed. "I'll think on it and when the time comes I'll know which one to choose. The other one can be a gift at some point."

"You can return whichever ring you don't need." The manager let Jason know.

"She will love them both." Jason was sticking with his decision. Elizabeth could wear the other ring on her right hand if she wanted. Once he gave her an engagement ring she could alternate the blue and orange stones. He liked thinking of her having options based on her mood.

"Want to grab some coffee?" Renaldo asked while the manager rang up the sale. "We can sit outside and let O'Brien look at the ladies."

"Like you won't be doing the same thing." Johnny laughed at his friend. "Or are you jaded?"

"I'm very much aware that the island is filled with beautiful women." Renaldo said with a wide smile. "However I am off the market so I will leave enjoying the view to you." He didn't let his eyes wander when he was in a relationship.

"We need to get that story over coffee." Jason said signing the receipt. He had no idea Renaldo was dating.

"I love a good gossip session." Johnny smiled wide. He wanted to hear about the lady that landed his friend.


"How do you feel?" Max was standing by the time she reached where he had been waiting.

"So relaxed." Liz said smiling. "I don't think that I've been this loose in a while." Even before the kidnapping she had been tense due to her submission. That would have passed if Logan hadn't shown up. Part of what helped her relax on the table was knowing Max was waiting out here for her.

"Being down here will help that feeling last." He said as they walked over to the elevator.

"Do you guys ever get a chance to enjoy the amenities?" She wanted to know.

"We do." Max nodded as he answered. "We all get days off while working. Even on this trip we'll get down time. Since we work for Jason and Sonny we get to come to the resort and hang out."

"Good." Liz liked that they treated their guys so well. "Speaking of Jason, where is he?"

"Grabbing a coffee." Max said with a smile. They drank a lot of coffee. He opened the door so that she could get into the SUV. During the conversation he was scanning the area. When she was secured he walked around the vehicle and got behind the wheel.

"Thank you." Liz looked over at him.

"For what?" Max asked confused.

"For being here." Liz was sinking into the soft seat. Max had turned the heating feature on. "I appreciate that you will keep me safe." She wanted him to know that she saw him and what he was doing. That she understood that he was willing to die to keep her safe, and that she didn't treat that lightly. "You could have wandered off in the two hours I was on that table." Walking out to find him gone would have shook her some.

"I wouldn't do that." Max gave her his word that he would always be around. This one conversation let him know that this assignment would be light years away from his last one. Liz would be a pleasure to guard. "I take my assignment seriously." He looked her in the eye so that she would know he was speaking the truth.

Liz nodded having got the message. She was going to respect the working relationship she and Max would have. "Let's go find Jason and keep him from getting into trouble."

"It's probably too late." Max said heading over to where his friends were waiting.


He parked next to the other company car and got out. Instead of walking around the car and helping Liz down, he tilted his head at the car. Jason, Johnny, and Renaldo were inside and they could see him. It was O'Brien who came out. They had a quick conversation before the Irish guard went back in the coffee shop.

"Elizabeth is asleep." Johnny was trying not to laugh. "Apparently the massage worked."

"We'll head back to the compound then." Jason said as he stood up. "When Elizabeth wakes up she can decide if we come back out or if she wants to do something else." Her resting was the most important thing.

"I'll follow you out." Renaldo knew O'Brien and Giambetti were enough, but this was his assignment.

"You can hang out with us." Johnny told his friend. "Call Lee and tell him to come out. We'll play poker."

"I would love to take your money." Renaldo responded as they walked to the cars. Hanging out meant he and Lee would be on hand if Jason and Liz wanted to do something.

"In your dreams." Johnny told his friend.

"I turned on the heated seats and I think that was what knocked her out." Max told Jason. In fact the SUV was still running because Max didn't want to wake her up. "She was happy with the spa treatment."

"I'll make sure Sonny knows." Jason knew that his partner sent people in to make sure things were as they should be. Sonny would appreciate Liz's evaluation.

"I'm gonna ride with the guys." Max wanted to give them space.

Jason got behind the wheel, and when he pulled out the other car was behind him. At the house he kept going when Johnny, who was driving, pulled into his driveway. At the bungalow Jason carried Elizabeth into the bedroom and covered her up with a blanket, kissed her forehead, and removed her brace.

He didn't want to be too far away if she needed him so he sat in the sitting area of the master suite to make his calls. He started with Spinelli, and had his hacker set up Elizabeth's new phone. Then he called Sonny and just checked to see how things in the territory were going. His final call that he needed to make was Francis.

"Corelli." Francis was in his office.

"It's me." Jason put his feet up.

"How is Lizbits?" Francis was hoping to get a call from them.

"Her thumb is sprained, and she's having trouble sleeping. The massage this morning knocked her out." Jason went down the list. "How is Diane?"

"Fine. She never stays down for long." Francis told his boss and friend.

"Johnny said that there was no movement on the Zander front." Jason got right to the point of the call.

"No. That's not surprising." Francis looked out at the harbor. "He's gone to ground and he's too scared to make a move. Whatever hole he crawled into he's not going to leave it because he feels safe. When he needs to make a supply run, or when he thinks enough time has passed that we aren't looking as hard is when he'll surface. Probably the former rather than the latter because he has to know we will always be hunting him." Francis didn't think Zander was stupid, just incredibly cocky.

"Give me your opinion on Lorenzo's involvement." Jason had more respect for the arm's dealer than his partner did. That had nothing to do with Skye dating him. Sonny's problem was really with Luis, but he had no problem taking that out on his brother.

"Alcazar is committed to seeing this to the end. He is not his brother." Francis actually liked Lorenzo. Luis had been an asshole. "Sonny thinks that Lorenzo is doing this because Skye is friends with Liz. I don't. Sonny is not being a jerk though, and I'm thinking that will continue."

Jason trusted that Francis would keep an eye on that situation. Sonny had grown up more over the past few years. Losing Lily had really been an eye opening experience, because no matter how you spun it her death was his fault. He still had bouts of ego though, what kept them from getting out of hand was that Jason had grown into his leadership role. When Sonny got out of line, Jason put him back in place.

"Keep me in the loop. I'm still not sure when we are returning." Jason told their second in command.

"No rush." Francis was happy that his friends were taking this time together. "There are plenty of things to do, and Liz will have fun experiencing the culture. Get back to your time off." No one saw this as Jason taking vacation, they all knew this trip was about Liz.

"Thanks." Jason ended the call, and seeing that Elizabeth was still sleeping he headed to the front to grab a book.


"Hi." Liz opened her eyes and Jason was right there. The last thing she remembered were the heated seats of the SUV. Clearly she had fallen asleep.

"Hey there." Jason closed the book he was reading and put it on the nightstand. Stretching out he propped his weight on his elbow. "How are you feeling?"

"Really relaxed." Liz blinked owlishly at him. "I wrecked our day. Sorry." From the way she felt the nap had not been a short one.

"No you didn't. We aren't on a schedule. We can go to the resort tomorrow. Or do something else if you like. Or do nothing." Jason let her know.

"What time is it?" Elizabeth stretched and told herself that she needed to get up.

"Just past four." Jason laughed at her shocked expression.

"I slept for five hours." Liz couldn't believe that.

"You did." Jason leaned over and kissed her because he couldn't help himself. Not all of the sleeping had been peaceful, but she never woke up so that saying something. "You hungry?"

Her stomach rumbled and she blushed. "I guess that's a yes."

"I'll make us an early dinner, because I skipped lunch too. After we can hop into the hot tub." That would hopefully keep her relaxed. "I was thinking we could end the night with a movie marathon."

She saw what he was doing, and wasn't going to argue. Her body was telling her that it needed to rest because she wasn't sleeping well. So she would listen. If she took it easy today that meant she would be rested enough to go out tomorrow. "Where is my brace?"

"On the nightstand." Jason rolled from bed and when she was ready helped her to her feet. "Come keep me company while I cook. Maybe I'll use the grill tonight."

"I like the sound of that." She said following him from the bedroom.


"Green." Jason was waiting by the back door. Dinner had been eaten and now it was hot tub time. "I was expecting yellow."

"I don't want to drown you in yellow. You'll get sick of the color." Liz owned several yellow swimsuits and he had seen almost all of them. For this trip she packed all new ones, and yes one was yellow. Or at least new to him, a couple of them were even from her summer line this year like the one she was wearing now. This two piece set was one of her favorites. It featured a French cross back bikini top and bikini brief bottoms. The dark teal color looked great on her.

"I never get sick of seeing you. No matter what color you are wearing." He said turning on the charm.

"I like your red swim trunks. I've noticed down here you wear a lot more color." Liz followed him out to the patio and then around the side of the house where the hot tub was situated. "Not that I don't like you in black, because I do." She didn't want it to seem like she was being critical.

"Black is intimidating." Jason had a carefully crafted work uniform. The dark shirt also hid stains well. The jeans and boots allowed him ease of movement that a suit did not. It was a bonus because he really didn't like wearing suits. "I can wear other colors on my days off." He hadn't really been taking much down time recently because he didn't have anything to do. They generally hung out at night because she worked a lot as well. Now that they were in a relationship and would be living together he saw days off happening much more often for both of them.

"You wear whatever makes you comfortable. I can ogle you no matter how you are dressed." Liz said with a lecherous grin.

"That is so wrong, I have a brain too." Jason mock protested as he helped her into the warm water.

"Yes, but that isn't what is on display when you are wearing your jeans." Liz said laughing. "I can't help it that your butt is made for denim." When he blushed she laughed harder. "Get in."

"I should probably call Johnny, I think I need protection." Jason said sinking into the water.

"I won't hurt you." She said putting her head on his shoulder. "Unless that is what you are into." She added at the last minute.

He was smiling, playing with his girl was fun. "Look." The sun was setting and the sky was glowing.

"So pretty." Liz said quietly. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're welcome." Jason said as they watched the sun set and settled in to enjoy their evening together.


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