Chapter Nine - Hot for the Dough

ZANDER staked out the park all morning. Gia hadn't been home since Spinelli moved in, and she was refusing to take his calls. Now Zander watched as the photo shoot for Deceptions latest perfume ad was shot, with Emily as the model who posed with sex in her eyes as she leaned against the gazebo.

He hoped Gia would show up and check up the progress, if none of her employees tipped her off that her good for nothing boyfriend was there waiting for her.

"Take five, Emily!" called out the photographer "We are losing the light, people. Come on let's get this set up right."

As the crew moved into place to shift props, Emily walked over to Zander.

"You pissed her off good this time, Kid."

"She's staying with you, huh?" Zander asked

"Gia went to Paris for Fashion Week."

Zander saw the lie in her eyes. "She's staying with you. Leave the conning to professionals."

Emily chuckled. "You boys promised this was behind us. I could kill Lucky for going back..." her words held no anger though.

Emily knew Lucky needed the adrenaline rush of stealing like he needed air, food and her. And like she needed him.

Zander lied, "No one went back."

She gave him a look. "That story stopped sounding believable after the first hundred times it was a lie."

SONNY looked at his watch. Lois was late, and she knew how much he hated that.

He ordered another drink at the Metro Court bar.

As it was set in front of him, the bartender let out a low whistle. Sonny followed his gaze to a stunning blonde who was walking in from the patio.

His heart sped up, his hand slid to his gun, making sure it was there in case Jason was with Carly.

Sonny made eye contact with his guard, Johnny, who stood ten feet away.

Soon Carly was across the room, her eyes on him, her mouth turned up into a smile.

"Long time, Son." she said, his words a caress.

Then her eyes moved from his and went to the bartender, "Tequila. Hold the rocks."

Sonny said, "Now, that is what got you in trouble the last time we met."

Carly made her voice sensual as she asked, "You call that trouble? I've been replaying that night of trouble every day since."

And she had, but not for the reason she led Sonny to believe.

"I'm engaged now." he said

Carly met his eyes, gave him a sex filled look, and said "Pity."

Sonny smiled, "Anyway, I don't tussle with boys over any lady. Haven't since grade school."

Carly had to use all her might not to cold cock him over referring to Jason as a boy.

She threw back her drink. Then set in down and ordered another.

"Something wrong?" he asked her

She let her posture soften, as if he had found her out.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for caring though. It means a lot, Sonny."

"Tell me."

Carly gave him an unsure look. Then slowly she made her features change, showing that she had decided to trust him.

"I'm in trouble. My late husband," the one that doesn't exist "got in deep to loan sharks behind my back. They just caught up to me and want me to pay up, with vig."

She gave him a innocent look and questioned " Do you know what that is?"

Sonny chuckled, "I'm familiar with the term."

"Well, the debt is eight years old. I swear they waited this long just so I would owe so much I could never pay it back. They gave me ten days but I don't have it. The money my husband left me is basically gone now. And if I can't find a way to pay up..." Her eyes were big pools of fear. Then she looked away. "Forget I said anything, it's not your problem."

"Do you need guards? I could arrange something."

Her head whipped back, "You'd do that for me?"

He nodded, as if to say no big deal.

She touched his arm. "You're a good man, Sonny."

He really liked the sound of those words. No one had said that to him in years, not since Lily.

Maybe Carly had been scared of Jason that night they had a one night stand, and that is why she pulled that gun on Sonny when he was in a stand off with Jason.

Milo came in before Sonny could turn around and get a good look at Carly's expression. Maybe pressing that gun to his head, moments after they had been in bed together, was the last thing she wanted to do.

Yeah, it was probably all Morgan's fault.

Because Sonny could see now that Carly was just a poor helpless widow without a man to count on to protect her.

Morgan wouldn't have the skills, Sonny believed, to handle getting Carly out of this jam with loan sharks.

He told her, "I'll make this right for you. Don't worry."

Carly gave him a genuine smile and settled into her role as needy female in search of a protector.

Sweet Caroline loved the slow rush of a Long Con.

GIA spotted him as soon as she stepped out of the limo.

Zander jogged over, with a smile on his face, and she knew he was going to try and work her. Schmooze her and make this all fine again.

And if there was one thing Gia could not resist, it was him wearing that Baby please look.

"Baby..." Zander started

"Please!" Gia threw up a hand "Don't."

"You need to come home. Our bed is...awful lonely when you aren't there."

"Spoon with Spinelli."

Zander touched her arm, and leaned close. He whispered, "This is the last job. The last, baby. I love you and I want us more than that life."

"You say that every time." she started to get teary. Gia wanted a husband, a baby, a safe future. Not a life spent loving a man who loved breaking the law.

Unfortunately she had tried to stop craving Zander too many times in the past and it never took. "You con me, Zander. Can't you see that? You are working me!"

"Never."

She met his eyes, knowing he was lying, and threw out the only ammo she had. "I'm pregnant."

His hands were in her hair in a second, his lips on hers, not caring who was standing only a hundred yards away. "Oh my god, baby, that's amazing."

"I won't let you break this child's heart like you have mine. Get out of the life..."

"I will."

She shook her head, saying yeah right.

He insisted, "I will. Just come home..."

She nodded, yes. Because God help her, she loved this man with all she was and always would.

But Gia would not always stay if he kept conning, and Zander knew that. Just like he knew he couldn't stop.

At the Metro Court, Lois was in bed with her lover.

"I have to go," She moaned as he kissed her thigh "Sonny is waiting."

His mouth was making her forget her own name. "Does Sonny do this?"

Lois closed her eyes. She didn't want to think of that mobster, but so much money was on the line that her mind kept going back to the plan.

Finally, with dollar signs dancing in her hand, Lois pushed Jax away.

"You are such a bad boy. This is how you lost your fortune. Spending too much time in bed and not enough conning people out of their money." She told him as she crawled off the bed.

Jax sat up and smiled. "There is always another fortune waiting around the corner."

Lois grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom. She called over her shoulder, "Or waiting behind a painting."

"Exactly," said Jax with a grin.

God, it will feel great to take Corinthos for every penny he has to his name, Jax said silently.

He was getting hot just thinking about it.

Coming up- Carly calls in two brothers to help her work her con.