Gia walked across her bedroom, dressed in a black nightgown that skimmed the top of her thighs, with her eyes stuck on Zander.

His filled with heat, but her eyes told him to forget about it.

"What did I do now?" he joked

"Everyone is getting married...everyone but..." she smiled then patted her stomach "Little one, daddy wants you to be born in sin. Do you have a problem with that?"

He chuckled, then reached out and grabbed her hand, yanking her into bed with him. She laughed and fell onto his lap.

"G, I know you and this is not you. You want a big proposal and a wedding that rivals Princess Di's. I'm gonna give you all that...when this job is done."

"When this job is done," she mocked good naturedly "I am always waiting on some job to be done. Some day when this is all behind us...it better be coming soon, Kid."

He kissed her neck, then moved down to her breast, as he pushed her gown up.

She let out a sigh, that soon turned into a moan, and forgot all about all the ultimatums she had planned to tell him. She had said them a million times before, and she wasn't sure he got her point.

If you don't get out, we are over...

If you don't get out, you'll be dead.....

Gia had a feeling, as she grew bigger and bigger with his child everyday, that they were up against a clock...and that Zander was never going to give her the life he promised, that he simply was not capable of it.

"Oh...God...I love you, Kid."

And she did. But Gia Campbell was no one's fool, she knew all too well, love was probably not going to be enough.

XXXXX

The Next Morning

Felicia woke up, and found that her head was resting on the bare chest of her ex-husband. He hadn't lived with her in a year. She had spent more than fifteen years of her life, of their love, putting up with his career. It never bothered her, as long as when he was home he was really there- playing with the kids, taking her out on the town, leaving work behind.

Then he stopped doing that. The out of town jobs became ones that lasted months, not days. The last big heist was supposed to be his freedom from conning. When it ended he came home, with promises of a different sort of life, but Felicia had started hers early- with Noah Drake.

She ran her hand over Mac's chest. It wasn't that she loved the doctor more than him. But Noah was here, while Mac was who the hell knows where. Noah was stable, and attentive. Mac was into his own thing- like blowing up whatever Robert told him to- and had his secrets, his lies, his agendas. Felicia got sick of that and thought normal would be better...she was wrong...and last night proved it to her.

She kissed Mac now and he came awake. "The girls will be home soon...maybe you should leave...before they think you are back for good."

"Aren't I?"

His eyes held hers, and she felt her heart doing all sorts of crazy flip flops. He made her feel like a teenager, but she knew they certainly were no longer that. If only...it would be so simple then...

"Anna might have a few things to say about that," Felicia told him as she sat up. She didn't hold it against him that he hooked up with his sister in law. Did it break her heart when she heard? More than she thought was possible...but with Noah in her bed what could she say, really?

Mac let out a harsh breath. "Don't tell me you actually believe I'm sleeping with Annie."

Felicia's eyes jerked around. After a moment she smiled. "What can I say? You're a con artist...I guess I bought your con this time."

His eyes ran over her bare skin, causing a slow fire to start in her and build as every second passed. "I want that good doctor boyfriend of yours dead."

"You do, huh?"

"But I won't kill him...I wouldn't do that...still...don't tell me you're in love with him or that you have anything like we have with him...don't say that to me, okay? Just say you are done with him...say this year long nightmare of being apart is over..."

She sucked in a breath. For a second they just stared at each other, and then she was leaning over and kissing him again, his hand was moving to her thigh, and they were coming back together again. For Felicia knew now that no matter how long Mac stayed away, working or conning or setting off bombs, that he would always come home to her and she would always be there waiting for him.

XXXXXXXX

"I'm starting to get nervous," Ned admitted to Jax as they sat on the Quatermaine yatch. Both had drinks in their hands, knocking back Bloody Mary's at nine in the morning.

"Don't punk out now. The odds are in our favor. You got Robert and that motley crew of con artists working on this. You said Faith hired someone too...just find out when they plan on delivering to her and we can be there waiting to relieve her of it. There is no way we can not end up with the painting. We are the only ones who know all the players...no one knows we are in on this together...not even Lois knows who I sent to see Robert." Jax smiled. "We are the ones pulling all the strings."

Ned downed his drink. "But once it is done...think of all the people who will be gunning for our heads...Corinthos...Faith...Lois...two of those our stone cold killers and the last is my ex-wife. Believe me she is lethal when pissed."

"Sonny won't know it was us. Lois won't know how much was in the accounts. Throw her two million and call it a day. As for Faith...you really didn't think we could let her live to tell this tale, did you? She would never stop coming for us..."

Ned's eyes drifted close. He suddenly knew what the bad feeling that was engulfing him was...it was the sound of prison doors slamming close...and a newspaper headline that read:

Quatermaine Heir Convicted of Murder in the First Degree.

Jax said, "One life...for all that dough...it's a small price to pay and you know it. But if you want out...if you want to forever be under the thumb of your family...never have your own fortune to use as you see fit...you can get out now. I can do what needs to be done and gladly spend the whole 200 million on my own. If you want out...say so now, Nedly."

"I'm in."