If Only...

Chapter 6

A few weeks later

The huge oak doors opened and Carly stepped into the Quatermaine mansion for what would, hopefully, be her last time. Dropping her small bag on the floor she quickly scanned her surroundings, straining her hearing in case any of the family was around. She could make AJ's voice coming from the den.

Glancing past the stairs, she inhaled deeply, and clutching the papers in her hand made to confront her husband. She halted when she caught sight of him by the windows. Smirking at his back, she crossed her arms, body leaning to one side as she listened to him plead.

"Baby, please...listen...no..listen, I'll take care of everything I swear. I promise..."

Hearing way too much, Carly cleared her throat, enjoying AJ's reaction. His body tensed, his head whipped around so fast she was surprised he hadn't sprained a muscle.

"I'll call you back." He finished curtly; pushing the off button on his cell and looking her up and down disdainly. "So, you finally bother to come back."

"Hello to you too, AJ." Carly flashed him a brittle smile, strolling past him to the bar. She poured herself a thimble of scotch, downing it swiftly. AJ regarded her closely, noticing the shift in her demeanor with him. A shift he didn't like at all.

Needing to take charge of what he knew would be a fight, AJ choose the offensive. "So, I take it you're done whoring down in Florida?" He watched her spine go rigid, could feel the contained rage directed at him, coming off her in waves, and a sick pleasure washed over him.

Closing her eyes, Carly counted to ten, breathing in slowly. She noticed her fingers clutching the glass in her hand, her knuckles turning white. Relaxing her hold, she set it down with slow, deliberate movement. Her narrowed gaze met AJ's and she realized, and not for the first time, that her hatred was getting him off. Most of the time, his taunting would have lead to a fight, threats about Ferncliff and Michael. But not this time. She clutched the papers still in her hand. She had the upper hand.

"Where's Michael? Huh?" AJ fumed, jarred by Carly's lack of emotions. He glimpsed something unnamed in her eyes and felt the stirrings of fear. She was up to something.

Carly smiled sweetly, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "My son is with his grandmother and Leticia settling in."

"What the hell do you mean settling in? Oh. I see" AJ moved closer, blocking her path to the door. "You think you're taking my son."

"Wrong as usual, AJ. I know I'm taking my son out of this hell you call a home."

AJ's eyes bore into hers, anger shimmering in their surface. "So, Jason finally gave in to your charms. Is that it? My brother let you fuck him and now you think you can leave."

Carly tsked, the same smile still firmly in place. "AJ, you only get nasty when you know you're losing." She started to walk past him before her body natural reaction to him became even more apparent and she retched. AJ hand snaked out to stop her. Carly glanced down at where it held her then back at him. "Let go."

"You know better, Carly. If you don't bring my son back, now, I'll have you in Ferncliff before you can blink." AJ hissed, his face contorted with hate, he moved in closer. To his surprise instead of recoiling, Carly placed her hand where he held her and pried him off. His stomach fell when the same smile returned to her lips.

"You know, I'm tired of the "Carly goes to Ferncliff" game. How about a new one?" Carly headed towards the couch, taking a seat and crossing her legs calmly, her arms stretched casually across its back. "What do you say, AJ. Interested?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Dynamite. Or at least fire." Carly held a laugh back at the frightened expression that passed over AJ's features before he'd managed to gain a semblance of control. "On Feb 26, you paid an arsonist to burn down Sonny's warehouse." Rising to her feet, Carly walked to AJ's side. "I got proof."

Putting up a false front, trying to buy some time, AJ laughed mirthlessly. "Right."

"You wanted custody of my son so you blamed the fire on Sonny and Jason's life, to prevent Jason from gaining custody. To make him look bad."

"Jason doesn't need me to make him look bad." AJ spewed, his eyes darting around the room.

Carly crossed her arms; her eyes steady on AJ. "The guy's name is Roger Cordel. You paid him fifteen thousand down and you were going to pay him seventy-five thousand when the job was done. But he hit you up for ten thousand more when he realized whom the warehouse belonged to. You met him on Elm Street pier three times."

"Who told you that?"

"I saw you once myself."

AJ laughed the sound hollow even to his ears and continued his fake bravado. "You think your word is worth anything."

"The police will subpoena your bank records." AJ shrugged carelessly, the sweat on his brow giving away his fear. Unfolding the papers in her hand, she moved to the desk. "Huh? Well, Roger Cordel, he already made a statement he was willing to go on the stand.

"I've never heard of him." AJ pushed past her to the bar, looking at the vodka longingly. He could feel her eyes on the back of his head.

"Oh. Okay, so no big deal if I get this to the cops, then. What do you think Eddie will say when he finds out the CEO of ELQ is going around hiring an arsonist? Won't look good for the company, will it, Junior?"

AJ spun around, his hands up in surrender, a tense smile plastered on his face. "All right, Carly. What kind of deal can we make?"

One perfect blond eyebrow rose. "Deal? You've been torturing me for months and now you want to make a deal." Carly shook her head, a chuckle escaping her mouth. "How do you know I just don't want to see you end up in jail, AJ? It might just be worth it to see what happens to a pretty boy like you up in Sing-Sing."

AJ held back a shudder, her words conjuring up an ugly picture in his mind. "You want a divorce and joint custody? Fine. You got it."

"Oh no. See, I gave you a chance for that and you blew it. How many times did I beg you for that, huh, AJ?" Carly bit her lip thoughtfully, shaking her head.

"You're telling me you don't want a divorce so you can pant after my brother? Not that being married has stopped you." AJ ranted, the last part spoken through clenched teeth.

"I want the divorce but I'm not letting you keep anything that's mine."

AJ smirked, his eyes never leaving her face. "How much do you want, Carly?"

Shaking her head, Carly fiddled with the papers she was carrying, pulling one away from the rest. "See, you always misunderstand AJ. I don't want your money. I don't." She insisted at AJ's derisive snort. "I'm walking out of this marriage with exactly what I walked in with."

"Which is?"

Carly brought the paper to him, holding out a pen in her hand.

"My son."