Sonny had just hung up with one of his managers on the island. They were still surveying the amount of damage Claudia Zacchara had been able to cause and so far the figure for re-building was well into millions. No lives were lost, only a few minor injuries, but her little pay back was costing him dearly. He would be sure to return the favor. Jason wanted him to sit down and negotiate with her and her brother. The only thing he wanted was them both permanently gone from his territory, but to appease Jason he would pretend to negotiate. Sonny was preoccupied by his thoughts of revenge that he did not hear Jason when he entered.

"Did you try to kill Claudia Zacchara last night?" Jason accused.

Sonny's face snapped up and gave him an irritated look. "I'm getting really tired of you coming in here accusing me of things. Lately, you seem to forget that you work for me and not the other way around. I don't answer to you and I don't explain myself to you." He snapped

"I haven't forgotten that this is your business, but I do take offense if you're so desperate to try and kill Claudia Zacchara that you don't mind taking me out as collateral damage." Jason hissed.

"You think I would actually try and kill you?" Sonny yelled. "Have things gotten that bad between us that you would actually believe such a thing?" He questioned.

"I believe you are hell bent on taking out the Zacchara's to the point that everything else is secondary. I need to know that you're not responsible for what happened last night."

Sonny walked closer to Jason, "I have no clue what you're talking about. This is the last time I'm going to tolerate you questioning me and what I do, but for the sake of our friendship I'll answer you. No, I did not try to kill the she devil last night, but if someone else is gunning for her it would make my life a little bit easier." Sonny nodded his head in a gesture that asked Jason if he believed him.

Jason nodded in agreement and their postures relaxed just a bit. "I'm going to arrange the meeting between you and Johnny. It's important he knows you were not responsible for trying to kill his sister."

"You're really trying to say is I need to make sure Claudia knows it wasn't me." Sonny corrected.

"Do we need to go back over the reasons why you need to make a truce with the Zacchara's? Jason asked him. "You already agreed to the meeting, backing out now will make you look guilty and possibly start an all out war."

Sonny blew a long breath and then conceded, "Fine. Go ahead with it, but I only promised to meet and talk with the sniveling brat, not to make an agreement or share my territory."

"Just keep an open mind and remember what you have to loose if this turns into a war. I will not be able to protect everyone." Jason said pointedly.

"I know, I heard you last time. You first loyalty is to Carly and the boys, everyone else will have to fend for themselves."

Jason walked to the door as Sonny sat back down at the desk. "As long as you're clear on where I stand."

"Crystal" Sonny said as Jason walked out the door.

ooooOOOOooooOOOOO

Claudia had a hard time concentrating on her work. She had immediately gone home after the bar and began to access the danger. She was almost positive those men had been sent by Sonny, but Jason was adamant that they weren't. She needed to check on things in Europe and make sure her business overseas was not in the mist of a coup. When she called her Uncle everything was running smoothly. That meant the threat was coming from here and if it wasn't Sonny then it was one of the other families. That also meant there was another threat to Johnny and this one was coming from an unknown source. She would have to be extra careful until she could identify and eliminate this possible new threat.

She was sitting at her desk in her room perusing through the list of possible suspects. Sonny of course was at the top of the list and next to his name was his number one man Jason Morgan. Just reading his name sent fire dancing along her skin. Her skin still burned in the places where he had touched. She could still taste him on her lips and dam if he didn't tasted so good. She closed her eyes and her stomach clenched into knots as she remembered the feel of him pressed up against her. The heat of his breath. The memory of him almost made her moan out loud, but her cell phone rang and snapped her out of her fantasy. She reached for it and her hand shook when she saw the number. She tapped down her excitement. This was business. She couldn't allow herself to get confused. "Claudia" She answered.

"I'm ready to set up the meet." Jason replied. Keeping it short and too the point just as he had rehearsed.

Straight to business. Fine if that's the way he wanted it she could ignore him too. "I'm not sure a meeting is still on the table. I have yet to be convinced that Sonny is not responsible for the other night."

"Well I am, and I thought you agreed if I was convinced he didn't try to kill me too, you would agree to the meeting?" Jason asked.

"Well may be you shouldn't think so much. I agreed to no such thing and your word means nothing to me. You work for Sonny and for all I know you lured me there for him to take shots at me. Maybe you went and got yourself distracted and couldn't manage to get out the way fast enough." She let the last sentence hang out there, reminding him of the things that had distracted him that night.

Jason caught the not so subtle hint and almost choked on it. "I wasn't distracted." Jason said defensively. "And I wasn't bait for a hit. If Sonny wanted you dead you would be and I wouldn't need to bait you to do it."

No, he would probably seduce her and then take her out in the middle of rapture, Claudia thought. And then she began to think that there could be worse ways to die. She was absolutely positive Jason Morgan could make her welcome death. Stop! Stop! Stop! She screamed in her head as she shook it.

"No meeting." She said again. "I'm not putting my brother's safety at risk on your word." No matter how sexy the lips are it comes out of. "If there is a meeting, it will be with me and me alone. I will take whatever Sonny has to say back to Johnny and let you know his decision."

"No, Sonny is not going to deal with a go between." Jason told her.

"Fine with me." She said and hung up the phone.

A few minutes later her cell rang again. "Claudia" she answered.

"You hung up on me." Jason said in an uncharacteristically annoyed voice. No one ever hung up on him. No one who wanted to continue breathing.

"I'm sorry, did I forget to say bye." Claudia teased. "Look, I'm a very busy woman. I have people trying to kill me and things to do. If you're going to whine because I hung up on you, can you not call me back to do it?"

Jason quickly composed himself. Claudia picked up quickly on his tone and he needed to keep this professional. "I'll meet with you and we will both act as a go between."

"Whatever." Claudia said desperately trying to blow of how significant it was that they would be alone together, again. Her body sizzled in anticipation. She kept her voice distant and cold. "I'll name the place and the time and it will not be up for debate."

"Fine." Jason said. "I need at least 30 minutes notice so I can discuss things with Sonny."

"Ten" Claudia replied. "Discuss things with him now and be ready when I call. I will only call once and then negotiations are off."

Jason stood staring at his phone. She hung up on him again.