Staring down the enemy, the muscles in his legs twitched as he anticipated the next strike. Beady, angry eyes glared back at him. Neither moved as each calculated the other's next move. Wanting nothing more than to wrap his hands around the asshole's neck and squeeze until he heard bones crushing. He wanted to watch as blood vessels burst in the whites of his opponent's eyes.

"You're awake." Sonny's pleased voice came from the direction of the door. "Jase, what's going on."

Jabbing a finger over at the hissing cat in the corner of the room, Jason snarled. "Freaking cat scratched me."

Brown, amused eyes flickered from one side of the room to the other. "I don't think Elizabeth would appreciate having her cat abused by the man who's life she saved."

His lip curled in disgust, Jason refused to shift his eyes from his pray. "I'll be doing her a favor."

"Are you sure about that? She seems pretty attached to that animal."

"I'll make it look like an accident." Nearly growling now, Jason ignored the stinging slash on his chest.

This time Sonny was unable to swallow the laugh he'd been holding back. "Jase you can't hurt the cat."

"No." Clenching his right hand into a fist, Jason kept his eye on the prize. "I think you'll find that I can."

"Well when you're done with that we need to talk about Lansing." Meeting Jason's eyes dead on, Sonny said. "He came by yesterday."

"How long was I out?"

"A day." Acting as though he'd only been down for a nap instead of being unconscious for a day, Jason gritted his teeth as he recalled his weakened display in front of Elizabeth. On his hands and knees, his head shoved in the bowl like some frat boy, while barking odd instructions at her.

Smooth.

It amazed him that she hadn't kicked them all out, packed a bag and left town.

"What happened?" With his attention off the cat, the feline hissed one last time before bolting for the door.

"With you or Lansing?" Closing the door behind him, Sonny took a look around the room he'd become familiar with over the last day.

"I don't give a crap over what happened to me." Feeling a tension headache coming on, Jason flinched at the thought of taking anything for it. "What did Lansing want?"

The only sign of irritation Sonny showed was the slight tick in his right eye. "You know the usual. Intimidate an innocent woman with empty threats."

Anger shot through him like a bullet. "Was anyone here with her?"

"Francis was. I showed up just as she was telling him to take a hike." Pausing, Sonny looked as though he were trying to decide his next words. Jason hated when he did that. It meant something was going to piss him off and Sonny was only trying to soften the blow. "I think he's going to make things hard for her."

"I know." And he did. He'd made a huge mistake by using her as an alibi, now he needed to make sure the backlash didn't effect Elizabeth's life. At least any more than it already had been.

"I know that look Jase, we can't keep her clean from the mud that's gonna be thrown. Lansing is pissed. His little raid the other night cost him a few favors he didn't have to begin with. Judge Peters is breathing down his neck now. He wants someone to pay and he doesn't really care who."

"Elizabeth." Jason growled.

Pinching his lips into a frown, Sonny gave a sharp nod. "It'd be Lansing's style."

Needing something to do, the energy built up inside him like a over wound toy, Jason turned his back and strode across the room to the small window that looked over the back yard and woods. "I won't let that happen."

"You're good but you're not that good. He's not going to physically attack her. He's going to decimate her by tarnishing her reputation." Staring at Jason's back to see if his words were penetrating his best friend's thick skull, Sonny sighed. "We need to decide right now what we're going to do with her."

Swinging around to face Sonny, Jason felt his blood turn cold. "What're you talking about?"

"We either need to keep her far away from us and our business. Or we make it well known she's under our protection." Sonny's sharp eyes narrowed. "What did you think I was talking about?"

"Nothin'." Turning back to the window, Jason nearly laughed at his stupidity. Christ, what was wrong with him? "I don't want her involved in any of this."

"Okay then, we make sure she's kept away." Not looking convinced over the decision, Sonny didn't argue with it either. "Think you can handle that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

With a heavy sigh only a man who's stuck in the middle of a conversation involving feelings and emotions, Sonny looked a little uncomfortable. "Jase I can see you're interested."

Scoffing in disbelief, Jason ran a hand through his bedhead. "Are you kidding me? She's a pain in the ass."

"No she's not." Sonny laughed. "She makes you feel something no other woman has in quiet awhile."

"So what. She's nice looking. Doesn't mean anything."

"Okay. So we're in agreement. No more contact unless we have to."

"Exactly." Nodding, hating the empty, sick feeling in his stomach, Jason turned back to the window.

"Like this?" Francis looked down at his sticky hands in disgust. "This shit is gross."

Stifling a laugh, Elizabeth looked over at the large man who's hand's were covered in paper mache paste. "I told you I could do it."

Looking even more ill at the though of allowing her to stick her hands into the tub of paste, Francis shook his head. "It's fine."

"Well thank you." Looking over at the pile of torn newspaper, Elizabeth tried to ignore the low male murmurs from upstairs. Knowing that Jason was alright and her actions hadn't killed him, she tried to make herself relax.

Which meant she was tense, anxious and ready to explode. So she did what she always did when she couldn't keep herself still. Jumping into an Arts and Crafts project burned some of her bottled up tensions.

"So what're you making?" Looking back down at his hands, almost deciding what to do he only hesitated a few seconds before heading right over to the sink.

"Halloween pinatas." Grabbing a balloon and blowing it up, she went to grab for another. Watching the man from the corner of her eye, Elizabeth didn't quiet know how to take him.

He was dangerous. That was a given. There was no missing the steel edge in his eyes. The precise way he controlled his movements. For someone so bulky, he had the grace of a ballerina. Which she'd never tell him, seeing that he may not find it much of a compliment. Francis almost reminded her of a little of Jason, except he didn't have the magnetic presence his boss did.

"That isn't until next month."

Blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes, Elizabeth picked up another balloon. "I like to get a head start on things." Hoping a neon sign flashing lair wasn't over her head, Elizabeth busied herself again. Thankfully not pushing the matter, Francis picked up a balloon for himself.

"So you like doing this stuff?"

With a balloon in her mouth Elizabeth nodded a little uncomfortably. She was a geek. There was no denying it. She'd never be one of those women who oozed sex. Who could draw a man to her with just a look. No man was ever turned on by paint stained hands.

"I've never been good at this crap." Blowing up a balloon, he looked over at the tub of paste with a suspicious eye. Tying up the end, he cleared his throat. "My girl has a little boy. Think you could teach me how to make one?"

"I - You want me to teach you how?"

"Well, you don't have to." His cheeks tinted with red, Francis suddenly seemed like a cuddly teddy bear.

"I'd love to." Reaching over and squeezing his forearm in assurance.

"What the hell is going on?" Standing in the entrance of the kitchen, his eyes blazing, Jason looked ready for a fight. While Sonny stood behind him, with an amused gleam in his eyes.