Chapter Seven

The room was lit only by the flickering light of the television. Nursing the beer that he held in his hand, Logan leaned back against the headboard of the bed. Letting his gaze drift to the woman that was sleeping beside him, curled onto her side, he wished that he understood what she was hiding from. It was clear from watching her with Johnny and just her reactions to certain comments, that Georgie Jones was not as uncomplicated as he had always assumed. Behind the cheerful and upbeat personality that she showed others, was something that he was all too familiar with, pain and anger at whatever had caused the haunted look that would break free now and then whenever her guard was weakened.

Glancing at his watch, he frowned at seeing that it was past one. He needed some sleep. They had a long couple days ahead of them to get out of Italy. After crossing into France, he was thinking about trying to convince her to travel to Ireland. With her love of literature, fokelore, and history, he figured that the beautiful countryside would be something that she would enjoy. Placing the empty bottle on the beside table, Logan laid on his back with one arm propped under his head.

While he could have used a break from being so close to her at all times, Logan knew that it was not going to happen. After listening to Johnny earlier, he agreed that it was best that he kept up survielence on Diego's movements. The man seemed to be able to move around like a ghost, unseen.

Rolling onto his side, he closed his eyes and growled as her scent surrounded him. Feeling her shift and whimper slightly, he looked at her again. Her features were tense and her mucles tightened, almost in fear. Playing with fire, he rearranged his body and gathered her close. When she relaxed and murmured into his neck, he wished that he had drank enough to pass out. It was going to be a long night with her curvy body pressed next to him. But he was beginning to believe that it was where she belonged. She fit him perfectly, which only made him that much more uncomfortable with all the time that they were alone together. It was not helping to stop what he already felt her. In fact, it was the opposite. Sometimes having a conscious sucked, he thought with a frown as he prayed for sleep.

Bolting upright in bed, Georgie scrambled backwards, sleep still clouding her half opened eyes. Striking out at the hands that reached for her, she cried out.

"Georgie!" Logan tightened his grip on her forearms and cursed as she kicked at him. Afraid that she would hurt herself by struggling, he trapped her underneath him and pinned her to the bed, keeping the pressure of his own body light but with enough force that she could not wiggle away. "Come on, baby! Wake up. It's okay. You are okay," he whispered urgently as she went completely still.

"L-logan?"

Releasing the hold on her arms, he brushed a lock of hair away from flushed face. "Yea, it's me." When she started to try and slide out from under him, he immediately stilled her retreat by letting more of his weight trap her. "Hey, stop. It's okay, Georgie. Talk to me. Tell me what is wrong."

"N-nothing," she stuttered while avoiding looking at him. "Just a bad dream."

Capturing her chin, he stilled her movements. "One that gets worse each time that you fall asleep. I admit that this is the first time that you have really dreamed enough that you screamed out, but you have been restless and whimpering in your sleep every since we left Port Charles."

Dropping her head back into the pillow, she shook her head as he thumbed a tear off of her face. "Please, just leave it alone, Logan. I am fine, I promise."

Moving so that he was on his side, Logan adjusted his hold on her so that her back rested against him. Her head was tucked under his chin and he soothed her hair behind her ear. "You are hurting, Georgie. A blind person could see that. Do not shut me out, baby girl. I just want to help you."

"No one can erase the past," she muttered before thinking. "Logan, I am sorry that I woke you and that I am disrupting your sleep."

Frustrated, he clenched his teeth but kept his body relaxed. He knew that she trusted him with her life, that he was sure of after the last couple of days. But evidently she was unwilling to talk about her demons. "I'm not upset over you waking me up, Georgie. I just don't want you to hold all this in and give it power over you." Feeling her tremble, he kissed her temple. "But I won't push you. You can always talk to me, whenever you choose to." He darted a glance at the clock and saw the red light illuminating that it was just after four. "Get some sleep, doll. I will be right here. We have to leave in about three and a half hours."

Her breathing evened out to a rythemic pattern. He had thought that she had finally fell back asleep when she curled her fingers around his larger hand that rested on her abdomen. "You are helping me," she whispered. "More than you realize, Logan."

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Rain splattered on the windshield, creating a soothing sound. The CD player was on low with an older song of Brooklynn's filling the car as she stared out the window. Every so often, Georgie would hum along or tap her fingertips to the beat. Logan finally chuckled, catching her attention.

"What's so funny?"

"You."

Twisting in the seat, she laughed. "Why? Because I like music?"

"Nope."

Confused but intrigued, she nibbled on her bottom lip while continuing to watch the amused man sitting beside her, focusing on the rain slicked road while also watching her occasionally. "Care to enlighten me?"

"I could, but it is more fun this way." Knocking down the chip that she tossed at him, he gave her a mock scowl. "You would think that a police comissioner's daughter would have better sense than to start a food fight with a person driving her down the road."

"No wonder you get under Maxie's skin so bad. You two are so much alike that it is scary at times."

"Ha! Your sister and I are nothin alike. The only thing that we have in common is Coop," he sneered. "You don't see me worry that my shoes don't match my purse."

Choking on the sip of hot chocolate that she had just taken, Georgie coughed until her eyes watered. "Please stop," she begged as she gasped for air, missing the way that his eyes darkened and his head jerked in her direction. "I think that you are trying to kill me."

The ringing of the phone in between them cut off their conversation. Looking at the screen, Logan wondered what was happening now. "Yeah?" Listening to the other person, he slowed down and pulled off to the side of the road as Georgie watched him with wide, worried eyes. "No. I remember it clearly and they did not touch at all, not once." After several more minutes of listening, he gave a terse nod and grounded out a goodbye.

Waiting several minutes, Georgie finally reached over laid her hand on his thigh as the silence stretched out. "Logan?"

Jerking out of his thoughts, he exhaled heavily. "Brenda, Coop's damn aunt, just left Diego's. O'Brien thought that she may have planted a tracking device on you, but she never touched you or anything that either of us were wearing. But it can't be one big damn coincidence that he and most of his men are now getting ready to leave for France, exactly where we were planning on going."

"Dammit!" Burying her head in her hands, Georgie struggled to maintain her composure.

"Georgie."

"What?" she snapped. "How in the hell did they know, Logan? Why won't this freaking end?"

Pushing back his own anger, Logan kept his voice even. "It will end. And this time, we have the advantage. Instead of crossing the border into France, we are going to take change our route completely."

"All that will do is slow him down. He is not going to stop coming after me, Logan!"

"Listen to me!" he demanded, his voice harsher than he intended. Gripping her shoulders, Logan turned to look her directly in the eyes. "Diego is not touching one little hair on your head. None of us will let that happen. Elizabeth is pushing for us to head to Corinthos' private island, but there are several severe storms in that area. It is too risky to fly there. For now, we are going to head to Switzerland." Wincing a bit, he sighed. "We just have to keep moving."

"Fine," she hissed out. "So how many more days until we hit that border?"

"Three, maybe. But that is stopping for the day at the next town. With Diego going to France, we are taking a break and getting some real rest. You also need the rest of the day to relax and try to get your mind off this."

"While everything else sucks, I like that idea," she admitted, her voice steadier.

"Yeah, well, I think that we deserve it. We've been on the move constantly." Making sure that she was settled, he pulled back out on the road. "Also, Jason wanted me to let you know that your family back home all have guards, at a distance of course. And I guess Zacchara got word that you were in danger. He offered whatever help he could, but Jason is trying to leave him out of it."

Surprised, a faint smile curved her lips. "He would."

Glimpsing the expression, he was curious. After Johnny Zacchara and their problems over Lulu, Logan had not had much use for the other man. He tended to be more arrogant and cocky than himself, which said a lot. "You two are close?"

"Not really. I see him around some, especially at the diner. But Johnny is not as bad as people think. His father is the crazy one, though. Anthony was giving me a hard time on the piers one night about three months ago. Johnny came along and handled it, then apologized. Every since then, he checks up on me from time to time." She gave him a wicked grin. "But I really think it is because he likes Brook. She always tends to come up in conversation. Too bad I think that she would chew him up and spit him out. She may look all sweet and innocent, but Brook tends to be a handful."

Logan tried to restrain his laughter but failed, feeling some of the tension drain from his body. "Hate to tell you this, darlin, but Brook looks anything but innocent. She looks like trouble on two legs. Maybe she is just what Zacchara needs."

Amused, she giggled at the thought. "That's awful, Logan. They would kill each other."

"But have a hell of time while doing it."

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Watching as she closed and relocked the door, he waited, observing her. He wanted answers. The woman that he remembered from years ago would have never betrayed the trust of her friends. He had already searched the small cottage and come up with no reason for her actions, other than the one that they had already located. To say that he was pissed was an understatement.

Stepping out of the shadows when she entered the kitchen, Johnny cleared his throat. "Long time no see, Brenda."

Startled, Brenda screeched as she whirled around, her face a combination on fear and disbelief. "Johnny? But I thought..."

"That I was dead?" He stepped closer and watched as she took a step back. "Obviously I am alive and well. I think the better topic of conversation is you, Brenda. How in the hell can you even live with yourself? Do you have no conscious or compassion for Georgie? You know, Robin's little cousin, the one that you sold out to Diego Alcazar? Robin, who you always said was your best friend."

Steeling her spine, Brenda stepped forward, pointing a finger at him. "How was I to know that he was after her?"

Not convinced by the sad eyes and outraged look, Johnny gave her a sarcastic look. "Give it a break! You are standing there, lying to my face! Did you honestly think that a man thought to be dead was looking for a girl that he blamed for his cousins death to say hi? A girl that you damn well know that he hurt in the past." Seeing her flinch, he growled. "Or did you forget that? Because I can guarante that Georgie hasn't. How could you stand there and try to justify what you did, Brenda?" he thundered, his voice booming. "I was working for Lorenzo at the time, trying to gain an inside on his operation for Jason! I know that you were there when Lorenzo turned on Diego. Hell, he cut his own son's protection off once he knew!"

"Lorenzo is weak!" she screamed back. "He always was! Luis was the strong one! And Diego is more like his uncle than his waste of a father!"

"So you suddenly think that the man that drugged and lied to you for months was a damn saint? God! I think you really are a crazy bitch! You were a pawn, used to get one over on Sonny! He used you, Brenda! And because you are so blind and irrational, you are offering Georgie up to a delusional man following in his footsteps!"

Sniffing, she glared. "I only told him that I saw her and where. It's not like I handed her to him."

Aggravated, he ran a hand through his dark hair. "If you were a man, I would kill you, Brenda. I would still consider it, but you are a waste of my time. But think on this, Jason knows, and so will Robin. You have lost everybody in Port Charles that ever had a single ounce of respect for you. Do you honestly think that Mac Scorpio, Frisco, or even Sonny will take kindly to this?"

"I didn't do anything wrong!" she protested, her whine irritating him. "All I did was mention that she was here with that guy."

"Bullshit! You have known that he was alive for over a year!" Seeing her pale, he smirked. "You should've know that Bernie would find the money that he has been giving you. Your dumbass did not even attempt to hide the source. And it makes me wonder how informed you have kept him on Georgie this entire time. When Elizabeth asked Robin, she said that you have been calling more than you normally do. Asking about the girls and everyone. It's over."

"Like I said, I did not do anything." Picking at her nails like she was bored, she yawned. "I am no longer blinded by Sonny or Jason. You all are a bunch of cowards that just left me to rot on my own. Diego offered me support. All he wanted was some information. Big deal. Are you gonna call the cops, O'Brien?" she sneered.

"No. But as your closest relative, I must admit that I am concerned about your mental state." Hearing the gasp, Julia glared at her sister after stepping out of the room where she had been listening. "And since you are obvious deranged, I think that you need an evaluation, a real one."

"No! You can't do that!"

"But I can, and I am. You are puposely hurting a young woman, Brenda. Nothing excuses that."

Johnny opened the back door and let in the two orderlies that were waiting. Scorn filled his eyes as he watched Brenda try to fight them off and then was dragged out of the house. Rubbing his temples, he grimaced at the headache that was building.

"I can't believe that she is that far gone. It makes me wonder when she snapped."

"We all missed it, Jules. I think that her lack of confidence and needy nature finally just overtook her humanity."

Still sick at what she had heard, Julia nodded. "Are you close to finishing this? I miss you at home."

Giving her a cocky grin, Johnny pulled her close and kissed her. "I miss you too. But until Diego is no longer a problem for Georgie, I have to.."

"I know." Cutting him off, Julia sighed, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Please tell everyone that I will make sure that Brenda gets the care that she needs. And tell Georgianna that I..."

"No, Jules. You are not responsible for her actions. They will all understand that." Seeing one of the men that Jason had sent, he gave her a look that she had come to know all too well in the past year. "I'll be be home as soon as I can. You take care. And remember if you talk to Coop, nothing about this or Logan and Georgie for now. It's safer that way."

"I know. I think that I will call and poke around to see how Maxie is though. Even though brenda and I weren't close like they are, I can only imagine what a mess she is over her baby sister being gone." Kissing him again, she sighed. "Be careful, Johnny."

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Throwing the dart at the worn board, Georgie did a little dance as she hit the center and spun to face him. "See! I told ya that I could play."

"Is there anything that you can't do?" he teased, happy to see her smiling and having a good time. Granted, bringing her into a small bar was probably not the best form of entertainment, but it was the compromise of no getting drunk that had finally had him relent and agree after seeing the sign out front.

Reaching for her beer, she wrinkled her nose as she thought it over. "Hmm, let me think for a sec. Oh I know! I can't pee standing up."

Choking on his own beer, Logan blinked as he mentally counted her beers. Only two. There was no way that she was drunk, was there? Catching the sparkle in her eyes, he grinned. "You're in a rare mood tonight. You aren't drunk yet, are ya?"

Collecting her darts from the board, she snickered. "I may not be a pro at drinking, but it takes more than two, Logan. I'm just in a good mood. They do happen, ya know."

"I guess that I just have never really seen it. You're usually working all the time back home."

Leaning her hip against the table, she watched as he threw. Wincing as he nailed two of the three, she pouted a bit. "Damn cowboy," she muttered. "I should've known that you would beat me at any bar game."

"Hey, girl. You are the one that picked the game," he protested with a smug look. "Don't get all pissy now. We could try pool if you want."

"No thanks. I kinda stink at it. I'll stick to darts."

Finishing off his drink, he looked at her. "You want another?"

"I want a shot of tequila," she immediately responded.

Logan shook his head. "No way in hell, baby girl. You are not getting freakin plastered tonight."

Pouting slightly, she moved to take her turn. "It's one shot, Logan. I'm not underage or anything. And I do shots with Liz, Robin, Kelly, Laney, and Nadine at Jake's. As long as I stay under four or five, I will be fine."

Not thrilled, he grimaced. "Limit is one tonight. And one more beer and then we're heading back. He gotta hit the road in the morning."

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Georgie saw that it was close to eleven and sighed. Just forgetting about everything for a couple hours had made a huge difference. After finding a hotel, they had immediately left and set out to enjoy the day. First stop had been lunch at a bistro. Afterwards she had dragged him through a gallery. While he had not uttered one word of protest, Georgie knew that Logan had been bored and restless. It was after strolling through the stores later on that they had entered the small bar that had signs out front for steaks. The food had been delicious and she had to say that having a couple drinks was certainly helping to keep her relaxed.

Sliding the shot over to her, Logan joined her at the table. Snorting as she downed the alcohol and chased with a drink of the beer, he laughed. "I bet that all you gals are a handful at Jake's."

"Only Kelly, well most of the time anyway. We tend to have to protect the male customers from her once she has a few. Poor Milo tries to beg off guarding Elizabeth on the nights that we go out." Giggling, she twisted the chain of her necklace. "Kelly tried to take him home one night and was not accepting no. It was fun to see Milo the shade of a tomato."

Filing that piece of info away to be used later, Logan drained his beer and stood, holding out a hand to her. "Come on, chickadee."

Walking the block back to their room, Logan was amused by the chatterbox that Georgie became when she had some alcohol in her system. In the few years that he had known her, he had never seen her so open and talkative. The carefree side of Georgie was a pleasant surprise and one that he enjoyed.

"You aren't the perfect princess all the time, are ya?" he teased when she flopped onto the bed and pulled her shoes off.

"I never claimed that I was perfect, Lo. That is just what everyone else likes to think." Tossing one of her shoes at him with a wink, she stood to go change.

"Not so fast!" Grabbing her around the waist, Logan backed her into the wall playfully. But when her eyes darkened and her breathing hitched, he paused. Standing there with his hand spanning her small waist, Logan rested his forehead against her. "Georgie..."

Not wanting to hear anything, she shifted and brushed her lips against his lightly. But that one move caused him to take control, increasing the kiss. When his tongue ran along the seam of her lips, she moaned and opened for him. Gradually, the intensity increased until they both had to break away to get air.

"Wow."

Cupping her face, Logan searched her eyes but saw no regrets, only desire swirling their depths. "That's an understatement, baby doll."

Curling her fingers into the material of his shirt, Georgie pulled him closer to her. "You aren't what I expected, Logan." Feeling him inhale sharply as their bodies collided, she gave him a timid, but sly smile. "But I have to admit, I like this you."

Delving one hand into her hair, he let the other trail down her side and cup her rear while his lips trailed moist kisses along her neck. "You're so freaking beautiful, Georgie girl, more than you know." Feeling her shiver as his breath whispered along her ear, he nipped at the lobe. "But I think..."

Sighing, she let her hands drop and ducked away from him. Keeping her back to him, she grabbed her night clothes. "It's okay, Logan, I get it."

"Uh uh. Not so fast. I don't think you do understand, Georgie." Moving in front of her, he blocked her path and had to grasp her elbow to keep her from sliding around him.