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Chapter 22
Lila sat in the parlor of the mansion that Edward had built for her. Her finest tea set was laid out between her and her guest. As the consummate hostess she would never let it show just how much distaste she had for the person she invited to afternoon tea. This wasn't a social gathering; no the reason he was here was all business. He was about to learn how badly he messed up in the choices he had made.
"You must be curious as to why I invited you here Michael." Lila started in her cultured voice that held just the slightest hint of an accent.
"I am, yes." Sonny hated to be called Michael, but he was not about to correct Jason's Grandmother. He was a man used to welding power and because of that he recognized it in others. Lila Quartermaine was a powerful woman, not just because of her social standing. No she had been in Port Charles a long time and as a result had some very powerful friends.
"You have made some very foolish choices recently and I think it's time we discuss them." Lila sipped her tea and let her blue gaze bored into Sonny's. "It's time you made amends."
"If this is about Carly." Sonny started.
"Don't you worry we will get to her." Lila let her disdain come through in her voice. "No, Michael this about your choosing to help the Spencers."
"I made a promise." Sonny was starting to sweat.
"You find it so easy to break promises in other areas of your life, yet this one you choose to honor. I'm not an idiot. I'm about as far from an idiot as you will ever meet. You are helping Luke because he has proof that you stole your territory from the Smith family." Lila said smiling.
Sonny's mouth simply fell open in shock. "Jason told you that?"
"No, my grandson is a man of his word. He doesn't break a confidence no matter how badly he is treated. I know because I'm Lila Morgan Quartermaine." The older woman said in a sweet voice. "And you are about to learn exactly what that means."
Sonny felt a shiver of fear run down his back. He felt like he was looking into Jason's eyes the night he tried to explain why he slept with Carly. An ice blue gaze that promised pain on levels you never knew existed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, Michael, that in order to get your territory back from Jason you took out a loan. A loan from another family. A loan that I now hold." Lila poured herself more tea. "So if you don't make restitution for your mistakes, I'm going to take everything you own from you and leave you penniless. Then when I'm done with that I'm going to make a phone call and they will never find you."
"What do you want?" Sonny knew she wasn't lying.
Lila smiled, that was what she wanted to hear. Sonny had no idea of how far in to her he really was. By the time she was done his only choice would be retirement on his private island with his new wife, if Alexis chose to marry him. "You are going to find Lucky Spencer and Caroline Benson. When you do you will make sure they are no longer a threat to Elizabeth Webber. All you had to do was leave Lucky in Ferncliff so that he could get the help he needed. Instead you bribed a judge, one I should tell you who has a hard time keeping his mouth shut, and let Lucky go free. Now he and the Cassadine matriarch are running loose and if one hair on Elizabeth's head is harmed it will be revisited on you." Her voice was still the same sweet one he was used to hearing.
"I have no idea where they are." Sonny admitted.
"Then you need to change that." Lila said nibbling on a scone. "I think you should know that Mary Fitzhugh is a very close friend of mine. She is very fond of Jason and was not pleased that you hurt him. Do you know who she is?"
"No." Sonny said thinking he probably should.
"You really should bother to learn about the people you piss off Michael and who they are connected to. Mary is the mother of Duke Lavery who happens to also be my godson. I will get what I want or he will be paying you a visit." Lila smiled once again. "I would suggest you not waste any time. I can be a real bitch when I'm kept waiting and Duke does not like it when I'm upset."
There was nothing Sonny could say to that. The Lavery Organization was more powerful than the Corinthos Organization. Duke's reputation was on par with Jason's. He was not a man you crossed more than once. He controlled England and was allied with the head of the Irish mafia Sean O'Brien. Sonny had checked to see if Sean was related to Johnny only to learn that the last name was as common as Jones was here. So he dismissed that notion.
"I'll start looking today." Sonny assured her. He didn't bother to try to drink his tea his hand was shaking so badly that he would only spill the hot liquid.
"I expect a location in one week. No later." Lila rang the bell for Reginald signaling tea was over.
"Yes ma'am." Sonny said standing slowly before he headed for the door.
"Michael." Lila called out.
"Yes?" He turned to look at her.
"Congratulations on the baby." Lila said giving him a warm smile.
"Thank you." Sonny said anxious to get started on his search.
"Reginald, bring me the phone please." Lila requested. Reginald did as she asked and pushed the tea cart from the room. Dialing the international number she had memorized she listened while the phone rang.
"O'Brien." Johnny was smiling he loved chatting with Lila.
"I have a loan you might be interested in purchasing." The Quartermaine matriarch got right down to business.
"Really?" Johnny leaned back in his chair in his office. "Whose?"
"Sonny's." Lila told him.
"No shit." Johnny sat up straight.
"Watch you language Johnny." Lila told him.
"Yes ma'am. Sorry." He apologized. "How did you get the marker from Gino Solieto?"
"I had something he wanted." Lila told the younger man. "Namely proof that he was laundering money through Mercy Hospital."
"You are a scary woman Lila." Johnny just laughed.
"Remember that and treat Chloe well." Lila laughed as well. "I gave him the proof he gave me the loan. Now I am looking for a buyer, are you interested?"
"Absolutely." Johnny was going to crush Sonny and if Jason wanted the territory he could have it back, if not Francis might want it.
"Have Diane call me." Lila really liked Johnny's lawyer. "She would be a good match for Francis."
"Already on it. You won't be happy until we are all married, will you?" Johnny was smiling wider.
"I want more grandchildren to spoil. Michael needs cousins." Lila always got what she wanted in the end. "You will want to get to Sonny before Duke does." She planned on calling him next.
"Actually why don't you let me call Duke. I think he and I can come to an arrangement. How long did you give Sonny?" Johnny would abide by the terms she set.
"One week, which means you have six days to find Helena, Lucky, and Carly so that he doesn't. Those are the terms for his paying off the loan. As much as it pains me to say it I think Emily will lead you to them." Lila knew why Emily wanted to go to Italy, and it wasn't to make sure Elizabeth and Jason were okay. Lila knew that Emily was looking for Elizabeth because Helena wanted her too.
"We are already on it." Johnny assured her.
"Very good. Have a good day." Lila said ringing off.
"Yes ma'am, you too." Johnny said hanging up. "At least Jason comes by it honestly." He said before starting to laugh. "And she looks so sweet." He said laughing harder. When he got himself under control he called Diane.
Francis was setting up his office when there was a knock on the door. Looking up he grinned at Diane. "Hello."
"Hello, yourself. I brought you a welcome present. It's the kind of thing a fabulous girlfriend like myself does." Diane said coming in and putting the plant on the desk.
"What is it?" Francis knew nothing about plants.
"I have no clue, but the woman in the shop said it was impossible to kill." Diane said taking a seat in front of his desk. "So, what did you do to my niece?"
Francis rolled his eyes. "I apologized this morning."
"That didn't answer my question." Diane pointed out. She already knew she just wanted to see if Francis would admit it.
"I questioned whether or not she could keep Liz safe." Francis said sitting down as well.
"Because she's a woman?" Diane didn't think so, but she was looking for tells that he was lying. She was excellent at reading people.
"No, because she's a stranger. I don't trust the people I love to strangers." Francis clarified.
"You love Mrs. McCarthy." Diane smirked as she used the fake name.
"She's family. She's been hurt enough. I want to know that the person who is with her knows their stuff." Francis was liking the way the suit showed off Diane's figure. "Your niece accepted my apology, but I'm going to be on my guard just in case." He said with a half-smile. "I checked on your guard as well."
"Really." Diane let a slow smile come to her lips. She hadn't expected that. Her guard had been with her since she came to work with Johnny. "Why?"
"I want to make sure you are being well taken care off." Francis said looking her over. Everything about her physically appealed to him. He loved short hair on a woman. Something about the back of a woman's neck was very sexy. On Diane he was looking forward to letting his lips wander across that skin.
She was getting warm under the heat of his gaze and it was a feeling she really liked. Not many men caught or held her interest. She was not a woman who kowtowed to a man and that didn't sit well with most of them. With Francis she was feeling she found a man who was secure enough to deal with that. "Thank you. Be at my house at seven, wear a suit."
"Would you like flowers?" Francis asked grinning.
"No, I'll just kill them." Diane admitted.
"Good to know. I'll be there." Francis told her.
"Don't you want to know where I live?" Diane inquired.
"I'll do the work required to find out. You are worth the effort." Francis watched as her eye lit up.
"Yes, I am." Diane said rising and smiling when Francis did as well. He was sexy as hell, smart, and had manners, yeah she was keeping him. "Seven." She said before turning knowing he was watching her bottom as she walked away.
"Seven." Francis said telling himself to get back to work and not think about taking her in the doorway of her home when she opened the door.
Jason was inside their house watching as the three ladies tried to decide where to put the furniture that was being delivered. When he arrived this morning they were not here. He had to actively fight to stave off the full blown panic that wanted to take over. If something was wrong then he would have gotten a call. After taking a deep breath he called Elizabeth. She said they had decided to go furniture shopping first and would call when they were on the way back.
After he hung up he called Cody to tell him the ladies were heading into Kildare. The guard said that Siobhan had already called him. She also informed him that Chloe's guard was meeting them in the small town as well. The ladies would be well protected.
The shopping trip had been quicker than he anticipated and since Chloe was well known in the area delivery had come the same day. "You want some more coffee?" Jason turned and looked at the man who had come back with his girl. Chloe's guard was not what he expected. He had been expecting another woman.
"No." Jason turned back and leaned against the door jamb. Then he turned back to face the guard. "Did you help pick out the furniture?" Siobhan was offering her opinion on the placement, along with Chloe. He was watching to make sure they didn't run over his girl.
"No, interior design isn't my thing." Jesse Beaudry told him shrugging. "I do like fashion though." Which is why he worked well as Chloe's assistant. "They did try to get me to give the guy opinion I told them I didn't know you well enough to speak for you."
"Elizabeth knows me well enough so next time feel free to speak up." Jason smirked. He would be happy to let Jesse go shopping with them.
"Your girlfriend is no wilting violet. Not many people say no to Chloe and make her hear it. Siobhan and I were both impressed." Jesse said sipping more coffee. "I took a minute to meet your other guys." He had thought Cooper was very cute.
Jason just nodded watching the three woman have the movers shift the couch again. Finally Elizabeth decided how she wanted it. Looking over at him she smiled and he smiled back. Just being able to see her made him relax.
"They were talking about going into Dublin next week." Jesse said sitting at the kitchen table. Elizabeth had it placed first so the guys would have a place to sit. "Would you like to work out a security plan now or wait until after dinner when Francis is around?"
"Francis is having dinner with Diane. But we will wait until later so that Johnny knows what is happening." Jason was still watching his girl.
"No one will let anything happen to her." Jesse promised. He could tell that Jason was tense.
"I know." Jason said looking at the other man. "I don't doubt your skills." He said looking back as they placed the dining room table. Elizabeth was everything to him and Jason couldn't shake the fear that he would lose her.
It took another hour to get everyone out of the house. Jason flopped back onto the couch and pulled Elizabeth with him. "So what do you think?" She asked him.
"I like it." Jason did. It wasn't overly fussy and the furniture was big enough that he could be comfortable.
"Good." Elizabeth put her head on his shoulder. "Can we stay here tonight?"
"Absolutely. We can go back now and pack. After dinner I have a meeting with Johnny and Jesse, then we can come home."
"I love how that sounds. Home." Elizabeth sighed softly.
"I am looking forward to testing out the bed." Jason said kissing her neck.
"I got the biggest mattress I could find." Elizabeth wanted the same thing. She turned her face and Jason covered her lips.
The kiss was just getting good when Jason's phone rang. "Morgan." He was a bit breathless.
"Lass is foaling so get Liz back to the house." Johnny told his friend.
"We are on our way." Jason said hanging up. "Lass is having her baby."
Elizabeth jumped up. "Let's go." She said running for the door. Smiling Jason followed.
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