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Chapter 34
Sonny was sitting in the back of his limo sweating. Lila Quartermaine had once again summoned him to the mansion for tea. He knew what they were going to talk about. His week was up and he had no results to show for the past seven days. Helena Cassadine couldn't be located. Luke hadn't been seen in Port Charles in days. Hell he couldn't even find Nikolas and Emily.
When he got the call this morning requesting his presence, Sonny's first thought was to just walk in and kill Lila. Too just get rid of the meddlesome old bitch. However that was sure to provoke a response from Duke and Jason. Something Sonny was not going to survive. So now he needed to rely on his charm. He was sure he could get Lila to give him the marker. Or at the very least give him more time.
The vehicle stopped and Sonny got out when Marco opened the door. He nodded to his enforcer before heading up the front stairs. He rang the doorbell and got his first clue the coming meeting was not going to be what he was expecting. Reginald didn't answer the door. Instead a large man he didn't know greeted him and stepped back. Sonny was immediately frisked and all his weapons were confiscated.
"Sonny." Duke Lavery stepped into the hall. He was grinning. "I'm glad you could join us."
"Duke." Sonny looked calm, inside he was shaking. Lila had already made her call. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Its day eight Sonny." Duke said letting the other man know he was aware of the deal that had been struck. "I brought a business associate. I hope you don't mind."
Sonny stepped into the parlor and froze.
"You know Sean O'Brien, correct?" Duke asked smiling. He knew damned well Sonny did.
"Hello Sonny, long time no see." Johnny said smiling wide. He was sitting comfortably in one of the stuffed armchairs.
"You're dead." Sonny said crossing himself.
"I assure you I am not." Johnny said conversationally. "Lila couldn't join us. She had a last minute appointment." She was at this very moment at the Port Charles hotel having tea with a good friend. Duke didn't want his godmother anywhere near this discussion.
"Jason betrayed me!" Sonny yelled.
"Because you never stabbed him in the back." Johnny pointed out. "First the drugs and then sleeping with his girl. Of course your actions don't matter because you're Sonny Corinthos. Big fucking man about town."
"I made him, I made you too! Yet you let them take everything from me! Where is your loyalty? You know where he is, don't you? Why didn't he come here and confront me himself. He's a coward. Elizabeth made him weak." Sonny spat out.
Johnny gave his former boss a cold smile. "Duke you have business to conduct." First they would get the signatures and then if Sonny wanted to talk about Elizabeth, Johnny would be happy to. The rest he could care less about, it was just Sonny being Sonny.
"I do. Sign the papers." He pointed to Edward's desk.
"No." Sonny said defiantly.
"It wasn't a request Sonny. I own your marker. Maximus has already approved the transfer. You will walk away with the casinos and your life. If you'd rather I can just kill you and take it. Don't you want to watch your child grow up?" Duke finished calmly.
"You leave my child out of this." Sonny turned to the Scotsman.
"Fair enough." Duke said smiling. "Sign the papers. Then you and Johnny can finish your discussion." Duke poured himself a cup of tea while he waited.
Sonny, realizing that he didn't have a choice, picked up the pen and scrawled his name on the contract. "This isn't over." He sneered. They wouldn't keep him down. When he was back on top they would all pay. Starting with Elizabeth.
"If you want to keep breathing it better be." Duke collected the papers. "You have until tomorrow midnight to be gone. Otherwise I will assist you in leaving." He'd be in a box if that happened.
"What did you tell Jason to make him betray me?" Sonny wanted to know.
"He doesn't know about the drugs Sonny. He thought you were having a bi-polar episode. That is what you have correct?" Johnny had described the episodes to a good friend who happened to also be his organization's doctor. The man said it sounded like the mental illness, but that tests would need to be performed to know for sure. "Since he didn't want you to do something he thought you might regret he faked my death."
The fact that Jason was still in the dark about the truth seemed to calm Sonny some. "If you had just taken the money I wouldn't have had to give the order."
"I don't take money made from dealing poison to children." Johnny told the older man. Duke had sworn to not let drugs in Port Charles. Since he didn't allow them in Edinburgh Johnny believed him.
"The product wasn't sold here." Sonny said defending himself.
"That doesn't make it any better." Johnny couldn't believe Sonny's gall. But gave it some thought and could. The former mob boss was never wrong. "Now about Elizabeth." Johnny sipped his tea. "You have something you wanted to say?"
What Sonny wanted to say was that he should have gotten rid of her when she first started to be a problem. For once he used common sense and kept his mouth shut. "No."
"Good." Johnny narrowed his green eyes. "She is under my protection Sonny. So think twice before you make a move."
"You should also know." Duke interjected. "That the young lady and Mr. Morgan are under my protection as well." Lila had requested that of him when he arrived. Duke was only too happy to agree. He had met Jason, but not Elizabeth. She was a pretty little thing though, and she looked very happy in the picture that Johnny brought with him.
There wasn't a whole lot Sonny could do right now without risking his own neck. He could possibly align himself with another mob family through marriage, but the odds of that were slim. No other family would want him because Maximus had approved his territory being taken away. He was effectively ostracized. A pariah among the people who had once feared him. Still there had to be a way back, and he would find it.
"Midnight tomorrow." Duke reminded Sonny. "We are done, you can go." He said in a dismissive tone. With no other choice Sonny walked out. "Will he try something?" Duke asked Johnny, the Irishman knew him better.
"Yes, but not something overt. He'll target Elizabeth first, probably poison." Johnny looked over at Duke. "Lila will be a target too."
"Go." Duke said to his guard.
Johnny pulled out his phone. "Make it happen."
"Understood." Marco responded. Sonny was about to go on a very long ride.
"So." Duke turned to Johnny. "Is there anything fun to do in Port Charles?"
"That is the last of the papers. Congratulations, you now own a coffee business." Diane said smiling at her boyfriend. "We should celebrate."
"Yes, we will." Francis grinned.
"I'm sitting right here." Jason said rolling his eyes.
Diane cleared her throat and got back into work mode. "Johnny said you were interested in starting some businesses as well?"
"Get out Francis." Jason said not caring that he was being rude.
"You can know mine, but I can't know yours?" Francis said mostly to irritate his friend. He was curious what Jason was planning but knew the younger man well enough to know he wouldn't talk until he was ready.
"Exactly." Jason gave his friend a smug grin.
"Fine, I'm going. I'll pick you up at six." He said to Diane before taking his contracts and leaving.
"So." Diane asked the younger man. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm interested in acquiring some businesses. Some here in Dublin, one other if possible in Kildare."
Diane was taking notes. "Legitimate?" She could make it work either way.
"Completely legitimate." Jason stressed. "In Kildare I want a pub. If none are for sale then a building where I can open one."
"And in Dublin?" Diane asked looking up from her papers.
"A publishing company." Jason told her to start.
"Really?" Diane knew nothing about publishing. She would need to read up on codes, regulations, and laws. She loved a challenge.
"I'd rather take over an existing operation. Less start up cost and it would come with employees who already know the business. I am willing to be hands off. In fact I'd prefer to be hands off." The pub he wanted to run.
"Newspaper?" Diane was trying to get a handle on what type of publishing he was talking about.
"No, avoid that area. Books." Jason told the lawyer.
"Anything else?" Diane like working with someone who knew their stuff. Jason was young but according to Johnny the man had the Midas touch when it came to business.
"Coffee shops. I want you to look into seeing if any are available." Jason told her. "Small chains are preferable but independent shops will work just as well." He could rebrand them to make his own chain.
"Smart. What if Francis wants to open his own coffee shops?" Diane asked him. "That will put you in direct competition."
"Competition won't hurt our friendship." Jason assured her. "Francis doesn't want to run that type of business. He is looking to expand the coffee business." The older man was already looking into importing high end teas and high quality cocoa. Jason had already mentioned the shops so Francis knew about that.
"I will get started on these unless you have something else in mind." Diane could see that Jason was looking to diversify, which was smart.
"Two more things. There is a Harley Davidson shop here in Dublin. I'd like to see about purchasing it. If not then stop there." Jason didn't want to compete with the dealership he just wanted to own it.
"Absolutely." Diane took more notes.
"The final thing I need is not for me it's for Elizabeth." Jason told the lawyer. "She is interested in publishing her photos and possibly showing her other work as well. She will need representation, can you recommend a good agent."
"I can handle that for her or do you want that separate from your dealings?" Diane asked her client.
"Separate. She needs to know she did this on her own." He knew that was important.
"Claire can handle any negotiations, but Jason if you publish Elizabeth's books, she won't be doing it on her own." Diane pointed out the paradox.
"All I can do is put her work on the selves. I can't make people buy the book. So if it sells then she will be doing it on her own." If it doesn't he would be there to support her and encourage her to try again. "We talked about it last night."
"Good enough. I will get started and have an answer for you in a few days. The other matter we discussed briefly last evening will be ready tomorrow." He had updated his will leaving everything to Elizabeth.
"Call me and I'll swing by to sign it." Jason stood up and extended his hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Diane knew the handshake was a sign of respect. The guys may be mobsters, and former mobsters, but they were not the least bit sexist. They didn't assume she was weak because of her gender.
"May I ask you a question before you go?" Diane said walking Jason out of the office.
"Sure." He figured it was business related.
"Cody Paul is a good guy right? I won't have to ask Johnny to handle him." The redhead wanted to know.
Jason just grinned. He did like Diane, she didn't mince words. "He's a good guy."
"You'd let him date your daughter, or niece as the case may be." Not that Diane could stop Siobhan, but she still liked to look out for family.
"No one will date my daughter." Jason said totally serious. He planned on making sure any boy who showed up to take out any daughter of his got an up close look at his gun. "Cody is a good guy, if he gets out of line Siobhan will correct him." Of that Jason had no doubt.
"She will." Diane totally agreed. She just didn't want things to reach that point. "And if you have daughters they will date."
Jason just grunted before stepping onto the elevator. "No they won't." He muttered once the door closed. To be on the safe side he was going to tell Elizabeth that they were only having boys.
Back at the hotel he found Elle reclining on the couch reading. She was learning a lot about her camera. This was their last night at the hotel. Tomorrow they would return to their country cottage and he was looking forward to starting to make it truly their home. The green house was completed and he couldn't wait for her to see it.
"What are you thinking so hard about over there?" Elizabeth asked sitting up.
"We are going home tomorrow." He answered grinning.
"I know." She smiled wide too. "I have enjoyed our time in the city but I'm looking forward to waking up in our bed with your arms around me."
"That sounds wonderful." Jason said joining her on the couch.
"Did you get all your business taken care off?" She knew what he was asking Diane about because they had talked about it in bed last night.
"I did. Elle, promise me something." He said looking into her big blue eyes.
"What my love?" She asked leaning in to kiss him.
He let his lips linger on hers before pulling back. "Promise me we won't have any daughters."
"What?" She asked confused.
"Diane said that if we have daughters they will want to date. I don't like that." Jason said frowning.
Elizabeth giggled and then stopped herself. How adorable was he? Pouting over some guy taking his nonexistent daughter away. "Don't you want a little girl who will adore you?"
"I have you to adore me." But the thought of a mini Elizabeth made his heart melt. "She would be beautiful." He had to admit. "I'll end up in jail." He said smiling at the thought.
"I'm sure Johnny and Francis will be right next to you. She'll have guards." Elizabeth said giving up and laughing.
"Damn right she will. We need to have boys first. Then a little girl. But just one." He said liking the idea more and more.
"I'll keep that in mind." She whispered kissing him again. They were gonna have a house full of girls, she just knew it. "It's tea time. We are meeting Siobhan and Cody in the lobby, so let's go." Elizabeth stood up and walked to the closet.
Jason just took a moment to once again thank the universe that she said yes that night in the park before following.
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