A/N – Thanks for the comments! Another new character in this chapter. Glad that you liked Elizabeth's strength! * KLJLizFan – No more danger speech but it had to be said. She needed to understand. * doralupin – lol re: OB
I'll be posting a Halloween fic tomorrow! Stay tuned!
Chapter 23 - Changes
Jason sat in a chair and just watched his girl squeal and laugh and it felt so right. He had been through so much turmoil that her lightness was almost like a beacon in the darkness.
Claudia noticed how intense Jason was looking at Elizabeth and couldn't help but smile. It would be easy for her to go in a dark place and she was trying to find the strength to survive all of this with her sanity in tack.
Liz noticed that Claudia had grown quiet. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"
"I'm just trying to stay positive but it's so hard staying here by myself. I feel like I'm isolated again. I talk to Milo here and there but I just feel like I've gained my freedom and lost it again."
Jason cleared his throat. "Claudia, you don't have to stay here. But leaving would be a risk. Even if I move you, for now you'd still have to be a bit isolated."
"I know. I hate to complain."
"You've been through a lot. I tell you what. Why don't I get the penthouse across the hall from us set up? We'll disguise you and smuggle you in. Do you think you could deal with that?"
She nodded. "I would love that. Can Milo visit me?"
Jason looked confused for a second. Milo really didn't seem to be her type.
Claudia laughed. "He's helping me work out and put on some weight with supplements."
Jason smiled as he pulled out his phone and dialed. "Sure." When he finished ordering what needed to be done, Claudia smiled brightly.
"You just made my day Jason Morgan. Thank you."
He smiled. "No problem. You can start packing up your things. The penthouse will be ready by tomorrow evening."
"We can hang out more because I'll be right across the hall." Liz said.
"Good. It will be nice having a girlfriend to talk to."
Liz smiled. "Can you cook?"
"Hell no. But I'm really good at shopping."
Jason chuckled as he stepped outside to talk to Milo.
"So how are you and the hottie doing?"
Liz blushed. "We're smokin' hot."
Claudia laughed. "I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy."
"Maybe we can invite Dr. Hayward over for dinner. I can call Olivia and she'll cook and let you take the credit."
"I would definitely agree to that but I will give her the credit because God knows I couldn't duplicate whatever she cooked."
Liz laughed.
"When my father is handled, we're definitely doing a spa day."
"I've never been to a spa."
Claudia looked at her liked she had three heads. "Girl, you don't know what you're missing."
Jason had walked in the room. "What is she missing?"
"She's never been to a spa."
"I see. Then I guess I'm going to have to treat the both of you then."
"Jason, you've already done enough. I have money. Johnny put aside my bank account and basically forgot about it."
"Sorry, it's my treat. Let me do something nice for the both of you."
Liz smiled. "Thank you Jason."
He smiled back. "We should be going."
They stood up and Claudia walked up to Jason.
"I really hope that you know how grateful I am for everything that you've done for me." She said giving Jason a little hug.
"Everything I've done was the right thing to do. I guess I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner."
Claudia smiled and hugged Liz again. "See you tomorrow."
They left and before Liz put on her helmet, she kissed Jason again.
"What was that for?"
"Because you're very a generous person. Claudia has been through hell and you've gone out of your way to make sure she's taken care of."
"If Emily had to go through what Claudia did, I would treat her the same way."
"Emily would be very proud of you."
Jason gave her a slight smile and then she got on the bike behind him.
"Jason?"
"Yes?"
"Emily would want you to go really fast too."
He laughed. "Is that right?"
"Uh huh."
"Well we wouldn't want to disappoint her." He said before gunning the engine and taking off like a bat out of hell.
Liz laughed loudly. She was definitely happy that Jason came with a motorcycle.
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Gia walked into Jake's and sat down at the bar. She had come to town to find her brother who had mysteriously disappeared.
"What can I get you beautiful?" Coleman asked.
"A shot of tequila would be nice."
Johnny looked over at her. She was pretty that was for sure. Maybe she was just the think he needed to take his mind off of Claudia. He felt like he had failed her in a way and he wasn't sure how to fix it. He watched as Coleman put the shot glass down and poured the tequila inside. She threw her head back and downed it without even grimacing.
"A woman after my own heart. Keep them coming Coleman, they're on me."
Gia openly studied Johnny. He was really cute and damn did he have a killer smile. "Thank you."
Johnny smiled. "If I'm going to buy your drinks, can I at least know your name?"
"Gia." She said smiling. "And yours is….?"
"Johnny."
"It's nice to meet you Johnny. You mind keeping me company?"
He shook his head no. "Let's get a table."
She followed him over to one and they got comfortable.
"I don't think I've ever seen you around here."
"I don't come around very often. My brother works in the area and I'm actually looking for him. He's gone missing."
Johnny took a swig of his beer. "What's his name?"
"Taggert."
Her head tilted as she watched him try to cover his surprise. "You know what happened to him don't you?"
"You might want to check with the FBI." Johnny said before taking a swig up his beer.
Gia frowned. "Why would they be after him?"
"You do know what he does for a living don't you?"
"Yes. He's an enforcer."
"A deadly one but lucky for me, I just survived two bullets delivered by him."
Gia was surprised that Johnny was being so forthcoming. "Why did he shoot you?"
"I was trying to protect someone he wanted. He and Faith were going to use my friend for ransom basically." He said before taking another swig.
"I'm sorry you were hurt. My brother had a hard time after he left the military. I know to others he was blunt and hard but he was always good to me."
"You deserve the truth. I think he might be dead. I'm not sure who did it, but we have received some reports. If you want more detail you'll have to talk to the FBI."
"Maybe I'll just hang out for a while and see if he'll come back."
"Where are you going to stay?"
"I have a key to his apartment. I'll see if the owner will let me stay there for a while. I just have to find a job."
"Hold on."
Jason picked up his cell phone. "Morgan."
"Are you still looking for someone to do paperwork and answer phones?"
"Yes, why do you have someone?"
Johnny lowered the phone. "Can you do basic office and accounting work?"
Gia smiled. "Yup."
"Yes, I do."
"Send her by tomorrow at 9:00." Jason said.
"I will. Her name is Gia."
"Thanks. Who is this person you were just talking to?"
"His name is Jason Morgan."
"The Jason Morgan?" Gia asked.
Johnny smirked. "Yup. Are you okay working in the business?"
Gia shrugged. "I don't care. It's not like he's going to send me out on a hit. I can shoot a gun very well though."
"Did Taggert teach you?"
"Yup. Maybe I could teach you how to dodge a bullet." She quipped.
Johnny laughed. "Want to play some pool?"
"You want to lose some money?" She asked very seriously.
"I like you Gia."
She smirked. "I'll tell you if I like you after we play."
Johnny chuckled. "Deal."
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Jason and Liz were cuddled on the couch when Francis knocked on the door. "Jason, Edward is here."
Jason frowned and looked up as Edward walked into the penthouse.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Liz asked.
"Yes but this couldn't wait."
Liz stood up. "At least sit down."
She really didn't want him to collapse since she suspected that the rest of the Quartermaines would blame Jason for it and they'd never hear the end of it.
"Thank you." Edward said sitting. "Jason, I know I am probably the last person you'd want to see right now. But, I need a favor."
Jason stared Edward down but didn't say anything.
"It's Lila's birthday in a few days and we are having a party for her. It's a celebration. We almost lost her. She would want you there. I know the rest of us are the last people you want to see but it would probably mean a lot to her if you would come by. You don't have to stay and if need be, we can arrange for you to sneak in and meet her away from everyone. Just please say you'll think about it."
Jason sighed. "I will be there for Lila."
"Thank you." He said standing up. "We will all be on our best behavior."
Jason smirked. "Is that even possible?"
"You haven't been privy to her current mood. I'm even sleeping with one eye open."
Jason watched him leave. "They'll never be able to hold out. I give them maybe fifteen minutes and someone will say something stupid and all bets will be off."
Liz chuckled. "Well, I will go with you and if they get out of hand, we'll just slip away."
"Thank you. It will help me greatly that you'll be there."
Liz smiled. She was proud of Jason for agreeing to attend. After everything that happened, he was being an adult about it. She just hoped the rest of them would keep their traps shut because she had no intention of letting any of them say anything negative about Jason while they were there.
He watched her think and then pulled her onto his lap. "You've already changed my life so much and I don't even think you realize it."
She looked deeply into his eyes. "You've changed mine too. I have never fought for anyone like this before and I've certainly never felt so comfortable with a man before."
He kissed her deeply getting lost in the taste and texture of her mouth. His desire grew as his need to be with her increased ten-fold. "I want you all the time." He said before sucking on her lower lip. "You drive me crazy Elizabeth. Do you want me baby?"
Liz gasped as he started kissing her neck. "God Jason you're so fucking sexy. Yes….always." She said just as his thumb brushed across the fabric over nipple. "Upstairs…..now." She demanded.
He stood up with her in his arms and quickly made it upstairs and they fell onto the bed as they tried to strip away their clothes. "Off now." She said trying to get off his offending shirt.
Jason stood up and carefully pulled it off and she sat up and undid his jeans and pushed them down as he stepped out of them. Pulling down his boxers, she grabbed his erection as he kicked them away. Jason sucked in his breath as she pumped him and when her luscious lips slid over his tip he cursed and fisted her hair. Her tongue slid down his length and Jason's hips bucked, forcing himself further into her hot mouth. She moaned and the vibration made him jerk and she loved the power she felt as his knees buckled.
Jason grabbed her arms and pushed her backwards almost regretting his action when he left her mouth. "You're going to drive me crazy." He said looking down at her with darkened eyes.
She licked her lips and smiled and Jason growled and practically ripped off the rest of her clothes, exposing her creamy skin. Opening her legs, he pleasured her with his mouth until she was screaming his name. And when he finally entered her, they both groaned at the exquisite sensation. Jason hammered into her as she fervently sucked on his tongue before collapsing back onto the bed as her body shuddered and twitched. Jason's head dropped back and he moaned her name as his release flooded her body leaving him spent and overwhelmed with pleasure. It just got better every time.
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The next morning, Gia showed up at Jason's office.
"Have a seat." Jason said.
Gia handed him a folder with her resume and sat down and watched Jason peruse it.
"Well, you certainly have the experience. Why do you want to work for me?"
"I came to town looking for my brother. I decided to stay for a while."
"So, this could be a short term gig for you."
"Maybe, but then again, I might have found another reason to stay."
Gia liked Johnny and wanted to see how it would play out.
"Is there anything I should know?"
"Yes, my brother's name is Taggert. I came here looking for him."
Jason's face never changed but on the inside, he had to wonder if she was up to something. Having her close by would give him the opportunity to keep an eye on her. "I see. For the record, I had nothing to do with his death and I'm not his biggest fan. I have a bullet wound in my arm that reminds me of how little I like him. But, I'm not one to judge so all I ask is that you give me adequate notice if you decide to leave."
"That's fair enough."
Jason wrote down some figures. "That would be your yearly salary and of course after 90 days you'd start getting benefits. Now, can you handle working in a male environment? My guys would never lay a hand on you but I can't remove their eyeballs."
Gia smiled. "I can handle it."
"Good, then welcome aboard. Your office is across the hall. Stan is our IT guy and he'll get you set up on a computer and teach you the system."
Gia grinned. "Thank you so much. I'm a hard worker. You won't be sorry."
"Can I speak to you off the record?"
She nodded.
"Are you dating Johnny?"
"I plan to. Is that going to be a problem?" She asked almost defiantly.
Jason wanted to chuckle. He wondered if Johnny was going to be able to handle her. "Just a warning. Please be careful about his father Anthony. He has mental problems and right now, he thinks my girlfriend should be married to Johnny."
Gia made a face. "Did she ever date him?"
"No. But he doesn't care what Johnny wants. He's fixated on Elizabeth because he wants to use her to get access to our properties. When he finds out about you and Johnny, he might not be happy about it. I want you to come to me if you think you're being followed or if something happens. I'll do my best to protect you."
"Thank you. I appreciate it and that you giving me a fair chance."
She had hoped he'd be able to overlook her genes. It was shocking for her to find out that Taggert was breaking a cardinal rule about going after women and children. That was not something he would have done in the past.
Jason made a phone call and soon Stan walked into the office. "Can you please show Gia her office and computer? She's going to be my assistant."
Stan nodded and smiled at Gia. "Please, follow me."
Jason waited until his door shut and called Johnny.
"What's up?"
"I hired Gia."
Johnny smiled. "Great."
"I'm putting a guard on her. I don't trust your father."
"I know. I'm hoping he won't find out for a while. I'll make sure that we're not seen in public."
"Where is Anthony?"
"I don't know. His suitcase is gone and no one will tell me where he is."
"Damn." Jason said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just be on high alert. The families aren't too happy with him right now."
"I hear ya. I'll see you later." Johnny said.
"Okay."
Jason dialed another number. "OB, Anthony is missing. See if you can work with Stan to locate him. If you find him, then I want you to stash him somewhere. I'm done playing games. And if Ronnie interferes then do what you have to do."
"Got it."
Jason put down his phone. He was going to show no mercy going forward. It was the only way that people would stop messing with him. A lethal reputation was worth its weight in gold. If anyone was stupid enough to fuck with them, then they would die.