An Eye for an Eye
by Cowgirl

part 7

Sonny jumped out of his limo and his eyes immediately scanned Kelly's through the window. He didn't even realize that he was holding his breath until he caught sight of Alexis setting Kristina down in a highchair inside the restaurant. He sighed, she was safe. Maybe he had over reacted to the blue sedan that crept out of the park earlier. He looked around and spotted Francais sitting in his car up ahead of the limo. He moved to it and knocked on the driver's side window. Francais opened the door and stood up. "That sedan was definitely following Miss Davis and her daughter boss."

Sonny cringed. He had been right. "How do you know?"

Francais shrugged. "He followed her down every street that she took. She stopped to drop some mail at a box and the guy pulled over and waited for her. As soon as she got back in her car and started moving, he was right behind her."

Sonny nodded. "Okay. Did she spot him."

"Didn't look like it."

"Could you see who was driving?"

The man shook his head. "I tried, but with mid-town traffic at this time of day, I couldn't get up close to the car. I got someone running the plates for me. I'm still waiting to hear."

Sonny shook his head. "Who the hell would be following Alexis?" He patted his bodyguard on the back. "I'm going in to have lunch. I'll check with you on those plates when I get back."

"Yes sir."

Sonny started for the front entrance of Kelly's but stopped and turned back to his guard. "Francais, line up a few of the guys to do round the clock on Miss Davis and her daughter." He didn't wait for a response but headed into the restaurant instead.

He stopped just inside the door and watched Alexis feeding French fries to his daughter. He took note of the warm rush that quickly passed over his chest and headed to the table. "You gonna teach my daughter the same bad eating habits you've acquired over the years?"

Alexis looked up and smiled, a dollop of applesauce clinging to her shirt just below her shoulder. She lifted the fabric and showed it to him. "She already ate the nutritious stuff see?" she said with a patented Alexis look.

Sonny smiled. "All right then. Did you order?" he asked as he took the seat across from Alexis and fixed his gaze on their daughter.

Alexis shook her head and handed Kristina another fry. "Not yet."

Sonny sighed and took a deep breath. "Alexis there's something you should know," he said seriously.

Alexis turned her head to him. "What's that?" she asked trying to clean Kristina's mess off of her shirt.

Sonny cleared his throat. "I don't want to scare you or anything but I think you need to be aware of this," he held up his hands. "I've already got people working on it..."

"Sonny what is it?"

"Someone's following you."

Alexis hand, still holding a piece of soggy fry, froze in mid air. "Following me? Why would anyone be following me?"

Sonny shrugged. "Beats me. That's what I'm trying to find out."

Alexis felt a chill creep through her. She knew damn well that she had peeved off many people in the last year or two, but who badly enough that they would want to follow her around? She cleared her throat. "How do you know?"

Sonny ran a finger back and forth over his eyebrow a couple of times. "I spotted him at the park. He pulled away the minute you started your car. I had Francais follow the both of you. You stopped at a mailbox right?"

Alexis slowly shook her head yes, the fear beginning to show on her face.

"He pulled over and waited for you then followed you here."

Alexis eyes got wide and she looked down for a second. "My God."

Sonny reached out and placed his hand on her arm. "Lex, you gotta let me handle this for you okay? I'm gonna put guys on you and Kristina round the clock. I've got people running this guy's plate and I'm gonna find out who this is."

Alexis didn't know what was unnerving her more right at the moment. The fact that someone was following her or the ease in which she and Sonny had suddenly fallen back into their old familiarity. She stole a glance at his hand perched on her arm and silently cursed herself for still feeling giddy inside when he touched her. She met his eyes. "I trust you," she said earnestly.

He shook his head. "It's going to be o..." He stopped short when he realized what he was about to say. "I'm going to take care of this." He sighed and forced a smile. "Let's eat so I can spend some more time with my little girl here."
He was smiling but Alexis could see his concern. It was in his eyes. My God, she thought to herself. I can still see what's swimming around in those eyes. She curled her bottom lip and caught it between her teeth. Oh God I still love you Sonny. God help me, she said silently to herself as Elizabeth came over to take their order.

Lorenzo strolled casually through the door of Kelly's and had to struggle to keep the venom that was stinging his guts from surfacing. He forced a smile and walked over to Sonny and Alexis. "Well, well, isn't this touching. Mr. Corinthos and his former attorney, once at great odds, now sitting here enjoying a meal with one another and Miss Davis's very lovely daughter."

Sonny bit down on the inside of his cheek and stood up. "Walk away now Alcazar," he said sternly, but in a calm voice.

Lorenzo leveled an eerie grin at him. "Tell me Mr. Corinthos, a week ago you and Miss Davis could barely stand one another. What's changed?"

Sonny sniffed and glanced briefly at Alexis who looked like she wanted to bolt from the table. "Don't cause a scene here. Just keep walking and do what ever it is that you came in here to do. Stay away from Alexis and her daughter do you here me?"

"Such concern." He swung his gaze to Alexis. "You should be flattered Miss Davis. It's not everyone who gets the protection of the great and powerful Sonny Corinthos. His own wife has even lost that privilege."

"Stay away from me Mr. Alcazar," Alexis stated calmly.

"Your daughter is lovely Alexis. Such a full, dark head of curls...and those dark eyes are intriguing wouldn't you agree Mr. Corinthos?"

Sonny took a step closer. "Take your eyes off of her and keep walking. Don't talk about Alexis' daughter, don't look at her and don't, if you know what's good for you, go near her."

Alcazar swept one arm towards the bulk of the room. "It's a very public restaurant. I'm not violating any laws here."

"No, you just violate women right Alcazar?" Sonny shot at him.

Alcazar chuckled. "I thought that was your job in this town Mr. Corinthos." He turned his head to Alexis once more.

"Isn't that right Miss Davis? Gain a woman's trust, use them for all their worth..." he wagged his head from side to side. "Maybe get them to produce a child or two for you and then leave them high and dry?"

Alexis was determined not to back off of his gaze, but something in his eyes was unnerving her like nothing else. "I suppose helping to keep women trapped on boats or in panic rooms or even kidnapping them by plane is a better way to treat women Mr. Alcazar," she said as she casually handed her daughter another fry. "But we all have our interpretations of foreplay."

Alcazar licked his lips and leaned forward on the table just inches from her face. "Is that what you were doing with Luis? Was that foreplay you were attempting before you threw him over that balcony?"

Sonny could take no more. He forcefully grabbed Alcazar's arm and yanked him away from Alexis causing motion in the restaurant to stop. "Get out of here Mr. Alcazar and you better be listening when I tell you to stay away from Alexis and her daughter."

Lorenzo pulled his arm from Sonny's grasp. "Don't you mean your daughter Mr. Corinthos?"

Sonny stepped forward even more. "That's right." He spat angrily in Lorenzo's face. "That's my daughter and Alexis is her mother and you better stay the hell away from both of them or my ex-wife be damned you'll find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation."

Lorenzo straightened up and looked around the room at the crowd of people watching the scene. "Why Mr. Corinthos, are you threatening me in this very public place?" He turned back toward the crowd. "You all saw him lay his hands on me did you not?"

There was no sound from the onlookers, everyone froze waiting for the next line.

Alexis stood up and brushed crumbs from her jeans. "You were invading my personal space Mr. Alcazar, making threatening advances towards me physically and Mr. Corinthos was only coming to my aid and I'm sure anyone in this room would make a statement to the police indicating just that."

Elizabeth Webber slowly moved from her place behind the counter and stood next to Alexis. "That's exactly what I saw Alexis," she said as she sent a glare in Lorenzo's direction.

Lorenzo shook his head in mock disbelief. "Bravo Miss Davis, but I don't need the legal system to deal with murderers who use their savvy as an attorney to skate justice."

"I think it's time you left the premises Mr. Alcazar." Liz said indicating the door with her hand.

Lorenzo nodded. "As you wish." He looked back to Alexis. "We'll see one another again."

Sonny moved closer to Alexis. "Don't count on it."

They all watched as he pointedly walked to the door and exited the restaurant. When he had disappeared from view Alexis sank down into her chair and sighed, one hand moving to her daughter. "I guess it's a safe bet that we now know who was watching me."

Sonny nodded and sat down again. "You're probably right, but I'm going to keep my men on you."

She nodded in silent agreement. "I don't have much of an appetite anymore." She turned to Liz who was still standing near the table. "Would you mind terribly making that order to go?"

Liz smiled half heartedly. "No problem," she said and moved away.

"I think I should drive you and Kristina home," Sonny stated.

Alexis sucked in a breath. "Sonny...I appreciate your concern, but truth be told having you suddenly back in my life...in our lives is still a little unnerving to me and it's going to take me some time to get used to it." She shook her head. "We've barely had a civil word to say to one another in the last two years and I think it would be best if we kept it to a minimal for now."

Sonny stood up and nodded. "Okay, at least...you know...at least let Francais follow you home."

Alexis smiled and stood up, lifting Kristina with her. "Like I have a choice."

Sonny smiled at her and their eyes connected. "Yeah, well, you know me."

Alexis picked up her purse and Kristina's bag and slung them over her shoulder. "Unfortunately for me, yes...I do."
Sonny laid his hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes, despite everything..." He said tentatively. "I still think you're the only one who ever has."

Alexis found herself drowning in that old familiar feeling of breathlessness that only over took her when Sonny Corinthos was in her presence. "Thank you for defending us."

Sonny reached over and took Kristina from her mother, pulling her to him. "I'm gonna protect her until I die Alexis...you can count on that."

Alexis nodded. "I'll...um...I'll call you later to let you know that we're all right."

"Okay," he said and with a final kiss placed on Kristina's forehead, he watched as his first born daughter and her mother walked from the room. He sighed and rubbed a hand across his chin, his eyes closing involuntarily as he thought about Alexis. It was still there. He could feel it in the way he rushed to protect her and Kristina without hesitation. He still cared for that woman very deeply.

part 8