“What
the hell are you sayin’?” he demanded, angry beyond reason.
This was not the time for Alexis to exert her famous stubborn streak.
“I don’t know. I just can’t let you lose your children.
You’re not going to run, so we’ll have to find another
way.”
“There is no other way,” he snapped. “You said it
yourself: they got a solid case against me. The hit man, this supposed
source, and you. Either I run or we both get hauled into court.
You wanna let that happen?”
“No,” she said firmly. “But I also don’t want
you to be a fugitive traipsing all over the world with police after
you.”
He wouldn’t admit to himself how much the tender concern in
her voice meant to him. His heart softened within him. “Lex,
I know how to take care of myself,” he told her.
She nodded. “Yeah, but you’re not Superman. We both know
it only takes one slip up for things to go horribly wrong. Remember
that Christmas at the PCPD? With Em and Zander? Neither of us saw
the gunmen, Sonny. And then there was just this…noise…and
the blood. And you could have…”
He felt her shudder, one of her hands slipping upwards to touch
his shirt just at the spot where his scars lay hidden. Her eyes,
misted with pain at the memory, lifted to his.
“It only takes one time…one money hungry bounty hunter…one
nervous cop…and you’re gone,” she whispered.
He reached up to grasp her hand in his where it lay on his chest.
She was killing him…shaking his determination to do what he
had to do. He needed his guard back up. Where had all that distance
gone…all that firm resolve to keep her at arm’s length?
Out the window within a second of touching her.
“I’ll be okay,” he promised her softly. “This
is the only way out of the situation.”
“How do you know that?” Alexis persisted. “Look,
we—we just need a fresh perspective…another legal mind…someone
who can be less emotional about this right now. And I think I know
just the person.”
She crossed the room to the phone and lifted the receiver to her
ear. Sonny frowned
as he watched her beautiful mind in motion, coming up with dozens
of scenarios at once. She sprang into action like the old Alexis
he knew and loved.
Loved. He rubbed a hand over his face wearily. Something
told him that the real battle wouldn’t be waged against some
federal prosecutor. It would be against his own traitorous heart.
***
The phone rang seven times or so before Dara Jensen could take it
no longer and wrenched her mouth from the glorious lips of Attorney
Justus Ward.
“Baby, don’t you think you should answer that?” she
murmured. “It doesn’t seem like they’re gonna stop
till you do.”
Justus groaned and slackened his hold on Dara’s tiny waist.
She laughed at his disgruntled expression even as she tenderly wiped
lip-gloss from his mouth with her fingertips.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Ward,” she whispered as he pouted.
“We’ll get back to that later. I have to go check on dinner
anyway.”
Justus beamed as the phone stopped and went to voicemail, his eyes
darkening as they lit on her curvy form unfolding from the sofa.
“Who said I’m hungry for dinner?” he quipped. “Though
it does smell wonderful.”
“Oh, honey, you know I only cook once a century, so you are
most definitely going to eat dinner tonight,” she reproved,
walking off to his kitchenette. “You can indulge other appetites
later if you’re a good boy.”
Justus uttered something akin to a growl that made Dara laugh again.
Then the phone started ringing anew, and he swore under his breath.
He couldn’t win tonight. Snatching it up, he barked, “Speak,
and make it good.”
“I can’t promise that,” came the dulcet tones of
Alexis Davis.
Justus gave a small, rueful smile. “Well, it better be compelling
at least, Counselor. I’m in the middle of a hot date.”
“Mmm, sorry. I think I remember how good those can be. Vaguely.”
Justus laughed. “What can I do for you?”
“We…Sonny and I…could be in some serious trouble.”
Justus’ eyebrows rose. “Wait: Sonny and you? Since when
do you allow Sonny in your stratosphere?”
“Since today. Since I was informed that we’re both going
to be charged with something very serious. Federal stuff.”
“Federal?” he questioned. “What did you two do: rob
a damn bank?”
“Justus, can you come over here? I have no idea how long these
charges have been brewing, so I can’t be sure they haven’t
got a wiretap on my phone. Plus—technically-- you’re Sonny’s
lawyer so privilege only extends to whatever he says not me…”
“Mmm, ever the careful and meticulous attorney. That’s
what I admire so much about you.”
Alexis muttered something about “not being more careful two
years ago”, but Justus didn’t quite catch it. “Whatever.
Just come over please. We’d appreciate it.”
“Be right there.”
“Oh, and Justus, if you have anybody with ties to the DA’s
office who can get more details on our case…”
“Say no more…Dara?” he called.
“Dara?” Alexis echoed. “Dara’s there? What happened
to that cute little lawyer, Jen?”
“Sometimes an old flame is hard to get over, Alexis,”
Justus murmured with a smile.
“Tell me about it,” came the dry reply.
The “old flame” popped her head through the doorway of
the kitchenette. “You called me?”
“Got anyone in Lansing’s office who owes you a favor?”
her boyfriend queried.
“Sure,” she answered, frowning slightly. “Why?”
“I just have a friend who needs some info.”
“I’m not gonna like this, am I?” Dara asked, suspicion
in her tone.
“Especially not when you tell her the friend is me,”
Alexis quipped and Justus laughed.
“She’s over all that, Alexis.”
“Alexis?” Dara fired, so loud Justus was sure the whole
condo complex heard her. “I’m supposed to be helping Alexis?”
Justus lifted a finger to his lips to quiet his girlfriend down.
“Consider it done, Counselor,” he promised, and afterwards
took down her address. “See you in fifteen.”
No sooner was the phone on its charger base than Dara exploded.
“I made you dinner and dessert and you’ll see HER in fifteen?”
Dara demanded, eyes flashing and hands on her hips. “Alexis
Davis of all people?”
“I thought you two made up.”
“We’re okay. We’re cordial. We’re not home girls.
I don’t want to help her out of a jam or anything. You overstepped,
Mr. Ward.”
“Come on, sweetie,” he said in his husky voice, reaching
up to pull her across his lap. “A colleague’s in trouble.
I want to help. So do this for me, please?”
Dara was caught in his dark compelling gaze for a moment, then rolled
her eyes and—he decided smugly--realized that she couldn’t
hold out against him.
“What?” she mumbled grudgingly.
“Find out what the federal case against my client, Sonny Corinthos,
will entail,” he stated smoothly. “You know, witness lists,
affidavits, names of sources, anything you can get your hot little
hands on.”
“You don’t ask for much, do you? I’m supposed to
interfere with a federal case? I’m not even in the DA’s
office anymore!”
“Pretty please?”
“For Corinthos—yuck—and Alexis Davis—yuckier?”
“Pretty please with a kiss?”
Dara smirked and shook her head in exasperation. “The kiss
better be damn good.”
And as she leaned in, Justus made sure that it was.
