The
private jet touched down on San Rafael at 2:30 am, taxied down the
tiny runway, and came round toward the single terminal of the island’s
airport. Alexis could see nothing but inky blackness occasionally
broken by spotlights from her window. And maybe the darkened outline
of a palm tree or two. She was sure that by daylight it was beautiful.
She fidgeted, thinking back on the hasty packing job she’d
done in preparation for the trip. She’d been more concerned
with finding out if Alice could stay at the apartment with Kristina
for the next few days. When the woman had said that she could, Alexis
had relaxed a little.
Now that they’d landed, however, her shoulders stiffened with
tension again. She was here to get married…and there wasn’t
a semi in sight.
But did she even want one? Did she even want to escape…or was
it just comforting to tell herself that she did? The fact was she
loved Sonny. It was as natural as breathing. And it had never stopped.
She looked at him as he reclined in his chair now, eyes closed as
the pilot drew them nearer to their final stop, as serene and defenseless
as a child in repose. His beauty stopped her breath. All that black
hair dark as midnight…that olive skin…that arrogant nose...those
eyes that were so dark and compelling that they stared right into
her soul.
“My God, I'm like a chick in a romance novel,” she mumbled.
Without her even realizing it, his eyes had opened. He smiled at
her, sending her into a state of befuddled confusion. He’d
caught her staring.
“Watching me sleep?” he teased.
Alexis shook herself mentally. Get it together, girl, she
commanded. “No, I was just wondering when you were going to
wake up, lazy bones.”
He stretched a little, emitting a small yawn. “I think I needed
the rest,” he told her. “Tellin’ Carly about this
was six kinds o’ hell.”
Alexis giggled at his turn of phrase. “I’ll bet. I’m
sure she thinks this is all my idea, right?”
“Yeah, of course. She did the usual yelling and screaming.
But then she acted real…strange at the end.”
Alexis shrugged. “Strange for normal people or strange for
Carly? You’ll have to be more specific.”
Sonny gave her a look of reproof.
“Sorry,” she replied with a smirk that said she was anything
but.
“It’s just…you know…she was hinting that I couldn’t
trust you…that you would hurt me…and keep me from my children.
When I said you would never do something like that, she just like
laughed hysterically. Totally lost it.”
Alexis felt a cold thread of fear slip down her spine. Carly knew
about Kristina. She had for a long time. She wouldn’t dare
tell Sonny and admit that she had known the truth, would she? She
wouldn’t risk totally losing his respect? She wouldn’t
lay another issue at his feet when he was busy fighting for his
freedom?
There was no predicting Caroline Benson Corinthos.
Alexis hadn’t had time to plan for this contingent. She’d
thought that they’d all be too busy with the case…that
her secret would be the last thing on anyone’s mind for a while.
In the meantime, Sonny would have a chance to know Kristina even
if he did not know she was his. That had been her hope anyway. Was
Carly now poised to blow it all to hell?
The pilot’s voice came across the intercom. “We’ll
be ready to disembark in about five minutes, Mr. Corinthos.”
Sonny gave a small smile. “I half expected the feds to impound
the damn plane,” he said.
“I’m sure they will when we get back,” she said gravely.
She bit her lip a moment as something occurred to her. “So
what’s the plan, Sonny? What’ll we do if we marry and
the case still goes south?”
“Worried that you’re getting hitched for nothin’?”
he chuckled.
“No, I’m serious. Justus said this will help get me out
of trouble, and it will hurt the prosecutor’s case against
you. But we still have to fight the other evidence.”
“I don’t want you to think about any of that right now,”
he said, leaning forward in his seat to take her hands. “One
thing at a time. Let’s get to the hotel and get some sleep.
Then tomorrow I’m gonna give you a beautiful day that you’ll
never forget. I promise you that, Alexis.”
And she believed his promise. When he looked at her like that, she
could believe almost anything.
***
“Ric?”
“Who is this? Carly? Do you know what time it is right now?”
Carly drank deeply from the decanter held in her hand. She was well
on the way to blotting out the ugly images in her head.
“It’s 3 am, Ric.”
“Why are you calling me at this hour, Carly?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said, making a determined
effort not to slur her words. If he thought she was drunk or out
of control, he wouldn’t listen. And she had secrets she needed
him to hear.
“So drink some warm milk,” came Ric’s dry response.
“I’m going back to sleep.”
Desperation singed a path through her brain, bringing a moment of
sobriety. “And miss a chance to get Alexis for yourself?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve seen how you look at her, Ric. Everybody has. Don’t
deny it. I know you want her.”
“Carly, what the hell are you—”
“They’re getting married, Ric,” she sneered. “Alexis
and my—Sonny. To get him off on the murder for hire case.”
“How the hell do you know about that?”
“Oh, please, Ric. Sonny has known for days. And he’s gone
off with Alexis to tie the knot. But it’s a scam. The marriage
isn’t real.”
There was a long silence on the line. Then Ric said, “If that’s
true, why would you tell me? You know this could help put him in
prison.”
“Could it?” Carly asked feigning ignorance. “I didn’t
realize. I thought I was just being an honest citizen.”
She hung up the phone and swallowed a good deal more of the alcohol
in the decanter. Maybe by the time she’d seen the bottom of
it, she would forget the way Alexis had looked lying against the
sheets in this very bed with Sonny.
