Mac
rounded the corner and entered the holding area exactly sixty-one
minutes later. “Alright, Alexis, it’s time to—”
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them, curled up together
asleep on the bottom bunk of the bed. Sonny lay behind Alexis, his
arms round her waist in an embrace that was at once protective and
possessive.
Mac knew Sonny’s associates would keel over if they ever saw
this side of the man. He shook his head, exasperated. Why did the
bad boys always get the sexy, smart girls? What was it, a law of
nature? He remembered with gritted teeth the way Luke Spencer had
swept Felicia into his underworld of secrets and lies for a time.
And Mac and his ex still had that baggage between them even as they
endeavored to reunite. For a moment, the bitterness threatened to
overwhelm him.
He moved towards the cell, keys in hand, fully intending to wake
these two from their peaceful slumber and make Corinthos spend the
rest of this interminable night alone. Then he looked at Alexis’
face, peaceful for once after these challenging last few days.
He really didn’t envy her the hearings and the trial and the
news coverage that would methodically shred her reputation and standing
in this town…especially after tonight’s fiasco at the
airport. The coming weeks would bring unending scandal and distress
to her door once again. But tonight at least there was peace.
Shrugging, he moved back from the cell.
What the hell? Mac thought. Giving her another few hours
with him wouldn’t hurt anything.
***
“How are you, man? Good to see you.”
Max clapped Jason on the back as the man approached Penthouse 4
the next morning. “You heard things are nuts, right?”
“Yeah, “ Jason replied with a grimace. “I heard.”
“Carly’s in there if you want to talk to her. The boss’s
hearing to see if he can get out on bond is this morning at ten.
Justus is going crazy trying to find an angle, a way outta this,
and Alexis is working with him, too.”
“Whoa, Alexis?” Jason questioned, frowning. “Since
when did they—”
“Aw, man, you haven’t heard? Alexis was the star witness
in this thing before she married Sonny and now won’t have to
testify.”
“Married Sonny?” Jason exploded. “They went from
enemies to married while I was gone?”
The young man shuddered. This was why Carly had called him. Not
so much because Sonny needed him. She was upset that Sonny had chosen
to wed Alexis. He rubbed a hand over his face, grimacing. She wanted
him to sweep into PH4 like the knight in shining armor and make
her all better. And some part of him—the part that would forever
be tied to her—urged him to do it.
But how many times could he mop up their relationship? He’d
had enough of that during the Alcazar and Sam episodes. Right now,
he needed to do his job. And that meant he needed the facts on the
case as soon as possible so he could get to work. Carly wasn’t
going to talk rationally. She was going to rant and rage and end
up sobbing in his arms looking for comfort. He hadn’t the time
for that just now.
“Listen, don’t tell her I’m here yet, Max. She’ll
see me at the hearing. I gotta go figure out what the hell is going
on.”
“Ok, sure thing.”
Jason rode the elevator down to the lobby with only one thing on
his mind: first stop, the apartment of Alexis Davis…
Corinthos.
***
“Hey, Sonny, looks like your lawyer brought you fresh duds
for court. One of your signature Armani’s paid for with the
blood of poor dock workers and slain competitors.”
If Sonny never heard Jack Grayson’s dry as milquetoast voice
again, it would be too soon. His eyes popped open and he found himself
in his bunk alone in his cell. But he was sure Alexis had really
been there; her sweet scent still lingered on the scratchy pillow
beside him. Despite the circumstance, he smiled.
Mac had made her leave, he supposed, but only after he’d fallen
asleep. He’d been so deep in his slumber that he hadn’t
even stirred. Her presence had lulled him into rest. He had forgotten
his fear…hadn’t felt as if his lungs were going to explode.
In fact, the claustrophobia had receded almost miraculously.
This power she had over him—the power to hurt and to heal--it
was a strange entity. One that both enlivened and frightened him
at the same time.
“Come on, Corinthos, time to get up. Got a big day ahead of
you. Arraignment at ten!”
Sonny stood and faced his tormenter through the bars. “How
can I have a hearing this morning when you didn’t let me see
my lawyer last night? That’s denial of counsel.”
The Fed clapped his hands in a slow mocking fashion. “Pretty
good. Guess you’ve been in the system so much you picked up
some legal terms. Or maybe you got them from pillow talk with that
sexy wife of yours…”
“Shut your filthy mouth, Grayson!”
Jack held up his hands in mock surrender. “You’re right,”
he intoned sarcastically. “That was way out of line. Anyway,
the official story is that your lawyer never showed up here until
it was too late for visiting hours. But—being the softies that
we are--we will let you see him upstairs this morning.”
“You’re too kind.”
Jack laughed. “Nah. You know who really is too kind? That ka-billionaire,
Jasper Jacks. Wasn’t he married to your wife once?”
Grayson unfolded what looked like a newspaper and held it up so
Sonny could see. On the front page, he spied a picture of he and
Alexis kissing in front of his plane. The headline screamed at him,
“Embattled Kingpin Takes a Bride”. But that wasn’t
all. Beneath that photo was one of Jax who appeared to have Alexis
in his arms. The Aussie had wrapped her close to him, one of his
hands threaded through that soft mass of chestnut waves, as Sonny’s
hands had been last night.
“Look at how kind he’s being to your wife while
you’re away,” Grayson said.
Though Sonny knew in his soul it was innocent…that Jax was
her friend and he was just comforting her…a stab of heat shot
straight through his gut. He recognized the ugly sting of jealousy
and cursed it inwardly. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way.
This relationship wasn’t permanent. It was just…well,
he had no clue what it was. But he knew that jealousy should have
no part of it.
“Isn’t it just a lovely photo?” Grayson taunted.
“I guess you can comfort yourself with the fact that when she
betrays you she’ll have a nice, big, rich, handsome shoulder
to lean on, huh?”
Sonny met the man’s gaze with a sneer of his own. “I look
worried, Grayson?” he said with a boldness that belied the
emotions that rioted within him. “You can stop trying to shake
me.”
“Glad to see you’re so calm,” the Fed replied smoothly,
his eyes clearly telling Sonny that he knew crap when he waded through
it. “Now come on out here so you can get a nice shower with
the rest of the boys and dress up in your lovely blue suit.”
