The Convenient Wife
by Kelly

chapter 42

In the office Jack Grayson had been assigned for use during this
investigation and trial sat a special guest, AJ Quartermaine. He
reclined in a leather armchair, one leg crossed redolently over the
other, his hands folded in his lap. It was quite a serene pose,
Grayson noted, the stance of a man who was calmly awaiting the
fruition of a long held dream. And, Jack mused, he was just the man
to make AJ's dream come true.

Normally, he thought as he poured the man a cup of coffee, a spoilt
rich twerp like Quartermaine wouldn't be his type of guy. Grayson was
sick to death of guys who had had their checks written, their futures
laid out for them by families too rich and too well-known to let
their kids make strides on their own. Grayson's own college had been
filled with them, the silver spooners who had bought grades and hired
private tutors so their spawn could vault ahead of him in his law
school class…thus winning a placement in some big time law firm.
Whereas he, Jack, had worked as a lowly prosecutor then had found a
small salary bump in the office of the federal prosecutor. None of
his career had been glamorous or cushy like those damn little rich
boys had had.

But alas that was all going to change, he reflected. Nothing was
sexier to the Press and to the public than the fall of a powerful
gangster like Sonny Corinthos. Grayson could see the headlines and
the television interviews now...maybe even national programs! Just
like the ones Guiliani had had on his way up the ladder. Perhaps Jack
would seek a big public office soon after, get his mug plastered on
some campaign posters. Make the big time finally after years of
busting his hump in cramped civil service offices.

And it would all be accomplished on the back of one Sonny Corinthos.
Jack smiled at AJ. This was all too sweet.

"So your testimony has to have a genuine and humble feel," Jack
coached presently. "I need to see an `aw, shucks, jury members, I'm
just a regular guy victimized by this thug' vibe from you."

AJ nodded. "Not a problem. I can do humble."

"No anger, no resentment, not even any glee that the jerk is finally
going to prison. Be `middle of the road', get my drift?"

"You're looking at someone calm, cool, and collected, Grayson," the
young man responded. "I know how to give a game face. I'm in total
control of my emotions."

"Good," Jack said, then his eyes lifted to a spot behind Quartermaine
where Ric Lansing stood, sipping his own mug of coffee. He was so
silent Jack had almost forgotten he was in the office.

"You alright, Ric?"

Lansing had been staring into space absently; his eyes suddenly
jerked back to Grayson. Before he could veil his expression, Jack saw
the sadness there. It had been there since the hearing this morning
where they'd roasted Alexis Davis in front of her hubby. It seemed
Ric Lansing did have a heart. Watching the deconstruction of Davis
had done something to him.

"I'm fine," he asserted presently. "I've—uh---got some work to do in
my office."

He left with undue haste and Jack's lips twisted grimly.

"What's up with him?" AJ queried.

"Don't know," Jack lied, and then apologized as his phone buzzed and
he picked it up. "Grayson."

The person on the other end spoke rapid fire and all Jack could do
was to listen to the frantic words. What he heard twisted his stomach
into a pretzel and threatened to cause the return of an earlier
migraine. AJ saw his face and frowned.

"I want this investigated!" Jack snapped. "Somebody got to him. I'm
as sure of who it was as you are. Get me proof and we'll nail his ass
to the wall."

After a terse conclusion, Jack banged the receiver down.

"What? What happened?"

"The bodyguard…the idiot took back his story. We have no lead witness
against Corinthos."

AJ froze for a moment. Grayson could almost hear the wheels in his
head grinding to a halt. "But you have other witnesses right?"

"Penny ante people. Stories that don't add up to the hammer blow this
guy Francis was gonna be. We don't have Alexis cuz she married the
thug, and we don't have Carly who could invalidate the marriage cuz
she's too dumb to testify. All we got is one hit man…who by the very
nature of his job is untrustworthy and abhorrent to a jury."

AJ's throat worked convulsively. "But you've still got my testimony.
You can still put me on the stand, right?"

"You saw nothing. You heard nothing. You knew nothing."

"Are you telling me this case is dead? That I came all the way from
Europe to finally nail this idiot to the wall for NOTHING?"

Grayson held up a hand. "The case isn't dead, exactly," he
placated. "It is…however…severely wounded. But I'm not worried yet,
Mr. Quartermaine."

AJ shot out of his seat, leaning across the desk at the federal
prosecutor. "I've seen this guy wiggle out of iron clad charges. You
say this case is weak but you're NOT WORRIED? You know he's escaped a
prison sentence for more than half his life and you're NOT WORRIED?
Well, let me tell you, Jack: you better start worrying! This isn't an
amateur you're prosecuting here. It's Sonny frickin' Corinthos, and I
want him gone! I need him gone! Now, damn it!"

Jack cringed as the spoilt little rich kid in AJ came roaring out.
Mr. "I'm-in-total-control- of-my-emotions-let-me-testify" hurled his
coffee mug across the room where it crashed into the wall, spattering
java all over the carpet.

Jack watched the streaks of coffee cry ugly tears against the white
paint and shook his head wryly.

Not one thing in this case was going according to plan.

***

If Alice noticed the rather silent nature of the Corinthos household
the next morning, she didn't comment on it. But Sonny did see her
looking at him several times surreptitiously under her eyelashes. She
was wary of him today. He supposed that was because he looked like
what he was: a stressed out man who had gotten about one hour of
sleep after about three hours of tears. He was walking around with
this dark expression plastered on his face all morning. It had only
lightened when he had fed Kristina as was his custom to do, but still
he'd had to swipe at errant tears in his eyes when the child had
impulsively hugged him.

Alice probably sensed that the dynamic had changed. Sonny shrugged.
He couldn't talk about it with Alexis so he damned sure couldn't say
anything to reassure the nanny. He simply finished feeding his
daughter, kissed her, and handed her to Alice for bath time and
dressing. Like always.

Alexis hadn't come out of her room by the time Kristina was dressed.
Alice had chosen a cute pink jumper with a matching headband. Sonny
ruffled her curls affectionately, once again struck by how beautiful
she was. He thought he saw a hint of his mother and that made him
smile wistfully. He saw so much of Alexis and that squeezed his heart.

Alice told him she was taking the tyke to the park. His first
instinct was to say no. He wanted to keep his daughter near him
today. His daughter. The newness of that knowledge made his breath
catch in his throat.

In the end he did let Alice go, with a bodyguard as usual. Sonny
wasn't ready to assert his newfound identity. He hadn't the words to
explain the truth to his child though he longed for her to know him.
Something held him back. Something told him to wait. Though Alexis
had hurt him, he would never just tell Kristina the truth without her
being okay with it.

With a wrench in his gut, he watched Alice leave with the baby and
shut the door sadly behind them. Now it was just he and Alexis in the
apartment with no third party to diffuse the tension. He sighed. He
hoped she slept a few more hours. He didn't know how he'd feel when
he saw her. Or what he'd say. God knew, he didn't want to hurt her
like he'd done last night. But with this pain in his gut still raging
he just didn't know if he could stop. So it was definitely better
that she stayed asleep. He needed to be alone to think.

He turned from the front door to go to the kitchen intending to pour
himself another coffee. And there stood his wife, clad in one of the
satin nightgowns he loved, staring at him with eyes that were wide
and beautiful, red-rimmed and wary.

They looked at each other, adopting almost combative stances, ready
for whatever battle would come. But the first thing he saw in her
gaze as she took him in, bare-chested and disheveled from sleep, was
hunger. He also drank in the sight of her body, her curves outlined
sensuously in the lavender nightgown. The same hunger was mirrored in
his own face. He wanted to touch her. Hold her. Drown deep within her
and never come up for air. Forget everything that had gone on before
and just be one with her.

His eyes lifted to her face and he met her gaze. Her cheeks were
flushed with heat. She'd read his mind. And he'd read hers.

It seemed no one was going to avoid anything today.

chapter 43