Risk

Chapter LXXXII

Jason glances over to the front passenger seat of the vehicle he is driving toward the mansion up on the hill. Carly toys with the seat belt, worrying it and her eye are narrowed. She chews on the inside of her cheek and occasionally shakes her head. Great. A plan. Still in the building stage. Jason glances in the rear view mirror. The car with his guy is behind him. Johnny is driving the tail car in case of any problem. Max is taking the limo to the airport with Gia and Emily.
For some reason, Em is actually going along with Carly. There was a problem in there somewhere but it was going to take a minute or two to figure that one out. Minutes when he isn't wondering what the hell is going on in Carly's head. He pulls in passed the gates and up the winding drive to the house finally parking right in front of the front doors. "We're here."

"Yeah." Carly looks at the door with a frown and then whips around in her seat to look at Jason. "Lets go dancing. Jakes! It's still got the best jukebox in town right? I'll let you win at pool."

Jason contemplates the offer. Taking Carly to Jakes was always pretty much good for a fight. And to think he'd been bored earlier. Might be nice to pound on someone he didn't know just for the hell of it. He shakes his head. "I always win anyway. Besides we're here now."

"Yeah, now you decide to get cheap on gas." Carly unfastens her seat belt and climbs out of the car before Jason can get around to open the door for her.

"What are you going to do?" Jason mutters as he catches up with Carly at the front door.

"Guess you'll just have to stay and see."

Jason grimaces and resolves to stay away from any breakables.

Em settles in next to Gia in the first class section of the commercial flight from Port Charles to Minneapolis. She grabs one of the books out of her bag. Might as well get some reading done on this trip.

Gia looks over at Em. "Why the hell are you doing this? I know why I am. Contractual obligations and all that."

"Right. Like you didn't want to get the hell out of dodge anyway."

"You heard Carly. I would have been fired if I didn't."

"Right. And I've been hearing Mr Spencer threaten to fire Claude at the club since I was like... ten." Em rolls her eyes. "Even I could tell that was a I'm going to get the last word firing rather than the real thing. You wanted to get out of there."

"And you?"

"Did you really think I'd let Lucky and Nik get the last word on where I would and wouldn't be? We've got a few hours so what do you want? Byron, Longfellow, Browning, Keats...."

"What the hell are you taking? Stylings of Dead White Guys for $200, Alex?"

"Yep. Or there is always this." Em holds up an National Intruder from the pocket in the front of her seat with it's lurid cover of Carly, Stavros and an old picture of Sonny inset. The headline reads Mob Boss Missing; Wife and new lover Implicated. Em reads the headline aloud.

"Gimme the Byron." Gia holds her hand out with a sigh.

Em grins at her and hands over the skinny paperback of Byron's works.

"Gimme the Intruder." Max rumbles from the row of seats behind the girls. He catches it one handed as Em tosses it over the back of her seat. Might as well try to figure out who had loose lips.

Jax walks into the seedy bar on the outside of town. Luckily he was coming from home rather than from work. A three piece suit would definitely look out of place here. And he'd brought the four wheel drive rather than the nice car. No way was he going to leave a quarter million dollar car sitting in the rutted gravel parking lot of a dive while he went looking for Alexis' favorite cause. Jax walks up to the bar and orders a beer. Turning around he studies the bar patrons. The last time he'd been in here had been for somebody's batchelor party. He tries to remember whose. Ned's. When he'd been about to marry Alexis. The pool tables are filled. The jukebox is blaring. The room reeks of smoke and spilled drinks and it's still a day away from the weekend. Turning back around he grabs a few peanuts from the courtesy bowl and cracks them open allowing the shells to fall to the floor. "Zander Smith around?"

Jake studies him carefully. She'd recognized him of course. It's part of her business to keep up on the doings of Port Charles. "I don't mind my customer's business." Of course she does but discretion is also part of her stock and trade. She wasn't quite sure though what the story is here. She knows that Alexis Davis and her tenant are close. And she also knows that Alexis Davis and this corporate raider had just gotten married.

"I know he lives here."

"If you know he lives here than go knock on his door." Jake finishes wiping down that part of the bar and moves down to the other end when she sees one of her regulars lifting his almost empty bottle.

Jax shrugs and picking up his beer goes toward the back of the bar. Back by the restrooms and payphones is a staircase that goes to the rooms above. Jax carefully picks his way up the stairs not relying on the bannister that looks rickety. He knocks on the first door.

"**** off!" A voice calls from inside.

Not the right room. Jax continues down the hall. The things he does for Alexis.

The maid opens the door before Carly can. "Everyone has been looking for you!"

"They found me. Michael still asleep?"

The maid nods. "I checked on him myself just to make sure. Like a little angel."

"Yeah, when he's sleeping." Carly grins then she gets down to business. "Where are the boys?"

"The study."

"Right." Carly straightens preparing for battle and walks away without another word. Jason follows her.

But it's not just the boys, it's Mrs Jacks too. The maid winces not able to get the warning off in time. Carly is not going to be happy. Cook had better get out the first aide kit. Shutting the front door carefully, the maid deadbolts the door and goes into the kitchen to give them the latest update.

Carly strides over to the double doors of the study and throws them open keeping a hand on each of the door knobs. In that instant she scans the room. Kris over by the fire trying and not succeeding at looking invisible. Stavros behind the desk. Lucky on the far side of the room, also trying to look invisible. Nikolas interrupted mid pacing in the middle of the room. And finally... Alexis Davis-Jacks sitting there on the couch with her snooty little half glasses on the edge of her snooty little nose, looking over some paperwork like she had any business being here. Carly's jaw tightens and she starts going around the room looking behind the door and then behind the curtains. Searching all the nooks and crannies.

Jason sighs and shakes his head. He shuts the doors to the study and stands in front of them crossing his arms doing his best impression of of a smoke shop indian. Maybe Jakes would have been a better bet.

Stavros stiffens. What the hell is she wearing? And then he recognizes the leather jacket as being Jason's. They are definitely going to have to have a talk. If Caroline is having a problem then she should have brought it to him! Not Morgan! Going out in the middle of the night with no guards, and no cell phone.

But Nik is the first one to break as he sees Carly starting to look under the furniture. "What the hell are you looking for?"

"Taggart. Figure he's got to be around here somewhere." Carly spins around. "Come on out, Taggart! Know you have to be around here somewhere. Or what? Do you have the place bugged or something? That's it right? He's up the street sitting in some van listening to everything I say. What are you expecting, Nik? You expecting me to confess to something? Is that why she is here?!" Carly points a finger at Alexis.

Lucky winces. Great. Carly with a full head of steam and in full drama mode. It could be worse.

"Fine. I confess. I took $25 thousand from Deception. What you gonna do about it? You weren't even part of the company, Nikolas. It's none of your business." Carly declares with a shrug.

oh man! it just got worse Lucky groans but then brightens, maybe Mom could still get out of this one. "You took the money?"

"Carly." Jason says her name in a low growly warning.

"Of course. Who else could it have been? Not Laura... Laura wouldn't have done something like that right?" Carly puts a sarcastic twist on her words before continuing. "She and Sonny were getting in my way, blocking everything I was trying to do with Deception so I ... went around them."

Jason rolls his eyes but doesn't move from his spot by the doors. He realizes he's given Carly the seeds of her Great Plan. Well this is a doozy right up there with claiming I kidnapped Michael and then marrying AJ. Great. Me and my big mouth.

Stavros rises to his feet, leaning in and bracing his hands against the desk. He slowly makes eye contact with everyone in the room. "Get out." Jason opens the door and stands aside while Nik, Lucky, Kris and Alexis file out of the room. Stavros maintains eye contact with Carly. She meets his gaze defiantly. Stavros doesn't look toward the door as he adds. "You as well, Jason."

"No." Jason says flatly.

"It's okay, Jase." Carly doesn't look away from Stavros.

"I'll be right outside the door. If I hear it lock it's coming down." Jason warns and then steps out.

Zander ignores the knock on the door. People were always getting lost at Jakes or looking for something that he wasn't into... anymore. It isn't until he hears Jax's voice that he comes over to the door and answers after taking a close look at his place and wincing. It was a dump. He knew it. But Jake was good about no questions asked, no references needed as long as the rent was paid. And that is just what he'd needed when he'd gotten out of jail the last time. "Yeah?" Zander opens the door but then stands in the opening. "Is Alexis okay?"

"She had a late business meeting but I did want to talk to you about her."

"A business meeting? I thought she wasn't doing business meetings anymore. That whole deal you made with her brother to stop him from kicking your ass."

Both of Jax's brows go up at that one. The tone is argumentative but remarkably well informed. "It's for Nikolas."

"Oh." Zander steps back from the door. "Figures."

"And Stavros Cassadine has never... kicked my ass." Had his hands around my throat, had his bodyguard bash me over the back of the head but never kicked my ass.

"Yeah, right." Zander nods consideringly. "That's why Alexis isn't working. Why she looks like something out of invasion of the pod people, or stepford wives. She's doing that to make her brother happy so he'll lay off of you."

"My marriage is none of your business."

"It is when Alexis just switched one prison for another!" Zander blows up. "Stavros' for yours! Hell she still has the same guard!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Jax grinds out between clenched teeth. "Andreas is there because Alexis won't let me get rid of him. Because Stavros will have a spy in my house and she'd rather have it be someone that she knows."

"Doesn't make any sense." Zander disagrees. "If Alexis knows that Andreas is a spy for Stavros... Stavros has to know that Alexis knows. What is to stop him from getting another spy?"

"That's why Alexis wants you to move to the apartment over the garage."

Zander shakes an open hand in a nay motion. "How did we get from there to here."

"We need a spy on the spy. Someone that Alexis trusts. And that's you."

"What do you think is going on in there?" Lucky mutters to Nikolas. They are both sitting on the staircase in the foyer by the doors to the study. Jason is standing directly by the doors with his back to it. Kris goes into the kitchen to have some refreshments brought to the foyer. Alexis glances down at her watch.

"I don't think I want to know." Nik says grimly.

"All your problems are solved." Alexis shrugs. "Carly claims she took the money. Laura is off the hook. Stavros could care less one way or another and if you really play your cards right you can get Carly totally out of Deception."

"Well that would be really nice, Aunt, except for one thing... Carly didn't take the money."

"She says she did." Alexis counters.

"Carly lies." Jason says flatly. Saying it is no betrayal of Carly. Everyone knows that Carly lies.

"Yeah, she's kinda known for it." Lucky agrees. "She would have an had an easier time selling it if Nik hadn't already spilled the beans."

"What do you want, Nikolas?" Alexis asks. "Because right now it could go either way. Whatever way you want it to."

Stavros comes around the desk invading Carly's space. She refuses to give ground and instead just looks up at him waiting for him to makes his first move. His hand comes up running up Carly's arm to her shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?" Stavros asks quietly, too quietly.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making a clean breast of it... so to speak. What do you think you're doing-- having that bitch in this house?! What next? Are you going to invite Laura over next to watch me eat crow?"

"So this performance is because Natasha is here?"

"I don't know what you mean." Carly shrugs out from under Stavros' hand and turning her back steps away.

"I don't think so!" Stavros steps up behind Carly winding his arm around her waist. "Nikolas asked Natasha to be here... to tell him the legal option of Laura's... misappropriation of funds. All you have done is make the situation complicated."

"Complicated?!" Carly squeeks but at the same time leans back into Stavros. "I'm making it simple! All my fault... blah blah blah. Nik doesn't have to pick sides. Nik is happy. Isn't that what you always want? Nik happy?"

"And how does it make my son happy to know his mother stole from you? Nik gave you a quarter of the company because he felt you were robbed before!"

"Gave me? Gave me?! Nik didn't give me a damn thing! We made a deal! My shares for the essence, for the glass!" Carly explodes away from Stavros.

"You have no quarrel with Nikolas, and he has none with you. That is all I'm saying." Stavros drops his voice even lower. The last time Caroline had been this mad she'd injured herself. "This can be resolved between the two of you."

"Sure, that's why you're here and Lucky and Alexis because Nik and I can settle this!"

"I will send Nikolas in." Stavros walks toward the door. "You can settle it now."

Emily takes her credit card out of her purse and swipes it in the slot to activate the phone on the plane.

"Who are you calling?" Gia looks up from Lord Byron.

"Grandmother."

"You told Nik you wouldn't call the mansion."

"I have to let someone know where I am." Em counters. "Otherwise things will get real freaky. Don't worry. I won't mention... well I guess I might have to mention Carly but it won't be about the big secret." Before Gia can do anything like grab the phone, Reggie answers the phone. "Reggie! Yeah, it's Em. No, not really. It's not about staying in town."
Em glances over at Gia who is practically holding her breath. "I wanted Grandmother to know I was going out of town with Gia... It's just for the weekend; I should be back by Tuesday. I'm just accompanying Gia on her personal appearances for Deception. Could you let everyone know? I'll call when I check into the hotel to give you the phone number there. Right. Give Grandmother my love." Em disconnects the call.

"I hope that was a good idea." Gia's tone makes her opinion known. doubt it!

"Damned if you do. Damned if you don't." Em retorts. "Besides Grandmother is getting too frail for me to be worrying her by not letting her know where I am."

"Jason would have told her."

"I think we can safely say that Jason has his hands full."

"What!" Jason finally snaps in Stavros direction.

Lucky had been feeling the tension ever since Nikolas had gone in the study and Stavros had come out. But he hadn't been expecting the heat from Stavros to be directed at Jason. Him sure. Alexis even, no love lost there if the rumors were on the mark.

"You had no business interfering."

Jason just gives him a look and resumes cigar store Indian duty.

"If Caroline has a problem she will bring it to me." Stavros asserts. "Did you hear me!" Stavros gets right up on Jason. "She will come to me not you!"

Jason's eyes narrow. "You know you're beginning to remind me of your brother. Too damn close and too loud! Get out of my face or I will knock you on your ass."

Stavros growls but Jason is distracted by a movement out of the corner of his eye. "You enjoying the show, Alexis?" He says coldly.

The reminder of others in the room back Stavros up but just half a step. Now isn't the time.

"Endlessly." Alexis drawls. "But I get the feeling that I'm not going to be needed tonight." She pulls out her cell phone and calls Jax asking him to come pick her up. "Have Nikolas give me a call if he wants another consult."

The sound of raised voices outside the door distracting her,Carly holds up a hand to stop Nik in mid explanation.

"You know you're beginning to remind me of your brother. Too damn close and too loud! Get out of my face or I will knock you on your ass."

"Oh Gawd. That's Jason." Carly jumps up from the couch and races to the door. She flings it open in time to hear Alexis' comment. "Nikolas can consult you all he wants but it won't be on Deception business. I wouldn't trust a word you put to paper!"

Alexis shrugs. "Your choice. If Nikolas calls, I'll do as he asks."

"He won't call." Carly declares. Then she grabs Stavros by the shirtfront and pulls him into the study, shutting the door behind the two of them with her foot. Tugging and pushing Stavros to the chair behind the desk Carly finally gives him a shove so that he sits down. Then balancing her weight on the arms of the chair, she leans in. "Same deal as Switzerland. You don't say a word. This is between me and Nik."

"And if I do?" One of Stavros brows goes up.

Carly groans. "You really don't make this easy." Finally she reaches over and plants a kiss on Stavros making sure to nip his bottom lip. "Just... don't pick any fights okay?" Giving him a look over her shoulder Carly walks back over to the couch and sits down next to Nik. "Laura owes me. You know it. I know it. Lets cut to the chase."

"I'll put the money..." Nik stops talking as Carly is already shaking her head.

"Oh no. That's not going to work. You don't owe me. Laura. owes. me. And she's going to pay. In shares. And if she doesn't I'm going to use the audit you did to throw her ass in jail."

"Carly, you admitted in front of five witnesses that you took the money."

"I lied." Carly shrugs.

"My father will never allow my mother to be thrown in jail."

"We'll see. But it will only come to that if Laura doesn't pay me back. In shares. She got half the company for a dollar. What do you think I could get for $25,000? I think that's worth at least half her shares, at least."

"Carly, be reasonable."

Carly starts laughing. "You're funny. You should take that on the road." Then she leans in. "While you're defending Mama, run it thru your brain what she would have done to me if the situations were reversed. What she did do to me. I'll see you tomorrow in the office." Carly stands up. The conversation is over as far as she is concerned.

"I'll be going back to Minnesota with Gia."

"Don't bother. Gia has already left. You can help me clean up this mess."

"What do you mean Gia's left?!" Nikolas stands up.

"I set her up with someone to do the promos, security, and as we speak she is back on her way to Minneapolis to fulfill her responsibilities as the Face of Deception. I'm sure Laura will be back any time now and you really wouldn't want me to meet with her all by my lonesome."

"You bitch."

"Night, Nik."

Well that was messy wasn't it? And it still isn't straightened out. Cause you know there are lots of things to be said about gia, about Em, about Jason, yep. What a mess.

Deb

Home Next