"Sorry 'bout this Taggert, " Alex Garcia started before Taggert silenced him with a hard glare as the two started down the hall. "This guy only wants to talk to you," Alex edged in quickly, before Taggert could cut him off.
"If you left him in lockup overnight, he'd spill his damn guts to the janitor, " Taggert growled as he rubbed the back of his neck after being hunched over his desk for several hours in frustration at the paperwork devoted strictly to the Moreno/Vitali war. All the P.C.P.D needed was a break into the tightly guarded feud and all the players involved would fall.
"This snitch better have something give me and fast, I'm in no mood for a run around in the box," Taggert said under his breath before Garcia opened the door to the interrogation room.
"I'll be in the other room, " Garcia said, directing his eyes to the room behind the large one way mirror. Taggert nodded as he entered the box. The walls were bathed in a pale yellow shade, giving the room a cold, sterile feel to it. At one end, opposite the mirrored wall in the thin, long area, was a sturdy table with two chairs. Taggert carefully eyed the young man sitting nervously in one seat. Taggert's expression revealed nothing as he slowly pulled the blinds closed on each window on the 4th wall, closing off the small area from the bustle of the squad room just outside of it.
The nervous young man eyed this process with worried eyes, flickering them between Taggert and each blind that he was closing. As the last one shut, the young man anxiously lit a cigarette, exhaling the long stream of smoke quickly.
Taggert took the second chair and sat at the table, opposite the young man. Finally, he gave the man a small smile.
"Well Kenny, seeing you here is no shock. The fact that you have something to tell me and ONLY me does surprise me though. What would you like to say?"
Kenny eyes studied Taggert seriously before butting out his cigarette. "What do I get if I talk?"
Taggert calmly leaned forward. "I'll talk to the D.A., get the charges reduced. Let you do the time in another prison, give you protection. There's a lot I can do for you Kenny, but it's gotta be worth my time."
Kenny contemplated the offer and rubbed his face vigorously with his hands. The choice was obviously not an easy one for him. "Okay, as long as I get a deal in place, I'll tell you what I know."
In the second room, Garcia watched the scene unfolding. "Hey," he said, never moving his eyes, as Mac Scorpio entered the room quietly and took a spot beside him. "How itchy is this guy to talk?"
"Very. Has the girlfriend said anything?" Garcia asked.
Mac shook his head. "She's pretty jumpy, but she doesn't seem to know much." He took a deep breath, "Alex, there's something I need to show you," he said, his tone becoming serious.
Garcia turned, "what is it?" he asked, concern registering on his face.
"We found this on the girlfriend," Mac said, showing Garcia the thin silver bracelet. Garcia sucked in his breath suddenly, recognizing the jewelry.
"This is Dara's." "I want you down there now. This has got to be low key Alex, I can't have the media all over a potential story like this one. We've called her place but only the answering machine is picking up." Garcia nodded, "what about Taggert?"
Mac's eyes darkened. "We need this information and Taggert's the only one that can get it from this kid. Until then, I don't want him to know right now."
Garcia opened his mouth to protest but Mac shook his head firmly. "You know how he gets with Dara. This is a family Alex, but Taggert's a little more of a hot button when it comes to her safety. Go, now."
Garcia nodded, a numbness overcoming him as he grabbed his coat off his chair and jogged down towards the parking garage.
*************
Sonny's PH
"My girlfriend." Sonny said the words flatly, his exterior expression unimpressed with Tori's attempt to shock or startle him. On the inside, however, he tightened with dread.
"Oh yes, your pretty little A.D.A. Dara Jensen. Don't play around with me Sonny, I was at the Grille tonight. I watched how you stared at each other. The longing, the emotion, the pain. It was pretty thick stuff sugar, and I was fortunate to witness all of it," Tori said smoothly as she crossed the room to the wet bar, pouring herself a drink.
Sonny's fists clenched tightly. "Mierda!" he whispered furiously under his breath. That simple slip up had been the one thing Sonny had feared the most. The wrong person finding out about him and Dara and using that knowledge as a bargaining chip. Taking a deep, silent breath, Sonny attempted to calm himself, unclenching his hands.
"Oh, and I should also mention that for a few weeks last month, she was here EVERY night," Tori noted, her tone clearly enjoying the uncomfortable silence on Sonny's end. "You should hire a new driver, yours had no idea I was following him. If my driver was that sloppy, Danté would probably kill him, but, that's Danté," she said, emphasizing Danté's name for Sonny. She turned and flashed a warm smile, "you did hear that we're together right?"
Sonny nodded, "I heard," he said, his mind racing, trying to figure a way to get some leverage in this conversation. His mind flashed to the words he'd said just minutes earlier, about getting back what he had with Dara, willing to do anything. A chill ran through him, he'd never intended on hearing those words twist into something so terrifying as this.
"Anyway, I gotta say, I had a good laugh at first, picturing you and her together, considering how she'd claimed to hate your guts when you were on the opposite side of the law. You must have been quite convincing to get her uptight butt into your bed," she remarked, a smirk playing about her lips. "And to keep her coming back for more? Every single night, oh honey, was she another one of your wild rides?" she said icily.
Sonny's face tightened, her words reminding him of the time he'd said that phrase to Tori, when she'd first came to Port Charles. Hearing her say them back to him enraged him. She was nothing like Dara. The comparison was like night and day.
Tori laughed as she saw Sonny stiffen. "Oh, did I touch a nerve there?" She gulped back her drink, slamming the glass down before sauntering towards Sonny. She could hardly believe how little he'd changed, the same smoldering looks, the hard eyes, the rage, it was still all there.
And she had missed it.
"What do you want?" Sonny's voice was clear. He wasn't about to deny his relationship with Dara. Tori was smarter than that and he knew it. Playing dumb would only piss her off. She was here for a specific reason.
"It's easy, really. I miss it. You and me. We were good together."
Sonny's eyes widened with surprise. "You want me back?" he asked incredulously.
Tori's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Of course not! You're not Danté, you have almost nothing to offer me and I'm secure with him. I'm alot like Danté, I always get what I want."
Tori's demeanor had changed instantly. The formerly flirtatious tone was replaced by a hard, business like one. "So here's the deal. I don't tell Danté about your little arrangement with Dara Jensen, and you spend one night with me."
Sonny looked at Tori with utter disbelief. Blinking hard, he found his voice. "You want to spend one night with me, and for that, you won't tell Vitali about my relationship with Dara?" he repeated. Tori nodded. Placing her hands on his white dress shirt, she slowly pressed them upwards, reveling in the feel of his muscular chest through the fabric. "Oh, and you throw your support behind Danté's bid," she purred as she watched his face for reaction. Defeat. Victory was inches from her grasp.
Sonny felt her possessively roam his chest, before grasping her slim wrists in his strong hands. She gasped as he clenched them tightly and pulled them off him. "Why should I think you haven't already told Vitali?"
"I haven't," Tori said, her voice strained as she attempted to pull from him, but it was useless.
"Why should I believe you? How do I know he hasn't gone after Dara yet? How do I know he didn't send you here?" he growled at her, his grip tightening even further.
Tori winced. "I haven't told him anything. I'm not stupid Sonny, I know how this business works. I've lasted this long haven't I? You of all people know how I operate."
Sonny stared hard at her, studying her for any trace of lying. Finally, he let her go, pushing her from him.
"Don't think I haven't already told somebody," Tori warned him, rubbing her wrists. "If you're thinking of getting rid of me, think again. If I disappear, you and every person you care about is gone. You have no choice in this matter Sonny. You do what I tell you and she stays pretty. You don't and Danté finds out. It's that simple," she said coldly.
Sonny turned from her, feeling the bile rising in the back of his throat. His choice was simple, sleep with Tori, support Danté and Dara stays safe. The thought of betraying Dara like this turned his stomach. He was numb, feeling nothing but the immense struggle from within, knowing he must make the impossible choice. Turning back to Tori, his dark eyes met hers. "Let me tell you, that if this is a scam, if anything goes wrong, if Danté hears a whisper of this, I swear to God, if anything happens to Dara or anybody else, you are going to wish you never laid your eyes on me. Don't think I won't stop with you Tori. There's a reason I was able to climb the ladder so fast in this business." His voice was dangerous, low and ominous, this was his threat, his insurance and it shook with the kind of rage and fear he'd never experienced before.
"So if I'm going to do things your way, I want you to know how much you're risking, what's at stake on your end."
Tori's eyes widened fearfully, she had never seen any man this focused, so determined to make his intentions crystal clear to her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, nearly deafening her as she took in short, shallow breaths. This was what she lived for. "I understand, just as long as you do," she responded, knowing her words sealed the agreement between herself and Sonny.
"I'll be back here, tomorrow night at six, sharp. I want you to wine and dine, the whole deal." Feeling confident once again, Tori smiled bravely at him, "and you make sure you're in the mood. This is a one time deal, so you better make it worth it."
Within seconds she was gone, leaving Sonny in the silence of his home. He'd never felt so helpless in all his life. He slumped into a chair at the dining room table. What the hell was he doing?
**************
Dara smiled warmly at the doorman as she entered the Harborview Towers. She briskly walked the long foyer towards the elevators. Waiting impatiently, Dara felt the seconds were like hours, the closer she got to Sonny, the longer it felt. The doors opened with a chime and Dara moved to head inside.
"Ms. Jensen? Are you Dara Jensen?"
Dara turned and smiled at the woman. "Yes, can I help you?"
The woman smiled at her warmly, "I recognized you from the papers. I just want you to know, I think you're amazing, taking on those mobsters like you are. Good for you, I hope you take them all down."
Dara's smiled deepened as she felt her cheeks heat up slightly, "well thank you Miss..?"
The woman's eyes twinkled delightfully as the two shook hands, "just call me Tori. I'm a first name kind of woman."
Dara's smile faded slightly. She recognized this woman, but her memory was hazy on where from. "Well, it was nice meeting you Tori," she said, regaining the pleasantness in her voice.
Tori gave another smile. "It was very nice, have a good evening."
Dara watched the young red haired woman saunter towards the front door and she shook her head. "Where do I know you from?" she muttered as she pressed the Penthouse button, the elevator doors closing silently.
**************
Dara's Apartment
Garcia walked briskly down the hallway, followed by two uniformed officers. Dara's apartment keys, courtesy of the landlord, were held tightly in his right hand. "We go in quietly," he ordered the two officers behind him. They nodded and without another word, Garcia put the key in the lock and slowly turned. The door opened with a gentle click and Garcia removed his glock from its holster. He moved carefully down the dark entrance, motioning each officer towards different directions. Within a minute the apartment had been thoroughly searched. Nothing seemed disturbed or out of place but Dara was nowhere. Garcia sighed with worry as he turned on the bedroom light. Donning latex gloves, he carefully examined the jewelry case, looking for the earrings that matched the bracelet.
"Detective!" one of the officers called to him. Garcia headed towards the living room to where the officer was standing. Garcia eyes caught sight of the pictures sitting on the kitchen table. It took him a few seconds to fully realize what he was looking at. He slowly picked up the top picture and examined it carefully.
"Jesus," he murmured. Dara and Sonny Corinthos, with every indication that things had dramatically changed in recent months between them. Garcia felt his gaze harden at the sight of Corinthos laughing, at ease and enjoying the company of Dara. Wordlessly he shook his head. The officer who'd alerted Garcia shifted uncomfortably in his spot. He was well aware of the two people in the pictures and more importantly, the history of Garcia's with Sonny Corinthos.
Garcia's ringing cell phone broke the silence as Garcia snapped it open. "Garcia!" he barked into it. His eyes closed briefly, "Mac, no she isn't here, what did that kid have to say?"
Mac Scorpio glanced across the busy squadroom at the interrogation room where Taggert was still questioning Kenny. "He said his cousin was paid off to break into Dara's place to look for something specific and was told to deliver it tonight at the railway yards."
"Who's Kenny's cousin?"
Mac glanced at the rap sheet, "Thomas Corino, small time hood. Taggert busted him a few times last year on drug possession charges. Anyway, Kenny says that this cousin Thomas swears that the guy who hired him is from Danté Vitali's crew. He was given accurate instructions over what he should look for. If he found it, he was to take it, but nothing else."
"What was he supposed to take?"
"We don't know, Corino was pretty secretive about it and Kenny says he didn't tell him."
Garcia peered outside the living room blinds, "so how did Kenny's girlfriend end up with Dara's bracelet?"
"The bracelet looked too good to resist. He gave it to Kenny to hang onto until it was safe to fence it. Kenny gave it to his girlfriend instead."
"Where's Corino now?"
Mac sighed deeply, dreading this part. "We found him about 10 minutes ago in his place. He was shot twice in the back of the head. We didn't find anything of Dara's there."
Garcia cursed silently, the frustration of being so close was getting harder to handle. "Garcia?" Mac's voice rang through the receiver.
"Yeah?"
"Is there anything else missing there that you can see? I'm sending a team over there in a few minutes."
"Detective?" the officer's earnest voice called to Garcia.
"Hang on a second Mac," Garcia said, walking towards the officer. "What is it?"
"I've looked through all these pictures and their negatives. I've found every picture except this one," the officer indicated on the negative strip. Garcia held it up to the light. His eyes lit up with realization as a few of the puzzle pieces suddenly snapped into place.
"Take this negative, I want a blown up copy of this picture tonight. Go!" he ordered the officer.
"Mac?"
Mac's attention snapped back into place, "I'm here."
"Don't bother sending the team," Garcia said grimly, "I know what Thomas Corino was looking for, and I know why." He glanced quickly at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. "I'll be back at the precinct in about 20 minutes. Don't say anything to Taggert until I show you what I have."
******************
Vitali Estates
Vincent Tyson ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. They'd been pouring over the matter for almost 30 minutes now and Danté was still insisting that his men weren't getting restless and worried. Leaning back into the chair, Vincent rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. "They want to move, NOW. They're tired of waiting for you to give the go ahead."
"I can't move on Moreno until I get Corinthos's support. Without Corinthos, I can't get permission from the other families. If I take out Moreno without permission, then I will be the one looking over my shoulder!" Danté ranted as he paced the room. "I've been very clear about this!"
"Okay, okay, just calm down for a second! We can handle this," Vincent insisted. Danté furrowed his brow unconvinced with Vincent's words and stalked towards the kitchen, "I need a drink," he muttered, leaving Vincent alone in the study. The cell phone shrilling in Vincent's coat pocket startled him. "Tyson here," he said tersely.
"You sound uptight sugar, everything okay?"
Vincent tensed with anticipation, "fine, do you have it?" he asked, his eyes darting to where Danté had disappeared to.
Tori giggled as she closed the tinted window inside the car, ensuring that the driver wouldn't hear her. "Oh yeah, the two lovebirds, snuggled under the sheets. Your guy did a good job getting it Vincent, congratulations," she purred approvingly as she gazed over the photograph once more.
"Not really, Corino lifted a bracelet, gave it to his cousin. That cousin is now held up at the P.C.P.D. probably telling the cops everything he knows about the job, dammit!" he growled into the phone.
Tori sat up, "tell me you're taking care of it," she demanded.
"I took care of Corino, but I can't reach his cousin and I don't know how much he knows or what he's spilling." Vincent pinched the bridge of his nose, this was a bad set back, how he handled it in the next few hours was critical. "Danté's panicking over here, I worry he's going to crumble under the pressure by the crew and not wait for permission to go after Moreno."
Tori bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "Okay, I've got Corinthos in my back pocket with this picture. I'm seeing him tomorrow night to finalize the arrangement. Once he's made the phone call supporting Danté's bid, take care of Moreno and the men who are only loyal to him."
Vincent sat forward, "you've got Corinthos 100%? Are you positive he'll roll our way?"
Tori smiled, her eyes flashing triumphantly. "Honey, I've got Sonny Corinthos's whole world in my hand. It's in the bag, so you need to keep Danté under control until I get there."
Vincent rubbed his chin contemplating what they'd discussed. "Okay, I'll see you in a bit."
Vincent clicked off his phone just as Danté reemerged from the kitchen, drink in hand. "Who was that?" he asked, taking a seat in the leather sofa opposite Vincent.
"One of my guys. Turns out Thomas Corino tried to jump ship earlier tonight."
Danté's eyes flashed menacingly. "Tried to?"
Vincent cool blue eyes shined with satisfaction. "He never saw it coming, my guys took him out at his place. The cops are all over it, but it looks like Scorpio's boys are sniffing around Moreno's place." Vincent studied Danté closely, looking for any sign of suspicion from Danté. Danté had an uncanny knack for sniffing out liars.
Danté, while momentarily shocked about Corino, nodded slowly. "Good. How far has the news spread?"
"Most of our guys have heard, and for now, they're a little less willing to disobey you. I think they're more scared of you now than ever."
A menacing grin slowly formed on Danté's face. "Yeah?" he questioned confidently.
Vincent's smile matched Danté's, "to them, you're so damn crazy, you'd take out someone for coughing at the wrong time."
Danté rose, a new strength developing within him. "It's late Vincent, I'm gonna go kiss my Mother good night. When Tori finally shows up, tell her I'm in my room."
Vincent rose and the two shook hands. "It's coming our way Danté, I know it, this territory is gonna finally be Vitali property again."
Danté smirked. "I never doubted it for a second."
Vincent nodded to the maid as he walked out the front entrance, hearing the lock click behind him. As he reached his car, a flash of headlights caught his attention. The dark car came to a stop at the front of the house, and Tori soon emerged, wrapped up in her coat. Vincent watched wordlessly as the car drove back down the long driveway and out the front gates.
Tori headed towards Vincent. "How's Danté doing?" she asked, leaning against the hood of Vincent's car. She handed him the photo, which he quickly placed inside his jacket pocket without so much as taking a glance.
Turning towards her, Vincent pulled her from the car. His grip on her forearm was gentle, but firm. "He's better, I told him everyone thinks he's crazy and so they're all scared of him. It seemed to cheer him up."
"God, what is it with guys and grabbing," Tori muttered as she pulled her arm from Vincent's hand.
Vincent's face hardened. "Did Corinthos hurt you?" he demanded, taking a step closer to her.
Tori arched her eyebrows with genuine surprise. "Why Vincent, I never knew you were so protective of Danté's girlfriends," she said suggestively. "I got a bit touchy with him and he let me know he didn't like it."
Vincent stared hard at Tori, "don't screw around with Corinthos like that, he has a tendency for going off the deep end."
"My kind of man," Tori said dryly. "Do you go off the deep end sometimes Vincent?" she asked, her voice matching her flirtatious demeanor. "I like dark, disturbed men."
Even in the pitch black of the night, Tori could still see Vincent's icy blue eyes boring into her. Neither spoke, nor did they move from their intimate proximity. Tori tentatively placed one hand against the side of his face, letting her fingertips trail along his jaw line. Vincent did not budge, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. Feeling encouraged, Tori hands now brushed lightly across his shoulders, and down his chest, just as she'd done with Sonny earlier. Only this time, there was no resistance. Tori gently kneaded his chest, her eyes never leaving his. Resting her palms against his shoulders, Tori tilted her head towards him and placed a kiss on the nape of his neck. Vincent closed his eyes as he felt her soft lips on him. "Tori," he said, his voice thick.
"It's okay, I know how long you've wanted this, I've seen how you look at me," she purred into his ear, her left hand now running through his crop of dirty blonde hair.
Vincent snapped open his eyes. He knew better than this. "Tori, stop," he ordered forcefully, extracting himself from her. She stopped, dropping her hands to her side. "You don't want me?" she blurted out, surprised at how pained her voice sounded.
Vincent cleared his throat. "You love Danté, not me. I can't, I mean, we can't betray him like this," he said softly, his voice firm. "He's waiting for you inside."
"You're right, this is stupid," Tori laughed, trying to cover up the uncomfortable tension between them, still stunned by his rejection. Taking a breath, she changed the subject. "I'm spending tomorrow night with Corinthos," she announced to him surveying his reaction to the news.
"For Danté?" Vincent asked. He was dismayed by her decision, but he kept his jealousy carefully hidden.
Tori shook her head, "not really. I've got Sonny already, but, I just," she said, her voice reaching for an explanation that made her plan sound less self serving, "hell, I want a taste of him one last time," she said truthfully.
Vincent swallowed hard, thankful that it was so dark, so she couldn't see the hurt that instantly appeared on his face when she told him her reason. "Oh," he answered simply.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this. Danté would kill me if he found out." Tori let out a quiet laugh into the night air.
"So that's why we're keeping it between you and me," Vincent asserted to her. Another silent filled moment came before Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. "I'll be by tomorrow morning, okay?"
Tori nodded before turning to head up the steps and entered the warm house. Relief filled her as she removed her coat and draped it across a chair. There had always been something unusual about Vincent. He was too quiet, too thoughtful, too precise. Danté would be lost without him, she mused thoughtfully. With his rejection of her, something that would normally infuriate her, Tori knew where Vincent's loyalties were and in a way, she'd be lost without Vincent too. She found comfort in knowing that he knew what was best for all three of them. Being indirectly taken care of by the quiet, brooding man, a polar opposite to Danté, was strangely attractive to her.
Tori quickly ascended the long winding staircase and wandered down the hallway to Danté's room. Opening the door, she found the room bathed in a warm glow from the bedside lamp. "Danté? Baby, are you here?" she called gently, kicking off her heels. The door clicked shut and instantly, Tori was swept up by powerful arms. Tori let out a startled squeal, before being tossed onto the bed. She turned onto her back just as Danté crawled on top of her, his mouth descending and devouring hers before she could speak. Tori instantly responded, her hands tugging at his dress shirt before he finally ripped it open, sending the small buttons flying in all directions. Tori greedily pulled off the shirt, and the undershirt and tossed them to the floor, her hands now fumbling with his belt buckle. Danté's mouth roamed the nape of her neck as he slipped his hands underneath her dress, his hands now traveling along her long, smooth legs, as her nails grazed along his back.
"Did he go for it?" he asked, pulling back from her, his hands still moving along her inner thighs.
Tori shook her head, "Vincent blew me off, in a nice way. His loyalties are with you Danté," she assured him.
Danté nodded approvingly, resting his hands on her raised knees. "Good, I was worried about him for a bit."
"Don't be, I could have offered him your head and he would have turned me down," Tori affirmed. It wasn't entirely true, she'd gotten past a couple of his barriers before he finally came to his senses but whatever calmed Danté, she would stretch the truth as far as it would go.
Danté smirked, "don't be so hard on yourself," he said, tugging her into a sitting position. Wordlessly, Tori raised her arms so Danté could ease off her snug dress and deposited it along with the rest of their clothing on the floor. Their mouths met again in a feverish duel as they fell into the soft comforter of the bed.
"Too bad for Vincent, he doesn't know what he's missing," Danté gasped as he trailed kisses along Tori's collarbone.
Neither do you baby, Tori said silently to herself as she ran her fingers through Danté's dark, curly mane, but it's for your own good.
****************
Sonny's PH
How could he? How could he even contemplate doing this just to ensure Dara's safety? Sonny frowned as he paced the Penthouse floor, she didn't have to know about it. Dara would never have to know, not that she'd ever speak to him again anyway. "You've done a lot more sinking for less," he murmured to himself. And Dara was worth any price of humiliation or pain on his part. To save her from any potential harm, he would do it.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Oh God, please not Tori again, he groaned inwardly as he pulled open the door reluctantly. His eyes lit up when he saw Dara standing before him.
Dara clasped her hands together, already she was feeling over powered by her deep attraction for this man. "I got your message," she managed to say, her voice delicate, almost a whisper. She swallowed nervously, and took a few steps into the Penthouse.
Sonny closed the door and turned to face her. "You did?" he croaked. He blinked. Never had he imagined that she would come back here on her own.
"I've done a lot of thinking, about what you said," Dara started, "and a lot of thinking about how I feel, and, I think we should talk about it." She averted her eyes from his penetrating gaze, not knowing what she might do if she continued to watch him while his smoldering eyes bore into her.
Sonny's heart leapt, and he blinked back the tears that had suddenly formed and were dangerously close to spilling down his cheeks. "I think talking is a good idea. I need to tell you a lot," he said slowly.
Dara's eyes rose and once again, she was captivated by his face. Relaxed, but earnest, wanting to make right with the hurt he'd given her. Her heart swelled joyfully. She wanted those things too. Impulsively her hand reached out, only to find that Sonny was already grasping for hers.
Their hands clasped together in unison and instantly, they knew. They were ready, both of them, to finally be completely open and honest with each other, in a way that neither had ever been before. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, but as Sonny tugged Dara towards the living room chesterfield, Dara knew they could both do it.
Because they were doing it together.