"Boss?"
Johnny paused, uncertain of how, or even if he should proceed. Taking a step closer, he tried again.
"Boss?!"
Sonny's eyes snapped open. Although Sonny's back was to him, Johnny took a quick step back, sensing the irritation from his employer.
"It's almost 8 boss."
Sonny's face turned to the windows just past his dining room table. The morning sun was up, a few clouds placed around it as the sky was already taking on a deep blue colour. Had he slept on the couch all night? Tipping his head to one side, he rubbed the side of his neck. "I'm up Johnny, thanks." Johnny nodded and left, shutting the door softly behind him.
Sonny shifted slightly in his position. The movement brought a quick protest. Sonny turned, glancing down at Dara, who was still fast asleep, her arms still fastened around him. "Dara?" he said her name gently, his heart seemed to beat a little faster when he said it. "Dara?" his voice was louder. This one brought a disgruntled response.
"What?" Dara groaned, blinking her eyes slowly.
"Wake up, it's morning."
Dara's eyes popped open with alarm. "What time is it?" she asked, already pulling herself into a sitting position.
"Almost 8, I guess we fell asleep," Sonny noted.
Dara yawned, stretching her arms above her head, noticing for the first time she was still dressed in her jeans and shirt from the night before.
"Did you sleep well?" Sonny asked, taking her hand in his and pulling them both to their feet. Lacing their hands together, he led her to the kitchen.
Dara rubbed the grogginess from her eyes as she nodded, "very well, I haven't slept this good in a long time."
Sonny turned and pulled her towards him, snaking his free arm around her waist. "Why haven't you been sleeping well?"
Dara's hand reached up to stroke the side of his concerned face. "Because you weren't there with me."
Sonny's eyes softened at her words. A slow, genuinely affected smile began to grow on his face as he gazed at the woman who had already changed him for the better in so many ways and was once again marveling him with her revelations. He leaned forward, taking her mouth with his, expressing his thanks wordlessly. After a few moments, he broke the kiss.
Dara licked her lips carefully, still enjoying the taste of his lips on hers. "And how did you sleep?" she asked him, playfully grinning at him.
Sonny returned her smile, flashing his dimples. "Well, normally I never sleep very well. I haven't since I was a kid. But all of a sudden, ever since you came into my life, every night you've fallen asleep in my arms, seem to be the only nights where I can sleep soundly. I guess my restless soul has been waiting for you my whole life."
A long pause passed between them as Dara digested Sonny's words. "Oh. Oh, wow," she murmured. "Nobody has ever told me that before,"she continued quietly, wiping the sudden tears from her face. "Nobody has ever made me feel like I really and truly had a place that was mine alone. Nobody except you," she said, her watery eyes sparkling. The emotional release was met with a warm embrace as Sonny enfolded his strong arms around her, pulling her close to offer comfort. Dara silently accepted, reveling in the feel of being in his arms again. After a few minutes, she pulled from him, giving a short laugh, "Wow," she stammered, struggling to gain some composure, "I hope I don't fall to pieces every time you say something like that to me." She paused for a moment, that wasn't how she wanted to say it. "I mean, not that I have a problem with the nice things that you do say," she corrected herself, blushing slightly as Sonny's mischievous grin widened.
Looking over his shoulder, Dara's eyes lit up at the sight of Sonny's clock sitting on the mantle of the fireplace. "I'm gonna be late!"
"When can I see you again?" Sonny asked urgently as he watched Dara lace up her Keds by the door. Grabbing her keys, she turned to find him just inches from her. His eyes flashed longingly at her and she craved to give into the same urges she was feeling. Taking a quick breath, she silently reminded herself. Take it slow this time. "I have a busy day today. Meeting with Mac, stuff at the office, late lunch with Dominik Vitali," she said, listing off her scheduled day.
"Dominik Vitali?" Sonny's hardened voice questioned. He resisted the urge to pry more information from her, but he desperately wanted to know why she was having lunch with an adversary's older brother. Not to mention a very rich, very classy, very intelligent, highly regarded and very SINGLE man.
Dara nodded, "the city finally found the money to have security offer protection. Remember the limousine that was following me a couple of months ago?" she asked, shivering slightly at the memory of that terrifying encounter.
Sonny could only nod as his conversation the night before with Tori flooded back. Danté had been the one to follow her that night. Remembering the mixture of both anger and terror on Dara's face when she stormed into the Penthouse to confront him, Sonny clenched his hands tightly, now that he knew of the culprit and the sick pleasure Danté had probably gotten from terrifying Dara like that.
"Anyway, someone must have lit a fire under the city's butt because they hired Dominik Vitali's security firm to protect me. I'm meeting with him for lunch to discuss the specifics."
Sonny barely heard Dara as he recounted Tori's cruel smile when she laid out the plans to their agreement. One night. One night and it all goes away. Tori, Danté, everything.
"Sonny?" Dara's cool hand grabbed his tense fist. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice filling with concern as she observed his rigid demeanor and dark expression. He seemed out of it, as if consumed by something so wrong he couldn't shake it off. "Sonny?" she spoke louder, her voice growing increasingly worried as her other hand reached up to sooth the tenseness from his clenched jaw. Feeling her soft skin against his face, Sonny blinked and shook his head slightly. "What? I'm sorry Dara, you mentioned something about security?"
Dara said nothing, her worried frown still present as she kept her hand against his cheek. Taking her hand, Sonny pressed a gentle kiss into her palm before lacing both of her hands in his. "You mentioned Vitali's name, and all I could think of was his younger brother," he explained, hoping his words would remove the worried expression from her face.
Dara bit her lip dubiously, she could feel it, there was more to it than what he was telling her. "Dominik's nothing like his brother," she assured him, choosing to move past what had just happened. He'd talk when he was ready. Sonny's face broke into one of relief.
"Nothing like his brother huh? You seem to sound like you know this for a fact," he teased her gently, pulling her close.
Dara's smiled warmly at him. "Well, if you ever get the chance to see that Kevin Costner flick "The Bodyguard"," she hinted, giggling as Sonny rolled his eyes.
"What is it with women and Kevin Costner?" he muttered in mock dismay. Turning his gaze back to her, he gave her a serious look. "You don't need a bodyguard from Vitali."
"What do you mean?"
"I always keep guards on people I care about," he said simply. "You needed security, so I provided it for you."
Dara paused. She wasn't sure if she should be angry, flattered or relieved. Knowing herself, she was probably a mixture of all three. "Thank you," she answered simply. So much had already happened between them, and to dwell on something she knew about Sonny, a core trait of his, would serve no use. He protected people he cared about. During her time of mounting a case against him, she'd always been strangely touched by his complete, unwavering dedication to protecting those that were important to him, even if they weren't in his life any longer. His need to take care of others, even without their knowledge and permission, seemed to come from a deeper place within him, something he couldn't just turn off. In knowing this, Dara respected that part of him, treasuring it instead of wanting to change it.
"The city will squawk if I don't take the security for at least a few weeks until tensions die down a bit," she said. Squeezing his hands, she added, "but it's a good feeling to know you'll be there too."
Sonny nodded slowly, "you're right, of course." Bowing his head slightly, Sonny pondered the second part of her statement. He wanted to say so much to her, but chose to be brief instead. "And I'll always be with you, protecting you from whatever harm you can't see."
Sonny leaned forward, his lips tentatively brushing Dara's, before sealing his vow to her, his mouth capturing hers in a lasting embrace. Dara responded quickly, insisting her own commitment to him as her arms slid around him and as the kiss deepened, she wondered for what felt like the thousandth time, what had she done to deserve such a feeling of utter love, devotion and completion?
****************
Home of Anthony Moreno
"Sit down." Anthony Moreno took a seat at his leather couch, crossing one leg over the other, his black silk robe loosely tied around his waist. Motioning to the identical couch across from him, Moreno took a sip of his morning tea slowly, before addressing the man.
"Start at the top."
The man nodded. "Okay. What we know from last night is Thomas Corino, one of Danté's crew was found dead in his place. Professional job that was done by someone within his crew even though the cops think it was you. We also know that Corino was asked to break into Dara Jensen's apartment."
"Why?" Moreno interrupted quickly, his face tightening with contempt. It infuriated him to know that things were going on around him without his knowledge. It worried him as well, being out of the loop, even for just a few hours meant a sign of weakness, something Moreno knew he couldn't afford this late in the game.
"He was probably looking for something on the D.A.'s case against Danté's side of things, but we can't be sure."
Moreno nodded silently, allowing the information to slowly process itself in his mind. With a wave of his hand, Moreno allowed the man to continue.
"Now we also know that Corino's cousin, Kenny and Kenny's girlfriend have been housed up at the P.C.P.D. since late last night. My inside sources aren't giving me much, but they all think it's got something to do with whatever Corino was looking for in Jensen's apartment."
"Which explains why Vincent Tyson is so suddenly interested in Dara Jensen, aside from the deliciously obvious," he leered, his crude smile growing as he pictured various lewd images of himself and Dara. "I always wanted to know what Jensen was like between the sheets," he sneered. He remembered the last time he'd been to court when the alluring A.D.A. had successfully convinced the judge to deny bail to Danté, back when the two men were on the same side. Danté had seethed with contempt, muttering loudly his displeasure. Vincent had discreetly attempted to quiet him down from behind the railing, keeping one hand firmly planted on his shoulder as the judge relayed his instructions while Danté's attorney attempted to gain any kind of leverage. Moreno, however, was preoccupied by the dark beauty, smartly dressed and wearing a cool, professional expression. As the officer escorted Danté back to lock-up, Dara's attention diverted to the loud protest of supporters who had appeared on his behalf. Her eyes had traveled with disinterest over the group before settling on Moreno. Her gaze had hardened, her expression tight and determined and in that instant Moreno had become captivated by her. The confidence in her posture, the pride in her step, the professionalism in her demeanor. She was tough, smart and flawless, despite her difficulty in successfully prosecuting members of organized crime. Nevertheless, she was a woman he admired and respected, something rare in his life. She was also an object of immense desire and out of all the women he craved, she was the one he knew he could never touch.
Moreno shrugged off his fantasies quickly. "Anyway, what else have you got?"
"Jensen was at Harborview last night, the same night Corino breaks into her place. Strange coincidence right?" Moreno's eyebrows rose with obvious interest in the tidbit of information.
"Tyson's having her followed. He gets Corino to find something in her place he needs. Corino winds up dead under Tyson's watch. Corino's cousin and the girlfriend are now under lock and key at the P.C.P.D." Moreno concluded, his eyes narrowing in thought. Somehow this all connected, but he could feel that vital pieces were missing. He needed more information and he needed it now. He rose from his seat and began pacing, the names, events, and unanswered questions running through his mind. Clenching his eyes tight, Moreno slowly went over each detail of information he'd received. Something was in there, he just needed to look hard enough. Something didn't fit.
Harborview.
"Harborview," he said aloud. The man looked up. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Moreno's eyes hardened. He could feel it, in his gut, this was the right area to look at. "Jensen was at Harborview Towers."
The man nodded, "yeah, you said attorneys live there."
Moreno nodded impatiently. "I know what I said. It just doesn't make sense." His mind raced, what was Vincent Tyson looking for? What did he REALLY want from Dara Jensen?
"How doesn't it make sense?"
Moreno turned abruptly, facing the man. "Taggert doesn't live at Harborview. Neither does Garcia or Scorpio."
The man frowned, confused. "So?"
Moreno's gray eyes darkened with realization. He didn't know the whole story, but instinctively, he knew he was on the right path. "Sonny Corinthos DOES live there."
The man pondered this momentarily, before shaking his head. "I still don't follow."
"Sonny Corinthos is Danté's key to getting permission from the other families to have me removed so he can take this territory. We all know Corinthos has been stonewalling Danté."
Moreno nodded slowly, agreeing with his thinking. Danté was still very much interested in getting Sonny Corinthos in his pocket and now, suddenly the A.D.A. was in the picture as well.
The man eyed Moreno carefully. "What are you thinking?"
Moreno shook his head, things were still cloudy. "I need some time. Come back at 2p.m. I'm gonna make some phone calls. I want someone on Jensen 24/7 from now on," he instructed.
"Already done. Just before I came in here, my guy said she'd just left Harborview and was heading back to her place," the man said as he rose from his seat, sensing that the meeting was drawing to a close.
"Good, if you hear anything, you call me immediately."
******************
Dara's Apartment
Emerging from the bedroom, Dara took a quick look at the clock to see if she had enough time for a quick bite before heading off to the P.C.P.D. Slipping on her black heels she grabbed a glass and poured some orange juice, taking a sip as she headed to the living room to gather briefcase from the leather chair. Ensuring that she had everything she needed for the day, Dara snapped off the lights and placed the finished glass in the empty sink. Turning to the counter to grab her car keys, Dara nearly brushed past the photos near the edge. Stopping, she frowned as she gathered them slowly in her hand. Her gaze shifted to the kitchen table. Hadn't she left the photos there last night? Shrugging after a moment, she placed them back on the counter, grabbing the keys. Another glance at the clock showed that if she didn't hurry, she'd be a few minutes late, knowing that traffic would be murder this time of the morning.
With a final look in her bathroom mirror, Dara unlocked and opened her front door, just as Mac Scorpio was about to knock.
"Mac!" Dara's eyes widened with surprise. In her three years at this apartment, Mac hadn't come by once, not even on a social call. "What are you doing here?"
Mac took a step back, already his face displaying his discomfort at being here. Despite his strict orders to Taggert about confronting Dara, he'd worried that Taggert would disobey him. Speaking to Dara first was imperative. "I know we were supposed to meet in my office, but I think it would be better if we spoke here."
Taking a moment to recover from his suggestion, Dara found her voice. "Okay," she started uncertainly, stepping back into the apartment. "Come in," she motioned with her hand.
"Thank you."
Mac entered the living room, his eyes roaming the area Dara called home. It had a mixture of sleek elegance and home comfort, with plenty of windows to allow the natural light fill up the room. Glancing around further, he caught sight of the smaller kitchen and the oak cupboards that lined it.
"Have a seat," Dara's curious voice interrupted his surveying. Taking a seat at the plush couch, Dara unbuttoned her coat and settled slightly as she observed Mac sit at the leather chair adjacent to her. His pensive look worried her. "Mac, what's wrong?"
His discomfort growing with every second that passed, Mac decided to go straight to the matter. "Last night, uniformed officers picked up a young man and his girlfriend on an old warrant. He had quite a story for us. He told us that his cousin had broken into a home and recovered two items."
Dara nodded, listening intently for any clue that might shed light on the situation for her.
"This cousin had been hired by Vincent Tyson, Danté Vitali's right hand man."
Dara perked up slightly, recognizing the names mentioned. "What was Tyson wanting from this break in? Did Vitali have anything to do with it?"
Mac took a deep breath, his concerns about Dara were making him restless and unfocused. Determined to get through this without resorting to yelling and accusations, he placed his hands on his knees, mentally calming himself. "Tyson was looking for a photograph. This cousin found it, but he took something else with him."
"What else did he take?"
Mac's eyes dropped as his hand retrieved the bracelet from his coat pocket. He placed it gently on the coffee table for Dara to see. "He took this bracelet."
Dara leaned forward, stopping suddenly as she recognized the jewelry. The missing bracelet she'd been looking for before heading off to work this morning. Her hand picked up the delicate piece, her mind racing with questions. An even greater realization struck her. Someone she didn't know had come into her home and stolen from her. The violation cut her deep, sending chills through her. Dara's head flew up, looking around her apartment. What had once been a safe sanctuary, now became distant and disturbed. The pain hit Dara just as hard. Tears sprung to her eyes, the confusion swirled her around. Turning back to Mac, she found her voice again. "Why?"
Mac had watched her reaction to the bracelet, his heart sinking with each change in her face and body language. He'd seen this many times before with other victims, but to watch it happen to someone like Dara, hit closer to home. "This cousin, Thomas Corino was hired to find a photo in your apartment Dara. He took your bracelet because he thought it was worth some easy cash."
"A photo?" Dara's voice rang out with realization. The photos.
Mac nodded. "Of you and Sonny Corinthos," he said, trying to keep his voice calm and neutral. Rushing forward, he relayed the rest of the information to her. "Umm, the reason why we know all this is because when we picked up this kid and his girlfriend, they had the bracelet. We've got them down at the P.C.P.D."
Dara blinked, people knew. Dangerous people like Vincent Tyson and Danté Vitali knew. Her eyes widened with fear as she stood suddenly.
Sonny.
"I have to make a phone call," she blurted out, clutching the bracelet in her hand. She had to warn him.
"Dara wait!" Mac exclaimed, beating her to the phone.
"Get out of my way!" she cried, trying to move around him. Mac mirrored each of her attempts to get past him. "Dara, wait, listen to what I have to say," he urged.
"Dammit! He doesn't know, he could be in danger, I have to warn him!" Dara's tears were now spilling down her cheeks as she desperately made grabs for the phone. Clutching her hands in his, Mac again tried to reach her. "Listen to me! Things have already been set in motion. This affects more people than just you and Sonny!"
Hearing his words finally, Dara's eyes rose to meet his. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaky and uncertain.
"I know about the relationship. Garcia found out first when he and two officers came last night to confirm the break in. Taggert knows," Mac continued after a pause, knowing that mentioning Dara's closest friend would bring out another reaction.
Dara paled considerably. Marcus knew? Once again, the fear surged forward. "Now, I really need to make a phone call."
"Stop! Taggert's not going to do anything to Corinthos," Mac informed her.
Dara gave a hollow laugh. "Then you don't know him that well."
"I know that if he values his work and his job and the commitment of being a law enforcement officer, he will follow my orders. Taggert is currently at his desk working on other cases. He hates it but that's how I want it right now."
Taking a breath, Mac released Dara's hands and slowly guided her back to their seats. "Okay, there are a couple more things we need to discuss," he started. "First, the man who broke into your apartment and took the items was found murdered in his home."
"Oh, God," Dara murmured, rubbing her temples to relieve the pounding headache. People were dying, trouble was brewing and dangerous men were in control of so many lives. Hers and Sonny's being just two of them. What now? "What's the second thing?"
"This is an ongoing investigation which means that certain procedures must be followed in order-"
Dara's head snapped up as she heard the familiar words. Mac stuck to the rules, she knew that better than anyone, but this. This was impossible to ask of her. "Are you telling me that I can't warn Sonny about this?" she asked slowly, deliberately lacing her words with disbelief.
Mac leaned forward in his seat, knowing this was a delicate matter. "Dara, two nights ago we received a tip that a shipment of illegal goods is coming in at one of the ports rumored to be under the ownership of Danté Vitali."
"So?"
"So, we can't let allow an investigation that's been going on for almost 2 years to take an unpredictable turn by involving Sonny Corinthos."
Dara bristled at the tone. "His life could be in danger! Doesn't that mean more than finally nailing Danté Vitali?"
Mac heaved a sigh. "This operation is going down soon Dara. Two long laborious years of trying to shut down organized crime in this city. Sonny Corinthos was a part of that operation one time remember?"
"I remember."
"Good, because you'll remember he has a top notch security plan. His penthouse has bullet proof glass. His bodyguards go everywhere with him. His reputation still makes people cross the street or look away when they see him."
"So you don't want me telling him about this, is that it?" Dara bit out angrily. She understood Mac's intense need to taste the fruits of his labor. He'd put more manpower, personal time and energy into this than anyone else. He deserved to watch that work pay off. Still, to put another man's life in potential danger was unsettling to Dara. Especially since it was Sonny's life that was now heading towards that danger.
"I want you to act as though we never had this conversation," Mac said firmly. "You don't change, Sonny doesn't change and more importantly, Vitali and Moreno don't change. When it's over, you can tell him."
Seeing the uncertainty in Dara, Mac tried another tactic. "Dara, what he doesn't know, will not hurt him."
"You don't know that!" Dara snapped.
"Yes, I do. Sonny knows how to stay alive, he's been doing it for years under worse situations. This is the only way to handle this."
"And what if I don't cooperate?" Dara asked softly. Mac drew back, as if slapped.
"I'd be forced to turn over my information to the D.A. You could lose your job. You could even face obstruction charges. I don't know why you'd do that. You love the law Dara, this is your passion. Why would you throw it away?" Clearing his throat, Mac rose. "I should go, please seriously think about what I've said." Just as he reached the door, Dara's voice rang out.
"I'll do it."
Mac turned. "What?"
Dara stood, the conflicted emotions still debating within her. "I said I'll do it. I'll keep quiet. I won't tell Sonny what you just told me," she said unhappily. I just hope he'll understand, Dara prayed silently.