"C'mon Tori, answer dammit!" Vincent urged into the phone. 5 rings. 6 rings. 7 rings. No answer. Cursing under his breath, Vincent hung up the phone just as Danté came around the corner.
"Hey, you alright?" Danté asked. Vincent nodded, taking the beer Danté offered.
"So what do you think about executing the plan at dusk tomorrow night?" Danté asked. Consulting with Vincent had become first priority in the war against Moreno. He valued Vincent's ability to pin down problems he himself hadn't foreseen. As time drew closer to the inevitable, he was relying even more heavily on Vincent's guidance.
Vincent shook his head. "We can't really mobilize and be efficient in the takeover on such short notice. Plus we need to be able to draw Moreno out. Taking him down won't be a simple task."
Danté listened carefully, nodding slowly as he processed the information. "How many days do we need?"
"At least 2, possibly 3. We don't want to wait too long. We've got leaks of our own. If Moreno gets any kind of inkling that we're gonna hit and hit hard, he'll be ready."
Danté nodded again. "Okay, I'll tell the others. You coming back?" he motioned towards the seating area. Vincent nodded, "just gimme a second to think a few things out."
Danté gave Vincent a curious look but said nothing as he left Vincent. Vincent turned back to the phone, dialing anxiously once more. "Dammit!" he muttered. Not only was Tori not answering, she'd turned her cell phone completely off.
******************
Sonny's PH
"Well, that was wonderful." Tori declared, rising from her seat. She meant it. The dinner had been a delicacy, but what was truly icing on the cake was Sonny opening up while they ate. It took some time and prodding, but Tori found Sonny had become more of a talker since her days at the Paradise Lounge. They'd talked about most everything with a somber ease. When she'd navigated the subject of choice to Dara, things changed. Instantly, he seemed to glow at the mention of her name, but he quickly shut down after that. Love had obviously changed the man she'd once known. Eying his form, despite the loose fitting clothing, she wondered what else had changed about him.
Sonny held back a grimace as Tori gave him a hungry look over. Tori had never been a patient woman, he doubted she had changed that much over the years.
"Should I make the call?"
Tori smiled thinly in response. "Not yet." She paused for effect. "Why not show me your dance steps first?"
Sonny released a long breath. Dance. Okay, he could do this part. "Sure, why don't we head to the study?"
************************
Dara bopped her head as Lucy Pearl's Dawn and Raphael sultry voices came in through the speakers while Dara headed down the dark streets to the destination she knew by heart.
*~*
I wanna dance tonight
I wanna toast tonight
I'll get my money tonight
I'll spend my money tonight
*~*
She'd debated over whether to let him know she was coming by, but by then the time she'd gotten into her car, she realized she'd left her cell phone next to her answering machine.
"I'll just surprise him," she decided aloud with a smile. She could just picture his eyes lighting up happily and those adorable dimples flashing as he greeted her with a grin.
She couldn't wait.
*****************
Now this was more like it, Tori decided as she and Sonny moved slowly to the music. "You're very good at this," she said suggestively, grazing her finely manicured nails along the side of his neck and down his chest.
"I've always been a good dancer," he responded quietly, feeling her press up against him even further. The friction aroused him and Tori's eyes lit up with excitement at his response.
Wanting desperately to squelch his response, he abruptly pulled from her, thankful that the song was just ending.
"Hey!" Tori yelled. "That's not the deal here! You know what happens if you don't-" she shouted before Sonny silenced her.
Just shut her up, he thought in irritation as his mouth covered hers in a searing kiss. It was a fair attempt at passion and Tori bought it, greedily demanding more. Sonny complied for a few lingering moments before breaking the kiss.
"Damn baby," Tori murmured, nuzzling him gently, obviously content with his offering. Sonny rolled his eyes, extracting himself from her tight grasp on him.
"Tori, I want to make this phone call. Now," he demanded.
Tori debated whether or not to argue, but with a pout, nodded in agreement.
"Good, what's the number?"
*******************
Harborview Towers-Lobby
Dara walked briskly through the expansive lobby of Harborview Towers. Wanting to freshen up before entering the elevator, she took a left at the elevator doors towards the private washrooms. As she came out of the stalls a few moments later, she regarded herself closely in the mirror. Tension still lingered in her expression. The promise she'd made to Mac worried her.
"I am so tired of being scared," she told the mirror.
So what do you want to be instead? her reflection asked her.
"I want to be happy. I want to tell him what's going on."
So do it. Stop being what others expect from you. Sonny trusts you and you can trust him to keep quiet until this all blows over.
Her reflection smiled reassuringly. Dara turned and headed out the door.
Now she was ready.
****************
Sonny hung up the phone with a heavy press on the button. "It's done," he announced. Danté now had the needed support to overthrow Moreno. His words had been carefully chosen while under Tori's suspicious gaze and after a few minutes of going through the proper channels, the deal was done. Closing his eyes, he chose not to think of what it meant for Port Charles with Danté Vitali now in firm control, but that Dara would not be hurt, ever.
She was safe.
Almost.
"Good," she announced triumphantly. With deliberate steps, Tori approached Sonny as he stood, hunched over the oak desk. As he straightened and turned, she attacked, throwing herself into his arms, her mouth claiming his. The two fell back onto the desk as Sonny attempted to gain some kind of leverage over her surprise pounce. "C'mon baby, let's play," she hissed in his ear before nipping it with her teeth.
The words were like magic to Sonny as he struggled under her. Play. Just like children play. Children also pretend. He could pretend. He'd been so good at pretending before Dara came into his life. Before her, he could fool anyone. He could fool Tori. He could separate love and sex, he could take the guilt out of sleeping with Tori. It wasn't real, Sonny Corinthos, the man Dara Jensen fell in love with wasn't here right now, someone else was in his place. A shell, with no feeling or thoughts, just the way Tori remembered him.
The thoughts ran through Sonny's mind at a delirious pace, stripping away anything that might stop him from doing this. This moment in time wasn't real and when it was done, he'd wake up and never remember what had happened.
Fake Sonny and what he did would be gone forever. Just like Tori and Danté and all the threats they posed.
Real Sonny would come back. And he'd marry Dara and they'd have a wonderful life together.
Sonny let out a joyous laugh. Of course, it was all so simple now. With a surge of strength, Sonny took over, flipping Tori onto her back.
With that motion, he heard a gentle click at the back of his head as the switch was made.
Tori's eyes lit up as she felt his body come to life. She knew he wouldn't be able to hold out. Dara or no Dara, she knew Sonny and he hadn't changed a bit when it came to pure, mindless sex.
Clothes were shed when frantic hands found the time to discard them. Mouths met and dueled while limbs twined and roamed. Sonny remembered everything about her, what she liked, what she loved and what drove her absolutely insane. His entire being assaulted her like never before and Tori was powerless against him.
Tori's eyes filled with tears as his fingers began to move inside her. He remembered, of course he remembered. He'd bragged so much to her in the past about never forgetting a woman's needs, she wondered why the gesture had taken her by surprise. She writhed under his touch, ignoring the discomfort of the oak desk. This was not unfamiliar territory, being consumed with so much hunger for the other that neither cared about where or when it happened, just that it did.
Just like old times.
*********************
Sonny's PH
Dara closed the front door behind her. Funny how Johnny wasn't by the door, but maybe Sonny sent him home. Her eyes roamed the room, settling on the dining table. Dinner for 2 by the looks of it, she thought as she approached the table. Jason perhaps? Sharp ears caught the faint sound of music coming from upstairs.
The study. Sonny kept his most prized collection in the study where he conducted his business. She followed the sound upstairs and down the hall. She paused before knocking gently on the door. No response as the music got louder, building to the crescendo.
Dara smiled, he probably couldn't hear her above the music. She placed her hand on the knob and turned, opening the door slowly. She didn't want to startle him.
************************
Tori let out a satisfied cry as Sonny entered her and she rose up, her lips mashing against his in a feverish embrace. Slick skin moved against each other as Tori clung to Sonny, feeling each thrust vibrate through her body. It was here, the moment she'd been wanting for so long. Her eyes flew open and almost immediately latched onto those of Dara Jensen.
*************************
Dara was frozen as she peered through the partially opened doorway. A startled cry passed through her lips, but the music drowned out her sorrow. Her knuckles turned white as her hand clutched onto the door knob for dear life.
Sonny was not alone.
He was with another woman.
Their eyes met and Dara suddenly realized who this woman was. The one from the lobby from yesterday. She had stepped off the elevator. The curious way she had greeted Dara. A further realization struck Dara in that moment. She recognized her from several of the articles Taggert had given her weeks earlier. Her name was Tori and she was Danté Vitali's girlfriend.
A ball of emotion, deep within Dara, began to grow. White hot rage, bitterness, sadness and betrayal began to fill her.
******************
Tori smirked as she watched the expressions on Dara's face change slowly, as if suddenly realizing what she was watching.
Sorry babe, he's mine now, she declared silently, letting out the first of many cries of happiness, her mouth once again claiming Sonny's while her gaze remained on Dara's. Pulling away, she moved with him, calling to him, begging him, demanding from him.
That bitch would learn. A leopard can't change his spots, no matter how hard he tried.
Her eyes drifted to Sonny's as she felt her walls clamping down on him, and with a loud shriek, Sonny's final thrust sent her reeling. When her eyes finally returned to the open doorway, she found Dara was no longer there.
"Mmmmmm," she purred as her mouth once again met his.
Mission accomplished.
******************
Run.
Run.
Run faster.
Dara blindly raced to her car, tears streaming down her face. The images ran through her mind, over and over again. Sonny with that woman, making love to that woman. The look of satisfaction on that woman's face.
How could I have been so stupid? she thought bitterly as the car roared across four lanes of traffic. Dara ignored the angry honks from other cars as she sped away from Harborview Towers.
Just get the hell away from him. That's all I want.
A sob escaped her. He had probably been with that woman all along. When saying those secret words to her, he was saying them to that woman as well. Marcus was right about Sonny, she had been wrong.
Dead wrong.
He never loved you. He never even cared. He'd probably wanted to get you in the sack for a long time.
Her eyes glanced at the rearview mirror. "You fool!" she accused. "You stupid fool! You knew better and you risked so much!"
Why had she wasted her time on him? "Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel," she said bitterly.
Well, no more she decided firmly, wiping her tears away. No more worrying about Sonny Corinthos. If he can throw you away so easily, well you can do the same.
With sudden jolt, she parked the car and turned off the engine. Her eyes lifted from the road as she glanced at the sign in front of her.
Vitali Estates
********************
Sonny's PH-Study
The music clicked off and silence filled the room. Slowly Sonny dressed, and as he buttoned his pants he glanced at her. She was still nude and lounging on his desk. He didn't care. He felt like an old man, everything hurt.
"Get up."
Tori grinned lazily at him. "You tired already sugar?"
Sonny bit back the bile, shaking his head firmly. "No, but we're finished here. You got what you want," he said coldly.
Tori sat up, chilled by his rejection. "We're not finished until I say so," she stated. Hopping off the desk, she pulled him to her, finding him stiff in her arms. Determined, she kissed him, but found him unresponsive.
"Get your hands off me."
Now his tone was more serious. Tori let go of him, but smiled to cover her growing uneasiness. "You heard what I said. We aren't done."
Sonny picked up her clothes and threw them at her. "Get dressed."
"No."
Sonny shook his head at her. "Go home Tori, you got what you paid for."
Tori drew back, as if slapped. Her eyes narrowed, wanting to strike back. "You're right, I even got a surprise deal in the process," she hinted.
Sonny's suspicious gaze leveled with hers.
Pulling on her dress and slipping into her heels, Tori gave him a cruel smile. "Your girlfriend stopped by. Saw everything. Didn't hang around, I guess she doesn't like watching two people get it on," she spat out.
Sonny paled. Dara? Dara had come by? Dara had seen him? Dara had seen them? Pain coursed through him. Oh, God. No.
"You're lying!" he shouted at her. He clutched her arms in his hands and gave her a shake. "Tell me the truth!"
"She saw us fucking!" Tori snarled back. His rejection had stung her deeply, but she could hit back just as hard if she wanted to. "She saw you," she said more quietly. "She didn't hang around for the end."
Sonny wanted to throttle Tori, to pound the smug smile off her face. But a pressing matter took priority.
Dara.
He had to find her.
"Get out!" he ordered. Not waiting for her response, he dragged her down the hall, down the stairs, across the room and shoved her out the door, ignoring the screaming and struggling. Grabbing her coat and purse, he threw them after her before slamming the door in her face.
"Hey! You can't do this to me!" she screamed at the door. "You'll pay for this Sonny!" She pounded the door a few times before giving up. "Fuck him," she declared, picking up her coat and purse.
"Fuck 'em both." She'd gotten what she wanted, that was that.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. Tori looked up and gasped as Moreno's right hand man pulled her in. He pinned her against the wall, covering her mouth with his hand.
"Hey beautiful," he leered at her. "I didn't expect to find you here, but then again, I don't think Danté would either."
Tori whimpered as the elevator doors shut. The plan had just gone terribly bad.