Chapter Twenty

WHILE BRENDA HAD been bedeviling Sonny, Alcazar had been going ahead with his plans to take over Sonny's organization. He learned Sonny had a big meeting scheduled with several of his key people tomorrow. If he could make sure Sonny missed that meeting, it would be the perfect way to start undermining his leadership. If he could stroll into that meeting announcing Corinthos wasn't there because he was too busy sniffing around his wife, he'd have them eating out of the palm of his hand. All he needed to do was to get Brenda to keep him busy.

Brenda strolled into the room with a smirk on her face. She could barely contain her laughter over what she just did. She'd love to be a fly on the wall of Sonny's bedroom after her little phone call. She had no doubt the fur had really been flying. Now if only it was true, and she was really pregnant with Sonny's child.

"So," Alcazar glared at her, thinking the smirk on her face was due to the fact she'd just crawled out of Corinthos' bed. "How did you visit with Corinthos' go."

"I never got around to seeing him." Brenda told him. "He was a little busy when I showed up." But I bet he sure isn't busy now, Brenda smiled.

"Well." Alcazar was all business not sharing in her secret mirth. "You'll be seeing him tomorrow. Corinthos is supposed to be at an important meeting and he's going to miss it. Courtesy of you."

"Alcazar." She began. "There's been a little trouble on that front. It seems Sonny thinks you and I set the whole thing up to seduce him, so I could have a little trouble getting him to come to heel. He thinks you left us alone so I could seduce him, then drug him, so we could play with his head by making him think he dreamed the entire thing." She added. "So don't you see? I'm going to have a little trouble making Sonny come to heel the minute I snap my fingers."

"What I see." Alcazar grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully. "Is you're trying to back out of our agreement. We made a deal, my dear. I only let you and Corinthos live, because you claimed you could be a use to me in helping me gain control of Corinthos' operation." He added, as he shoved her away from him. "If you can't deliver, then the deal is off and Corinthos dies."

"I can deliver." She insisted. "I just need time to regain the ground I've lost with Sonny. You don't know how Sonny is when he thinks he's been betrayed. But if you give me some time, I can get Sonny back in the palm of my hand." She added. "Does it really have to be tomorrow? Can't it be in a few weeks."

"I'm tired of waiting." He told her. "I want control of his operation now." Then he laid it all on the line. "Let me tell you how it is. Maybe this will even give you some incentive to keep him away from that meeting. I will have a marksmen posted on top of a one of the buildings near where the meeting is to take place with orders to shoot Corinthos on sight." He finished. "The choice is simple. Keep him away from the meeting and your lover lives, fail to do that and he dies."

"It's not that simple." She tried to explain. "You're not taking Jason Morgan into the equation. He just accosted me down in the lobby and threatened to kill me if I mess around with Sonny, again." She added. "You don't know him like I do. He meant what he said. He thinks of Sonny as his child whom it's his job to protect from all of life's hurts and he will kill to protect him."

"Well, then." Alcazar smiled. "Looks like you have a choice to make? Whose life is more important to you? You own or your lovers?" He walked out of the room, putting a final end to their discussion.

Brenda grabbed up a vase and threw it at the door as he left. What was she going to do? If she let Sonny go to this meeting, Alcazar was going to kill him. But if she kept him away from it, he'd think she was working with Alcazar to undermine him and he'd distrust her even more. God, what was she going to do?

~ ~ ~

SONNY STORMED ACROSS the hall to Jason's penthouse and began banging on the door. When Jason came to it, Sonny asked abruptly. "Have you found out where she is, yet?"

"Brenda?" Jason looked confused. He could see something had happened since he'd last seen Sonny.

"Yeah, Brenda." He walked into the penthouse and went over to the bar to pour himself a drink.

"What happened?" Jason wanted to know.

"Brenda just called me on the phone." Sonny suddenly lost it and threw the glass against the wall. "She said she's pregnant with my child."

"Do you think it's true?" Jason couldn't believe that bitch. She did this after he warned her to leave Sonny alone. That woman didn't know when to quit. Unfortunately, if it were true, she knew he wouldn't lay a hand on her, because she knew he'd never do anything to harm Sonny's child.

"It's possible." Sonny began pacing the floor. "Even if she is pregnant, it could be her husband's child just as well as mine." He finally stopped pacing and forced himself to calm down. "So, have you found out where she's staying?"

"Yeah." Jason admitted reluctantly. "She and her husband are staying at the Port Charles Hotel." Then he asked. "What are you going to do?"

"She reached out and touched me." Sonny said as he snatched up the phone. "Not it's my turn to do the same." He punched up the number for the Port Charles Hotel and asked them to ring Mrs. Santiago's room.

Brenda answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

"It's me." Sonny snapped. "I need to see you."

"What about?" She tried playing dumb.

"You know damn well what it's about." He snapped. "When can I see you?"

She closed her eyes in dread as she made her choice. "Meet on the docks, tomorrow, at our usual place." She told him, preferring Sonny to hate her to being dead.

"Fine." Sonny replied. "I'll be there." Then he hung up the phone. All thought of the meeting tomorrow with his associates already forgotten.