Chapter Six

Greg struggled while Courtney held him against the wall with a gun to his throat, the look in her eyes being one of pure, raw hatred. If hew ere to be completely honest with himself, he would admit that the woman frightened him just as much, if not more, as Jason Morgan. But, he had to keep that hidden or else he’d be showing his weakness, just like Morgan had told him outside.

Sonny Corinthos’ replacement enforcer knew very well that his boss’ little sister and former best friend hated him and were only biding their time until the day that they would kill him, but he trusted Sonny, thinking that on some level that maybe the two people before him still feared him.

The trapped man continued to struggle against the woman’s strong grip, despite the weapon she had on him and Jason stepped closer to the two as a silent warning that if he even tried to get away, he wouldn’t make it out the door before he was riddled with bullets from four different guns. Immediately, he stopped.

“Do you have any idea how badly I want to kill you for what you did? You’re damn lucky that I like knowing that you’re out there somewhere, scared and looking over your shoulder every day since then, although it’s not much of a life for you,” Courtney told him coldly, emotionless and full of ice. Her heart turned cold with hatred for the man she hadn’t seen for years. But, she knew that he was watching his back, or trying to, and living his life in fear and paranoia. “So, give me one good reason why I shouldn’t destroy you right now. I may be getting tired of this game of watching you.”

James, Juan and Max all watched the exchange, along with Jason, and knew that she wasn’t going to kill him. They all knew she and Jason well enough to know that if they were going to eliminate one of Sonny’s men, thy were going to do it when he least expected it and that was definitely not now.

The blonde’s husband was very interested in whether or not the former coworker would respond, what excuse he would use to keep himself alive. But, he didn’t, he just decided to act tough enough and not answer the woman’s question. Before any of them could blink, she removed the gun from the man’s throat, replacing it with one small, but strong, hand, choking him. “Next time you won’t be so lucky. Tell my brother that’s our message. He’d better remember that he’s in no position to threaten anyone.”

Courtney released the man's throat from her hands, a red ring where they used to be. "Get out before I really do decide to kill you."

Greg looked at her, scared out of his mind, before running past the three guards near the door. Max leaned out and watched him run out of the warehouse while Jason stepped closer to Marco. "I want you to follow him, make sure he doesn't come back after he thinks we've left. I want someone on him all the time, he's not to be unwatched for a second. The same goes for Corinthos, I want to know every move he makes before he makes it."

Jason wasn't sure if Sonny would try something so soon after finding out that his incompetant right hand man was caught and given a warning, but that was the type of chance that he and Courtney were not willing to take. He turned to his wife, who was still seething with anger, and saw the unforgiveness flash through her eyes. She could forgive him for taking sides with Sonny in the beginning, but she would not and could not forgive her brother and Greg for their betrayal of her husband. Eiether they or she would die first.

Courtney set her eyes on the guard and added a few instructions to Jason's. "I want every single man we have working tonight, when the shipment comes in. Have two on each Corinthos and Greg and the rest are going to be with the shipment. Until the shipment comes, I want guards all over this place, making sure there's no way. Get them over here right now, Marco. If he makes a move tonight and succeeds, someone will lose their life and it will not be my husband or myself, got it?"

Chapter Seven

Marco took off after Greg, doing the job himself for the time being, as James and Juan pulled out there cell phones to let all the men know of the plans and orders that had been issued by their bosses.

Courtney was burning with anger but has no way to channel that at the warehouse so she walked back to the desk and slammed herself inot the chair. Snatching up the rest of the paperwork that was left and a pen, she went to work on it, trying to block out her emotions somewhat. She was so tired of being underestimated by Sonny, tired of him always thinking that she coud be pushed over by any little thing he did. It had all started when he'd forced Jason to break up with her and it'd continued to escalate, all the way up to when he yelled at her for her 'betrayal' and now beyond.

Jason stepped outside the door while he took the other two men, sitll making their calls, to check the shipment again. It was mainly just something to do to keep his mind occupied, he knew Courtney needed a little bit of time to herself before they left. She'd let a dark, harder side emerge since the betryal, and he loved her, but she was still the same person. The issues with Sonny and her frustration with him was more than business and it hurt more than she could let on in front of the guards.

A half hour later, he returned to the office to find her at the filing cabinet, obviously done iwth the paperwork she was so bent on finishing. Her blue eyes found his as he stepped closer to her and she shut the drawer.

"Hey," he whispered gently, knowing that she was about to explode. That knowledge made his voice unconsciously softer than normal.

"How's the shipment?" was her response as she walked back over to the desk, putting things away. The tone of her voice, icy and harsh, only showed that she was hurt.

"How'd you know that was where I went?"

Looking up at him, the expressing on her beautiful face was annoyed. "Jason, I know you just as well as you know me."

He sighed. "Fine."

"Fine." Grabbing her jacket off the back of the chair, she wlaked out of the office, heading out towards the SUV while her husband locked the door behind them.

She loved what she and Jason did, which was something she never thought possible, but she hated that it would lead to a showdown with her brother. She didn't love him, not anymore, but her concern was for her nephews. And for Carly. Her best friend understood Courtney's position and had told ehr many times before not to hold back on their account, he would be getting what he deserved when that time came. She had hardened her heart towards him, also, but there was still a small shimmer of love for the man he had been before all hell had broken loose. Of course, Micheal and Morgan wouldn't have their father if anything were to happen, but it wouldn't be so differnt; they didn't have him now.

But, even with these dowubts that the blonde constantly struggled with, she knew that she would kill him if that was what it took to save the people that she loved; the people her adversary had once lovd. Especially Jason. She didn't care what it took, she would keep him alive. And he would do the same for her. They were partners, made stronger by their deep love for one another, and they were fighting a man who they'd once considered family. Anything it took to keep one another alive, that was what they'd do.

Jason saw that she was already in the passneger seat of the SUV and sighed. One look in her eyes told him what was going through ehr mind. She had her doubts about her brother and dwelled on them for awhile, but she could pull herself out of it. The doubts and the anger were a part of her, now, but not a very evident or influential one. Not like Sonny, who had become so consumed with it after disowning his sister and Jason not being able to hate her and turn on her that it had led all of them to where they were now. His anger was trying to destroy them all, but Courtney could fight hers, it wasn't going to take her over. She wouldn't let it and neither would he.

Neither spoke on the way home to the loft, until they were inside. Jason listened as she breathed a sigh of relief, or annoyance, and threw the jacket into the bedroom behind the bookshelves.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, wanting to help her get it off her chest, even if he knew what was going on.

"Not right now, I'm taking a shower."

"Didn't you take one this morning before we left?"

She turned to him and stared with hard blue eyes, ones that still couldn't help but sparkle when she looked at him. "Is there a limit to the amount of showers I can take?"

Jason didn't respond, he just shook his head and she spun on her heel and started tgowards the bathroom. He sat on the back of the couch and put his head in his hands. Her snippiness would wear off, but that didn't make it anymore fun to deal with. Damn you, Sonny. If she doesn't kill you first, I will. Those were thoughts he'd never thought would enter his mind, but then again, he didn't think his best friend would turn on him, either, and look where that got me.

Courtney turned the hot water on and removed her clothes before stepping under the shower head. She tipped her head back, allowing the warm liquid to wet her hair and washed it, the scent of the shampoo and the water's heat helping her relax. I shouldn't have taken it on him, she thought, being hit wiht a wave of regret.

She finished her shower and turned the water off before reaching for the towel on the rack and drying herself off. Her hair was quickly put into a messy ponytail and she stepped out to see her husband, with shi arms crossed over his broad chest, leaning against the bathroom counter, adoration evident in his blue eyes. Courtney stepped closer to him and he took the towle from her hand and it was thrown into the hallway.

"Come here," he said gently, taking her small hand in his and pulling his wife towards him.

She looked into his eyes with daness and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Jason reached his hand to her hair and removed it from the ponytail she just put it in, smoothing it as well as he could without a brush. Then, reaching behind him, he grabbed the blanket he'd taken from the couch and wrapped it around her body before picking her up and walking towards the living room.

Courtney wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest, listening ot the strong heartbeat beneath layers of hard, thick muscle and bone. He wanted to take care of her, and she was willing to let him. This was one of his many ways of making her feel loved and adored, which was something he was always eager to do, so she was going to let him.

The spiky haired man walked around the couch and sat down with her on his lap. Looking down at her face, he could see that the edge was gone, she was relaxing. Very carefully, he kissed her soft lips before cradling her with one hand, as if she were a small child, and his other made its way along her body, leaving no inch of skin untouched. He loved the sensation of her under his fingers, and knew she loved it just as much as he, if not more.

Courtney reached towards the hem of his shirt and slowly pulled it up and over his head, causing his journey over her body under the blanket to be interupted, but as soon as if was off, he continued again as they stared into one another's eyes. She cuddled against his rock hard body as his touch gave her the sweetest comfort she could ever experience. "I love you, Jason"

His lips swept down to meet hers in another tender, sweet kiss as they blocked Sonny and the shipments out of their minds, her laying in his strong arms of comfort.

Courtney was slowly awakened by Jason walking around the loft. She was laying on the couch in the same position she’d fallen asleep in, just without him underneath her.

“Hey,” he said, walking over to her and sitting on the couch. “I was just going to wake you up so we could get something to eat at Kelly’s”

The blonde turned to face him with the blanket wrapped around her while she reached up and stroked his cheek. “You take such good care of me.”

He smiled lovingly at her and brought her body closer to him. “You took care of me when all of this started, now it’s time for me to take care of you. We’re in this together.” He kissed her forehead. “And, you have to get dressed so we can go out.”

“Do I really have to get dressed?” Courtney teased, whining as if she were a child being told what to do by her father. He pulled her onto his lap again and she wrapped her eyes around his neck as he looked at her with his piercing blue eyes.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind but I don’t think anyone else would enjoy it, since I’d be right there with you.”

Courtney got off the couch and out of his arms, walking back to the closet in the hallway to get the clothes her selfish husband wanted her to wear. After grabbing the clothes, she went to the bathroom to put them on and comb out the waves in her hair. It was naturally wavy, but she usually blow dried it straight and since she’d fallen asleep without drying it, the waves were there to stay.

Jason waited for his wife to emerge from the bathroom, ready to go to Kelly’s. She was in a better mood than earlier, which was good. Both of their minds needed to be clear when they went back to the warehouse that night and the best way to clear her mind, he knew, was to make her happy. Her footsteps resounded through the hallway as she entered the living room, wearing dark blue jeans, boots and a white button down shirt.

“Okay, we can go.” She said, grabbing her purse and yanking him off the couch and to his feet.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have to wait for you to wake up and get dressed, patiently waiting, and now you’re shoving me out the door?” He looked at her in disbelief, as if she had two heads or something.

“Fine, I’ll stay right here.” Courtney sat on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest and her ankles as she propped them up on the coffee table in front of her.

“Ha, you wish.” Jason picked her up in his arms and walked out of the loft, his wife laughing the entire way to the vehicle downstairs.

~*~

The Morgan’s sat at a table near the door at Kelly’s after their orders had been taken. Courtney looked around at the diner; nothing had changed since she’d walked in the door the first time years ago. The tables were still in the same arrangement, the pictures on the wall were never moved, the rooms upstairs still rented out. The only difference was the change in staff. Bobbie still owned the tiny restaurant, but she didn’t run it anymore, at least not for right now.

She’d been out of town for the past couple of months, with Mike to visit Carly and the boys, but would probably be coming home soon. The waitresses were all new, since Penny had moved away, Liz had a child to take care of, and Courtney had quit when she’d been given the money and waterfront property from Louise. Before she left, Bobbie had two additional waitresses hired.

Other than those small changes, everything about the diner was the way it had been for years, and Courtney was thankful for that. She and Carly had had many conversations within the confines of the diner walls, from when her best friend told her to be honest with Jason about the Alcazar murder trial, to discussing Sonny and Jason and, before she’d left with the boys, the changes that had taken place in their lives over the past years. Looking back, it broke her heart to think of how things had been then compared to now. But, it didn’t do any good to wallow and wish for the way things were, that just couldn’t happen again. And all because Lorenzo Alcazar tore our lives apart.

One of the new waitresses delivered their food and the two ate in silence for a little while. Both were focused on the shipment and wanting to make sure that Sonny would not be able to get near the warehouse. Jason and Courtney had both learned that that chance would always be there if Sonny was alive or able to run what they’d let him keep of his business, and that was the way it went.

“You know, I think we should call Carly soon, check up on her and the boys, and Bobbie and Mike.” Courtney said, taking a bite of the food on her plate.

Jason nodded. “Yeah, we should, the boys are probably waiting for a phone call, driving Carly crazy. What made you think about that now?”

The blonde sighed. “I miss them. A lot. And, I know you do, too. It just drives me crazy that I can’t see them whenever I want, still.”

Jason nodded and took his wife’s hand under the table. He knew how she felt. The boys were getting older and they weren’t there to watch them grow up like they’d thought they would be. Things had changed that, irreparable events that had altered their family life, the business, and life in Port Charles in general. “I know. But, they’re safe, and protected from all of this. I hate having them so far away, but I’d rather them be there and safe than here and having Carly go into a panic every time the wind blows.” He paused as he looked into her eyes, trying his best to reassure her. “And, they’re not there alone. They’ve got Emily and Nikolas there to help and spend time with them. Nikolas would do anything for those boys, and Carly’s got a friend to talk to.”

It was Courtney’s turn to nod, now. “You’re right. They’ve got your sister and her husband to help out. I’m so glad Nikolas is down there. Micheal and Morgan need some male figure in their life, and since you’re here, he’s the next best thing.”