| Chapter 2 "What are you doing here?" Taggert asked Mercedes. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her short black hair was up in a ponytail and she wore little make-up. "Business," Mercedes replied. "What sort of business?" "I own several art galleries and I'm opening one here in Port Charles." "Oh. We should get together sometime," he suggested. "Maybe." She was wondering why she had ever gotten involved with him. He'd been a rookie when she had. How long had it really been? They always ended up this way. She would always go back to Sonny, never him. She supposed that fed the war between the two. "Bailey, go back to the hotel," Mercedes told her daughter. "When I get there we will dicuss you security." "But Mama..." "No buts, Bailey Adella. Go." Bailey pouted. At fifteen she hated to be told what to do. She turned and walked towards the hotel. Mercedes watched her daughter go before turning back to Taggert. "Thanks for helping her Marcus." "I was doing my job. Rosco's bad news." "I know." "I think that you've made him angry," Taggert observed. "What else is new?" She asked sarcastically. He chuckled. "Do you and your daughter have protection?" "I can arrange it, yes." "Okay, I'll see what I can find out about how Rosco knew you nad your daughter." "Marcus, that's not necessary. I already know." "Really? And how is that?" ~~~ Sonny took Carly to the PC Grille to celebrate. She seemed to glow. They were half-way through the dinner when Sonny saw Rosco enter. He glared at the man as he approached their table. "Mr. and Mrs. Corinthos," he said with a fake smile. Sonny watched him carefully. Rosco turned to Sonny. "I paid little Ms. Escobar a visit today. Too bad that it was interuppted by Taggert." "Stay away from the Escobars," Sonny warned. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't." "If you don't, it's your loss. Mercedes will kill you if you approach Bailey. I've seen her kill for less." "She won't touch me with the information that I have." "And that would be?" "This," Rosco said, handing Sonny a piece of paper. Sonny studied it. "This is all you have to take both of us down?" Sonny asked smiling. "Oh, I'm not telling you what else I know. Just be warned. I do know what kind of connection you and Mrs. Escobar have, and that, I will use to destroy you." Rosco turned and walked away. "What was that about Sonny?" Carly asked. ~~~ "Marcus, it doesn't matter. Rosco's gone now." "But what about the next time he decides to approach you or Bailey?" "I'll handle it, besides, he's not stupid enough to try it again." "Really?" He asked sarcastically. "Mercedes, I care about you. I know what Rosco is capable of, I don't want you to get hurt." "I'm careful Marcus." Her cell phone rang. "Mercedes Escobar." "Mercedes, I need to talk to you," a man's voice came. "I'll be back in the city tomorrow, I have some business to take care of here first." "It can't wait that long." "Why, what's happened?" "I can't talk over the phone." "Where are you?" "On my way to Port Charles. Are you staying at the PC Hotel?" "Yes." "I'll meet you at the PC Grille in twenty minutes." "Wait..." All she got in response was a dial tone. She shook her head and turned back to Taggert. "Can we talk some other time? I have some family business to take care of." "Yeah, sure. I'll call you. Goodbye Meme." "Bye, Marcus." She smiled before turning and walking away. Taggert watched her go. What had happened to her? She had gotten cold since the last time he'd seen her more than twenty years before. He shook his head and walked away. ~~~ "Carly," he sighed. "Carly there are some things that you don't need to know about and this is one of them." He stared at the paper that Rosco had given him. His eyes filled with rage, unseen by Carly. Only one other person knew what he was feeling. Mercedes. ~~~ Mercedes walked into her and Bailey's hotel suite. She saw her daughter working on her laptop. "Bailey." She looked up. "Mom, what's going on? Are we moving here?" ~~~ "Sonny, I can't help if you don't trust me enough to tell me," Carly said touching his hand. But Sonny's mind wasn't on his wife. He was thinking about another time. He shook his head of those memories. That was then, this is now. He silently vowed to protect Baily like he had protected her mother so many years before. ~~~ |