Chapter Nineteen

Jake - Pardon?"
S - "No, I want to hear about Brianna DeAmonte from you - then we will look at
the file."
Jake - "Okay.  What do you want to know?"
S - "Everything.  She is going to be around for a while and Jason and I need
to know who we are entrusting with our lives."
Jake - "Fair enough.  I’ll start from the beginning, but it is going to take a
while."  He leans back in his chair and with a grin he begins to remember the
past.  "Thanksgiving four years ago was the first time I ever saw her…..

**Flashback - will be in first person as told by Jake**

Thanksgiving 1999; Monte Carlo Grande, Monaco

It was two o’clock in the afternoon and I had just checked into the hotel for
a few days of R&R and a meeting with Derek, I wasn’t really tired so I decided
to check out the casino and see what was going on, it was Thanksgiving in the
US but just another day in Europe.  I walked through the tables checking out
the games, the voices and languages of at least half a dozen countries mixing
with the French of Monaco rang in my ears but it was a nice change from the
solitude of the jungle, so I decided to stay and play poker.  The dealer was a
very pretty woman, dark eyes, dark hair, like many of the locals, but
something about her held my attention, maybe it was her grace, or the haunted
look in her eyes, or the look of sadness that never seemed to leave her
expression; I’m not quite sure, but there was a delicacy about her that
captivated me.  I sat down and asked for some chips and she began dealing the
cards, her eyes never resting in one place, they continued to move around the
casino, constantly looking and watching.

"Maybe you should quit while you still have money in your pocket" she said to
me as I managed to lose my four straight hand.
I looked up from my cards surprised by the comment and answered  "Aren’t you
supposed to want me to lose?" she shrugged her shoulders "I’m fine, don’t
worry about me; concentrate on him, he is getting ready to make a move." I
told her and gestured to a guy in his mid-twenties sitting down the table
watching her closely.
She didn’t even look in his direction before answering me "Don’t you worry, I
can handle myself." The guy down the table seemed to be encouraged by our
conversation and immediately began hitting on her in English, she pretended
not to understand and continued to deal.
She dealt me two more cards before I asked her "Why don’t you just tell him
your engaged?" and pointed to the beautiful diamond solitaire on her left ring
finger.
"Because I’m not." She answered not looking directly at me.
"Then why to ring?" 
"It’s a reminder."
"A reminder of what?"  I asked continuing to badger her.
She looked down at the ring and whispered "Of a person I can never be."  Then
she turned around and waved down the pit boss who immediately walked up to the
table, she spoke quietly to him he looked at me and the kid down the table
before he holding out his hand for the cards, she glanced once more at us then
turned them over, gathered her tips, and walked away.
I watched her walk away before turning and asking the dealer "Who is she?"
"Francesca." He answered and dealt up another hand.

********

Jason - "Are you telling us that Brie was this dealer?"
Jake - "Yes, but I knew her then as Francesca."
Jason - "But Brie has reddish hair and green eyes."
Jake - "Looks can be deceiving and around her that’s a good rule to remember."
Sonny - "How did you end up working with her?"
Jake - "There’s more, do you want to hear it?" They both nod their heads and
Jake begins to tell another part of he and Brie past.

********

The next evening after Derek arrived we hit the casino.  I wasn’t really in
the mood to gamble so I spent most of my time watching other people and
looking for Francesca.  She was a mystery to me and I couldn’t figure out why;
she wasn’t working any of the tables that night so for some reason I spent
most of the time watching an elegant elderly woman gamble and win - win big.
The next day was the same Francesca dealing in the afternoon and Derek and I
checking out the casino by night.  That night I gambled while Derek watched,
this time it was a pretty blonde southern belle who captured our attention and
who seemed to be hitting the jackpot.  She walked past me and caught me
staring.
"Are you following me?" she asked in a thick southern drawl.  I shook my head
no but remained silent "Well it sure seems like that to me, now cool it before
I report you to security."  She threatened before turning away.
"You do and then I will have to tell them your game." I answered with a threat
of my own.  That caught her attention and she froze on the spot before looking
around and walking back to me.
"Leave me alone." She said through gritted teeth.
"Why?"
"Please," she asked me again her eyes a little hopeful "just go away."
"Why?’
"Just go!"
"No I mean why are you doing this?" I asked curiously.
"I have to." She muttered before walking gracefully up the stairs and out of
the casino.

************

Jake wound down his story still leaning back in the chair his grin having
faded and this face thoughtful "That’s how I meet Brie."
J - "Wait a minute, did I miss something?  You didn’t tell us anything.
Hanging out in a casino for the weekend checking out women doesn’t really
explain anything."  Jake opens his mouth to respond but is interrupted by
Sonny.
S - "She was all of them." He says answering Jason’s question.
J - "What?" he asks while Jake just grinned and Sonny stared thoughtfully down
the table.
S - "Francesca the dealer, the old biddy, and the southern belle." He holds up
his hand and ticks off a finger for each of them "She was all of them."
J - "What?"
Jake - "Yep, shocked the hell out of me too.  Francesca, Mrs. DeLaCroix, and
her granddaughter Renatta.  All Brie."
S - "Pretty elaborate scam, why?"
Jake - "I asked her the same question and she said it was because locals
weren’t allowed into the casino, which is true, so she assumed the different
identities to gamble.  As a dealer she gained the prospective of knowing which
tables, dealers, and games to play and as Mrs. DeLaCroix and Renatta she was
able to utilize those skills."
S - "So how did she hook up with you and Derek?"
Jake - "Well after about a week Derek and I approached her about working with
us, telling her that her "skills" would come in handy.  She all but jumped at
the chance."
S - "Why did she feel the need to do it?  Why did she feel the need to pull
the con in the first place?"
Jake - "That was one of the first questions I asked her.  I wanted to know why
she was really doing this, I mean after two weeks she was raking in the bucks
but I didn’t see much of it going out so I wanted to know what she was really
up to.  I told her no answers - no job, she thought about it for a minute then
looked up at me and said deadly serious that she was buying herself a new
life.  Then she stuck out her hand and introduced herself as Brianna
DeAmonte."
S - "What happened after that?"
Jake - "Nothing unusual, pretty much what I already told you, we trained her,
took her into the field, then finally turned her loose."
J - "I still don’t get why she went to such extremes."
Jake - "It takes a while to understand anything Brie does, I still don’t, but
I do know that she is smart, loyal, sexy as hell, and extremely capable."
S - He turned to Jake his face and tone serious then asked his final question
"Are you in love with her?"

Chapter Twenty

Jake - He looked at Sonny surprised since Sonny knew how much he loves his
wife "No I am not and I never was in love with Brie, she is the little sister
I never had.  I want to protect her, but she won’t let anyone do that, she
hides within herself and doesn’t let many people in."  he pauses for a minute
before continuing "There is still a lot I don’t know about Brie; but I do know
this:  I do love her, like a sister."  Sonny simply nods his head in
acceptance before Jason changes the subject.
J - "She doesn’t like us."
Jake - He gives a quick laugh "She doesn’t like, or trust, anyone easily.  She
has been hurt pretty bad and even I don’t know the story behind that.  She is
still running I just have no idea who, or what from."
S - He pushes the folder still in his hands across the table to Jake "Here’s
in information we have compiled on her.  There isn’t a mark on it, just mostly
records, records of visas, passport stamps, financial records clean, bank
accounts healthy, but nothing personal to speak of, her name isn’t even in any
national government database.  Anything else you can tell us."
Jake - "She said she was originally from Paris but other than that, not
really.  She is pretty quiet, doesn’t speak much of herself or talk about her
past at all."
S - "Jason I think we should keep looking, get those aliases she was using in
Monte Carlo and run them too.  Is her real name Brianna DeAmonte or is that
just another in her string of her aliases? What if she is someone else
entirely?  We need to know who we are dealing with."
Jake - "I don’t know, there is something there that she is afraid of, that I
am sure of, but Brie is damn good at running and at hiding.  That woman could
hid herself in a room of ten given the right bag of tricks, I swear each time
I see her she looks different."
S - "Well we will just have to stop looking at the surface and dig a little
deeper."
J - "We’ll find out what she’s hiding Sonny - eventually."  Sonny nods his
head knowing that Jason is right, they would soon find out everything about
her.

Chapter 21

Mid-morning the next day in the park.

Brie has just finished jogging and enters the park.  It is an usually warm day
for February, the sun is shinning and warm and most of the snow has melted
except for a few stubborn patches hidden in the shade, so she sits down on a
small bench in a hidden alcove to catch her breath.  She is startled out of
her thoughts by a little bundle of energy that comes tearing towards her
slipping on the wet grass and landing in a lazy sprawl at her feet.  The
little girl was beautiful; black hair, dark eyes that shone with happiness and
mischief, and one small dimple on the left side of her mouth.  Her build may
have appeared small and slender but her clothes screamed tom-boy from the
khaki overalls and baseball cap to the white shirt and tiny construction boots
that she wore on her feet.

B - "Hello, are you all right?"
LG - "Yes," the little girl answered getting up and wiping her hands on her
already muddy overalls before looking up at her "you talk funny."
B - She laughs in delight at the child’s comment about her accent before
leaning towards her "Didn’t anyone ever tell you that your not supposed to
talk to strangers?"
LG - "What’s your name?" She asks and cocks her head to one side to wait for
an answer.
B - She smiles at the quick response but doesn’t answer right away "You may
call me Brie." She finally says.
LG - "That’s a funny name."
B - "It’s a nickname actually.  People stopped calling me by my real name
along time ago." Her voice trails off as her mind begins to drift before she
is brought back to reality by the girls next statement.
LG - "I have a nickname too, but only my uncle calls by it." Then she paused
before asking Brie quietly "Are you gonna cry?"
B - "No, why?"
LG - "You looked sad.  I cry sometimes when I’m sad."
B - "Well I am not sad, nor am I gonna cry."
LG - "My Daddy says it okay to cry.  I cry sometimes when I miss my Mommy,
she’s an angel ya know." She states seriously.
B - "No I didn’t, but I am sure she is looking out for you."
LG - "Daddy says she is.  Your very pretty, but my Mommy was the most
beautiful woman in the whole wide world - Daddy says so.  He says I am going
to look just like her, `cept I don’t think so cause she didn’t have a dent. "
B - "A dent?" She asks curiously.
LG - "Yeah, see." she smiles big and takes her little finger and points to her
check.
B - She giggles realizing what the little girl was talking about  "Oh, your
dimple." She says still trying to contain her mirth "Well don’t worry about
that I am sure your Daddy is right, you are going to be a very beautiful
girl."
LG - "My Daddy’s always right, he’s the smartest man in the universe!"
B - She smiles at the little girls statement seeing that she clearly worships
her father "I’m sure he is honey.  How old are you?"
LG - "I’m six"
B - She smiles a knowing smile realizing that most children fib about their
age and that she couldn't have been much older that five "Well six is still
too young to be out here by yourself, is someone looking for you?"
LG - "We are playing hide and seek." She confides while looking around.
B - "Oh - Let me guess your hiding."
LG - "Yep." She answers with a big grin "I’m really good at it, at home it’s
more fun and there are more places to hide, but we came to the park today so I
could pick Daddy up from work." 
B - "Oh."
LG - "He can’t play with me right now since he’s working but we are going to
McDonalds for lunch when he is done.  That’s my favorite place, Daddy cooks
hamburgers at home but he doesn’t do it right, but I eat them anyway to make
him feel better." She whispers to Brie "Don’t tell, okay?"  Brie nods in
agreement then turns as a man and a frazzled woman come rushing into the small
clearing.
LG - "Hi Lisa!" she greets the young woman with a smile.
Lisa - "Honey there you are, you know you are not supposed to go off by
yourself."
LG - "I’m not by myself.  This is my new friend." She says and points to Brie.
Lisa - "Ma’am I’m sorry she bothered you, she is normally shy around
strangers."
Brie - Lifts her eyebrows in surprise not believing at all that the little
dynamo in front of her was a bit shy "No problem."
Lisa - "Come on honey, let’s go play on the swings." Then she apologizes one
last time and takes the child’s hand and with one little smile and wave the
little girl skips off to the swings.

Chapter 22

Brie is still sitting on the bench looking across at the swings when someone
comes up behind her and startles her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

Gage - "Whoa, it’s just me." He says and raises his hands in self defense.
B - "Sorry you just surprised me." She says looking up at him before returning
her gaze to the swings.
G - "Brie?" she ignores him so he follows her gaze across the park to the
little girl laughing on a swing "Cute kid, huh?  You like kids, I didn’t know
that." She continues to stare so he begins talking again "You should get
married and have a couple."
B - Tears form in her eyes and she looks up at him and answers in a voice
filled with sorrow "Been there, done that." Then quickly gets up from the
bench leaving a stunning Gage gapping at her.
G - "Brie, what are you talking about?  Your married?" he asks completely
shocked, she doesn’t answer just continues to stand there looking out across
the park with tears in her eyes "Where is he?"
B - "He left me." She replies in a small voice before walking away.

Chapter 23

Gage remained seated long after Brie had left, shocked and trying to get a
handle on her revelation.  He spots Jake stroll into the park and watched as
he walked toward the playground.  The little girl squeals in delight and jumps
into his arms to give him a big hug.  She talks excitedly for a few minutes
and points towards Gage.  Jake sees him and gives her a kiss on the forehead
before putting her down and loping towards Gage.

Jake - "Hey buddy, my niece says she made a new friend over here.  That you?"
G - "No." 
Jake - "Hey you okay?" he asks looking a little concerned.
G - "No," he pauses for a moment debating weather to continue or not "Brie
just left."
Jake - "What did she do now, you look a little upset." He asks sitting down
next to him.
G - "Did you know that she was married?"
Jake - "Who?  Brie!" he practically shouts his smile having vanished.
G - "She just said she was married, even went so far as to imply that she had
a child or at least thought about having one."
Jake - "What the hell are you talking about, Brie isn’t married." He says in a
slightly raised voice.
G - "She was just here.  We were watching the kid play and I told her
something like she should get married and have one.  She said ‘been there,
done that’ then left.  What’s else is that supposed to mean?"
Jake - "This is the first I’ve heard of it, she never mentioned a husband let
alone kids." He shakes his head "No, there is no way Brie wouldn’t cut and run
on a kid."
G - "She was really upset."
Jake - "What else did she say?"
G - "Nothing except that he had left her.  This just doesn’t make sense, why
hasn’t she said anything before now."
Jake - "I don’t know man.  Listen I’ve gotta go, don’t worry I’ll figure out
what’s going on." Then he gets up and rushes in the direction of his car.

Chapter 24

Luke’s

Luke enters the empty club and stops when he notices a woman seated at the
bar.  He approaches her from behind noting the running shoes, spandex top and
pants, and sweatshirt tied around her trim waist.

L - "Hey beautiful, can I get you something?" the sound of his voice making
her jump.
B - Her head jerked up and a beautiful smile stretched across her equally
beautiful face "Luke!"
L - "That’s me.  Do I know you?  I normally never forget a face, especially
one as pretty as yours." He asks with a charming smile before walking around
the bar.
B - She drops the cocktail straws that she had been fidgeting with and the
grin quickly fades, she dips her head forwards letting her hair swing down to
conceal part of her face before answering "No."
L - "But you know me." He states.
B - "Uh, Jason told me you owned this place."
L - "Yep, your not from around here, huh?"
B - "You could say that." She holds out her hand "My name is Brianna, I’m
working for Jason and Mr. Corinthos."
L - He reaches up and takes her hand "You sure we’ve never met, you look kinda
familiar?" 
B - She pulls her hand from his grasp before answering "I just got in from
Peru three days ago."
L - "Oh okay." He says still looking at her curiously "You want me to show you
the ropes?  You can start tonight, we shouldn’t be too busy but we are taking
a lot of reservations for Valentines Day next Friday and we have a group
playing this Saturday, to tell you the truth we could definitely use the extra
hand."
B - "Mr. Spencer, I am not your new waitress."
L - "Then who are you?"
B - "I told you I am working for…." She is interrupted by the door closing
behind them and Jason and Renaldo entering.
J - "Hey Luke, you meet Brie?"
L - "We were just getting acquainted weren’t we lovely lady?" he asks her with
a smile.
B - She gives him a grin in return then pushes back from the bar and hops down
from the stool "Excuse me, I need to go change." she tells the three of them
before walking towards the back stairs, stopping for a second at the hostess
station to grab a bag of groceries.
L - He whistles under his breath and looks at Jason who had also watched her
leave and at Renaldo who is wearing an impressive scowl aimed in her direction
"I take it that was not the new waitress you were supposed to hire?"
J - "Nope, definitely not waitress material."
L - "Too bad.  Anyway who is she and why do I smell trouble with a capital
‘T’?" he asks looking back to Jason.
J - He chuckles, "Cause you have a good nose?"
L - "It’s kept me alive more times than I can count.  Now why is she going
upstairs?"
J - "Her and Gage are staying up there."
L - "What? Gage who?" he fires off the questions.
J - "Sorry Luke, I should have told you but I’ve been kinda busy."
L - "Forget about me, does Sonny know?"
J - "Damn!  I forgot to tell him."  He spins around and starts striding for
the door "See ya later Luke."
L - "Jason!"
J - He halts with one hand on the door and looks back over his shoulder
"Yeah?"
L - "I think your a little late.  Sonny was walking in the back door as I
pulled into the parking lot.  He isn’t in here, the kitchen, or the office.
That only leaves one place." He says and points to the ceiling.
J - "S*it.  Gotta go Luke." He says his hand dropping from the door then
rushing to the rear steps taking them two at a time.

Chapter 25

Brie shifts the groceries to her other hip and reaches for the key tucked
safely into the waistband of her leggings.  She unlocks the door and walks
into the living room where she comes to an abrupt stop.

Sonny is standing motionless by the window when he hears the key turn and as
the door opens he stares in shock at the woman that has just walked in.

Brie is the first to regain her senses and shifts the bag of groceries to her
other arm walking towards the kitchen.

B - "What the hell are you doing here?" she asks calmly as she places the
brown bag on the kitchen table removing a bottle of water.
S - He remains in a daze struck by a sudden and familiar memory of Brenda.
Brenda walking in bringing him strawberries, teasing him, tempting him, and
most of all loving him.
B - "Hellllooo.." she says snapping her fingers to get his attention "Anybody
home?"
S - He suddenly snaps out of the past and into the present painfully aware
that those days of fun, laughter, and love are gone.  "I might ask you the
same question, this is my property you know." He tells her in a hard voice.
B - She lifts her eyebrows in surprise before answering him "Well right now I
am living here, at your insistence I might add, and I really don’t appreciate
you just barging in and making yourself comfortable, especially when we’re not
home."
S - "Pardon me?  Your living here.  I think not!" he states rather firmly.
B - "Well I don’t have to like it but I am."
S - "Oh no your not." They are both suddenly aware of pounding on the stairs
and Brie grabs her gun from the grocery bag and hurries around the table
towards the door while at the same time motioning Sonny to get into the other
room.  Sonny chooses not to comply and remains where he is until Jason appears
in the doorway.  Brie lowers her gun and tucks it away while Jason remains
motionless at the door trying to figure out what is going on.
J - "Uh, Sonny I need to speak to you for a moment."
S - "Brianna and I are in the middle of something, can it wait?"
B - "No we’re through." She adds "Sonny was just leaving and I am going to get
changed." She leaves the room abruptly not giving either one of then a chance
to say anything else.
S - "Okay Jason what’s going on?  What the hell is she doing up here?"
J - "She’s living here."
S - "Oh no she isn’t."
J - "Sonny I apologize I totally forgot about it.  I should have told you two
days ago that I asked Brie and Gage to stay here."
S - "They’ve been here the entire time?"
J - "Yes."
S - "Why?"
J - "It’s a good idea if you think about it, we do a lot of business here and
spend a lot of our time here, plus they are close and we can keep a good eye
on them."
S - "I don’t know, I don’t want her here.  This place.." he trails off and
gestures with his hand around the apartment at a loss for words.
J - "I know what this place means to you:  Brenda, Stone, but somehow this is
right.  I know it.  I feel it."
S - "You sound just like her." He smiles sadly "I’ll…" he is interrupted by a
door slamming shut down the hall and Brie entering the room dressed in jeans
and an old denim shirt tied at the waist, her duffel bag thrown over her
shoulder.  She walks toward the door not saying anything to either of them,
ignoring their presence.
J - "Where are you going?" he calls after her.
B - "The PC Hotel, then I will find Gage and have him move his stuff." She
answers barley slowing her stride.
S - "Your not going anywhere." He says firmly.

Chapter 26

Brie walks up to Sonny and they are now standing toe to toe.

B - "Excuse me?  You just got finished telling me that I wasn’t living or
welcome here so I am accommodating you and leaving."
S - "No your staying, Jason invited you to use the apartment and I won’t ask
you to leave."
B - "Fine, your not asking I’m just going." She whirls around but is stopped
by a gentle hold on her arm that contradicted the irritation that she could
read in his eyes.
S - "No your not!"
B - "Yes I am!"
Jake - "CHILDREN!!  Separate corners." They had both been so intent on their
argument that neither of them had noticed that Jake had entered the room.  The
comment shocked them both into silence with Brie glaring at Jake and Sonny
standing across from her shocked at his behavior.  He hadn’t shown so much
passion since …. 
Jake - "What is going on here?"
B - "I’m moving."
J - "No she’s not."
B - "Look forget it, I’m outta here." And she strides to the front door.
S&J - "No!" they both say at the same time and Jake steps in front of the open
door effectively blocking her path.
S - "Your staying, end of discussion."
Jake - "Listen I’m sorry to interrupt this *important* discussion but Brie, I
really need to speak with you."
S - "No problem, we’ll get out of your hair." Jake steps aside and Sonny
leaves.
J - "Brie, you and Gage need to be at the penthouse tomorrow at 10:00." He
tells her waiting for her nod in agreement before following Sonny out the
door.
Jake - "You okay?" he asks her gently.
B - "Fine!  Can we just get out of here, I need some air."
Jake - "Sure but leave your bag, your not moving anywhere right now." She
scowls at him but throws it on the couch then stomps down the stairs.

Luke is still in the bar and is watching the procession of people file in and
out of his club with a smile.  He chuckles and shakes his head as he remembers
two men running up the stairs in a matter of minutes, then Sonny coming down
the steps grumbling, Jason grinning, Jake smirking, and now Brie steaming.
"Yep, I knew it … Trouble." He cracks and returns to polishing glasses.


Continued














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