He took his hands, placed them on her luscious hips and turned Sophia Pelligrino into him, taking her moist, wet lips with his, pushing his tongue into her hot, greedy mouth. She was a delicious flower and he was going to take every soft petal and put his dark stain on every part to mark her as his.
He shot up out of his bed, alone, his sheets covered in sweat, panting from his erotic dream that featured the woman who had been there for him since his return to Llanview. Darkness surrounded them.
“Sophia…” he whispered, not quite sure where the roguish girl with a sad heart as sad as his fit into his life.

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

Thieves. All of them thieves. Roseanne Delgado had his penthouse. The triumvirate of Asa, Kelly and Blair had his paper. Blair had his daughter. Perez had stolen his wife. Well, he was going to steal it all back. Starting today. He was going to be thief who outsmarted them all.

It was early in the morning and he stepped into the brisk air from Llanfair. He wore a dark black t-shirt and a leather jacket. Dark pants. Smiling wickedly, he walked into the garage, got on Kevin’s prize motorcycle, pulled out the key from his pant’s pocket, which he had pilfered from Viki’s key box in the kitchen and sped off.

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

Sophia Pellegrino leaned back in the wooden chair titling it on its hind legs. She kicked up her feet on the interrogation table and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. Bo had questioned her all night and she was tired and she wanted some sleep. Then she wanted to find Todd Manning. Antonio Vega paced the interrogation room on the opposite side of Sophia’s table.

“Think we’re in trouble?” Sophia finally asked.

“I really don’t know. I didn’t expect you to put a gun to Perez’s head,” said Antonio, his voice boarding on sarcasm.

Sophia smiled, “But it felt good.”

Antonio rolled his eyes.

Bo and John Sykes walked into the room. The looks on their faces betrayed their disappointment.

“Pellegrino, get your feet off the table,” said Sykes sternly. Sophia flashed him a gaze that would freeze water but removed her feet.

Antonio slithered up behind Sophia and nudged her so she would stand up. Sophia reluctantly got out of her seat.

“All right you two, it’s been a long night. As for Perez, the Puerto Rican authorities want him for questioning in the disappearance of a “Jane Doe” who fits Téa’s description. We’re faxing them an information sheet from when she was with the DA’s office…” started Bo.

“Good,” said Antonio.

“But you two are still in hot water,” added Sykes.

“What for? We caught a killer!!” protested Sophia.

“RJ Gannon is outside giving his brother the DA a rash of shit because of all the TRESPASSERS in his apartment. So what were you two doing in Gannon’s apartment last night?” asked Bo.

Antonio and Sophia both looked at each other. They had both been in the academy long enough to know they were illegally in RJ’s apartment.

Sophia quipped, “Looking for RJ of course and we found Perez.”

“Yeah. Right. Why were you looking for RJ?” asked Sykes crossing his arms.

“I got a tip that he had information on Téa’s disappearance,” said Antonio.

“Um,” said Sykes, “You two know a lot more than what your saying.”

Sophia looked at the floor quickly, as if to gain her composure and then back at her superiors.

“All right. As of now you two are suspended pending an investigation into the incident,” said Bo.

“SUSPENDED?!” exclaimed Sophia, “But I need this job!” She needed to be employed. How else was she going to pay the bills?

“Sorry Sophia. You should have thought of that before you went into RJ’s apartment and held a gun to Perez’s head,” said Bo, “Report back here tomorrow in your cadet uniform for auxiliary duties.”

Sophia bit her lip as she watched Bo and Sykes walk out. She’d deal with her suspension tomorrow. Right now, she needed some sleep before tracking down Todd Manning.

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

Todd’s first stop was the bank. He had to check on his finances. He had been living off the interest of numerous investments. He liquidated some accounts so he had access to cash and structured his accounts so only he had access to them.

Next, he needed a place to work. A place where he had access to the internet. After buying a laptop, he found a quaint little cyber café in Angel Square. Todd set up a dummy corporation with the intent of secretly buying up shares of the Sun without Blair, Kelly, or Asa’s knowing about it. He glanced at his watch. Time to find Starr.

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

Blair Buchanan nervously paced Asa’s office. What she wanted to do was get into Asa’s computer and take funds from Buchanan Enterprises and slip them into B&B International. Max was at the office…but Asa…Asa was a sly fox, due home any minute.

“Blair.”

She turned around from her position facing Asa’s desk only to find her ex-husband looking at her. And she was completely in shock.

“Don’t you have anything witty to say?” added Todd.

He stood in the doorway, dressed in black, his hair windblown, crossing his arms. He leaned against the frame – so full of attitude. Cocky. Brash. But there was something about him – something distant. Something sad.

“What are you doing here Todd?” asked Blair putting up her own defenses.

“I’m here to see Starr,” he said.

“Where’s Téa?”

“She’s gone. And I want to see my daughter now,” he said.

“Starr went to summer camp,” said Blair softly.

“When will she be back?” he questioned.

“In two weeks,” said Blair.

“Two weeks,” he said definitively, “I’ll be back.” He turned around to leave.

“Todd?”

He paused and turned to face her.

“Why now? Why did you come back? What did you do to Téa?” asked Blair filled with questions.

Todd couldn’t talk about it. The wounds were still fresh in his heart.

“I’ll be at Llanfair. For now,” he said.

Blair watched him walk out, realizing something was bothering her ex-husband.

As Todd got on his bike, he admitted it had been tough to face Blair. Would introducing himself back into Llanview society be equally as draining?

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

It was late in the evening and Sophia Pellegrino had overslept. She quickly put on her best leather and sought out Todd’s dingy apartment on main street only to discover he’d paid the rent and had vacated. Without hesitation, Sophia got in her car and headed to Llanfair.

It didn’t take long to get there but she didn’t feel comfortable going to the front door – not just yet. She wanted to make sure Todd was there. She creeped around out back and peered into Llanfair’s den through the windows. Todd was standing near the bar, sipping a drink. It was dark, with only a dim candle providing the light in his overcast world. He wore a tight black t-shirt and form fitting leather pants. Sophia tried the door. It was open. She turned the knob and opened it.

“Todd?”

He turned around, his hazel eyes sticking out in the darkness, burning low like amber flames about to be extinguished.

“You.” Was all he said as he turned to face Sophia.

Sophia walked up to the man in front of her, put her hand on his firm waist and leaned up into him, tasting his moist, sullen lips with her own erotic full bodied mouth. She nipped his bottom lip with her own and then again, turned into him, their lips melting together. The kiss lingered and their faces teased each other, and Todd, lost in the moment, so desperately wanting to feel...anything…something…allowed her lips to caress his own. He put his hands on her arms and drew her closer into him, allowing the kiss to deepen. Allowing his own hunger and desires to fuel his need for human contact. She was petite next to him – so nubile – and right now, suddenly, he needed her. The kiss expanded as he bolding invaded her mouth by thrusting his tongue into hers. She groaned from the heightening sensations he was arousing in her and she hoped that he’d take her away – take her into his bed tonight.

TO BE CONTINUED…