Promise of Forever
      Chapter 13
 

 Michelle woke the next morning still in Danny’s arms. A slow smile crossed her face as she looked up at him.

“Morning, Sexy.”

“Morning Danny. I have missed this so much.”

“I know Baby, so have I, but soon we will be able to wake up like this every morning.”

“How long have you been awake?”

“About an hour.”

“An hour! Danny, why didn’t you wake me?”

“Mmmm, I just wanted to watch you sleep, I’ve missed it so much. You know I always used to watch you sleeping, you are so beautiful, watching you is like heaven to me. I just love to look at you remembering every detail of your
face.”

Michelle looks at him with tears in her eyes, “Danny, I love you so much, you know that don’t you?”

“Yes, Baby, I do, and I love you too, more than my own life.” Danny draws her up to him giving her a soft kiss. Their kiss begins to turn more passionate, but Michelle pulls away.

“Danny, as much as I would love to stay here with you in this bed all day, we need to get up and get going. We have to meet with Harley and set this plan in motion. I want to get rid of Theresa and Bernardo as soon as possible.”

Danny gives her the puppy dog eyes, “Please, Michelle, can’t we stay here just a little longer?”

“Now Danny, you know I can’t resist you when you look at me that way, heck, I can’t resist you when you look at me any way,” she says with a smile, “but, how about you join me in the shower, and then when we get done with our meeting, if it doesn’t take too long, we can come back here and I will reward you for being a good boy.”

“Well, that’s not exactly what I had hoped for, but if you insist.”

“That’s, my Danny, now come on, lets go.”

Michelle and Danny climb into the shower together, Danny tries everything in his power to get Michelle to cave in and let him make love to her. Michelle almost gives in, but she knows their loving will keep, right now they have to get rid of Theresa and Bernardo for good, then the can make love for the rest of their lives.

“Danny, you are so bad! You know I would much rather be making love to you than going to this meeting right?”

“I know, I know, but you can’t blame a guy for trying. Your body is just so perfect you drive me to distraction.”

“Why, Mr. Santos, the things you say! But, you know, you do the same thing to me. Now let’s get over to Harley’s so we can get back here, and finish our “business”.

“I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, Mrs. Santos.”

Michelle and Danny arrive at Harley and Phillip’s a short time later.

“Hi, Michelle and Danny, I must say I’m surprised to see the two of you here together. What is it you need my help with? Your divorce is final, and I don’t understand why you would need my detective skills.”

“Actually, Harley, I can explain, but you have to promise not to tell anyone even Phillip.”

“Michelle, if I’m working for you it will be confidential, even Phillip won’t know what’s going on. So please fill me in.”

“Harley, Danny and I aren’t really divorced.”

“What?!”

“Baby, let me take it from here. Harley, Michelle and I had to fake our divorce in order to protect Michelle from the Sandoval family.”

“The Sandoval Crime family?”

“Yes, the one and only.”

“Danny, I don’t get it, I thought you were out of the “business”.”

“I am, but when Michelle was convicted I got desperate and I went to Bernardo for help, I offered him all of Carmen’s business if he would get Michelle released. But, that wasn’t enough for Bernardo, he wanted me to marry his
daughter, Theresa, as part of the deal, to make up for my having destroyed her “honor” years ago. I told him no way, no deal, but Theresa went behind my back and told her father I accepted. I broke Michelle out, then Vanessa woke
up and told the whole story, my mother convinced the judge she was crazy and got sent to the mental hospital, and Michelle’s conviction was overturned. Bernardo came after us, he said I still owed him, I told him no, he did nothing to save Michelle. He said he had started his plan in motion when I took off with her, so I still had to marry Theresa or Michelle would be killed. So we got Ross to file the divorce papers, but he buried something in them so that the divorce wasn’t valid, my cousin Ray faked annulment papers, and Michelle and I were “divorced”, we planned to get all the info we needed on Bernardo’s business to bring them down and I have that, but Michelle discovered something more. It seems that she didn’t kill my brother Mick, Theresa did.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No, Harley, he’s not. Listen to this.”

Michelle played the tape of Theresa’s confession to Harley. “Well, I guess that says it all, so what do you need me for?”

“Harley, Danny doesn’t think the tape and my word will do it, Bernardo will find a way out of it, he’ll say I created the tape somehow, because I hate Theresa for stealing Danny away from me. So, we need you to help us get her.”

“OK, I’m in. I think we need to get her to confess, but this time we need it on video tape. Do you think you can get her to admit it again, Michelle?”

“I will try, she was gloating the whole time she was telling me, so I’m sure she’d love the opportunity to rub it in my face again.”

“Good, we need to get her to meet you somewhere that’s not public. Do you have any ideas?”

“How about I get her to come to the apartment over the garage at Rick and Abby’s, it’s empty now that Selena moved out. Plus there is a closet you could hide in with the camera.”

“I remember that closet from when I lived there with Alan-Michael, that will be perfect. When do you want to do this?”

“The sooner the better, how about I call Theresa right now?”

“No time like the present.”

“Danny, you’re awfully quiet, Honey, are you OK with this?”

“Not really, I don’t like you meeting with her again, I don’t want her to hurt you anymore than she already has. I want to be there too.”

“Danny, no, that’s not necessary, Harley will be there, and I’m worried about your temper.”

“Michelle I promise to stay in the bedroom and keep my temper in check, please I just don’t want you there alone.”

“Yes, I guess I would feel better, and stronger, knowing you were there. But, no matter what she says or does, you have stay out of sight or everything will be ruined.”

“I promise.”

“Let’s get this done then,” Michelle picks up the phone and dials Theresa’s number, “Theresa? This is Michelle Santos, we need to meet.....I really don’t care what you think......Well, knowing what I know, I think it’s in your best interest to meet me....I thought you’d see it my way......You know where my brother’s house is?.....Meet me there, in the apartment over the garage.....2 hours, that will be perfect.”

“Well, guys, we’re all set, let’s go set our trap.”