Determined & Derailed (Storm Corp Book 1)

by Gracie Wilson

  I went over everything that happened in the building that night and Jax filled in the blanks about what happened when he got separated. He got out and called 911. When we hadn’t come out, he went back in and got some burns. Nothing major, but still had to spend time in the hospital. The funeral for Blake was private and was done quietly as per Jax’s request. I told them about the last moments with Cohen and how he knew he wasn’t getting out, but lied to get me out of there. They all listened until my story was done and I saw they were all trying to compose themselves.

  “Davey, you’ve known my dad forever. You knew about Clark, didn’t you?” I saw Jax was confused and looking between us.

  “What about Clark?” I turned to Clark and smiled.

  “What I’m about to say stays in this room and isn’t to be spoken about unless I decide to tell someone. Agreed?” They all nodded and agreed to what I’d said. “Clark is my brother.” I saw Jax’s mouth drop open, showing he was completely stunned by this revelation.

  “Yes, I knew about him. When I hired him, I did so with the intent to bring this to your attention at one point. I just never found the right time. Your dad has had me keeping tabs on him since he was born.”

  This shocked me, for some reason I thought my dad hadn’t known he had another child. “It was before he met your mother, about a week actually before he met her. When Clark’s mom told him about the pregnancy he was already in love with your mother. He never cheated on her, my dear. He had me set up trusts and we had his name put in some documents to ensure if he ever came looking, of his own choice, he would be accepted as a Storm.” I looked to Clark, but was not really sure what to say. “Your birth name was Gabriel Clarkson Storm.”

  They continued to talk about what this all meant, but my brain couldn’t handle anymore. I’d tuned them out, when I thought about what this all meant. I had two brothers. One was gone, but I still had Clark…or Gabriel. I started laughing and everyone looked at me like I’d gone crazy. “I’m either calling you Clark or Gabe. I’m not calling you anything else. Unless you piss me off.”

  Clark got up and pulled me to him in an embrace. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Lexi. Call me whatever you want. As long as you call me your brother, I’m happy.” I laughed at him, pushing off of his chest.

  “Clark it is.” We all continued to talk about everything for another hour or so before they all left. I promised to call Jax at some point, but he told me to just rest.

  “I’ll be around, Lexi, I’m not going anywhere. We are going to get through all of this. We are going to get married and have a wonderful life together. I promise to never be without you again.” I really wished people would stop saying that because it only made it harder when they did leave.

  * * *

  I’d had a bath and was now lying in my bed, just sitting there thinking about the past two weeks, when I heard a knock. “Come in,” I said, without even thinking to ask who it was. I assumed it would be Tory or Clark, who now lived here with me.

  “Can we talk?” I snapped my head up at the sound of Nolan’s voice. I had completely forgotten he was coming over to talk to me tonight.

  “Sure.” He walked over and pulled a chair up beside my bed.

  “Lexi, I am so sorry.” The dam of my emotions gave way and tears cascaded down my face at an alarming rate.

  “Where were you, Nolan? I needed you.” He got out of the chair and sat beside me, putting his hand over mine.

  “I will never leave you alone again. I Promise.”

  He spent the next twenty minutes telling me how sorry he was and that he wished he hadn’t been elsewhere. I was too emotionally drained and confused to listen to anything.

  “I love you, Alexis Storm, I want to be with you and I don’t want any secrets. Soon I won’t have to keep you in the dark. Soon you will be safe. I will keep you safe at all costs. I want to marry you and have a family. You’re my everything, Always have been.”

  I hadn’t heard anything he’d really said until just now. Marriage? Like now? Why were he and Jax doing this to me right now? My heart and brain were having an argument, my words were nowhere to be found.

  “I don’t want an answer right now, but I want you to think about it. I have never been more serious about anything in my life.” He bent down and kissed me softly. “Sleep tight, Lexi, I love you.” With that he got up and walked out of the open door, closing it behind him.

  A knock on my door shook me out of my inner thoughts. “Who is it?” I was not taking any chances today. I buried one man I loved and the other two brought up marriage.

  “Your brother.” He was already opening the door and the smirk on his face made me give him a small smile back. “Two marriage proposals in one day. I don’t think I’m doing the whole intimidating big brother thing right?” I laughed at him, but then my face went white.

  “You think they were serious.” He walked up beside me and sat down.

  “How could they not be? You’re you, Lexi. But that doesn’t mean you have to give anyone any answers. You deserve time and if they love you like I know they do, they will give you that. Your tablet was going off, so I brought it to you. Call me if you need me. I’ll be across the hall.”

  I opened up my tablet and saw that it was my tracking software. Nolan had been emailing back and forth to the unknown person on his personal tablet that I had installed when he wasn’t around. As soon as I read the words I felt the world escaping me. The tablet slipped through my fingers, colliding with the floor in a crash. Nothing could have ever prepared me for the words in his email to the unknown person.

  I think I got to her, but this can’t wait any longer. It’s time she disappeared too.

  Followed by the unknown person’s response.

  Take care of her.

  Nolan’s answer was the biggest shock of all.

  Consider it done.

  I heard footsteps running to see what the noise was, but I was already screaming for him when he entered my bedroom. “Clark.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Lexi, what is it? What happened? LEXI.” Clark was shaking me, trying to snap me out of it, but I just couldn’t believe what I had read. Nolan, my Nolan whom I had known almost my entire life just told someone I needed to disappear and that he’d take care of it. I felt the sudden urge to vomit and took off running to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me, but it didn’t stop Tory or Clark, who stormed in after me as I was puking up what little food I did eat today.

  “He couldn’t, how could he do this?” I said once I was pushing away from the toilet. Clark got a cloth and wiped my face before looking me right in the eyes.

  “Lexi, what happened?” Clark begged.

  “Nolan. It’s Nolan. He’s working with someone.” Tory was shaking his head so much, I thought it might pop off.

  “No, he couldn’t be, that boy loves you and loved Lucas. He couldn’t.” Clark had remained quiet, but he was still looking confused. I walked over and picked up my tablet, which now had a smashed screen, but the words were still very visible. I handed it to them and they both read through it. I could tell as his level of shock become more and more. Finally, I knew they had gotten to the “Consider it done” part because they looked as pale as I felt.

  “We need to call the police, he’s going to come after me.” I felt them both tense, but neither said anything, just looked at me with such grief.

  “Alexis, if this is right, and I believe it is. If we call the police, they will want to know how you got this and it wouldn’t mean anything legally. He will get out and we will have only pissed him off further. We can get more security and find a way to get him out of the office, maybe send him to open another branch or something so he doesn’t catch on until we come up with a better plan.” Clark was nodding in agreement, but I already knew what the best plan was and I was doing it with or without them. I wouldn’t go through this again. I couldn’t survive it.

  “No.” I ran and grabbed a bag from my closet and s
tarted piling my things into it. I turned to Tory and Clark, who were looking at me with such fear now, but said nothing. I didn’t think I could have ever really stopped loving him or ever would, but in this moment I knew he was dangerous to me.

  “He was right about one thing. It’s time I disappear. I can’t win this game. Not with Nolan fighting against me, so I’m leaving. There’s nothing left for me here…not anymore. Everyone would understand if they knew why I had to leave, but I can’t tell them everything. I won’t endanger anyone else that I love. You two should stay here. Act like you don’t know what happened. I will take a bag and no one will know until I’m long gone. No one will know how to find me. I’ll be gone and this way you are both safe. He can’t get information from you that you don’t have.”

  I went to lift my bag, but Clark was already grabbing it from me. “No, Lexi, you are not running away and leaving us here to wonder if you’re dead and gone for real. I won’t let you. If you’re leaving, fine, but I’m coming with you. I told you I’m not leaving you alone again and I damn well meant it.” I turned to him with tears threatening to break through.

  “I can’t ask you to do that. I can’t be sure I can keep you safe. You have a life too. What about Jax and Davey?” He just stared at me for a second.

  “First off, Jax would be packing a bag to run off with you, but I think you need to do this without the complications of that shit. Secondly, you’re not asking, I’m telling you. Thirdly, when are you going to get it through that entirely thick head of yours and realize you’re my fucking sister, which makes you my life?” I looked at Tory, hoping he would give me a cue, but instead I got more resistance.

  “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m already thinking about what is the best way to travel. If you’re leaving, then I’m coming and he’s right about it all. I think we need to leave some signs that we haven’t just disappeared. We don’t need the police looking for us.”

  I agreed and called Davey to come see us. “Alexis, what can I do for you? I must say my son was beside himself when you called only to speak with me.” I looked everywhere but his eyes when I handed him the letter for Jax. He read it and looked at me with pleading eyes to tell him he was misunderstanding everything.

  Dear Jax, I know you can’t understand why I’ve done this, but please give me your trust. It’s not safe for me and I know you are wondering why I didn’t take you with me. I couldn’t, I can’t take you away from your dad. Not after Blake. I am safe. Hopefully that will give you some happiness or solace. I don’t know if or when I will ever be back. There are some things I need to do. This doesn’t mean I don’t love you enough. If anything, it shows how much I love you. I love you so much, Jax, more than I should. Enough to know that I am a danger to those I love and can’t stay. I don’t want you to wait for me because I don’t know if I will every be able to come back or if I will even survive what I’m about to do. I want you to be happy and love. I want you to be safe and have all you’ve dreamed of. I wish those things could be with me, but after everything that’s happened, I couldn’t stay and wait for more to go wrong. Not with the threat on my life so soon after Cohen gave up his own life for me. I won’t let his death be in vain. You both sacrificed so much for me to be alive. I can’t waste that by waiting for someone I care about to “Take care of it.” They will pay for what they have taken from us. I promise you this, Jackson. Don’t trust anyone. Be safe always. I love you, Jackson.

  Yours, Alexis

  “Alexis, there has to be another way.” I shook my head, indicating that there wasn’t.

  “I wish there was. I will be back if I can, but I can’t come back until it’s safe here. I won’t be safe as long as Maxwell is alive. Do you understand what I am saying?” He nodded. I handed him a note that he read. Once he was done, I took it from him. I grabbed a lighter and put the flame to the paper. As the flames overtook it, you could see what was scribbled down. If I can’t finish this, then you must. I gave Davey a hug and I felt him squeeze me against him.

  “I will find a way to contact you if need be and you should find a way to contact me. Keep me up to date through media with the company if you must. I have left instructions that Jax and yourself are acting in my stead and Paula has the club. Don’t trust anyone but you three. No one. Not even Nolan.” It pained me to have to say it, but he took it and just nodded.

  “Nolan?” I shook my head at him.

  “It’s better if you don’t know, but just be careful. Trust no one.”

  With that Davey left and Clark walked in, seeing me in my state of disarray. “We can find another way. I’ll keep you safe. We don’t have to leave everything you love behind.” I walked over with him following me and called down to the front desk, asking them to come up to have a letter delivered. “The things I love here are only going to get me killed or actually do the killing himself. I can’t stay, but you can, I wish you would. If anything ever happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. You both have families.”

  Tory came through just at that time. “Sorry about your luck, but we are coming with you. No ditching us this time. We love you too much, to let you do this alone. Besides, this is our family. Family sticks together.”

  I tried to give him a smile, but I couldn’t. “Guess that’s settled then.” I heard a buzz at the door and both of them went to check it out. It was the concierge coming to get my letter to be delivered. “Thank you for coming up to get this. I will be out of town for the foreseeable future. Anything is to be taken to Davey or Jax Lawrence. They are left in charge until my return. Please take this letter and have it sent over to Nolan Nathans.” He took the letter and put it in his pocket.

  “I’ll have it delivered right away, Miss Storm.” He hurried out the door, leaving Tory and Clark to load our bags.

  “Time to go, Lexi.” I turned to Clark and nodded, but all I could think about was my letter to Nolan. Even though I knew he probably never truly loved me, it still broke my heart because I truly loved Nolan.

  I’ve “Taken care of it” for you and “Disappeared too.”

  “Consider us done."

  Never yours, Alexis Storm

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  We had finally arrived in our last destination that involved many hoops. I’d been gone from my New York home for five days. We went by car, train and plane, but had finally arrived in Toronto, Canada. It reminded me of New York, so I didn’t feel so homesick. There was much debate as to if we should find a small little town, but we agreed in a large city we would draw less attention and blend in. When we crossed the boarder we didn’t even use our real names. We made a trip to a guy Tory knew, who could set us up nicely with some new identities. My name was Lucy, Clark was now Carter and Tory, well, his name was now Hector. This way I could still call him Tory. I didn’t think it was a habit I could break and he agreed. But in public we were going to call him dad. Our family name, well, that was one we had to think long and hard about. I wanted something that was still related to Storm, so we decided on Gale.

  We were staying in a high-rise penthouse with an amazing view of the CN Tower that we were subletting under our new names. We were old money with no real working lives that loved to travel and figured why not try Canada. That was our story and we were sticking to it. I had also dyed my hair and was a red head with colour contacts in. I was also passing for eighteen and Clark was pretending to be twenty-four, not twenty-seven. He had changed his hair colour and lost the bodyguard suits. Tory was sporting “old dad” clothes and I even got him to buy some jeans. He even got glasses and was leaving his facial hair.

  We had left all our devices behind and brought nothing but some clothing with us. I was going to be attending some night classes since I didn’t know what else to do, so we went by the University of Toronto today. I didn’t want to, but they both insisted I do something with my time. I suggested getting a cat but apparently being a cat lady wasn’t an option.

  “Lucy, it’s time for us to go to class; let’s go.” Of
course my brother was coming to classes with me I was not allowed to go anywhere without one of them and he would draw less attention than Tory sitting in night classes. As I headed out the door, I wondered how long this would really be my life.

  * * *

  It had been three months since I left New York. I’d been living as Lucy for this whole time and I had to admit it was nice to not be in the limelight. We had been keeping track of the tabloids that always seemed to love a good story, which apparently my location had become. After about six weeks of us being gone it started with the “Where in the world is Alexis Storm?” There had been sightings all over, but none that were even remotely near our actual location. Toronto was beautiful, but sadness was also in the city. With so many people there was such a high volume of homeless or those that needed help.

  Clark and I had been helping out at a local shelter, which was so rewarding. I’d even managed to be asked on a few dates. To which I always said that I was not looking to date. We’d managed to make friends and I was beginning to like my life here. Some days I forgot that I was even Alexis Storm and just became Lucy Gale.

  “You know we could just stop all this and stop hunting for Maxwell. We could really become Lucy and Carter Gale. We don’t have to keep doing that. We could just stop, you know.”

  “You know I can’t do that. I can’t stop hunting him, like he hunted me. I won’t let him win. He took my brother and turned Nolan against me. I won’t give up until he’s six feet under.” Then I can ride off into the sunset but I might end up doing that alone. I still have serious trust issues.

  “We are leaving tonight. I have a trail on Maxwell. We’re going to Vegas. I booked flights and we will be there by morning,” I said.