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Chapter 4

  • Crystal's POV "I'm sorry," The muffled voice came from behind the closed door and then Julie was throwing open my bedroom door and stepping into the hallway with us. "Did you say Jackson Storm?" Marrek frowned at Julie. "You know him?" "I know of him," Julie said. "People call him The Storm-stupid as that is-because he's practically the equivalent of a storm. He leaves a path of destruction everywhere he goes. He's a nightmare." I looked at her. "Why exactly do you know who he is?" Julie looked back at me and said nothing. Finally, she spoke. "You don't want to know who I play poker with on Wednesday nights . . . or where for that matter." Marrek reached around me and pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I didn't stop him. "What are you doing?" I asked him instead. "Making arrangements to find this guy." I reached for my phone. "I can take care of that." Marrek kept the phone out of my reach. "Not going to happen," Marrek said, still keeping the phone out of my reach. "I already didn't like everything I'd found out about him on my own and now Julie's only confirmed that this guy is a very high-profile con man, so you're not continuing on without me." "You got me his name," I said. "I can do the rest." Marrek turned his back to me when I tried to take my phone back again. "You asked me to find this guy, that's what I'm going to do. If I determine you don't need my help to handle him then I'll walk away. Until then, however, you're not getting rid of me." I let out a huff of annoyance as I glared at his back. "I agree with Marrek," Julie said. "Even though I've never specifically heard anything about him being particularly violent, you never know what someone will do when you back them into a corner." "I don't intend to back him into a corner," I replied. "I intend to shove him off a cliff." "Be that as it may," Julie continued. "I don't think you should be tracking this guy down at all. I mean, what reasoning do you have to go after this guy other than personal revenge?" A necklace. I didn't say anything. I turned toward Marrek and noticed he was studying me curiously. He crossed his arms over his chest once again, my phone still in his hands as he stared me down. "Is there something more you want to tell me?" He asked. Translation: Are you going to tell me what you're hiding? Or am I going to have to beat it out of you? And Marrek would beat it out of me if he thought he could get away with it. Taking a beating from Marrek was not on my list of things I wanted to do now or ever. Telling Marrek exactly why it was important I got to Jackson Storm before my father wasn't on my to-do list either. So, I just stared blankly back at him. "No," I replied. His eyes narrowed in a threatening way and his jaw clenched up. I glared right back at him. Our staring contest was interrupted by a black and brown ball of fur barking loudly and running down the hall to God knew where. Marrek was cursing. "Hunter! Come," He shouted. There was the sound of something crashing. Marrek cursed some more. "I'm taking you back to obedience school!" There was a low growl from down the hall. "Well then get back over here," Marrek said. "No more running rampant." Hunter came walking back over to Marrek, stopped in front of him and showed him his teeth. "I'm not giving you your dinner," Marrek threatened. Hunter gave a happy bark and started licking Marrek's hands. Marrek shook his head but scratched Hunter behind his ears. "You're unbelievable." Hunter barked again as if disputing that. "Yes, you are," Marrek said but he was smiling as he looked down at Hunter. His smile vanished though and a stern look took its place on his face when he looked back at me. His entire expression practically screamed, We'll talk later. Julie looked at me with a similar look. "Look," She started, bringing us all back to the conversation we had been having. "I know he humiliated you and you know I'm all for revenge for that kind of thing, but in this case, I really think you should just let this go." "I can't," I replied honestly. For more reasons than one. Marrek and Julie were both looking at me like two parents disappointed with their child. Julie was the first to speak again. "They call him The Storm for a reason. He's Jackson Storm, you should be running in the other direction." I shook my head. "I'm going to catch that arrogant bastard. I'm going to catch 'The Storm'." And there was nothing they could do to change my mind. "And how, do tell, do you intend to do that?" Marrek questioned, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression stern. I smiled at him, but it was full of challenge. "Well," I started. "since you seem so eager to help me," I watched as his face turned into an unreadable mask. "I figured I'd give you that task." I crossed my arms and let my next words drip with a challenge. "Unless, of course, you can't do it." Marrek's teeth ground together and I couldn't stop the devious smile from forming on my face. Marrek didn't take well to following orders, and really, half the time I asked him if he could do something for me, I was usually stonewalled. His part in finding out who Jackson Storm was, was simply because he could likely hear the anger in my words. Plus, he'd been paying attention to the media of late and had likely figured he'd cut me a break. Usually, though, he wouldn't help me unless I tricked him into doing it, or if I bribed him with something first. He just wasn't the kind of person to offer his services to anyone but himself. He took care of himself-and Hunter-but that was it. No one else. He said he didn't like people. And yet, I didn't believe that. Because time and time again, no matter what it did to him or Hunter, he'd throw himself into the search and rescue missions. Helping to find people either still alive or hoping to bring them home for a proper burial. To put their families at peace instead of being stuck never knowing. Practically every search and rescue mission there'd ever been since he'd rescued Hunter, they'd both been there. Digging people out. Dead or alive. Of course, I sometimes believed he preferred the dead to the living. I knew he preferred Hunter-or really, any animal for that matter-to living people. I also knew just how to get him to do something for me. First, would be just asking. When that didn't work, I'd then try tricking him into it. Bribing would usually come after that, and if I knew there was absolutely no chance of that working, then I challenged him. I purposely insinuated that I thought he couldn't do something. That the only reason he would refuse to do it was because he couldn't. I knew, of course, there wasn't much Marrek couldn't do. And he totally knew what I was doing. He knew one-hundred percent that I was playing him. Challenging him into getting the job done. He turned and started to walk away. "Just for the record," He called over his shoulder. "I know what you're doing, but I'll humor you this time. Next time, you won't be so lucky." Julie looked at me. "How do you intend to explain to your parents why he's here?" I smiled. "I don't," I replied as I walked past her and back into my room. "I intend to be out of here before they get back." "And just where are you going?" Julie questioned me. I shrugged as I pulled a suitcase out of my closet. "I haven't the slightest idea. But I'm sure Marrek's got a few starting points." "And if you can't find this guy?" The thought of not finding him . . . No. I refused to think of what would happen if I couldn't find him. If I couldn't get that stupid necklace back. Why couldn't I have just chosen any other necklace? Why did it have to be that one? If I'd chosen another I wouldn't be in this mess now. Well, that's not entirely true. I'd still have the mess Jackson Storm caused to clean up, but at least I'd still have that damn necklace. It would have made everything easier. If I still had the necklace I could have just hired someone to take care of Jackson Storm for me. I wouldn't have to bother with making sure he was alive when I found him. My father wasn't the only one who knew who to call for certain . . . delicate matters. I shook my head. "I can't afford not to find him." "Why?" Julie pressed as she stood in front of me, her hands on her hips and her expression irritated. "There is something you're not telling me. More going on here than you want to say. Look, I get that you don't want me more involved than I've been already, but I can help you. If you could just tell me what's going on." I stared at her, half wishing I could tell her. And yet, I didn't want her more mixed up in this mess than she had to be. Bad enough I was about to make an enemy of Jackson Storm and anyone else who potentially got in my way, but I didn't need her knowing about the necklace. About anything that had to do with the man who called me earlier. That was something she needed to stay completely out of. I looked at her and shook my head. "I know you want to help," I said to her. "And I want you to be able to help, but I'm not going to risk it. Yes, there is more going on here than you are aware of, and right now I don't need you to be aware of it." She frowned at me but I held up my hand before she could interrupt me. "I promise, I'll call you if I need you. I'll call you if you can help, but until then the best thing you can do is just stay out of it. Please." She looked like she wanted to protest. Like there was something she wanted to say. Instead, she blew out a sigh. "Alright. I'll stay out of it. For now. Just," She stopped and looked away as if what she had to say next was awkward. Hard for her to say. "be careful, and take Marrek with you." I smiled. "I doubt Marrek would let me go alone. So, I guess I don't have much say in the matter anyway." Julie nodded and then jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I'm going to go see if I can help him speed up the process." She stepped forward and pulled me into her for a hug. "Be safe," She whispered. I tightened my arms around her. "I will, and I'll be back soon. I promise." She left the room with a little wave, closing the door behind her. I looked over at the big mirror that went from floor to ceiling next to my closet door. I stared at my reflection in the tall mirror. At the expensive pink pantsuit I was wearing, the wedge sandals, the priceless jewelry, my hair curled perfectly and falling to my hips. All this, a show. For my parents. For anyone watching. My mother had always wanted a daughter. Really though, she wanted a mirror image. Someone exactly like her in every way. Someone, she could show off. So, for almost as long as I could remember, my hair had been blonde, my eyes blue. Just like her. And yet, my hair wasn't really blonde and my eyes weren't blue. Reality was I looked nothing like my mother. The only thing any could say I got from her would be my figure and maybe a little of her attitude. Otherwise, I looked exactly like my father. Black hair and grey eyes that would range from shining like silver or darkening to gunmetal grey. The contacts I wore because my mother insisted my eyes be bright blue like hers. My hair was dyed because she wanted my hair to shine like gold . . . like hers. My entire life she made me out to be exactly like her. Not that I ever protested. As a young child, I looked up to and admired her more than anyone in my life. I thought she was a real-life princess. A fairytale come true. She was never mean to me. Never unkind. And yet, never really a mother to me either. She was superficial with everyone but honest with me. She was greedy and thrived under the attention she received. Yet she did love my father, and even though I was sure she didn't see me exactly like a daughter, she loved me too. But as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, there was suddenly nothing I wanted more than to see myself staring back at me. Instead of the mirror image of my mother. A plastic, greedy, self-serving person who saw herself as above everyone else. Yes, I played that part well, but that didn't mean I liked it. For once, I wanted to see me. And angry as I was to admit it, Jackson Storm had just given me the best reason, to see just that. Crystal Carver with her golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes was too recognizable. Not that removing the contacts or dying my hair would ever change the look of my face, but it would cause people to have to look for me. The blonde hair and blue eyes were my signatures, and therefore, would have to go. Anyone who wasn't looking closely for Crystal Carver would never take a second look. Leaving home would never be a problem. I'd simply tell my parents I needed to get away, that I needed time to myself to recover. Away from the media and the paparazzi. They'd be all for the idea. All it would take was telling them I was going on a trip, that I wasn't sure when I'd be back. They'd believe me. They believed everything I ever told them. I didn't even need to be there in person to tell them. I could just call them, and they'd accept that. I could pack my bags and be out of here by tonight. I could call them on my way to wherever I was going. I walked into my bathroom, pulling various items from the cabinets. I set them out on the counter surrounding the sink and then set to work. I stared into the mirror above the sink, my hands on either side of the counter. I stared into the blue eyes of the girl staring back at me. And then I reached my hands up and removed the blue contacts. I was staring again, but this time I was staring into a set of grey eyes. I looked down at the items I spread across the counter. The first thing I picked up, was the scissors. I didn't even hesitate. Not for a second. I watched the blonde hair fall. Into the sink. Onto the counter. Onto the floor. As much as I hated Jackson Storm for what he did to me. For the trouble, he's caused. As much as I wished him dead or at least seriously injured, I also wanted to thank him. Because for the first time in my life, I could be me. For the first time ever, I no longer had to hide behind a disguise. Behind a mask. He had inadvertently given me the one thing I had wanted more than anything but had never been able to get. Freedom. Though, he was going to regret that. He thought he brought down my world and me with it. He was soon to learn, he was dead wrong. Jackson Storm, you've met your match and I'm coming for you.