Trust Ch 22

I am so sorry this has taken so long to post. I am working more, had to move, looking for a new apartment and working on the upcoming chapters, which took some detailed planning on how I wanted to tell and move the story along.

This chapter is short for a reason. I'm posting this one today before posting the other one tomorrow. This is a 'bridge' chapter that needs to stand by itself. It may seem useless, but in my mind, I couldn't put it anywhere else but by itself.

Thank you for your patience and for reading. Have a great day.

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The door closed and Salina got up and went to the window. She hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms trying to warm herself. The room wasn't cold per se but she felt 'cold'.

"Salina, well done..." began Madelyn but when Salina turned and faced her, Madelyn became concerned. "Salina," Madelyn said as she moved towards Salina, "what's wrong?"

"Tell me the truth Madelyn, did Red rape me?"

"Salina, why are you bringing that up again? I told you, Henry said you were not."

"Please Madelyn, just tell me the truth. Stop trying to protect me," Salina pleaded.

"Salina, I am telling you the truth. You were beaten badly, but not raped. Henry said it was the reason he had you kept in the coma for so long, was to protect you." Salina turned away. "What is going on? Did what Churn say upset you this much?"

"No, it's not that..."

"Then please tell me what it is. I can't help you if I don't know what it is."

"The man who was sitting next to Churn, I remember where I saw him."

"You've seen him before?"

"Yes, he was with Red when he kidnapped me. He was there when..."

"Salina, I am so sorry," Madelyn said taking her into her arms.

"You didn't..."

"Wait, are you telling me he was in the room..."

"No, he was at the house. I just wanted to know what happened to me. It's like a part of my life is missing and I can't seem to get it back."

The door opened again and when both Madelyn and Salina turned towards it, Dara stood there with Storm behind her. Salina and Storm both looked at each other before Salina turned away.

"Do you have much business here?" Storm asked Dara.

"Just a few more things to take care of," Dara answered.

"I'll send the jet back for you. I'm going back now," Storm said before addressing Madelyn. "Madelyn, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes. Salina, I'll be right back."

Salina didn't turn, but only nodded.

When they were out the door, Madelyn took Storm into another room.

"Is she okay? She doesn't look okay." Storm asked as soon as the door was closed.

"She's fine. Nothing we can't take care of," Madelyn answered.

"That's not what I asked," Storm replied tersely.

"She's fine." Madelyn watched him for a moment. "Give her some time to figure out where she goes from here. She just inherited billions of dollars. She's going to be fine. She just needs to realize that."

"Let me know if anything happens Madelyn, immediately."

"I will. Have a safe flight."

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"You knew who I was all along didn't you?" Salina asked Dara as soon as the Madelyn existed the room with Storm.

"No, not at first, but I figured it out after a while," Dara answered.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"About what exactly? He chose to get involved with you and you could have stopped when you found out who he really was. But, I suspect you two were too far along to stop so suddenly."

"He hates me now because of all the lies."

Dara smirked. "Anger, frustration, at-a-loss of what to do next, yes. Hate, no."

"Will he be safe? Make sure he's safe at all times. He and Ayasha."

"They are. Arrangements were made long before this to almost guarantee all our safety. We have a few more things to complete before Norma flies back."

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"So Dara, how do I explain this to him? How I explain how I got involved with his girlfriend who used to be named Sally but was, is actually a heiress named Salina Carter and worth more than 15 billion dollars?" Norma asked Dara when they were alone in the conference room.

"I'll handle it. The one thing I ask of you is to be her lawyer."

"Is my life on the line?"

"Well you did piss off an asshole from the DEA," Dara said smiling.

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Storm looked out the window at the puffy white clouds and saw nothing but Salina's hauntingly sad, worried eyes. Something was wrong. He now recognized the look for what it truly was, panic. Did something come up since the transfer that they were trying to hide? He needed to speak with Norma asap. He wanted the information on her investments especially the ones overseas. There was no way he would let her run off and not know where she was. He was also better at maneuvering that landscape even if she was now officially Salina's lawyer.

He was tense. There were so many questions to ask but he knew the first thing he had to do was keep a very close eye on Churn and the other guy that was with him. He disliked the way both of them were looking at Salina. She was in danger from them regardless of what Madelyn said. Storm closed his eyes and thought about the first time he saw Salina...Salina, the name fit her so much better than Sally. A huge section of the puzzle fell into place. Why she was running from the cop, the reason she didn't want to report him, why she never allowed anyone to get close to her...all of it make so much sense now. Then Storm laughed. Audrey thought Salina was trying to get his money. She never wanted his money because she had her own. He thought about the dress he bought her; how angry she had gotten. Now he truly understood why purchasing the dress caused such anger. The trip to New York that worried her so. The price of the hotel room wasn't the issue and it wasn't his wealth, it was what their wealth was capable of doing, the evil it has the ability to let loose without much fear of consequences. They did live in a separate world; a world of bodyguards, kidnapping and assassinations. She didn't want money to define her. She wanted to be accepted for who she was, Salina, not the wealthy heiress. As the plane dropped another level, making the decent for landing soon, Storm looked out the window. It was not where he wanted to be. He picked up the phone to the pilot, "Turn the plane around."

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"Where is she Madelyn?" Storm asked as soon as he entered the office.

"Why do you want to know?" Madelyn rebutted.

Storm sighed. Madelyn was going to make this as difficult as possible. "I need to speak with her."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Madelyn sighed. "She doesn't have answers. How can I make you understand that everything she did was to protect the people she loves."

"I need...I need to talk to her Madelyn."

Madelyn when to the desk and called her driver. "I'm sending someone down. Take him to the hotel Ms. Carter is staying." Then to Storm, "You will enjoy the hotel. She owns it." After a moment, "Storm, don't badger her. She's a bit raw right now."

"Thanks Madelyn. Thanks for everything especially being on her side."

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She received the phone call. Madelyn said she was getting a visitor; someone she wanted to see. The only other person besides her nanny that she wanted to see was Storm. She wanted to try and explain to him what happened but she was afraid. Afraid of his anger. Her heart was beating rapidly. She heard when the elevator door opened, then the knock on the door. She opened the door slowly. She took one look at him and all she wanted in that moment was be back in his arms where everything felt right and she was safe.

He came into the room and closed the door behind him. They both looked at each other; the tension thick enough to be cut with a knife. All questions were gone. They both reached for each other at the same time. The kiss was devouring as they both frantically devised each other of their clothes. All that mattered to them was that moment; all that existed was each other.