Lost for You Read online

  “Sylvia Brimstone is my birth mother.”

  “I’m gonna need a minute,” I say, taking a seat on the couch as Brax rushes to my side. Sylvia walks over to the window seat and sits down, unable to rip her eyes off her only son.

  “Hon, talk to me. Let me explain,” he urges, trying to get me to look at him, but I can’t. I know we still have a lot to tell each other, and still have a lot of things to work out, but surely he must have known when he met Uncle Harry all those months ago that Sylvia was his wife.

  And therefore…

  My head snaps up instantly. “How long have you known, Brax?”

  I know he isn’t lying to me because he doesn’t hesitate and he doesn’t look away from me. Whatever he’s about to say is going to be the honest to god truth.

  “I’ve known my birth mother’s name since I was fifteen years old and I asked Evans about her. At that time, he only knew her first name, maiden name, and her date of birth, but he did tell me that she had married some wealthy businessman in California ten years earlier.” He looks over at Sylvia, looking for some sort of confirmation. I look up and see her nod slightly.

  In that moment, my heart breaks for Brax all over again. He looks lost, haunted even. I can’t imagine what it is like to come face to face with the woman who abandoned you as a two year old.

  He clears his throat before continuing. “When Roger was dying, he gave me a photo of her and the last contact details they had. I tried looking her up, but everything kept coming up blank.”

  I grab his hand and start rubbing my thumb over his knuckles like he has done to me so many times. He looks towards Sylvia again, and I see a shadow of a smile on her lips.

  “I changed my name when I got married. I’d just left you in Atlanta, and I had to get out of Georgia and away from the poison that surrounded your father and that whole sordid situation. So, when I met Harry in L.A., and I told him about my past, and about you, Brax, he sealed all of the records so that it could never come back to bite us,” she says forlornly. “It wasn’t until recently that I was told by Harry that you were in Elle’s life. I already knew that Harry wanted to take over the company at any cost. It is one of the reasons why I left him. I couldn’t fathom anything happening to Elle. But knowing that my only son, the one thing I could never give him, was involved, seemed to spur him on.”

  I sit there for a few minutes, just staring at her. This woman, my Aunt Sylvie, the woman who stepped in and was there for me when the rest of my family were ripped away from me, has been separated from her only son for twenty-five years, and I’m the reason why she left her husband. “I’m confused,” Brax says from beside me, interrupting my thoughts. “If Harry knows who I am, and who I am to you, why is he working with Evans?” I look back toward Brax, and he’s frowning; I can tell he’s trying to connect the dots in his head.

  I may not have a family, but I can’t imagine finding out that your birth mother was married to the man who wants to hurt the love of your life, and is working with your corrupt birth father in order to do so.

  “Harry never knew who your father was, and to be honest I avoid Harry at all costs these days. He is toxic, and someone who trapped me into a marriage that I didn’t want to be in any more,” she replies emphatically. I can see her eyes glistening with tears, but also with wonder as she looks at her twenty-seven year old son sitting across the room from her. “Brax, I never forgot you. Not once.”

  I hear him grunt beside me; he’s closing down. I can tell by the slumped shoulders and the way he’s staring at the ground that he needs time to process this.

  Before I can suggest to Sylvia that we try this another time, she beats me to the punch.

  “Elle, dear, I think I should go. Brax needs time to deal with this.” She stands up and moves towards the front door but stops. She looks down at her son. “Brax, please know that I’ve thought about you every day. I always wondered what you looked like, where you were living, whether you had met someone and started a family of your own. I only ever wanted the best in life for you, but the only way to escape your father was to leave you both behind.”

  For the first time since my family’s funeral, I see a crack in Aunt Sylvie’s exterior. She quickly recovers before giving me a kiss on the cheek and promising to catch up in the next few days.

  Brax has not moved from the couch. He is just sitting there, staring at the ground, and I can tell that there is a gamut of emotions coursing through him as he tries to comprehend what just happened.

  Kneeling in front of him, I cup his chin in my hands and pull his face up to meet mine. “Babe? Are you okay?”

  He just stares at me, his eyes wide with shock. “What just happened?” he whispers.

  “You just met your birth mother, babe. The woman who gave birth to you,” I say with a soft smile.

  “How could she have been married to Brimstone? He’s a monster! It’s like she went from one poor excuse for a man straight into the arms of another,” he says, not quite believing it.

  I decide to take action. This whole situation is too emotionally charged to deal with right now. I can tell that he needs me now more than ever. After everything he has done for me, I need to be able to give him that.

  I can sense the dark cloud forming around me. It’s something I haven’t felt since Roger died. I can’t shake it, and as hard as Elle tries she’s not going to be able to make me feel better. Not this time.

  After Sylvia left, I sat back on the couch and let out the biggest breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding in. Elle and I had been through an emotional wringer in the past week. Hell, the past few months. We hadn’t needed an impromptu reunion with my birth mother added into that equation.

  Unable to deal with the situation, or the thoughts that are running through my head, I move to the kitchen and start searching through the cupboards.

  “What are you doing, Brax? We need to talk about this,” I hear Elle ask as she follows me to the kitchen.

  “Darlin’, I love you more than life itself. But right now, I need a big drink of something very alcoholic that will make me very drunk. How ‘bout it?” I ask. I’m putting on a strong front, but given what has just transpired in our living room, my eyes are pleading with Elle to give me this moment.

  She acquiesces with a small grin. She knows what I’m doing; she’s been where I am right now. She pops herself up onto the kitchen counter, leaving her legs dangling over the side as she watches me with amusement. “Cupboard above the refrigerator, right hand side.”

  “Such a holdout,” I say, leaning over to give her a quick kiss before poking my tongue out at her. I reach up and find the mother load; a full bottle of Jack Daniels. “This will do. Feel like joining me?” I ask, quirking my eyebrow and smirking at her.

  “I like where this is going. Yes, I’ll join you,” she adds a wink before grabbing a couple of glasses from the cupboard behind her and placing them beside her. “But if we’re doing shots, we’re doing body shots.”

  Now that has my attention!

  My eyes shoot up to meet hers, and she winks at me. She’s trying to distract me for once, and she’s right on the money.

  “Hmm, body shots it is.”

  I move towards her, placing myself square between her legs. She widens them to accommodate me and gasps when I run my hands slowly up her exposed thighs, stopping just as I reach the place she wants me most. I lean forward, moving my hands around her hips and up her chest until I graze the side of her breasts. I continue my journey, moving my face close to hers as I softly lick her lips, begging for her to open. She obliges, and my tongue jumps at the chance to taste her, exploring her mouth, trying to distract from the thoughts running through my head. She whimpers into my mouth as I pull my lips away and slowly trail my nose along her jaw towards her ear.

  “I’m thinking body shots with you could be a lot of fun.”

  I smile against her mouth and hear a groan run right through her body when I pull away. Grabbing the glasses and
the bottle of whisky, I pull on Elle’s hand as she jumps off the counter and follows me to the living room.

  After all of the drama of today, whisky shots and drunken sex with Elle sound like a perfect ending.

  My phone rings from the kitchen and wakes me up. Pulling my pillow over my head, I try to ignore it, hoping like hell they’ll stop and leave a message. I’m just starting to drift off, when it starts ringing again.

  Dammit!

  I roll over and see Brax lying flat on his back, softly snoring, sheet pulled down to his hips and have to stifle a giggle when I see that he’s obviously having a very good dream, going by the tent that’s been made in the sheet.

  I carefully get out of bed, inwardly cursing myself for the body shots suggestion. My head is throbbing, my eyes feel like they’re made of sandpaper, and my body is punishing me. My throat is so parched; it feels like I’ve just run a marathon without water.

  After cleaning myself up in the bathroom, I turn the coffeemaker on and grab my phone, still wondering who the hell would call me at this stupid hour. I see four missed calls, and one of them is from Lawrence my lawyer. This can’t be good.

  Just as I’m dialing Lawrence’s number, it starts ringing again.

  “Hello?” I answer.

  “Elise Halliwell?” an echoing female voice asks.

  “Yes. Sorry, and you are?” I ask, perplexed. I’m not in the mood for games this morning. I just wanna find out what Lawrence wants and go back to bed.

  “It’s Tabitha Thomas from News Weekly. I’m interested in getting a statement from you regarding the arrest of Brightlight’s CEO Harold Brimstone last night. Do you wish to make a comment?”

  Suddenly, I feel light headed and out of breath. “Pardon? Can you repeat what you just said, please?”

  “Harold Brimstone was arrested in LA last night under suspicion of embezzlement from your company.”

  I drop the phone, staring at it as it lies face up on the kitchen counter. I can hear the reporter saying my name, but it sounds very far away. Uncle Harry, embezzling, from me. What the hell? I shake my head, trying to gather some composure. I pick up my phone again.

  “Tabitha was it?”

  “Yes, Tabitha Thomas. News Weekly.”

  “Okay. Tabitha, at this stage I have to say no comment. A representative from Brightlight Industries will make a public statement later today. That is all I have to say right now. Thank you.” I push end and hang up.

  Putting my hands down on the kitchen counter to brace myself, I take a few deep breaths; inhale and exhale. There is one good thing about that phone call; at least I now have some idea what Lawrence was calling me about. I want to wake Brax up to tell him, but after the day we had yesterday, I think it’s better just to let him sleep. I’ll tell him about all of this when I know more, and I’ve spoken to my lawyer.

  Making an extra strong coffee with the mandatory three spoons of sugar, I grab my phone and walk into the living room, sitting down in my window seat that I love so much. I sit sideways parallel to the window, pulling my legs up and digging them under the cushions. This is my favorite place in the whole apartment, and I’m sitting here because I don’t know what Lawrence is going to tell me.

  I punch in the number, and he answers after one ring.

  “Lawrence, it’s Elle Halliwell.”

  “Elle! Have you seen the news? Have you had any reporters contact you yet?” He’s talking a million miles an hour. He’s a good man, but he’s always been rather excitable.

  “Yes. I’ve just had a delightful phone call from News Weekly wanting a statement from me regarding Harry’s apparent arrest. Is it true?” I ask, my voice sounding higher than it should be. Must be from the shock.

  “Indeed. It seems Harry Brimstone was arrested late last night, and is sitting in an LA county jail right now awaiting a bail hearing.”

  I shake my head. “Wow! I couldn’t believe it when the reporter told me. What happened?”

  “The details aren’t clear right now, but it appears there is evidence that he has been misappropriating Brightlight funds for some time, and a witness recently came forward who was willing to testify,” he continues to explain.

  “An employee?” I ask. It’s a huge step for someone to be brave enough to go up against the CEO, especially someone like Uncle Harry.

  “So it seems. Their identity is being kept secret for their protection, but it appears that an anonymous tip came in a few days ago and the feds acted on it straight away due to its high profile and the amount of money involved.”

  I take a deep breath, not really wanting to hear his answer. “How much, Lawrence? Are we in trouble here?”

  “No, dear. Not at all. We’re talking around ten million dollars, small change in terms of Brightlight’s finances, which is probably why it went undetected for so long.” I can tell he has a smile on his face, knowing that the company’s okay.

  Lawrence was my father’s lawyer, so he’s known me for many years now. He also knows how important Brightlight is to me, now more than ever.

  “Thanks, Lawrence. I kind of needed to hear that, for peace of mind more than anything else. So, what do I need to do?” I’m curious as to what this means for me. I’m in no way ready to step up and take the helm of the company.

  “Well, the Board of Directors have called an extraordinary meeting for tonight. They know you cannot attend, but they may need to conference call you. I expect that they’ll want you as the incoming CEO.”

  I knew this was coming. It’s what I was destined to do after all, but somehow this new development hasn’t filled me with joy.

  “I don’t want that, Lawrence. I’m not ready,” I implore. This was supposed to happen in two or three years’ time, not now. Especially not now.

  “Sorry, Elle, but there is no one else to step in. We might be able to start the recruitment process for another acting CEO, but not right now. We need you to steer Brightlight through this crisis.” I take a deep breath and allow Lawrence’s words to sink in. There is no one else.

  “No, Lawrence. I’m the majority stakeholder, and what I want is for the Chief Financial Officer to be put in as acting CEO for the foreseeable future. He has been there since the beginning with my father, and he’s the only other person I trust there other than you,” I say, sighing quietly.

  Just when I get my world straightened out and going well, something happens to tilt it on its axis once again.

  “As you wish,” he acquiesces.

  “And tell the board that they can contact me by phone this evening if any of them have a problem with that. We will need to prepare a statement about Uncle Harry…”

  “Elle, it’s all being taken care of. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, alright?”

  “Yes, Lawrence. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you to be honest.”

  “Let’s hope you’ll never have to know, Elle. Take care,” he adds before hanging up.

  I place my forehead on my now bent knees. Glancing out my front window I notice a couple of news vans parked up opposite my building.

  Fan-fucking-tastic.

  My pounding head reminds me that I need water, food, Advil, and Brax. I can’t help but smile. Brax let loose last night. Coming face to face with Sylvia really rocked him. He didn’t have any time to prepare himself, or me for that matter, and I could tell from the look in his eyes that he needed an escape. Fortunately, his escape this time was found in the bottom of a Jack Daniel’s bottle, and a night of body shots and drunken couch sex with me.

  Thinking about Brax lying in bed wearing nothing but a sheet has me launching myself off the love seat. First, I check the apartment door is locked, then I open up the security console by the door to make sure the building’s door locks remain on for the day. I don’t want any reporters getting an idea to come into the building, trying to accost me or my tenants. When I reach the kitchen, I pour two glasses of cold water and grab the Advil out of the cupboard before heading to find Brax.

 
I wake up feeling like I’ve swallowed sandpaper. I shouldn’t have gotten so drunk last night. It was not the way to handle things, and definitely not the way to react to my fucked up family dynamic. I never wanted Elle to see me like that; I honestly felt like I was back to being the lost little boy Sylvia had left on the foster home doorstep all those years ago. As soon as I saw her ice blue eyes, I knew that she was definitely my Sylvia, the one woman whom I’d never been able to find.

  I shake my head, feeling my anger returning. I don’t want to think about that now. I want to know where my beautiful Elle has disappeared to.

  Just as I start to sit up against the headboard, she walks into the room, bearing two glasses of water and some pain killers. God, I love this woman. She looks concerned, though. Her brows are furrowed, and her lips are pursed.

  “Darlin’, get your butt over here and tell me what’s wrong.”

  “We’ll talk about it later. How are you feeling?” she asks, over-enthusiastically.

  “Come here, baby, and tell me what’s up. I know something’s up because you’re bouncing,” I say with a grin.

  I watch the swing of her hips as she rounds the bed and places the glasses on the bedside cabinet. Then she crawls over me, placing herself on top of my legs, elbows on my chest, her gorgeous face propped up in her hands just staring at me.

  “Uncle Harry was arrested last night,” she says deadpan. I swear you could’ve heard a pin drop with the silence that followed.

  “Say that again?” I ask, not quite believing what I just heard.

  “I got woken up by my cell phone ringing. It was some reporter wanting a comment about Uncle Harry being arrested for embezzlement.”

  Fuck! How did I not know about this?

  “Shit, hon. Are you okay?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

  “I’m in shock, but I’m okay. He can’t hurt me if he’s in jail, can he?” she replies with a shrug. “I’ve told Lawrence that I want the CFO to step in as acting CEO in my absence because it’s the last thing I want to do right now. I don’t wanna walk into a shit storm.”