After the Storm: Midseason Episode 1 (Rising Storm) Read online

  After the Storm

  By Lexi Blake

  Rising Storm

  Midseason Episode 1

  Story created by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis

  After the Storm, Midseason Episode 1

  Rising Storm

  Copyright 2016 Julie Kenner and Dee Davis Oberwetter

  ISBN: 978-1-942299-64-6

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  After the Storm

  By Lexi Blake

  Rising Storm Midseason Episode 1

  Secrets, Sex and Scandals …

  Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.

  In the wake of Dakota’s revelations, the whole town is reeling. Ginny Moreno has lost everything. Logan Murphy is devastated by her lies. Brittany Rush sees her family in a horrifying new light. And nothing will ever be the same…

  About Lexi Blake

  Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places. Lexi believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome or foursome may seem. She also writes contemporary Western ménage as Sophie Oak.

  Connect with Lexi online:

  Facebook: Lexi Blake

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

  Website: www.LexiBlake.net

  Sign up for Lexi's free newsletter here.

  Also from Lexi Blake

  Click to purchase

  Masters And Mercenaries

  The Dom Who Loved Me

  The Men With The Golden Cuffs

  A Dom Is Forever

  On Her Master’s Secret Service

  Sanctum: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  Love and Let Die

  Unconditional: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  Dungeon Royale

  Dungeon Games: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  A View to a Thrill

  Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  You Only Love Twice

  Luscious: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped

  Adored: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  Master No

  Just One Taste: Masters and Mercenaries~Topped 2

  From Sanctum with Love

  Devoted: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

  Dominance Never Dies, Coming June 14, 2016

  Lawless

  Ruthless, Coming August 9, 2016

  Masters Of Ménage (by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake)

  Their Virgin Captive

  Their Virgin’s Secret

  Their Virgin Concubine

  Their Virgin Princess

  Their Virgin Hostage

  Their Virgin Secretary

  Their Virgin Mistress

  The Perfect Gentlemen (by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

  Scandal Never Sleeps

  Seduction in Session

  Big Easy Temptation

  URBAN FANTASY

  Thieves

  Steal the Light

  Steal the Day

  Steal the Moon

  Steal the Sun

  Steal the Night

  Ripper

  Addict

  Sleeper, Coming 2016

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  Thanks to Julie and Dee for inviting me to the party! I love Storm, Texas, and its crazy residents. Thanks to my team and family. And to Liz Berry and MJ Rose at Evil Eye – I continue to be in awe of your vision and the way you carry it out.

  Foreword

  Dear reader –

  We have wanted to do a project together for over a decade, but nothing really jelled until we started to toy with a kernel of an idea that sprouted way back in 2012 … and ultimately grew into Rising Storm.

  We are both excited about and proud of this project—not only of the story itself, but also the incredible authors who have helped bring the world and characters we created to life.

  We hope you enjoy visiting Storm, Texas. Settle in and stay a while!

  Happy reading!

  Sign up for the Rising Storm/1001 Dark Nights Newsletter

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  specially designed for Rising Storm by

  Janet Cadsawan of Cadsawan.com.

  Click here to subscribe.

  As a bonus, all subscribers will receive a free

  Rising Storm story

  Storm Season: Ginny & Jacob – the Prequel

  by Dee Davis

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Lexi Blake

  Also from Lexi Blake

  Author Acknowledgments

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Rising Storm

  Teaser for Distant Thunder, Rising Storm Midseason Episode 2 by Larissa Ione

  1001 Dark Nights

  Special Thanks

  Chapter One

  Ginny came to wake slowly, the sounds from the rest of the house bringing her out of the sweetest dream. She’d been with Logan. He’d walked in and there had been a bundle in his arms. Little Bit. Their baby. In the dream there hadn’t been anything between them. Not even Jacob. In her dream, she’d known Jacob was alive and happy. Everyone was happy, but she’d been the happiest of all because she’d made all the right choices and they’d brought her to this incredible man and their amazing family.

  “Hush. She needs her sleep, Luis. I won’t have you waking her up because you’re angry with your girlfriend.” Marisol’s voice was faint as though she was standing outside Ginny’s door trying hard to keep quiet.

  Luis was not. “I’m not angry with Mallory. I’m pretty pissed at Ginny though.”

  “Watch your language.”

  Yes, she really wished she could have stayed in that perfect dream. Ginny sat up. It was getting more and more difficult as her belly curved.

  She might as well paint a scarlet letter on her maternity clothes. There was no hiding this particular sin. It was out there for all to see.

  How was it possible that mere months before she’d had everything? She’d gotten out of town. She’d had a future. She’d had her best friend at her side.

  What would Brittany think of her now?

  Ginny’s heart threatened to seize. How selfish was she? All she could think about was herself and not the people she loved. Brittany had heard devastating news. She’d found out her father was a liar. She’d learned her parents’ marriage was based on deception. Her family was crumbling around her and all Ginny could wonder was “does she still like me?”

  Ginny Moreno stood and looked at herself in the mirror, not quite recognizing the girl who stared back. Oh, she had all the same features of the girl who’d grown up in this room, but there was something not right. It was a little like
those “find the difference in the picture” games she’d seen in magazines. Subtle little shifts had changed her. One lie here, a little subterfuge there, and she was a different person altogether. She was a person who hurt the people around her.

  Her stomach rumbled and a fine trembling shook her hands. She might want to stay in this room for the rest of her life, but she couldn’t because she wasn’t alone. She had a baby growing inside her. A baby who was proof of all she’d done wrong in her life.

  It’s a child, Ginny. Not a burden.

  That moment from the day before was so clear in her mind. Logan had looked so horrified when he’d said it. He’d rejected her utterly, but he’d defended her baby.

  Her baby. This child was hers. It might not be Jacob’s. No, she had to stop thinking like that. More likely it wasn’t Jacob’s. She’d been fooling herself all along. She’d done everything she could so she didn’t have to admit the mistakes she’d made.

  But this baby couldn’t be a mistake. This baby couldn’t start his or her life as a mistake. This baby had been a choice. The one good choice she’d made in all of this mess. She put a hand on her belly as though she could feel her child.

  “It’s you and me, Little Bit. I’m so sorry I’ve made a mess of things, but I’ve got some time to sort it out. I love you. I love you and that’s all that matters. Everything else is a problem to be solved, but you and me are going to be fine. We’ll get through this.”

  The town might hate her for what she’d done, but she wouldn’t let them take it out on her baby. No way. A fierce protectiveness swept through her body. Everything she’d done so far had been to protect herself. She could see that now. She’d deluded herself into thinking the baby could be Jacob’s so she could look at herself in the mirror. She’d let herself lead the Salts on so she would be protected and loved because she’d hated herself. She could give herself a million excuses, but at the end of the day, she’d done it.

  She’d found the love of her life and she’d still kept it up because she’d been afraid of losing it all. Well, she’d lost it.

  It was time to grow up and stop thinking of herself first. Little Bit needed food and that meant facing the music. She grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her body. It gave her some much needed warmth. Forcing herself to move, she opened the door and started for the kitchen.

  “You do understand that this affects all of us, right?” Luis was saying as she walked toward the small kitchen.

  She could smell bacon and a faint whiff of cinnamon. Marisol was making her French toast. Food was the language of her sister’s love. Tears pierced her eyes. She wasn’t really alone.

  She stepped into the kitchen. Luis was sitting at the table, his cell phone in hand. Marisol was at the stove, her hair swept back and already dressed for the day.

  How much was she going to cost her siblings?

  “Luis is worried people will stop coming to the bakery,” Ginny said. “So am I. What will we do if you have to close it down?” Yet another problem she’d caused.

  Marisol waved it off. “They’ll still come. No one bakes like I do. The good part about being in a small town is there’s not a ton of competition. I’d like to see them find a better bakery. Good luck with that.”

  “Marisol, it could be rough. You have to think about that. Maybe it would be better if I found another place to stay, distanced myself a little. Me staying here could cause trouble for you.”

  Luis frowned. “Not only for her. Mallory won’t speak to me. All I’ve gotten from her is one text asking me to give her time. Why does she need time? Time for what? I’m not the one who lied.”

  She didn’t remember what it felt like to be so young. Ginny wasn’t that much older than Luis, but suddenly she felt as though decades and not mere years separated them. She could point out that his trouble was nothing compared to hers, might have a few days before, but she had to be better now. She had to stop being a child. It was what had gotten her in trouble in the first place.

  She sat down across from her brother. “No, you’re not, and she’ll see that. She’s got her own trouble, Luis. Think about it. Her sister was the one who blew everything up. They won’t simply be coming for me.”

  Luis wouldn’t look her in the eyes. That hurt. “Yeah, well, I don’t know why. She was only the messenger. Dakota’s the only one with the guts to tell everyone the truth.”

  Marisol turned on him, a spatula in her hand. “That girl destroyed three families. How dare you defend her?”

  Ginny put a hand up. “He’s not really. He’s just very, very angry with me and he has the right to be.”

  Finally, Luis looked at her and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “Why, Ginny? Why would you do this? Why would you lie?”

  She got the feeling she would be answering this question a lot. “Because I was afraid. And ashamed.”

  “Why would you sleep with that old dude?”

  “Leave your sister alone.” Marisol put a plate in front of Ginny. “She needs to rest and eat. She doesn’t need you criticizing her.”

  But that’s what she would get. Criticism. Blame. Maybe mockery. It was better to face it. “He’s asking questions he needs the answers to, Marisol. Let us be for a minute. I love you defending me, but I have to start making things right.” She turned to her brother. Once, he’d looked up to her. “I don’t know why I did it. I guess I liked how he made me feel. I often feel like I don’t exist. It’s easy when you’re not the prettiest girl on campus. I moved from here to Austin and I lost myself. For the first time I didn’t know everyone in town and I felt invisible. The senator made me feel like I mattered.”

  Marisol stood at the head of the table, looking over them both. “Why did you play around with Lacey when it’s obvious the girl you truly care about is Mallory?”

  Luis flushed.

  “Marisol, it’s all right. This is about me.” She didn’t want to make her brother feel bad. She’d done enough to all of them.

  Marisol shook her head. “No. That’s my point. This isn’t only about you. This is about the town and everyone in it. We’ve all been touched by this in some way. It’s time we stop judging everyone and start looking to help our neighbors. Luis shouldn’t judge you because he’s not perfect himself. I’m not angry at Dakota. I wish she’d found some other way to deal with her own pain, but I truly do understand why she’s hurt. He very likely made her feel important, too.”

  Luis nodded. “I don’t know why I did what I did with Lacey. It was stupid and I hurt Mallory, but I hurt myself and Lacey, too. You’re right. I shouldn’t judge my sister. But I can judge him.”

  “Oh yes,” Marisol said, her eyes going colder than Ginny could ever remember. “We can judge the senator. He was old enough to know better and you can bet he’s not sitting in his kitchen this morning feeling bad about what he’s done.”

  “He’s only upset because he got caught,” Luis said.

  “He doesn’t matter now.” Ginny didn’t even want to think about him. He was meaningless and getting angry wouldn’t do any good. “I made my decisions. I was an adult, too. I might not have acted like one, but I was of legal age.”

  “He should have known better. And there should be consequences.” Luis reached across the table and placed a hand over hers. “I’m sorry if I was harsh. Marisol’s right. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. I’m worried about Mallory. I got a text from Marcus telling me to leave her alone. He’s being unreasonable.”

  “He loves his sister,” Marisol explained. “And he’s in a terrible position. He’s got one sister who the town is likely to turn on, another sister he’s trying to protect, and he’s got to deal with the fact that the woman he cares about is getting hurt in all of this. See it from Marcus’s point of view. Text him back. Tell him you understand where he is because you’re in the same place and you hope the two of you can work together to make things better for the women you both care about. Act like a man and he’ll treat you like one.”

&
nbsp; If only she’d listened to her sister more often. Ginny patted her brother’s hand. “Yes. She’s right. She always is.”

  Luis stood up, seeming stronger than before. “I’ll do it. And Ginny? I really am sorry for being so rude. I love you. Let me be the first to say what everyone will say in the end.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I forgive you.” He leaned over and his lips brushed against her forehead. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

  Tears made the world hazy as she watched her brother walk away.

  Marisol sat down in his place. “They will forgive you in the end. You’ll see. Time heals these things. The scandal will die down and you’ll find your place again.”

  There was only one problem with that. “I can’t hide in this house. I know it will take time, but I can’t wait on some things.”

  “Are you talking about Logan?”

  Ginny nodded. She could still see his face. Her betrayal had been stamped on his handsome face and she had to find a way to make things right between them. “Yes. I hurt him in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I think he was the right man for me and I screwed it all up because I couldn’t be honest with him, couldn’t even be honest with myself.”

  “He’s a good man. He’ll come around if it’s really meant to be.”

  He’d told her the night before what she had to do. He’d told her that if she wanted to make things right, she needed to start with the people her lies had hurt the most.

  Her stomach turned at the thought, but she knew where she needed to go. “I have to see Celeste.”

  Marisol’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”