Family: Out of Business

Disappeared

Lexie's pov

I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Carlina just admitted to having an affair with Jimmy Nardello. Not only that, she also confessed she's ninety-nine percent sure that Jimmy is Dante's father, not her husband. Dante is a Nardello, just like my fiance. If I tell my brothers this maybe they'll cancel their plans to eliminate both my fiance and our unborn child, or maybe they'll just plan on killing another innocent child.

No, I can't do it, I thought to myself. There's just no way I could put Carlina's son Dante in danger like that. It wouldn't be right to use the secret she spilled about his paternity to my advantage. Dante is just a child and he's completely innocent in all this, plus my niece is crazy about him and if this secret came out that Dante is actually Jimmy Nardello's son, they would have no hope of having any type of relationship in the future. I couldn't do that to Claire. I could never sacrifice her happiness for my selfish gain.

My brothers are my problem, not my niece's and not Dante's. They're just children, for God's sake. They have no business being involved in this ridiculous feud between our families. They're completely naive and innocent and I'd like to keep it that way. I want more for Claire than a life entrenched in the family business. I want better for her and this precious little one. I rubbed my belly and smiled. I already love my baby so much and have so many hopes and dreams for his or her future. Dreams that don't include fighting a war between the Dimerras and Nardellos.

I'm just going to have to disappear with Luciano for a while like I originally planned, at least until I feel this baby is out of danger. In my heart I truly don't believe my brothers could ever harm their own niece or nephew but this feud between our two families has driven them to do some unspeakable and unimaginably horrific things, so until I can be sure, I'll have to go into hiding to protect this baby and my fiance.

Now I have to figure out how to break the news to my precious niece. Obviously I can't tell her the real reason I need to disappear for a while, so I'll need a convincing lie. I sighed and shook my head. I really hate lying to her but I want to preserve her innocence for as long as possible. It's bad enough what she heard while eavesdropping on our conversation the other day. I can't even imagine how she'd react if she knew the truth about the fate her father and uncle wish upon my unborn child.

On the ride home from Victoria's, I broke the news to Claire that I'd be going away for a bit. I decided to tell her Luciano and I were going on an extended vacation because we want to travel before I get too far along in my pregnancy. She took it about as well as I thought she would, begging and pleading to come with at first and then shifting to imploring me not to go when she realized joining us wasn't a real possibility.

I did my best to console her on the last leg of our drive home but it didn't work. I felt absolutely horrible dropping her off at the mansion while she was still crying, but I need to get to Luciano's as soon as possible so we can leave before my brothers try to prevent me from doing so. Our bags are already packed so as soon as I arrive we're going to have one of Luciano's driver's take us to the pier and then we're going to sail to our remote destination in a chartered boat. Hopefully three or four weeks will be enough time away so I'm far enough along in my pregnancy to ensure my baby's safety, as they won't be able to induce a chemical abortion.

I called Claire as soon as we got to the pier to say goodbye again. It broke my heart to tell her she won't be able to call me while I'm away. I pray when I get back, I'll be able to make it up to her and she'll find it in her heart to forgive me. Here goes nothing, I thought as I made the sign of the cross over my chest and the deckhand assisted me onto the boat.

Claire's pov

As soon as the driver dropped me off, I ran upstairs to my room. I quickly changed into my pjs, washed my face, and brushed my teeth so I'd be ready for bed. My mundane nightly routine is just the distraction I need to keep from thinking about my aunt. Well that took all of three minutes and now my aunt leaving is all I can focus on.