Liz shook the hand of her ex off of her bony shoulder. Ric removed it reluctantly and stuck it in his jacket pocket.

"Ric, I'm so onto you. I know you're the one who's been leading Lucky down a dangerous path in order to help your brother's crimes."

He shook his head.

"Liz this is all about keeping you safe from a man who is becoming more and more volatile with each passing hour. I don't want him dragging you and your good reputation down with him."

Liz pushed a strand off of her face.

"You're one to talk, with all the trouble you bring upon yourself. You're truly pathetic Ric. And what happened to your date. Didn't you waltz in with Brenda on your arm to piss off your brother?"

Ric sighed, his hands fidgeting but he brushed off the temptation to straighten his tie. God, the woman was beautiful, think, her frame angled sharply, her face angelic. If only she returned his feelings but so far...he wanted to be a better man for the vision in front of him.

The one who taunted him.

"Liz, I don't think you understand what's going on here. There's a crisis. A hurricane is hitting Pt. Charles and there's rioting in the streets outside and we're under martial law."

She sniffed.

"I know the power is out. I know my husband is struggling with his demons and Nikolas…"

Her voice wavered and she paused. Ric rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in his annoying dramatic fashion.

"Nikolas is very disturbed. He's brought your husband nothing but pain. God knows Lucky has his demons but his half brother brings emotional instability to a whole new level."

Liz glanced away trying to dismiss him. Her mind rejecting his words. Lucky was struggling but she needed to figure out how to reach for him...and as for Nikolas he'd always been a shoulder to lean on when it became necessary. She put a hand on her hip and flipped her head back.

"Ric why do you even care? You've made it clear on more than one occasion that I'm the woman that you want. But you can't have me. My heart is with my husband…"

Ric's jaw flexed.

"You say that but it pains me so much to see him drag you down into his spiral with him. Liz, you deserve a much better life…"

It sounded tempting. Liz couldn't deny that. She'd been searching her entire life for a Prince Charming to rescue her from her life. Could that be the man standing in front of her?

No, she spat that word out harshly out of her mind. Ric was no Prince Charming no matter how often he tried to poster himself as such. She needed to put all her energy into saving Lucky from his current plot.

She turned on him just then.

"No I won't get into this with you Ric….I'm with Lucky and he needs me now more than he ever did."

Ric cackled.

"So why are you more concerned with Nikolas and his latest round of drama? Why are you here trying to convince me that you don't 'want' me?"

Liz just shook her head and lifted up the excess of her ballroom gown.

"I'm going to walk away from you right now. I don't need to listen to this right now. What I need to do is find Lucky….and make sure Nikolas is safe."

Ric crowed.

"I thought so….Liz you might deny it right now but Lucky knows the score. The reason he's in so much trouble right now is because he knows you've been cheating on him with his brother."

Liz gasped.

"You're such a horrible, horrible human being. I care for both of them...but Nikolas only as a dear friend"

He cackled even further.

"I guess we both shall see…"

Jax and Sam just stared at Ava in front of them. The enigmatic art dealer had just admitted that she was connected in some fashion with the infamous Jerome family. Sam reviewed her memories for the history she had received on this mobster clan. They had ruled the roost in PC for several years...long before Sonny claimed their vacated territory.

"They all died off… First Olivia...then Julian...then Victor and they're all gone…."

Jax nodded.

"It appeared that way until Ms Jerome here is connected with that mob family in some way yet claiming to be legit."

Ava gritted her teeth.

"I am legit and all of my business transactions are as well. Mrs Cassadine just happens to have been one of my customers."

Sam interjected.

"That's well and good but what is your connection with this Derek Wells? It's no skin off my back if she's associated with Alexis Davis but none of this makes sense…."

Ava shrugged.

"I don't know about any of that...or anything about this Derek Wells. I came to this hotel to conduct business with an interested party in one of my paintings….and I don't know much of anything about this Helena Cassadine."

Sam pointed a finger at her.

"I don't care about any of that. I just think anyone conducting business with Helena should be careful and should not be trusted."

Ava heard the venom in Sam's voice but wondered where it came from. After all, it's not like the two had ever met up. From what little she knew about Sam, she was some castoff from lowlife trash. Really she should be exiting this conversation and getting her business done...and as it stood DEREK would have some explaining to do.

"I have to go now...anything else?"

Sam looked at Jax.

"Do you have anything?"

Jax just sighed.

"I just want to find Alexis. No one's seen her and I just want to make sure my favorite ex is safe."

Ava glanced between the two of them. Alexis being the handsome man with the Aussie accent's favorite ex? Had to be a story there but she was more concerned with Derek's preoccupation with PC's top legal eagle.

Alexis just stared at him in the penthouse suite without understanding why she did that. She added some more vodka into her glass, watching him refill his bourbon.

"Why do you even care? What Sonny tells Zander to do?"

He just stared at her even as she questioned him and it infuriated her.

"Derek, why would you care what Sonny tells Zander to do?"

He nursed his bourbon glass before answering.

"Because I've been where Zander is now….I had to make the same choice that he did."

That confused Alexis much more...how in the hell would this handsome stranger in front of her have to face situations he clearly knew nothing about? She drank down her vodka in one gulp.

"How in the hell would you even know...you don't know anything about what happened…"

Derek looked at her, aching at her confusion tinged with pain and knowing he couldn't ever really tell her.

"I don't….but I feel it right now."

She tilted her head in challenge.

"How so Derek?"

He watched a myriad of emotions play out on her face, as she sat across from him. Nothing he could say in response would comfort her.

So he took his chance.

"I know because I've spent so many years of my life reinventing myself. My name, my past and…"

He stopped himself before continuing because damn, the bourbon was making himself bold in ways that were dangerous.

To him and the woman who sat across from him right now. But she wasn't making this easy for him.

Not that he expected that.

"Derek, what the hell are you even talking about? You're a well respected very well known head of one of the most formidable media empires out there. How could you be confused about anything?"

Derek watched her coiled on the couch across from him and thought, if she only knew! Only it was clear she didn't know. And he had no idea how to tell her.

Sam stood with Jax after Ava had walked off.

"Jax she's hiding a lot of information and she's got some sort of business relationship with Helena Cassadine."

Jax nodded.

"I know...I just want to find Alexis soon...so I can warn her."

Sam felt irritation running through her.

"Why...why do you care about Alexis or should I even ask?"

"Because I care about her. Somehow this involves her and now we can't even find her."

Sam shrugged.

"I'm sure she's fine. She's taking shelter in the hotel like all of us against this hurricane…"

Jax shook his head.

"I know but you said….last time you saw her was with this Derek Wells guy and I don't trust him."

Sam grimaced.

"Neither do I."