Eli turned to look at her. "Come here for a second or are you still afraid of storms?"

"I'm fine right where I am."

"You're still afraid of storms, aren't you," Eli said. From across the candle lit room, she could see him raise one eyebrow, challenging her.

"I don't like storms, doesn't mean I'm afraid of them."

"But I know you better than that."

"You know who I used to be."

"I'm supposed to believe that just because you work for Kristen DiMera that everything about you has change."

"Let me correct you there," Lani said evenly. "Everything about me changed before I started to work for Kristen DiMera. She didn't change me, Eli. It's about time you accepted that."

Eli's eyes raked over her from head to toe taking in her form fitting cream colored silk nightgown. Lani knew he was remembering how she used to dress for bed-shorts in the summer and tights in the winter. Lingerie had never been her thing. "How can you be all that much different," Eli said. "Aside from the way you dress and your current job, I think you're the same person you always were. Sorry but I'm not buying the whole femme fatale act. You'll never be Kristen DiMera 2.0."

Lani laughed and walked over to a chair far away from the window. "Is that what you think I'm doing, imitating Kristen DiMera?" She sat down and crossed her long, smooth creamy brown legs.

"You love decorating your home and wearing comfortable clothes. I know you're miserable living in this cursed mausoleum wearing…" his voice trailed off. "Wearing that."

"This? " Lani chuckled glancing down at her expensive nightgown. "What I'm wearing tonight is actually a very famous designer's original creation." She stood and pivoted until she made a full circle. The silken material hugged her body like a glove and she wore nothing underneath. In reality shorts and leggings were still her go to for bed. But with all of the money she was earning which included a clothing allowance, she splurged whenever the mood arose. And she purchased nightgowns, quite a few of them that remained untouched in her drawer. Finally Eli's nocturnal visit gave her a reason to slip one on. She cut off the price tag while she was in the bathroom with a pair of nail clippers. "Don't tell me you don't like it," she quipped.

"It's," Eli paused his eyes still taking in every silk covered curve of her body, "It's pretty, but it's not you. And isn't it impractical for the head of security for the DiMera's to be wearing something so...so see-through with Chad, Stefan and that snake Xander lurking around her all of the time?"

"I'm off duty and can do what I want in my own rooms."

"What if an alarm goes off and you have to act quickly. Could you apprehend an intruder wearing that?"

"Oh, I get it," Lani tapped a finger on her chin, "You're jealous. You don't want the men of the house to see me like this."

Eli turned back to the window staring out into the storm. "No, I don't," he said. Hs voice was calm, but Lani detected a hint of proprietary indignation. He really was jealous, she realized. The thought should have amused her. Kristen DiMera would be amused and then proceed to taunt him using his jealousy to her advantage. But as Eli pointed out, she was no Kristen DiMera 2.0.

"You have a lot of damn nerve," Lani said as her calm, cool and collected demeanor slipped right through her fingers. "How many times have I seen you and Gabi all over each other in public? At least I have the decency to conduct my relationships behind closed doors."

"There was a time you told me that you didn't give a damn what I did because you had other priorities. Now I'm starting to see the truth. You do care." Eli chuckled.

"I didn't say I cared. I'm sure everybody that sees the two of you wishes you'd get a room and not subject the rest of us to your over the top PDA. It's like you're both trying to prove something."

"You sound mad."

"Please," Lani sucked her teeth. "Mad because you're so desperate to be in love with anybody, you'd sleep with the woman who pushed your grandmother down the stairs."

"This reminds me of another conversation we had a long time ago about Sheila."

"Shela? How could this sound like a conversation about Sheila since you swore to me the at the time that you and Sheila were just friends?" Lani could hear the fear in her voice and she was quite sure Eli caught it too. He continued to gaze out into the darkness. The blackened sky lit up, but thankfully no thunder followed. Had Eli been untruthful to her? Did he have something going on with Sheila? Had their love been a lie?

"Come here," Eli said and held his hand out to her.

"Why?"

"You claim to have changed so much. You're this new person and you say you want me to leave you alone to face whatever consequences. But there are two things I'm thinking right now. First, you haven't changed. Deep down, you're still the same Lani. Secondly, you do care about what's on that thumb drive.

"So, I'll tell you what,'" Eli continued. "Come over here, look out at the storm. If you're so hardened and ruthless you should be able to look without flinching. If you can I'll give you the drive and walk away. I won't give you any grief again about working for Kristen DiMera."

"And if I play your silly game and happen to flinch, then what?"

"Then you leave here-with me."

"As you are aware this is my job. Like it or not I have a responsibility to the people in this house. Your cousin Abigail stays here sometimes, don't you want her to be safe?"

"I'm not saying abandon your job. Not the legitimate part of it anyway. You don't have to live in this place to be head of security. This place corrupts people. Mother Theresa would have started robbing banks if she lived in the DiMera Mansion. But anyway, what are you worried about? If what you say is true, you should be able look out into this storm and not blink."

"So what is it, am I not allowed to flinch or to blink?" Lani stood making sure her movements were as slinky and alluring as possible.

"No reaction."

"This is a stupid, childish dare," Lani slowly approached until she was standing next to him at the window. She willed herself to remain completely calm and unfeeling as the rain pounded the glass. The sky lit up again, but thankfully no thunder followed. Lani hoped that the storm was receding.

"It's not so much the thumb drive that I want," she said flippantly. "I want you to stop trying to convince me to be that so called 'good' person I used to be. Especially when we could be doing something so much more interesting." She ran her hand along his arm. "If you really want me to prove to you how bad I am, why not do it over there." She tilted her head referring to the huge king sized bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see trees being whipped to and fro by the heavy winds. The storm seemed to be picking up, not going away. She swallowed hard and tried again to lure Eli away from the window.

Eli reached up and gently guided her chin until she was gazing out of the window. Just then a flash of forked lightning split the sky. And for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity no sound followed. Then a loud BOOM rattled the windows and drove Lani, unable to hide her terror, right into Eli's waiting arms.

"I told you that I would never let anything happen to you," Eli murmured into her ear. For a long moment, Lani allowed herself to be held. It felt so good to be in his arms again. Being comforted by Eli brought back so many warm memories of when they were in love. The day he brought Miami to her and how they'd lie in bed for hours talking after making love. The afterglow for her lasted well into the next day.

Then along with the good memories, the nightmare came flooding back too. David Abraham, David, Eli breaking up with her, Jordan's return and Eli turning to Gabi and shutting her out for months. When she needed him the most, he was with Gabi helping her to mend her broken heart. It was true that Lani pushed Eli away when she was trying to take care of David, but she honestly thought taking care of David was the right thing to do. Now she knew "right" and "wrong" are subjective.

So there she was bereft and alone. David was with his real mother. He'd grow up and forget all about her. Rafe reunited with Hope. Eli was back with Gabi. Lani was invited to come back to the force, but she just didn't have the heart for police work anymore. She had no idea what she was going to do next. One day she was drinking alone at Doug's Place when Kristen DiMera waltzed in and said, "What is a kick ass not to mention beautiful woman like yourself doing drinking in a dump like this? You could be living in a mansion, jet setting to New York, Milan, Paris. That is if you worked with me."

Kristen gave her a job, a place to live, a new purpose and outlook on life.

Lani pushed away from Eli. "I don't need you or anybody else to protect me. As you can see, I'm doing quite well for myself."

"Or so you say, but I know you better, and from what I just observed, you have not changed."

"I have better things to do than go around and around in circles with you about whether or not I've changed."

"You're right. Get packed. I'll be waiting for you in the other room."

"And go where Eli? I gave up my apartment when I came here."

"You can stay with me."

"And be the new Sheila sharing a bed with you platonically while you have a girlfriend?" Lani scoffed. "I think not. I don't know about her, but I have my pride."

"I'd debate you on that considering who you're working for. I'll get you a room at the Salem Inn."'

"Look Eli, I will leave here. Give me some time to rearrange staff schedules and let everyone know."

"How much time do you need?"

Lani made a few mental calculations. "About three days."

"I'll give you two. If you're not out of here in two days, I'll be back, but next time it'll be to make an arrest. I mean it Lani. I won't sit idly by watching you and Kristen DiMera break the law." With that Eli left the room and disappeared. He managed to come and go without tripping any of the alarms. He was as intrepid and clandestine as Xander, too bad he was not as sinister, Lani thought as she climbed into bed.

"Don't worry Eli, you won't have to watch us break the law because we'll be out of the country in two days," Lani said to the empty room before she rolled over, fluffed her pillows and went to sleep.