“And Maddie…” Their eyes met, Gabe’s a bit wide, so Damian faced him, taking his other hand in his strong hands. He rubbed Gabe’s hands with his thumbs, holding his gaze.
“Maddie… she doesn’t mean anything anymore, Gabe…”
“She’s your wife.”
Damian shook his head. “Probably not anymore… I died. So, legally, she is a widow…”
“Until when?”
“I am not sure how this works… but…” He kissed Gabe’s hands. “As far as I’m concerned, there is no wife. Only a husband. My husband.”
Gabe’s eyes welled up. “We’re not married…. legally… it doesn’t exist…”
Damian put his fingers on his lips. “Sshhh… we are married. I don’t give a fuck about law and rules of these assholes. And we will make it ‘official’ as soon as we are back from the dead.”
Gabe sighed with trembling lips. “You think you are in charge… what if they don’t let you?”
Damian’s steel eyes went to him as he put his palm on his cheek. “Don’t let me? I will tear the world down for you.” He kissed Gabe, his eyes burning. “There is no such thing as Damian Bourne not being in charge. Not until I fucking draw breath.”
Gabe collapsed in his arms, wanting to believe his words. Hoping that he was right.
Harold arrived the next day. They could hear that voice from the corridor. Not even knocking, he burst into the room, walking straight to Damian as he threw his backpack on the bed.
Clutching him in a tight embrace. “My man! Jesus!”
Damian just stood in his embrace, in a mild shock, not wanting his touch, his arms around him. An overpowering feeling, suffocating in that sharp after-shave. He pushed Harold away, taming that touch when he just wanted to shove him into the wall.
Harold grinned at him. “Ok, ok… sorry, just so fucking happy to have you back! I mean… we all thought you died… I cried my eyes out and got drunk for weeks. But… to the matters at hand. We need to get out of here.” He took the backpack and put it on the table, rummaging inside. He pulled an electric razor out. “Here… I figured you could use a decent shave…. Your after-shave, of course, a new bottle. Perfume. Your face lotion. Deodorant. And… the essential fuel.” He pulled a large bottle of whisky out, grinning. Putting it on the table as Gabe stepped closer, reaching for Damian’s hand, seeing him blanch, take a step back. Harold kept his smile on, despite his friend’s grim silence. “Alright… don’t creep me out? You have a glass here? We could toast this miracle.” Watching that young man hold Damian’s hand, stand close, but he chose to ignore it. “So?”
Damian’s lips parted. A wrath in that soft voice that only Gabe knew. “Put that away.”
“Oh… alright. Save it for later.” He packed the bottle away and gestured at the cosmetics and the razor. “Get yourself together a bit. Tropical sunshine does something to the skin…” A mild pity in his eyes, but Damian just sat on the bed, pulling Gabe down with him, holding his hand.
“I do whatever I damn want.”
Harold grinned. “That’s right. Good to have you back…” He pulled a chair close and sat to face him. “So… I told Maddie… she… is shocked… understandably.” Searching Damian’s eyes. “Listen… you are officially dead, ok? So… she is not your wife anymore. In fact, she remarried a year later, after your ‘death’.”
Damian flooded with relief above his shock. “Ok?”
“Yeah… she married her plastic surgeon… you know, that guy who came to play golf with us once? Doctor Morgan.”
“I know…”
“So… glad you’re taking it fine… so, she obviously needs a bit of time to digest. Tell the kids.” He paused, waiting until Damian’s eyes went to him. That hard light making his heart race a bit.
“The kids… they are fine?”
Harold shrugged. “As fine as they can be. It was tough for them, you know. Cassie, especially, she was filled with remorse, but also anger, hate. Little vengeful thing…. And Kevin? He was just ten, he cried his eyes out. Maddie got them some therapy; I think. They are pretty fine now. All grown… sorry…”
Damian kept quiet.Kevin must be around sixteen, Cassie twenty-one? Jesus…“Alright.”
“The company… I’m in charge now… until Kevin can take over, but he doesn’t fit… doesn’t want it, you know? Eh… and now that you’re back, things can go back to normal, and he’ll have a bit more time to think. There’s all the legal shit to bring you back to life, but then, the board will probably vote you back. We’ll see. It’s a bit too much? You look tired…”
Damian squeezed his fingers around Gabe’s. “Yeah… a bit…”
“How was that island? You have to tell me everything! I don’t know how you survived… but hey, happy to have you back. Now, this is how we proceed. We leave today, the helicopter is waiting. Back to shore, I booked you into a hotel. Barber, hairdresser, tailor, shopping, then the jet home. Press is wild, you’ll need to make a statement as soon as we land. Decent, not looking like some sort of Tarzan out of the jungle.” He grinned and turned to Gabe. “I have a jet organized for you to fly home to your parents. They were beyond themselves. Courtesy of Qantico. They also want to make you some sort of firm image, or whatever, but first, home, to mum and dad…”
Damian straightened, white with rage. “Gabe’s not leaving me, I told you…”
