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Chapter 29
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tmkc27
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14 June 2012
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Past in Death
Chapter 29
Roarke groaned as his eyes opened slowly. He frowned as he recognized the room. He was home. When he looked to his left he found Eve asleep in a chair. Roarke’s heart both broke and swelled as the last twenty-four hours came back to him.
‘She came for me. Christ I love her but I can’t stay. I do and she’s in danger.’ He thought. When he tried to move though he found his wrists bound to the bed. “Oh buggering hell.”
Eve came awake instantly. “Hello Roarke.”
“Let me go Eve.”
“Not a chance in hell Roarke.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t belong here anymore. Why the hell didn’t you just leave me be?”
Eve moved and sat on the bed beside him. “For the same reason I took that bullet. I love you.”
“Damnit Eve! I’M the reason you were shot, kidnapped, tortured and almost killed! The reason Franchesca and the O’Ryans are dead! ME!”
“Find another bullshit excuse. This case was not your fault Roarke. No it wasn’t!” She yelled when he tried to interrupt. “I watched the interview with old Maggie. She saw you and Franchesca that weekend in Paris. Hell anytime before we met she could have found out about Lori.
“She would have had Franchesca killed them. So you see ace, this was not your fault. Lori, Terry, the Tibble’s, none of us believe that. We do believe you screwed up by hiding. That’s something we’ll fix however.”
“Eve, please.” He moaned. “I can’t stay.”
“Why not dad?” Lori asked from the door.
Roarke’s eyes met Lori’s. “Lori…I…”
“Oh just so you know. All those papers, the power of attorney, and paper naming me President of Roarke Industries are null and void.” Lori grinned sitting in Eve’s chair.
“What!” Roarke gasped.
“Seems you left us a loophole ace. Terry found it. You stated that the contracts would become null and void if you returned to New York.” Eve grinned. “I called Caro last night after we got you home. She’s already got a statement prepared. It will be released in the morning saying you were on a sabbatical of sorts.”
Roarke’s eyes closed. “Why? Why are you doing this to me? All I’ll do is bring pain to you both.”
Eve closed her hand over his left hand. Roarke’s eyes flew open. “Roarke, we need you. We love you.”
Lori’s hand covered Eve’s. “She’s right dad. We’ll help you, but you’re not to blame. Please, please stay with mom and me.”
Roarke’s eyes glistened with tears. “Mom?”
“That’s right baby. She called me mom the day I woke up. Please, don’t leave us again…a ghrá.” Eve said.
“Eve.” Roarke breathed as his tears fell. “Oh darling Eve. Yes, yes I’ll stay.”
******************************************************************************
Roarke sat at the dinner table with Eve, Terry, Lori and Summerset. Throughout dinner they filled him in on everything that happened while he had been gone. He was so proud when he heard Lori and Terry had graduated Valedictorians. Now that he was home again he couldn’t believe he had stayed gone or sane as long as he had.
“Dad?” Lori spoke up.
“Yes honey?” Roarke questioned.
“While mom was gone to bring you home, Terry and I were talking.” Lori began.
“You see, Eve’s on vacation and we thought that you two could use some time alone.” Terry said.
Eve and Roarke looked at each other. “I think they’re trying to kick us out Roarke.”
Roarke took Eve’s hand. “Sounds like it.”
“Dad, yes I’ve missed you and we still have a lot to learn about each other. But I saw mom when you were gone. You two need time.” Lori replied as she covered Roarke’s other hand.
“I guess I could ask for a week or two.” Eve sighed with a smile.
******************************************************************************
“You’ve got your two weeks Captain. Seems you and Roarke have one smart kid. She knew what you both needed.” Whitney smiled.
Eve laughed. “Yeah. It’s scary how much like Roarke she is. The whole time he was gone she knew what to do for me, like him.”
Roarke stood in the doorway of her office. ‘Christ, what a fool I was. I’ve hurt her so much.’
“Well, tell Roarke welcome home and we’ll see you in two weeks.” Whitney chuckled.
“Yes sir.” Eve nodded and ended transmission. She turned her chair and saw Roarke. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Roarke said and moved to her. He knelt in front of her and laid his head against her stomach. “I’m so sorry a ghrá.”
Eve stroked his hair gently. “It’s okay Roarke.”
He looked up. “No Eve, it’s not okay. I was such a fool. I was blinded by my fear of losing you. I honestly believed staying away was the only option.”
She placed her hands on his cheeks. “Lori and I both understand that. Look, when we get back perhaps you should talk to Mira.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Well, let’s go to bed. We’ve got an early flight.”
Roarke stood, pulled Eve to her feet and swept her into his arms. Eve laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her to bed. No words were spoken as he undressed her then tenderly made love to her.
******************************************************************************
Hours later Roarke woke. His breath caught for a moment till he felt Eve hug him a little tighter as she slept. He turned his head and just stared at her in the soft moonlight. Gently he kissed her forehead as the nightmare faded. It was the same one he had the night that Eve was shot.
He held Eve close as he stared up through the skylight over the bed. ‘It’s only a dream. Only a dream.’
T.B.C
Chapter 29
Roarke groaned as his eyes opened slowly. He frowned as he recognized the room. He was home. When he looked to his left he found Eve asleep in a chair. Roarke’s heart both broke and swelled as the last twenty-four hours came back to him.
‘She came for me. Christ I love her but I can’t stay. I do and she’s in danger.’ He thought. When he tried to move though he found his wrists bound to the bed. “Oh buggering hell.”
Eve came awake instantly. “Hello Roarke.”
“Let me go Eve.”
“Not a chance in hell Roarke.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t belong here anymore. Why the hell didn’t you just leave me be?”
Eve moved and sat on the bed beside him. “For the same reason I took that bullet. I love you.”
“Damnit Eve! I’M the reason you were shot, kidnapped, tortured and almost killed! The reason Franchesca and the O’Ryans are dead! ME!”
“Find another bullshit excuse. This case was not your fault Roarke. No it wasn’t!” She yelled when he tried to interrupt. “I watched the interview with old Maggie. She saw you and Franchesca that weekend in Paris. Hell anytime before we met she could have found out about Lori.
“She would have had Franchesca killed them. So you see ace, this was not your fault. Lori, Terry, the Tibble’s, none of us believe that. We do believe you screwed up by hiding. That’s something we’ll fix however.”
“Eve, please.” He moaned. “I can’t stay.”
“Why not dad?” Lori asked from the door.
Roarke’s eyes met Lori’s. “Lori…I…”
“Oh just so you know. All those papers, the power of attorney, and paper naming me President of Roarke Industries are null and void.” Lori grinned sitting in Eve’s chair.
“What!” Roarke gasped.
“Seems you left us a loophole ace. Terry found it. You stated that the contracts would become null and void if you returned to New York.” Eve grinned. “I called Caro last night after we got you home. She’s already got a statement prepared. It will be released in the morning saying you were on a sabbatical of sorts.”
Roarke’s eyes closed. “Why? Why are you doing this to me? All I’ll do is bring pain to you both.”
Eve closed her hand over his left hand. Roarke’s eyes flew open. “Roarke, we need you. We love you.”
Lori’s hand covered Eve’s. “She’s right dad. We’ll help you, but you’re not to blame. Please, please stay with mom and me.”
Roarke’s eyes glistened with tears. “Mom?”
“That’s right baby. She called me mom the day I woke up. Please, don’t leave us again…a ghrá.” Eve said.
“Eve.” Roarke breathed as his tears fell. “Oh darling Eve. Yes, yes I’ll stay.”
******************************************************************************
Roarke sat at the dinner table with Eve, Terry, Lori and Summerset. Throughout dinner they filled him in on everything that happened while he had been gone. He was so proud when he heard Lori and Terry had graduated Valedictorians. Now that he was home again he couldn’t believe he had stayed gone or sane as long as he had.
“Dad?” Lori spoke up.
“Yes honey?” Roarke questioned.
“While mom was gone to bring you home, Terry and I were talking.” Lori began.
“You see, Eve’s on vacation and we thought that you two could use some time alone.” Terry said.
Eve and Roarke looked at each other. “I think they’re trying to kick us out Roarke.”
Roarke took Eve’s hand. “Sounds like it.”
“Dad, yes I’ve missed you and we still have a lot to learn about each other. But I saw mom when you were gone. You two need time.” Lori replied as she covered Roarke’s other hand.
“I guess I could ask for a week or two.” Eve sighed with a smile.
******************************************************************************
“You’ve got your two weeks Captain. Seems you and Roarke have one smart kid. She knew what you both needed.” Whitney smiled.
Eve laughed. “Yeah. It’s scary how much like Roarke she is. The whole time he was gone she knew what to do for me, like him.”
Roarke stood in the doorway of her office. ‘Christ, what a fool I was. I’ve hurt her so much.’
“Well, tell Roarke welcome home and we’ll see you in two weeks.” Whitney chuckled.
“Yes sir.” Eve nodded and ended transmission. She turned her chair and saw Roarke. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Roarke said and moved to her. He knelt in front of her and laid his head against her stomach. “I’m so sorry a ghrá.”
Eve stroked his hair gently. “It’s okay Roarke.”
He looked up. “No Eve, it’s not okay. I was such a fool. I was blinded by my fear of losing you. I honestly believed staying away was the only option.”
She placed her hands on his cheeks. “Lori and I both understand that. Look, when we get back perhaps you should talk to Mira.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Well, let’s go to bed. We’ve got an early flight.”
Roarke stood, pulled Eve to her feet and swept her into his arms. Eve laid her head on his shoulder as he carried her to bed. No words were spoken as he undressed her then tenderly made love to her.
******************************************************************************
Hours later Roarke woke. His breath caught for a moment till he felt Eve hug him a little tighter as she slept. He turned his head and just stared at her in the soft moonlight. Gently he kissed her forehead as the nightmare faded. It was the same one he had the night that Eve was shot.
He held Eve close as he stared up through the skylight over the bed. ‘It’s only a dream. Only a dream.’
T.B.C
