Mr. Billionaire Bachelor Ch. 03

Etta Jo put a quick finger to Damian's exhausted lips to quiet him. "I'll take care of it, Mr. Edwards. We're already moving her to the adjoining room. She'll be here when you wake up..."

A faint smile crossed Damian's lips and he spoke once more that day just before he lost consciousness, "My everything..."

++++++++++

Brenda was first moved to the adjoining room next to Damian, but after the second day, the staff in the Memorial wing just put her belongings in Damian's room, as that was where she spent almost all of her time. Two days later, Brenda was released but stayed with Damian that night. In the morning, Damian felt strong enough to make a few phone calls. His first was to his lawyer, who he asked to find temporary lodging for he and Brenda while the fire department sifted through the ashes of his home. The second call was to the fire chief himself, looking for any information on the cause of the explosion.

"Mr. Edwards," the fire chief began, "maybe we should have this conversation after you've been released from the hospital."

"Fair enough, Chief," Damian said then looked at the time on his cell phone. There was still a film of ash and smoke residue on the glass screen from the fire. Brenda had briefly returned to the charred remains of the house to look for anything that might be salvageable that she and Damian might need. Her cell phone was beyond repair, but Damian's powered on as if nothing had happened.

Returning the phone to his ear, Damian continued the conversation. "Chief, it's 11:30am. I'll be released from the hospital by 4pm today. Shall we meet in my hotel suite at 5:30?"

Brenda chimed in while Damian was still on the line with the head of the fire department, "Damian, don't you think that's pushing it a little?"

Damian leaned over the bed railing and kissed his lover on the lips. "I'm OK, baby. I just want to get to the bottom of this." He then returned to his phone call. "Great, Chief. See you then." Damian ended the call then slowly made his way to the side of the bed. He sluggishly swung his legs over the edge as his bare toes felt the carpet for the first time since his surgery. With Brenda's help, Damian stood and walked around the room, slowly and methodically until he let go of Brenda's arm and walked on his own. Just as he turned to face Brenda, Etta Jo walked through the door and put her hands on her hips.

"Mr. Damian," Etta Jo scolded the young patient, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Going home, Etta Jo," Damian replied as he leaned on an end table to steady himself, "or at least to a place that isn't here. And I want you to come with me to take care of both Brenda and me. I've already cleared it with your supervisor and I'll compensate you, of course."

"Mr. Damian, I can't just up and leave here," Etta Jo replied, "I have responsibilities to tend to."

"Already taken care of by the hospital administrator," Damian answered, "and when your duties with us are finished then you can come back here and pick up where you left off, if you want to, that is. You might find that you won't have to, if you get my drift."

Brenda chimed in after Damian finished, "Please, Etta Jo. We need you. I'm not good with remembering to give Damian his antibiotics and you know how men are and..."

"All right, all right!" Etta Jo interrupted. "I'll come help y'all for a little while. But no backtalkin' me, hear? You're gonna get better under my watch."

"Yes, ma'am." Damian and Brenda said in unison.

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Damian and Brenda went "home" that day, but not to the house on Old GR road. Damian, through his lawyer and accountant, had procured a temporary living space at the top of Anderson Tower in downtown Gravel City. The three bedroom penthouse included all the amenities of home including a full kitchen, bathroom with jacuzzi tub and large stone shower, and a balcony that surrounded the outside perimeter of the suite. Etta Jo helped Damian and Brenda get settled into their room then left the couple to check on her own accommodations down the hall from the master bedroom in the suite. At five-thirty that evening, Damian and Brenda, both dressed in comfortable pajamas, joined the chief of the Gravel City fire department in the sunken living room at the center of the penthouse. All three took a spot on the leather furniture that made a square in the middle of the room, Brenda sitting so close to Damian that she was nearly on his lap.

"Thank you for joining us, Chief," Damian said to the head firefighter. "I hope you have some news for me, although I'm sure it isn't good news."

"No, Mr. Edwards," the graying public servant responded, "it is not good news. And please call me Andy. I'm not much on formalities."

"Andy," Damian continued, "did you find out what caused the explosion? And please call me Damian."

"Damian, we found what appears to be C4 residue and charred wiring remains," Andy explained using Damian's informality. "This was definitely an attempt on you and your girlfriend's life. I've already notified the police and they're starting an investigation. In the meantime..."

"In the meantime," Damian interrupted, "I will protect myself and my lady using every means at my disposal. We could be vulnerable right now. Thank you, Chief... I mean, Andy. Please keep me informed of any other findings you and the police may come up with."

When the fire chief left, Damian turned to Brenda and stared into her ice blue eyes. "Do you have any idea who might want to kill us?!"

Brenda just shook her head to indicate in the negative then stared down at the beige carpeted floor.

"Well," Damian continued, "the first thing we need to do is get some security here ASAP. Luke suggested I hire some black-suited goons for protection and he was absolutely right." Damian reached for his phone to start the process when the buzzer for the front door went off. Damian and Brenda stared at each other but said nothing, both too frightened to move. Etta Jo came out of the other room and checked the monitor by the door.

"It's a young lady, Mr. Damian," Etta Jo told her new employer. "Do you want me to call the police?"

"That monitor is a tablet, Etta Jo," Damian told his private nurse. "It will detach from the wall and you can bring it to me so I can see who it is."

Etta Jo took a few seconds to figure out how to get the removable screen off the wall then finally managed to get it loose. She then brought the tablet to Damian and Brenda for their inspection. The couple looked at the image on the screen and puzzled.

"It's Allie," said Brenda. "How did she know where to find us?"

"She's obviously very resourceful," Damian answered then handed the monitor back to his helper. "Etta Jo, you can let her in."

Etta Jo pushed the button to allow the elevator doors to open for their guest and fifteen seconds later, there was a knock on the front door. Etta Jo opened the door and let the slight gymnast in. Brenda struggled to her feet, still sore from the attempt on her and Damian's life, but managed to make it to Allie and gave the young athlete a hug. She then brought Allie to Damian so that he could welcome her into their provisional home also.

"Allie, how did you find us?" Damian asked

"Well, it wasn't that hard," Allie replied, a bit of unsureness in her voice. "Everyone knows you're from Gravel City, and I did a little digging online and found where you live. But when I got there, there was yellow police tape all over the place and it looked like the house had burned down. I'm a bit of a celebrity myself so I conned one of the police officers, I think he was the police chief, into trading an autograph for some information. I hope you're not mad at me for stopping over like this, but I had to see you."

"Of course not, Allie," Damian said as he took her small hand in his. "But we're not in much shape to go partying like we did in Aspen after what we've been through over the last week."

"No, I don't suppose you are..." Allie said softly, almost on the verge of tears.

Brenda noticed her friend's sorrow and spoke up. "Allie, are you OK? What's wrong?"

"I'm so scared, you guys," Allie confided as her tears flowed freely. "I'm in big trouble and I didn't know who to turn to..." Her tears turned to sobs as she fell into Damian's arms

"Allie," Damian said as he held the crying young woman, "you can count on us for anything. You know that."

"I hope you mean that, Damian," Allie said as she looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, "because I'm pregnant."