Chapter 4 - The Denver Arrival
When the plane touched down in Denver, the atmosphere in the cabin shifted from peaceful to frantic. People began jumping into the aisles, hauling bags from the overhead compartments.
Damon didn't rush. He watched Cassandra. She stood up, grabbed her oversized tote bag, and hoisted Violet onto her hip with a practiced ease that made Damon ache.
"I've got him," Damon said, reaching for Luke.
"I can manage," Cassandra insisted.
"I know you can," Damon said, his voice firm. "But you don't have to."
He reached down and scooped Luke into his arms. The boy was heavy, solid, and undeniably his. Luke blinked awake, his green eyes blinking rapidly. "Are we there, mister?"
"Yeah, Luke," Damon said, a lump forming in his throat. "We’re home."
As they made their way through the terminal, Damon felt the weight of a thousand gazes. He was a public figure; his face was on the covers of business magazines. He saw people whispering, pointing, and reaching for their phones to take photos.
He didn't care. He kept his hand firmly on Cassandra’s elbow, shielding her and the twins from the crowd.
They reached the baggage claim, where a black SUV was waiting for Damon—the ride he had arranged for his business trip. His driver, a man named Arthur, stood by the car with a puzzled look as he watched his boss emerge from the terminal with a woman and two toddlers.
"Sir?" Arthur asked.
"Change of plans, Arthur," Damon said. "We’re going to a residence. Not the hotel."
"Damon," Cassandra said, her voice dropping to a warning tone. "I told you, you aren't coming with us."
"I have lawyers in Denver, Cass," Damon said, his tone businesslike, professional, and terrifyingly determined. "I have resources. And right now, the most dangerous thing you can do is go to an apartment where I don't know if you're safe. I’m taking you home."
"My home isn't yours," she snapped.
"Then I'll buy the building," he said calmly.
Cassandra stopped walking. She looked at him, her eyes flashing with anger. "You really are incapable of understanding, aren't you? You think everything has a price tag. You think you can just pay your way into their hearts."
"I'm not trying to buy your heart, Cassandra," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm trying to earn the right to know my children."
He looked at Luke, then at Violet, who was watching him with wide, solemn eyes.
May you like
"I lost three years," he said, the pain evident in every word. "Don't ask me to lose another second."
Cassandra stood there for a long time, the terminal noise swirling around them. Finally, she nodded, a singular, sharp movement. "Fine. But one wrong move, Damon. One more 'business decision' that leaves us behind, and I swear to God, you will never see them again."
