The Search – Chapter 3

LIMBO

I welcome any reviews. This is my first attempt I love Nuke and hope that all the fans that read this will not be disappointed.

Same day - 4 Hours later

Damian Grimaldi is not a man that gets caught unawares. He makes plans that leave no room for change. He knew that his wife and son would be hesitant about leaving Oakdale, so he made up their minds for them. Damian was always in control, even when things did not go as planned. Luke pushing him away and running up the steps was certainly not what he envisioned when he came up with his plan to drug his son. He knew how emotional Luke could be, but he did not underestimate his son's love of his mother or his fierce determination to protect her. Even if the person he was protecting her from was his own father. Damian blamed Holden Snyder for turning Luke against him. He always hated that Damian was Luke's real father, and he wasn't. It took Damian some time to accept that his son was gay, but he did. He even came to the rescue to help care for Luke's boyfriend Noah. Damian would even go as far to say that he was happy that his son had found another person to share his life with, even if that person was another man. Damian worked hard to make his son believe in him. To show him that he could be his father, more than Holden. When Holden was believed to be dead, Damian knew that this was his opening. He would come in and be there for his son and for Lily. He would take their despair and turn it to his advantage. His greatest wish had come true; Holden Snyder was out of his life, at least for a short time. When the police officer in Kentucky told him that the DNA was not a match to Holden, Damian knew that he had to find out the truth. He knew that Lily would leave no stone unturned until she found Holden, and he could not let that happen. So he went to Kentucky. He even got shot in the process, protecting his son from a madman with a gun. In that instant he knew that Luke and Lily would see him as their hero and he could take Holden's place in their hearts. He made his move and married Lily, hell he even got Luke's consent and for the first time Luke called him father. In that instant Damian felt a wave of emotion that could only be described as vindication. At last he was Luke's father and not Damian, all he longed for was happening. He would marry Lily and be part of her family. He would have his wife and son at his side. He would even eventually convince Lily to let him adopt the younger children.

All his planning and scheming came to a disastrous ending the night of his wedding. Holden Snyder walked through the door and his world came crashing down around him. Luke returned to calling him Damian and Lily wanted to annul their marriage. Damian had to do so much more scheming and lying to get Lily to see she should be with him and not Holden. He would do whatever it took to get his family back and he did just that. In the end it all backfired on him, but he was not about to give up. He would get what he wanted, no matter who he had to kill to get it. All this led to where he was now, standing at the foot of the bed where his son and wife lay unconscious. He looked at Luke and thought about the last time they saw each other, the day that changed everything. He told Luke he was leaving, and he could see worry and hurt in Luke's eyes.

"Damian, what happened? If you're in some kind of danger.." The worry in his son's voice broke, and the wetness of his eyes gave Damian the sense that Luke loved him. Damian reached over and placed his hand on his son shoulder, he looked into his eyes, trying his hardest to show Luke that he loved him.

"Luciano, you're my son, and I love you with all my heart. So I need you to know that everything I did, right or wrong, I did out of love for you and your mother. I'm begging only this Luciano, never forget how much I love you both." Damian could see that Luke could not hold back the tears. He could see the pain in his son's face, the pain of losing his father. That made it worth all he had done.

"You're acting like I'm never going to see you again." Damian held onto his son and told him that when the time was right they would see each other again. He hugged him and said "arrivederci figlio mio." That was when he heard the word he'd been longing to hear from Luke. The one word that he thought he would never hear come out of his sons' mouth.

"Dad?"

With that one world, Damian's world was complete. He knew then that he could not lose his son. He knew that no matter whatever else happened he would find a way to get his family back. Looking down at his wife and son, he knew that they were limited on time to complete his plans.

Damian had arranged a yacht to meet them at a halfway point. He would have his family transferred onto the smaller vessel, and then they would be his. He would find a way to get Luke and Lily to accept their new lives. He would take them to the Grimaldi compound on his private island. There would be no place for them to run to. As the ship began to slow, he knew it was time. Damian paid the crew enough for them not to ask any questions. The power of the Grimaldi name was still evident in the fearful looks he received from many of the crew. Seeing the fear in the crew's eyes made Damian smile, he knew then that the Grimaldi Empire was still intact. Damian picked Lily up and began to carry her out of the room. He motioned for the muscle he hired to pick up Luke. The man grabbed Luke by the arms and hoisted him over his shoulder in a fireman's toss. They walked down to the cargo hold, where the ship had a special loading door. A platform would open and let in the large rubber dingy from the yacht. Damian carefully placed Lily in the dingy and helped the other man place Luke's unconscious body next to hers. They got on the dingy and were pushed off by the other crew. As the dingy sped through the water Damian couldn't help, but look on lovingly at his family. He could see the yacht anchored close by and knew they would be there soon. Damian couldn't help but think about the compound he would take his family to, the mansion was made of stone, mainly to withstand hurricane force winds during the rainy season. It was located on top of a cliff on about 5 miles from the pier where the yacht would be. He had already planned out the rooms in which his son and wife would occupy. Granted he knew that they would be hesitant at first, but he knew they would slowly come around, even if he had to force them too, because to Damian the ends always justify the means.