"She's gone," Tyler said.

"What are you talking about?" Damien asked. "Who's gone? Your mom left the hospital? Where'd she go?"

"No, I mean she's gone," Tyler said. "Forever. She didn't make it Damien."

"I swear to god," Damien said, tears pricking his eyes, "if this is some kind of joke, I will fucking kill you."

"I wish it was," Tyler said.

"Tyler seriously," Damien yelled into the phone, blinking his eyes rapidly as he looked up at the ceiling. "Stop playing around, man."

"What is it?" Krista asked, concerned.

"Give me a minute," Damien replied.

"I'm sorry brother," Tyler said, his voice full of anguish.

"How?" Damien asked quietly, trying to hold it together. Judith had been more of a mom to him than his own for at least the last twenty years. He never would have made it to adulthood if it weren't for her. She was the only one that had ever believed in him, stood by him. She just couldn't be dead.

"When she fell," Tyler said, "her hip broke and a piece of it perforated her intestines. You know her system was already weak from everything she's been dealing with. Her body turned septic and it was just too much. Her organs quit and they couldn't revive her."

"That's bullshit," Damien yelled into the phone. "I can't believe you would pull this kind of trick. You are a stupid fuck!"

Damien dropped the phone and sat down on the floor. His head fell into his hands as silent sobs racked his body. Krista picked up the phone, figuring it might be easier to try to talk to Tyler. She took the phone to the kitchen.

"What's going on Tyler?" Krista asked, softly. "What's the matter with Damien?"

"My mom died," Tyler said. "She and Damien were really close. He's been like a brother to me since we were about eight and my mom was a big part of his life. I guess he's taking it pretty hard."

"Oh my god, Tyler," Krista said. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"Not really," Tyler said. "But I will be. My mom's been telling me for awhile that something like this was a possibility."

"Why not Damien too, if they're so close?" Krista asked.

"My mom probably didn't want him to worry," Tyler said. "Damien's already lost his whole family. We were the only ones he had left."

"I didn't know," Krista said.

"Yeah well, he keeps that kind of stuff bottled up," Tyler said.

"He doesn't seem to be," Krista replied in a whisper. "He damn near took your head off through the phone and now he's crying on the living room."

"I've got some paperwork I have to fill out here," Tyler said, "but I'll be back as soon as I can. Just try to keep him calm. Okay?"

"Well, yeah," Krista said. "Of course."

"Krista," Tyler said seriously, "if he starts to freak out, just leave okay? I know that he would never hurt you on purpose, but he might not mean to. His control isn't so good during intense situations. You understand what I'm saying right?"

"Yeah," Krista said. "I hear you. But I can't leave him like this. Just hurry okay. We'll be fine."

Krista closed the phone and walked back to the living room.

"Damien?" she said softly.

There was no response. Krista sat down on the floor in front of him, laying a gentle hand on his arm. Before she even realized it, she felt him crushing his face into her chest. He held her so tightly, she could barely breathe. Giving him what comfort she could, she wrapped her arms around him, calm sounds coming from her throat.

"It's okay, baby," Krista said, stroking his head soothingly. "I'm here and Tyler will be back soon. Okay?"

Damien pushed her away from him, shoving her so hard she almost fell over.

"You keep that lying fuck away from me," Damien said as he stood up, tear stains drying on his cheeks. "He told me I should go with him. Then he made this up to fuck with me when I wanted to stay with you. She's fine. Judith's alive and this is just a stupid joke."

"Just calm down," Krista said as she stood up. "Okay? Everything's going to be fine."

"I will NOT CALM DOWN!" Damien yelled, punching his hand into the wall. "She took me in when she didn't have to, taught me values, loved me. As a single mom she did that. It was hard enough raising her own son by herself, but she didn't even blink an eye at doing it all for me too while my mom boozed herself to death after my father died. I loved her."

"I know you did," Krista said, wrapping her arms around him. "I know you still do, Damien. You always will. That kind of love will never die."

Krista leaned her head against Damien's forehead and held him tightly.

"Please," Damien said, his lips hovering above hers as he grasped the hair on each side of her head. "I need you."

Krista tilted her head up to meet his mouth as it descended. Damien kissed her with a rawness she had never felt before. With every touch, every caress, he was pouring his sorrow into her and she was drowning in it. She'd never felt so much emotion before from one person, didn't know it was possible to carry around that much. She was going to break under the weight of it.

Krista knew her lips were bruised when Damien pulled away. His eyes were frightening in their intensity, but he needed her and Krista couldn't deny him. If this would help, then she would do it. As he pushed her to the floor, he ripped the clothes from his body, tearing them in his haste.

Krista screamed as he thrust into her without warning. She reached out, trying to comfort him, but he slammed her hands the floor, holding them in place. This wasn't about love. It wasn't even about sex. This was him trying to stop the pain. Damien slammed into her, harder than she'd ever been fucked before. She cried out over and over, loud enough to block the sound of the door opening.

"Please," Damien begged, thrusting fiercely, "I need this, please. Don't leave me alone."

"I won't leave you," Krista said as she lifted her hips, adjusting the angle to better take him. She would be sore tomorrow, but she wouldn't abandon him. With him pounding into her hard enough to draw her own tears, Krista felt her heart rip open. It swallowed all the emotion he poured into her, creating a place deep inside her that belonged to him.

"I love you," Krista whispered, as her eyes overflowed, the pain, sorrow, and love too much to bear. She kept giving though, giving him everything she had, everything she was, if only he'd feel better.

"I love you too," Damien said as he thrust deep inside her, forcing a final scream from her throat as his orgasm crashed over him and he collapsed on top of her.

Tyler felt his heart break for the second time that day while he watched them. It didn't seem fair that he would lose his mom and his girl all in one day. The party was ages away, but that didn't matter. Krista loved Damien. She had given herself so completely to him just now, trying to patch his wounded heart. He'd never seen anyone give so much, sacrificing everything to help the other and taking nothing in return. It was selfless. It was love. It was real.

She had made her choice and it wasn't him. Damien had her heart, probably her very soul, if their coupling was any indication. Tyler turned around, walked out of the apartment and shut the door softly behind him. He would go to his mother's house, be close to the only woman who had ever loved him one last time.

Thankfully, he didn't have to spend his time making funeral arrangements and calling the rest of the family. Aunt Ellen, his mother's sister had said she'd take care of everything. Tyler turned his phone off. Between Krista and his mom, he just couldn't deal with anything else.

Chapter 28.

"I don't know where he is," Damien said harshly, "and I don't care."

"You've known him since you were eight, Damien," Krista said, exasperated. "He's your best friend and he needs you. He needs us!"

"Yeah, he used to be my best friend," Damien said, "but that was before."

"Before what?" Krista asked.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay," Damien said. "I'm sure he's fine. He's grieving. Maybe he wants to do it in private."

"He said he was on his way here last night," Krista said. "Something's happened or he would be here. I know it."

"What does it matter?" Damien asked, trying to pull Krista into his arms. "You told me you love me last night. Forget about him."

Krista thought about how she had been feeling all morning as she pushed away from Damien. Worried did not even begin to cover her feelings for Tyler. She knew he wouldn't have gone somewhere else, not after the way he had acted on the phone. She was terrified that he had been in a car accident or something terrible. That was the only thing she could think of that would have kept him from coming back. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she loved both of them.

"You think just because I love you that I don't care about Tyler?" Krista asked.

"I'm sure you care about him," Damien said, "but I'm the one you love. I'm the one you want."

"I love you both," Krista said. "I want you both."

"Look I shared you with him so I could show you that I can be what you need, but I won't share you with him forever. Anyone else but not him. You told me you loved me. You belong to me."

"You are a selfish jerk," Krista said. "I can't believe you would abandon him. And I am not a piece of property. You don't own me. Just go. I can't stand to be around you right now."

"You don't mean that," Damien said. "You're upset."

"DON'T tell me what I feel," Krista said, pushing Damien towards the door. "If you aren't going to do anything to help me find him, then go."

"His phone's off," Damien said. "What more can I do? Krista stop pushing me!"

"You are so full of shit, Damien," Krista said as she opened the door. "You won't even try to help me. Just get OUT!"

"Baby, please," Damien said as he stood in the doorway. "I need you. You said you wouldn't leave."

"I'm not," Krista said, pushing him out the door. "You are."

Krista threw her phone against the couch. She didn't want to turn it off because Tyler might call, but this was getting ridiculous. There were thirty eight missed calls from Damien and fifty two text messages. He was in a bad place right now, and her heart broke to do this to him. But she just couldn't believe he wouldn't at least try to find Tyler.

Krista had called all of the hospitals and gone by his house. When neither of those ideas panned out, she'd staked out his club, also to no avail. Finally, she'd called the police, but they said they had investigated it and he was fine. It was as if he didn't exist. And the only person she could think of that might know where he would go or what he would do, wasn't talking.

There was only one thing she could think of. It was a last ditch effort, though, and if it didn't work, she might never recover. Krista sent Damien a text message.

I love you, Damien. But I love Tyler, too. I need you both to be happy and will not be forced to choose between you. It will kill me to lose you, but it's all or nothing. Please help me find him.

That had been almost a month ago. Krista hadn't heard from Damien since. And Tyler hadn't called either or answered any of her calls. She couldn't understand what had happened. It must have something to do with the grief of losing his mother. But it hurt, more than she could stand.

Harder still was fighting the urge to go back on her word and call Damien. Krista knew her happily ever after was almost within reach and she wasn't going to settle for anything less. Now she was trying to explain the whole situation to Heather while they sat on her back porch drinking wine.

"I just don't understand," Heather said, "how he could call you, warn you that Damien might accidentally hurt you, say he would hurry back and then you never hear from him again. I mean it doesn't make any sense."

"I know," Krista said, refilling her wine glass. "The whole thing is crazy. Even if he had come back though, clearly Damien wasn't willing to share me with him indefinitely and that's what I want. I want it so bad!"

"Some things just aren't meant to be," Heather said. "I mean it's been almost a month and you haven't heard from either of them."

"I know," Krista said. "It just sucks. Sometimes I want to call Damien so bad I can taste it. I think he would at least take my calls."

"Yeah, probably," Heather said. "But then every second you spend with him, you will be wishing it was both of them. That's a doomed relationship Krista."

"I know, I know," Krista said. "I just wish I knew what to do or how to fix it. On top of which, I miss the sex. I mean I masturbate, but it's not the same."

Just then, Krista's cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number and tried not to let herself hope that Tyler had changed his number or something and was finally calling her.

"Hello," Krista said into her phone when she answered it.

"Hello Mistress," Miranda said hesitantly.

"Miranda," Krista said, smiling. "I'm so glad to hear from you. I would have called you but Tyler never gave me your number."

"I know," Miranda said into the phone. "I saw him earlier this evening and asked for yours. He explained that you hadn't been to the club because you two weren't together anymore, but gave it to me anyway."

"Oh," Krista said. It was hard to hear that he really was done with her. The whole time she kept hoping that this was all going to work out, that Damien would come around and Tyler was holed up somewhere, grieving for his mom.

"Are you okay, Mistress," Miranda asked.

"I don't know," Krista replied. "Maybe. I guess I will be eventually."

"Well, I'm calling because I wanted to ask you something," Miranda said.

"Sure," Krista said. "What's up?"

"I was going to call to find out if we could get together," Miranda said. "I know it's taken me a while to get used to what happened between us, but I can't stop thinking about you. I know you were supposed to go to New York with Tyler. But under the circumstances, I thought you might consider coming to the party next weekend with me a or taking me rather, as your slave."

"I don't know Miranda," Krista said. "It's still pretty raw. I just don't think I could go and watch Tyler top somebody else. I'd love to take you, but I just can't be around him yet."

"He's not going," Miranda said quickly. "He auctioned off his room at the club a couple of weeks ago."

"Really?" Krista asked. "Okay then. I'll go."

"Thank you Mistress," Miranda said, sighing happily on the phone. "Could we get together sometime this week then? You may want to go shopping for Dom wear or accessories and I know the best places.

"Okay," Krista said. "Thursday. Text me your address and I'll pick you up at six."

"Yes Mistress," Miranda said. "Do you want me to book your flight? I can call my travel agent and have them add another ticket so we can fly together."