Drake did not tell Lucy that when she had called him, he had been sober for a week. Before that, Bastien had discovered him in a dive bar drinking himself into a stupor.
‘Drake’ He’d said in a tone that told him that it was no accident that he was discovered
‘Bastien, my old buddy!’ he had slurred ‘You look like a man who needs a drink’
‘And you look like a man who’s had one drink too many’ came the reply
‘What does it matter to you? What are you doing here, did Brad send you to check up on me, or are you doing Lucy’s dirty work?’
‘Take care Drake, you’re talking about the King and Queen in a public place. Have some respect. I’m officially off duty, but some jobs are always live’ Drake laughed and lifted his glass to look at Bastien through it.
‘Respect. I remember respect. Tell me Bastien, does Brad respect you? Does he think of you like a hu – a human being? Or does he take advantage of you just like all the other nobles?’ Bastien’s face darkened
‘Keep your voice down. You know Brad is an honourable man, and it’s my duty to do whatever he asks of me. Your father knew that, and he would be ashamed to hear you talk like that about your oldest friend – and your King’ Drake put his glass down on the bar and caught the attention of the bar staff.
‘More whiskey!’ he demanded, but Bastien put his hand over the top of the glass and glared at the barman.
‘This gentleman won’t be having any more to drink. He’s leaving’ he said flatly, and the barman nodded nervously, turning away to another customer.
‘I’m not a gentleman, and you can’t make me’ said Drake belligerently
‘You really need to come away. Think what your father would say to you if he were here right now’ Drake stood and swayed a little on his feet, holding onto the bar for stability.
‘Dammit Bastien, can’t you leave me in peace?’ he slurred ‘I need to deal with things my way’
‘If you carry on like this you’ll end up face down in the gutter, Walker. Have some pride, come with me and I’ll help you straighten out’
‘I don’t want to be straight. It – it hurts too much’ His breath caught in his throat and turned into a sob. Bastien took his arm and led him toward the back door, and this time Drake gave no resistance. He walked him out into the fresh air, which hit him like a wall. He veered to the side and threw up over the pavement, head spinning.
‘Well at least that’s got rid of some of it. You’re a mess, Walker.’ Bastien supported him and waited for him to stop retching. He hurried him to a car parked close by. Once inside he produced a bottle of water and made him drink in small sips. The driver started the engine up and pulled away from the bar.
‘Let me know if you’re going to throw up again, and we’ll stop’ he said curtly. Everything swam and swirled around him, but Drake managed to keep the rest of the contents of his stomach down.
‘Where are we going?’ he asked
‘Somewhere safe. Somewhere with no alcohol’ Drake slumped and let the world around him disappear.
He woke with a pounding head and dry mouth. He had no idea where he was, and it took him a while to remember the previous night. If it was the previous night. He could have been asleep for a week for all he knew. No, not asleep – drunk… though maybe not drunk enough to forget Bastien coming to get him. He got up and explored his surroundings. He appeared to be in a log cabin rather like the safe house he had been taken to when he had been shot. When he had taken a bullet for Lucy. Lucy, who was married to his best friend; Lucy, whom he thought for a short while would turn Brad down and choose him instead.
Misery hit him, and he sat on the edge of the bed gritting his teeth trying to hold tears back. He heard the door open, but it was a while before he could look up to see who it was.
‘Good, you’re awake. Walker, we need to talk’ said Bastien firmly.
‘It doesn’t look like I have much choice’ Drake said weakly
‘Drake, you need to be careful. You’re not an alcoholic, but you will be if you carry on like this. I know I told you to think about what your father would say – but remember you have Savannah to consider too. She and your nephew need you, and wallowing in self pity won’t help anyone, least of all you.’ Drake nodded miserably
‘Furthermore, the King and Queen still need you – you might have lost sight of that, but you were a big part of their life, and although Lucy is a wonderful influence, she’s not you. You always kept Brad grounded, and I think Lucy needs that too. How can you be unhappy that Brad has found someone so remarkable? You might like to remember the Lythikos motto
‘If you can breathe, you can stand, and if you can stand, you can fight’.
I know there’s no love lost between you and Olivia, but that is a maxim you need right now. Don’t give in, be strong for your family and friends. I know you can: you just need faith in yourself.’
‘You’re right of course Bastien, I need to lay off the juice. Do you think I could stay here for a while, so I can straighten out?’
‘That is exactly why I brought you here. Some exercise and fresh air and simple food will do you the world of good. And Walker – there’s always hope. Things may change for the better yet.’
By the time Lucy rang him, he was feeling stronger. Her voice threatened to undo it all, but he remembered Bastien’s words and remained resolute. He mentioned the bodyguard, as he had sworn that the King and Queen knew nothing of the past week, and she was not phased.
When she mentioned whiskey his resolve shook, and he said yes immediately, as a reflex. It dawned on him that she might be pregnant, and it might be his, which made his guts churn. The night they had spent together was the night before her wedding, and although they had used protection, nothing was 100 per cent. It was early days yet; that had only been just over a month ago so if she had missed a period she would not know who was the father. The possibility of being the guilty party was something he had to face up to for better or worse. He was better than Bertrand, he told himself, he would step up if he needed to.
On the drive over he told himself the whiskey would be a test. He’d take a glass, and he’d hold it. He’d smell it, but it would not touch his lips. If he could do that, he could cope with whatever Lucy had to tell him. Bastien had said there was still hope – did he know something he wasn’t telling?
Now, the glass stood on the desk next to him, untouched. He didn’t need the prop of alcohol any more. But he did need time, he couldn’t just agree to the threeway partnership straight away. If she had been pregnant it would all have been different. But she had suggested having a child with him willingly. That made his head spin almost as much as being an accidental parent
Brad returned to the study and Lucy left. He confirmed everything she had said.
'Drake, I know it seems unconventional, but you have my assurance that I'm one hundred percent in favour of this arrangement. We would have to work out the details between ourselves, and it's common practice to draw up an agreement.' Brad paced the room, hands clasped behind his back. 'It's a lot to take in, I know, so take as much time as you need. You're welcome to stay here in the Chateau, as privately as you wish.' He came close, turned to look at Drake and clapped him on the back.
'It's good to see you - we've both missed you. I hope you can bear to be a part of our lives again, in whatever role you feel is right for you'
Drake wasn’t quite taking it all in, and he excused himself to retreat to his room and try to assess it all and work out what he was going to do. He lay down on the bed to stare at the ceiling and was asleep in seconds.
He woke to urgent knocking on the door. For a few moments he couldn’t work out where he was, then sprang up, his heart pounding. It was late afternoon, and it was Brad’s voice he heard
‘Drake – Drake come quickly! It’s Lucy, she’s gone missing.’
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