Lost (Book 6 of the Forbidden Series)

Album release party, New York City… Katherine Thompson strolled along the party arm in arm with her darling husband of twenty-five years. She smiled lovingly up at him, his dark chestnut hair had begun to grey with his advanced years, and his age had begun to line his otherwise handsome face. David had become more distinguished with each year past, but she still saw the man she had fallen in love with every time she looked at him. They had faced much criticism over the years due to their considerable age difference, but David had never been known for acting his age. He still behaved as if he was twenty-five and she felt alive and content every moment she spent with him. Even as a child Katherine had watched David practicing with her father. They had been best friends and bandmates for over forty years. She had been so young when they first met. Just a child and David, a grown man, had been so kind to her. He saw her as nothing more than a rugrat chasing him around the backyard when he came to visit, but even then, at the tender age of six Katherine knew she would grow up to become his wife. Sure, David had resisted her advances once Katherine had grown into a young woman. David had insisted that his relationship with her parents - that their prior history - made their involvement forbidden; but Katherine was never one for giving up on what she wanted. She persisted and had prevailed in her pursuit of the legendary rock star. He had been the major reason she had become a musician. Now here they stood decades later still as in love as the day they were married. Their young son was grown and releasing his fourth successful album. Their daughter married and a mother of her own. Katherine smiled and hugged David’s arm tightly. “Do you remember when we used to sneak away at these parties?” She purred having noted that her son and his new assistant had disappeared not too long ago. Like her charming husband, Dane had grown into a devilishly handsome man with class and charm oozing from every pore. Ladies fell at his feet… well, most ladies. David chuckled and gave his wife an affectionate squeeze. “I would still sneak off with you Kitten if I thought we could go unnoticed.” She smirked at her husband’s frisky nature. His libido had not suffered the ravages of age in the least, and for that she was grateful. However, he was right they certainly did not need the scandal that would come along with such a public tryst with so much paparazzo around. Every move they made was under scrutiny, but she couldn’t wait until they got home. Katherine noticed her husband flex the fingers in his left hand for the fifth time that night. She frowned with concern; he had been doing that a lot lately. “Are you feeling alright darling?” “It’s nothing Kitten. Just old age setting in I’m sure.” David said offering her a reassuring smile. “It was bound to happen.” He had grown old with such grace. A man of sixty-five with the heart of an adolescent. Katherine was about to comment on his health when a fight broke out. She looked over her shoulder and saw her son and her brother brawling. She frowned with annoyance. Those two had been feuding for years now, ever since her brother had stolen her son’s girlfriend and married her behind Dane’s back. Now, whenever the two of them got together, they fought. “Damn those two.” David snarled letting go of her arm. “Where are you going?” She asked. “To help your father break them up of course,” David said pushing his way through the crowd that had formed around the two brawling men. Katherine watched from the sidelines as her father and husband pulled the men apart. Her father, Mike Sanchez, held her brother Damien at bay and David stepped between him and their son Dane. She watched as her son and husband argued. David was furious; they were all tired of this petty feud and wanted it to end. David demanded that his son make peace with Damien and Katherine smiled. Hopefully, their son would listen, but then she noticed something was wrong. David seemed to lose track of what he was saying. He began to gasp and clutched at his chest. Katherine watched in horror as David staggered and collapsed to the floor. “David!” She screamed frantically as the crowd closed in tight. She jumped and clawed trying to fight her way through the cluster of people. The room lit up with camera flashes, and the paparazzi rushed to get photos of the fallen star. Katherine screamed and struggled to get through the sea of tightly packed people to reach her husband. She could hear the approaching sirens in the distance and her heart filled with dread. She broke through the crowd and saw David lying collapsed on the floor, motionless and unconscious. She dropped to her knees and grabbed his shoulders trying to wake him. “David!” He did not respond. Oh god, he was not breathing. Seconds later the paramedics were at her side. They immediately checked his vital signs and began CPR. Tears filled her eyes as she held her breath, praying to god to let him breathe. Every second felt like an eternity. Her whole world was shattering around her. After a few minutes, the paramedics stopped their efforts and called it. David Thompson was dead on arrival. That simple sentence felt like a bullet to her heart. Katherine cried out in agony and threw herself over her husband’s body. Her heart was breaking. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t live without him. Katherine felt her mother’s hands on her shoulders urging her to get up. She tightened her hold on David’s lifeless body, unwilling to leave his side. “Kat honey, you have to get up. They have to take him.” She heard her mother whisper in her ear. “No!” She cried. Her father knelt and wrapped his arms around her. “Kat sweetie, your children need you right now. Go to them.” He urged her gently pulling her to her feet and away from the man she had loved all her life. It was the last time she would ever hold him. She buried her face against her father’s chest and let her tears fall freely. He was never coming home now, and she was alone. *** Sitting through the will reading had taken all day. Katherine had felt numb during the whole event. She had not been able to sleep since that terrible night. Lost in her grief, she had cried for days and tried to find solace in their liquor cabinet. She had locked herself away in her room unable to face the world or to plan her husband’s funeral. That task had fallen on her son. He had been a rock in this time of mourning, supportive as he took care of everything. Dane had come by the estate each day to check on her, but she had refused to see him or anyone else that had come to pay their respects. She desired to see no one. Katherine sat through the reading emotionless, motionless, and indifferent to anything that had been said as the lawyer read out how her husband’s worth was to be divided up. She did not need to listen she was already aware of who was to get what. David had often spoken about what he would leave his children when he passed. His legacy at Paradise Records - the recording label he had started after he had retired from performing - he left to their son. A large inheritance and some personal property he left to their daughter Layla and her children. Everything else including any continuing royalties was to go to his surviving widow. There were other odds and ends, but nothing Katherine cared about, it was all money after all. Who cared when the man she loved was dead? Once the reading was over Katherine rose with the intention of returning home and crying some more when their lawyer Jim Hatcher stopped her. “Mrs. Thompson, there is one more piece of business.” He said taking her by the elbow and guiding her away from the others. Jim had been their lawyer for twenty years and had handled many aspects of both personal and professional business for them. He was an old man near retirement. His grey hair was thinning at the top, and his belly hung over the front of the tanned slacks of his tailored suit. “What might that be?” She asked. His fee had already been taken care of by her husband’s estate. She just wanted to go home. “In addition to the will, Mr. Thompson entrusted me with this.” He said holding up a sealed envelope with her name written across it in black ink. It was David’s handwriting she would recognize it anywhere. “He gave this to me along with his will and said that upon his death I was to place it directly in your hands.” “What is it?” She asked staring at the envelope. “I do not know. It was sealed when he handed it to me, and it has not been opened. It was meant for you.” Jim placed it in her hands and patted Katherine on her back. “I am sorry for your loss. He was a good man.” Katherine watched him walk away. She held the envelope in her hands and headed out of the building. She was not sure she wished to open it, afraid of what she might find inside. Once outside Katherine spotted the black Lincoln town car she had arrived in. Flagging it down, she waited for it to pull up in front of her and got into the backseat. She shut the door and sighed. “How did it go?” The elderly Italian driver asked looking back at her. “As depressing and morbid as ever. You were lucky you were spared, Rolland.” Rolland had been her husband’s personal assistant for more than thirty years. He and his wife had been servants in their house for as long as Katherine and David had been married. They lived with their children in a house of their own on the far corner of Katherine’s large country estate. Their two families had grown together and lived together, laughed and loved together. They were friends and like close family even though they were paid, employees. Although Katherine was sure the old couple would probably stay on for free, but she insisted on paying them. “What do you have there, Mrs. Kat?” Rolland asked in his thick accent as he pulled out into traffic. She ran her fingers over the white paper envelope where David had written her name. “It’s from David. He left it for me.” “What is it?” “I don’t know.” She admitted. She supposed she should open it. Katherine tore open the envelope and removed the letter inside. She unfolded the paper and looked at the hand-written note. Kitten, if you are reading this, I’m already gone. Please don’t cry. It was bound to happen. I’m an old man; I’ve lived a full, happy life. Every moment with you has been paradise. I was a lucky man; fantastic children, lovely grandchildren, and a young beautiful wife. My only regret in life is leaving you behind. I am sorry I got old on you. I left you young and alone, and for that I am remorseful. You have a lot of years still ahead, a lot of life left to live. Don’t waste it shut away. Go out, live, love, move on, be happy; and know this… loving another does not mean that you loved me any less. Until we meet on the other side, I love you. ~ David. Katherine wiped away the tears from her eyes as she read her husband’s final goodbye. How could she ever love another?