Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

“I'm making breakfast with daddy,” Jenny said, as she turned to them with her little spatula in her hand. “It's going to be so yummy.”

  We finished making breakfast, and I made a plate for each of us. It wasn't that often that I sat around the table in the morning with them, but it was nice. Joe asked about work, and I gladly told him it would be settling down a bit. Jean asked if I'd made any new friends beside the guys. I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head. Then I changed the subject quickly. That was not a conversation I needed to have with her, especially not in front of Jenny.

  As soon as we were done eating and I'd cleared the dishes, I grabbed the envelope I'd brought down to the kitchen with me and handed it to Jean.

  “What's this?” she asked.

  “Open it,” I said sarcastically.

  She opened the envelope. When she pulled out the contents, her hand went up to cover her mouth. There were two plane tickets, the papers with the confirmation for the suite I'd booked at an all inclusive, and money.

  “What is this?” she asked.

  “You deserve it,” I said. “You two have helped me more than you will ever know.”

  “These tickets are for tomorrow,” she said, as she showed it all to Joe.

  “Then you better get packing,” I said.

  “What about Jenny?” she asked.

  “I'm taking the week off,” I said.

  “A whole week?” Jenny asked. “That's a lot of days. How many days is that, Daddy?”

  “It's seven days,” I answered. “We are going to spend all seven days together doing everything you want.”

  “Even barbies?” she asked.

  “Even barbies,” I answered.

  “Did you hear that?” she asked, as she turned to Jean and Joe. “I get to spend seven days with daddy.”

  “I sure did,” Jean said. “You're sure about this?”

  Jean looked over at me.

  “What about work?” she asked.

  “Drake has it under control,” I answered. “He has the guys there too. If he needs anything, I'll be right here. I need some time with Jenny. It's been way too crazy lately. I need this, and you two deserve some rest and relaxation.”

  “I'm going to start packing right now,” Jean said, as she stood up.

  Then she walked over, grabbed my face in her hands, and smacked a big wet kiss on my cheek which made Jenny burst into laughter.

  “Thank you so much,” Joe said just after Jean left the room. “She really needed this, and I won't mind tagging along.”

  Then he was up and off to help her pack. Jenny helped me do the dishes. Actually, she helped mess more than wash, but I was fine with that. Then her face lit up. She grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs to her room. It only took her seconds to pull her barbies out and dump them on the floor. I was so relieved to find out that I at least got a guy doll. She went right to playing and making up a story of a happy family. There was a husband, wife, two kids, and a dog. I couldn't help the feelings that came over me as I watched her make up her happy little family. Then she did it. My baby really tore at my heartstrings. I felt that shit in my gut.

  “Are you ever going to get married again, Daddy?” she asked.

  “I don't think so, baby girl,” I answered. “I'm happy with it just being the two of us.”

  “Maybe if you got some girl friends,” she said. “All your friends are boys.”

  I couldn't help the grin that came to my face. Jenny knew exactly what she was talking about. She was one smart little girl.

  Jean walked through the bedroom door just in time to save my ass from either a very silly or deep conversation with my four year old.

  “Do you want me to go grocery shopping today?” she asked. “Make a list of things you want, and I'll go. What else should I do? Oh, I'll catch up the little bit of laundry too.”

  “No,” I said. “I'll figure it all out. You need to make sure you and Joe have what you need. We'll be fine.”

  “We're already playing barbies,” Jenny added.

  As soon as Jean walked back out of the room, I was back to being Jack, that was my doll name.

  Jenny and I spent most of the day at the park. I gave her a bath to get all of the park dirt off of her. My girl could play hard like the boys. Then we watched a movie. When she finally crawled into bed, I read her a story, and she was out like a light.

  Chapter 9

  Derek

  We were up early the next morning to drive Jean and Joe to the airport. Jean spent the entire time reminding me of everything I'd need to know or do. She was definitely an amazing woman, but I couldn't wait to get her out of the truck. It was driving me crazy. I knew what I needed to do and that was spending as much time as I could with Jenny. Other than that, I didn't care.

  The week flew right by. One day mixed into the next, and before I knew it, I was back at the airport picking them up. Believe me, I enjoyed every precious moment with my daughter. We'd gone to the zoo, park, shopping, one of those arcade places, played barbies more than I ever thought I could, watched movies, snuggled on the couch, and I'd even fallen asleep in her small twin bed with her. Being with her was amazing, and the time had gone by way too fast. It just told me that one week wasn't even close to enough and that I'd be taking time off more often. I couldn't wait until my brother heard that one. He'd only called me twice, and that was really just to check in. I was damn proud of my boy. I had a hard time with the fact that he was already a man and I'd missed so much of his life while I was away, but I definitely planned to try as hard as I could to make it up to him.

  Jean was so happy to see Jenny, and I think maybe she was even a bit happy to see me too. I'd kept the house as clean as I could. It was damn hard trying to keep it looking the way she did and spend my time with my little girl too. That woman worked magic or some shit. The minute she walked through the door, she was picking things up and moving around quickly getting things back to normal. That was exactly the way I liked it, normal.

  I'd left my brother alone all week with the guys. On the days he didn't call me, I wanted to call and check in, but I fought myself each time I thought about it. I needed to let him figure things out. He needed to see that he could do it, and checking up on him wouldn't help him with that.

  Saturday morning, Jean was going to the grocery store, and Jenny wanted to go with her, so I called the guys to see if they'd be willing to get together for a meeting. There was no way I wanted to walk in Monday morning unsure of where everything was left. Instead, I wanted to know exactly what I was in for. After the whole barbie conversation with Jenny, I knew where I needed to keep my head, and the girl in the lobby, who was pregnant enough to pop and I'm sure had a man, was not part of that plan. I was going to walk through the lobby each morning with a very quick hello, no eye contact, and my feet never stopping.

  The guys agreed to meet, but only if I'd spring for lunch after. I guess that was what it took to get some of their hungover asses out of bed. I grabbed a pair of jeans, my favorite worn in pair, and pulled them on. Then I pulled a black t-shirt over my head. There was no need to dress up like I'd been doing the entire time my ass was standing in the lobby. It was just a short meeting, and there were no clients coming. I slipped my feet into my sneakers, grabbed my gun, phone, and wallet, and made my way out to my truck.

  Our meeting was faster than I thought it would be. My brother had done even better than I could have imagined he would, and for that I was happy. They updated me on each of the cases and told me about two new clients we'd picked up while I was gone. I started thinking we might need to hire another guy. At first the thought irritated me, as I tried to figure out who I could possibly trust enough. Then I realized it was a good problem to have.

  My brother was animated as he talked about the week, and I could tell he'd gained a bit more confidence in the short time I'd been gone. I was so damn proud of him. He'd done it. That was when I knew he had it. When I looked around the table, I could tell that they all respected
him as much as they did me.

  “Before we go, I have something to say,” I said, as I stood up and looked down at my baby brother. “Drake has shown me so much since he's come here to help me start Hunter PI and Security. I don't know where I'd be without him. He's just as much a part of this company as I am. His name is on that door too. I want you all to know, that from now on, he's just as much in charge here as I am. If you need something, you can go to either of us. It will be on the two of us to get together to make decisions. As for you three, that's not your problem. Just know that you can now go to him as much as you come to me. He's now half owner of this company.”

  “What?” Drake asked, as he quickly got to his feet. “That's not happening, Derek.”

  “It is,” I said. “You moved your life here when all I had was an idea and a place.”

  “It was a shitty life,” he said. “It's not like I moved away from something good. I did it to be someplace better.”

  “I don't care,” I said. “You took a fucking chance that this would work out for me without a second thought. You were on a plane within twenty-four hours of me calling you. This place is half yours. Don't give me any shit, it won't matter.”

  The three guys congratulated Drake and let him know that he did deserve it. He kept the office in shape and did more for the company than I ever thought he would. His stepping up was helping me more than he'd ever know. I trusted him, and that right there was worth it. It wasn't that easy to gain my trust.

  “You get to pick the lunch place,” I said. “We can go anywhere you want.”

  “Let's get drunk,” Brooks shouted.

  I saw the look on Drake's face and looked back at Brooks.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I asked him. “It's fucking lunch time, and I'm going home to my daughter. We are not going to a bar and getting drunk. Now shut up and let Drake decide.”

  Drake gave me the thank you look and then called out a local place not too far up the road.

  “I'm going to head down the road and get us a spot,” I said. “You fuckers lock up and meet me there.”

  They all shook their heads in agreement, and I walked out the door to the elevator. It opened right away since we were the only ones in the building. When it hit the lobby, I heard laughing coming from the other side and reached into the back of my pants to put my hand on my gun. When the doors opened, my eyes connected with Bridget's. Gabby was bent over, with her hands on her knees, laughing hysterically. What the fuck was she doing there, I wondered? A second later, she stood up, stepped forward, and freaked the fuck out. My hands went to her arms to steady her.

  “Shit!” she screamed out, as she pushed hard against my chest with her hands.

  I held tighter. The chick was going to fall flat on her ass if I didn't.

  “Gabby,” I said.

  She looked up, her eyes widened, and then slowly I felt her body relax. Only then did I release my grip on her. When I stepped out of the elevator, the doors closed behind me.

  “Way to freak the hell out there, Gabs,” Bridget said, as her eyes were still looking into mine.

  “I'm sorry,” I said, pulling my eyes away from Bridget. She needed to quit fucking looking at me like that. I swear it felt like she could see something inside of me. That shit needed to stop.

  “The big man does speak,” Gabby's cocky ass said, as if she hadn't just flipped her shit.

  I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head.

  “You really are his sister,” I said without thinking.

  “Doug said you talked, but I didn't believe him,” she said with a smile.

  “I feel for Doug,” I replied.

  “What does that mean?” she asked roughly.

  “Nothing at all,” I said, as I looked back to Bridget. “Nice to see you, Bridget.”

  “You too, Derek,” she replied, as she glared over at Gabby.

  “Yes, Derek,” Gabby said, as she seriously looked me up an down. “I must say that you look different in jeans and a very tight t-shirt.”

  “The big man has a life too,” I said with a laugh.

  “Oh shit!” Gabby yelped out. “You can smile.”

  A rumble came from my chest before I could stop it. I really did feel bad for Doug. Did he even know she was back? When was she leaving again? His ass was going to be unbearable.

  “Is she always like this?” I asked Bridget.

  “Unfortunately,” she answered. “It's starting to seem like she might be.”

  “Seriously,” Gabby snapped at her.

  “Are you really going to say that after your ass called me Jabba in the car?” Bridget asked, with a dirty look on her face.

  I hadn't noticed I had laughed until that dirty look came my way.

  “Don't you laugh at that shit,” she said, as she pointed up at me. “I'll eat you too. Your ass would keep me fed for days.”

  Her finger motioned up and down my body, and I swear I felt that shit. It was the craziest thing.

  “She promised the pregnant lady lunch and has yet to deliver,” Bridget continued, as she laughed.

  Her laugh was seriously the best thing I'd heard all day, and that was not good.

  “Will you two be here long?” I asked. “Me and my men are getting ready to leave. We had a meeting this morning. We're actually heading to lunch too.”

  I heard the elevator doors open from a few feet behind me. Then I heard Gabby gasp.

  “There are four more of you,” she said, as she looked at each of my guys. “I've been here six months. Are they all ninjas or something? How are you the only one I've seen? I'm so glad I decided to move here.”

  Bridget covered her face to hide the embarrassment she was feeling most likely just from knowing Gabby.

  “Who's this?” Brooks asked from a few feet behind me.

  I turned around and shook my head.

  “This would be Gabe's sister,” I said. “I told you all about him.”

  “No way,” Brooks said, with an approving look.

  “I'm his twin actually,” she added, as she tried to look around the others to get a better view of Brooks. “Thankfully I got the looks.”

  “Seriously,” Bridget snapped. “What are you saying about your brother?”

  Way to get defensive over your friends brother, I thought. I guess he had been her boss and friend for years.

  “He was the one that sent my ass here for six months and made me live with Doug,” Gabby snapped back at her.

  “You said you're moving here?” I asked.

  “I am,” she answered. “When I got home, some stuff happened with my ex.”

  “I thought Doug said he was okay,” I said. “The investigator hadn't found anything after following him for weeks.”

  “He showed up at my apartment,” she said. “Doug showed up just in time and beat his ass. I'd already decided that I wanted to be here so I could be close to the baby.”

  The baby, I thought. Why? And why the fuck didn't Doug call me? I would have gone with him. Wait! How did he get there in time?

  “And me,” Bridget added, as she elbowed Gabby.

  “Oh yeah, and Bridget,” Gabby said, as she rolled her eyes. “When that happened, I had to get out of there as soon as possible. Doug helped me pack and ship my stuff, and we were on a plane back here the next day.”

  So Doug did know she was in California, I thought. And he knew she was moving. Oh shit!

  “Doug flew to Michigan?” I asked, feeling a bit confused.

  “He sure did,” she said, as she looked at Bridget.

  I was obviously missing something in the story.

  “Did your ex hurt?” I asked but stopped before I finished the question.

  Her eyes went wide.

  “How do you know?” she asked, as she looked at Bridget, who shook her head.

  “I didn't say a word,” Bridget said quickly.

  “Nobody said anything,” I said. “I've worked in my line of work for long enough to know certain th
ings. It didn't take long for me to figure it out.”

  I looked down at Bridget, and she quickly turned her eyes away.

  “We should go,” Bridget said, as she grabbed Gabby's arm and pulled her toward the elevator but stopped frozen in front of my guys.

  Gabby looked at me, and I knew she saw the look on my face, as I motioned for my guys to move aside.

  “Your ex now?” I asked, still looking at Gabby.

  “Not sure,” she answered. “He was in jail when we left. I'm just letting myself believe that he's still there.”

  I watched Bridget as she walked slowly by my guys and quickly hit the button.

  “Are you two staying long?” I asked, as I moved forward between my guys and stuck my foot between the doors to stop them from closing.

  “I just have to grab some papers,” Gabby answered. “We'll be out of here in less than five minutes.”

  I moved my foot, and the second the doors closed Brooks started.

  “She's damn fine,” he said.

  “Don't even think about it if you like working for me,” I said.

  “You got your eye on her?” he asked.

  “On her?” Drake asked. “You know what I think?”

  “I don't give two shits what any of you think,” I said. “Gabby is Doug's woman. He might not admit it, but she is. You take one step toward her, and he'll be all over my ass about it. Take that as my only warning on the subject. The dude is fucking crazy in love with that woman.”

  “What about Bridget?” Drake asked, as he narrowed his eyes at me.

  “Did you see the belly on her?” I asked. “Or are you blind? She's about to blow, and I'm sure her man wouldn't appreciate you questioning that shit.”

  “You sure about that?” Drake asked.

  I grabbed him around the neck and headed toward the door.

  “Shut that shit down now or we're going to the bar,” I said. “This is work. That is all.”

  “I just thought,” he began, but I pulled him even closer.

  “Don't want to know what you thought,” I said. “You guys go on ahead and get a table. I have a couple things to take care of.”

  “Really?” Drake asked.

  “Yes,” I said sternly. “I need to check on that ex of Gabby's. You still tracking him?”