Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

  When the first tear fell from my cheek, I hurried to wipe my eyes. I hadn't even realized I was crying. My precious baby would never meet his daddy. He'd never know just how amazing Gabe was for himself. I'd tell him everything I could. I'd take him to work and show him just how hard his daddy had worked. I'd tell him how we met and everything else I could think of. Would he have his dad's sense of humor, I wondered? That would be something else. With Gabby around, that just might happen. She'd be able to tell the baby about their childhood together. She could tell him stories about his dad as a teenager. I'd have to watch her though. There were some things I'm sure she needed to keep to herself. Between the two of us, Little Gabe would know about his father.

  Gabby would never know just how grateful I was that she'd come back. When she left, I felt lost, but I'd never tell her that. Her life was hers, and there was no way I was going to stop her from going back to her life in Michigan. When she decided to come back, I was so happy. Partly for her, because the thought of her ex scared the crap out of me, and partly for me, so I'd have someone in my corner. The thought of being a single mom was pretty scary, and knowing I had her with me took a huge part of my worry away. Doug said he would be there to help me, but it wasn't the same. The baby would have his dad's only family there for him. That was something nobody could replace.

  When I couldn't hold my eyes open one more second, I put the baby down. He moved in his blanket a bit before settling in. I knew it wouldn't be long before he'd need to eat. Sleep when the baby sleeps seemed to be in every book I'd read. That wouldn't be a problem. I was done.

  I closed my eyes and had just started to nod off when a picture of Derek popped into my head. He was on his knee in front of me, with his arms wrapped around me and my head buried in his chest, whispering that everything was going to be okay. He was so strong and muscular. He was protecting me, and I felt safe.

  My body shot up in the bed and my eyes opened wide.

  “What the hell was that?” I whispered to myself.

  I looked around my dark room and then over at the baby. Then I leaned back and took a deep breath. I thought back to the events of the day. The second the first pain hit me, I knew something was going on. Gabby and Doug had left for a pretty important meeting, and there was no way I was bothering either of them. I figured the feeling would pass. I kept telling myself it was those fake contractions. When they didn't stop, I was beginning to panic. When Derek walked in, I tried to hide the pain, but it didn't work. He saw it, and he didn't just walk away like he could have. When he came over and questioned me, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't his problem. I was nobody's problem. I tried to tell him everything was fine, but he wasn't buying it. When he scooped me into his arms, I moved for him to let me go, but he wasn't having it. He grabbed my stuff and moved quickly to his truck. He didn't even stop when John came in. Instead, he just yelled out over his shoulder and kept moving. He'd taken over. The man was so damn bossy, cocky, and demanding.

  Part of me couldn't believe he was the same person that had stood behind me for days. That guy was quiet and intimidating. The guy that put me in his truck was so different. When he got in, I could see his hand shaking. He seemed as nervous as I was, which made no sense to me. He'd even zoned out on me a couple of times. I didn't have time to think about that. The contractions were getting closer, and those fuckers hurt way more than I thought they would. Derek didn't crack, not for a second. He held control the entire time. Just breathe, he'd said. How the man knew that shit, I didn't know. When he asked if he could call anyone else, I felt it in my gut. There was nobody else to call, only Gabby. Then another contraction hit, and the pain was back. He kept telling me everything was going to be fine, but he was shaking like crazy. I couldn't help but wonder if he really believed his words, or if he was just trying to make me feel better. It didn't matter. His words helped, and that was what mattered in that moment. When he scooped me from the seat, carried me inside, and put me in the wheelchair, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was having a baby, and I was doing it alone. The tears began falling faster than I could stop them, and the pains were getting stronger. I felt alone.

  When Derek got down on his knee and put his arms around me, I leaned in, held him tight, and buried my head in his chest. I could hear him talking to the woman at the desk, but I couldn't move. I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was all too much. He kept talking to the woman but leaning down to tell me everything was fine. I held on to him like my life depended on it. He was still shaking right along with me. I had no idea why, and I didn't ask. I couldn't. My mind was messing with me, and I was more scared than I had ever remembered being in my entire life. That said a lot considering the shit I'd been through. He never moved away, and he never took his arms from around me. He just kept telling me that I would be fine, the baby would be fine.

  When he pulled away and stood up, I felt the loss. The safe feeling was gone. I was alone again. Gabby was there and took his place, but it wasn't the same. It felt different. I heard Doug thank him. Then he disappeared. Without another word, he was gone. It was like he couldn't get out of there fast enough. Was it me, I wondered? Had he helped me out of obligation to Doug? How could he have been so concerned and in control the whole time to only leave so quickly without saying a word? I don't know what I expected. Maybe a bye or good luck or something. Nope, he took off.

  None of that really mattered, did it? He'd helped me when I felt lost and had no idea what I was going to do. In the back of my mind, I knew I needed to go to the hospital, but I kept holding on to the thought of having another month to go. I was alone, and he helped me. For that I was grateful.

  I looked over at the clock. It was after one in the morning. I was sure he was asleep, but I couldn't let it go. I needed to thank him. I wouldn't be at the office for weeks, and that was way too long to wait. I was lost, and he was there. It didn't matter if he thought what he'd done was a big deal or not, it was to me. I grabbed my phone off the stand next to me and pulled up his name. He'd given me his number during the whole Gabby's crazy ex debacle, and I'd forgotten to delete it.

  Me: Thank you so much for today. I don't know what I would have done without your help.

  I hit send, thinking he would see the text when he woke in the morning. At least he'd know the detour of his day was appreciated. Then I put my phone down and closed my eyes. When they shot open again, I realized that not one time had I been afraid or worried about Derek. He'd walked right over to me, he'd picked me up, he'd hugged me, and not once had I jumped or gotten nervous. Derek touched me, and I didn't pull away. Gabe and Doug were the only two men that happened with. My eyes fell to my phone on my tray and my mind started to wander. It was because I was so scared, I thought. I was in pain. I was alone. Derek was there. I would have been like that with anyone in that moment.

  The baby moved in his bed, and I quickly brought my mind back to where it should be. I lifted my tiny boy out of his bed and into my arms. As I looked down at him, all I could think about was how happy I was that whatever had happened to the condom that night had happened. Would Gabe have been happy? Would he have wanted a baby? Those were answers I should have known, but I didn't. I hadn't even known that he loved me. His sister told me. The one thing I knew was that I was a mom, and I was going to be the best damn mom I could be. A piece of the man I loved was in my arms, and I was going to give him the life he deserved. He'd know how loved he was. I'd never let a day go by without telling him.

  Chapter 12

  Derek

  That sleep never came. I stared up at the ceiling for hours. I'd even counted sheep. That shit didn't work. I thought about Jenny, and I thought about work. If my mind even began to wander to Bridget, I set that shit straight. There was no reason for her to be anywhere but at the office. I wasn't interested, not in her or anyone else. If I was going to let myself think about a woman, she definitely wasn't the one. She worked in the same building I did, and she wasn't my type. She had some major shit going on in her h
ead, I could see it. She'd also just popped out a baby. She hadn't wanted to call the dad, so there was obviously some shit going on there too. Lastly, I just plain wasn't interested. I flopped my body over onto my side and closed my eyes. I helped her like I would have helped anyone, I thought. I was just doing my job.

  “Why didn't she get nervous with me?” I whispered to myself.

  I'd scooped her up, carried her, and held her while she cried. She never even flinched. Her mind was all jacked up because of the pain. That was it. She never had time to think about it.

  “Knock it off,” I whispered.

  I closed my eyes, and they finally began to feel tired. Then I heard the ding of my phone and jumped to grab it.

  “It's fucking one in the morning,” I growled. “This shit better be important.”

  I didn't recognize the number and quickly opened the text.

  Unknown: Thank you so much for today. I don't know what I would have done without your help.

  It wasn't Doug. I had him programmed into my contacts. Gabby was too. I'd put her in right after Doug had called me down to the lobby that day. It had to be Bridget. I'd given her my number then too, right after I noticed her nervous reactions. What the hell was she still doing up? She should have been knocked out from being so tired. What did she mean she didn't know what she would have done without my help? What would she have done? Would she have driven herself? Had Gabby stayed with her? Was she alone?

  “Fuck,” I growled out, as I quickly put my phone right back where I'd found it. “Not for you to worry about.”

  I closed my eyes, grabbed my extra pillow, and pulled it down over my head to block out every tiny bit of light in my room. That right there was why I kept to myself. I had things to do, and worrying about someone that wasn't my little girl wasn't one of them.

  I got up the next morning and hurried off to work. Being in my office, deep in my work, would keep me right where I needed to be, I told myself. It worked until Doug called me. He wanted to talk about adding some extra cameras outside of the building. I could tell he was concerned about Gabby's ex getting out and paying her another visit. I was pretty sure the fucker would give up, but he wasn't convinced. We were just about to hang up when he spoke again.

  “Oh, I wanted to say thank you for yesterday,” he said. “We were gone, and you were there. I know it must have been hard for you.”

  “Don't mention it. I did what needed to be done. That's my job,” I said, wanting to cut him off.

  “You know damn well it wasn't your job to take her,” he said.

  “I said don't mention it,” I said. “She okay?”

  “She's fine,” he said. “I just need to keep Gabby out of there long enough for Bridget to rest. She didn't want to leave her side last night and went right back at the crack of dawn.”

  “Your woman is something else,” I said.

  “You don't have to tell me that,” he said. “I've known that since I was a teenager.”

  “So it's working out with you two?” I asked.

  “We'll see,” he said with a laugh. “If she doesn't drive me crazy.”

  “I'm happy for you,” I said.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Anyone special in your life?”

  “I'll get you those prices sometime this week,” I said, cutting that shit off right there.

  Doug knew damn well I wasn't discussing anything about me. That was his way of irritating me, and it worked every time.

  “I'll be waiting,” he said.

  Before I could hang up on his ass, I heard him laugh. That fucker was lucky I liked him, or I would have kicked his ass for screwing with me. He knew enough about my life to know I wasn't interested in a relationship and never would be. He better not have been thinking I liked Bridget either. There was nobody else to help her. I guess that wasn't totally true. John had walked through while I was carrying her out. I could have handed her over to him, but I couldn't do that. I'd seen her react to him the way she did other guys. Not to mention, I was already halfway to my truck. Doug was full of shit anyway. I had no interest in anyone, especially not Bridget. She wasn't even my type. I like my women tall, curvy, and blonde. Bridget was none of those things. Not to mention her sarcastic attitude. That shit wouldn't fly with me. She'd also just had a baby, so there was a daddy somewhere. I didn't have patience for that shit, and I was nobody's rebound. The final reason, she worked for Doug. We worked in the same building. So, if I were looking for a relationship, which I was not, it would not be with her.

  I didn't leave my office the rest of the week. My ass stayed buried in my work. Everything was going great. We had enough work to keep us all busy, and I spent time trying to get us more complex cases. I wanted to dig in deep and use my skills. Cheating husbands and wives and other small stuff paid the bills, but I wanted more.

  I was sitting in my office Friday and couldn't wait for the weekend. Jenny was super excited to see a new princess movie, and I was taking her. I was looking forward to seeing her smiling face while she watched it. My little girl had the cutest smile ever. Drake had gone out to get some stuff and grab lunch for a few of us. When he came back, I heard him walk into the conference room and stood up so I could get my food. Just as I was rounding my desk, I heard him talking.

  “I saw her in the lobby on my way out,” he said.

  “You're sure it was her?” I heard Brooks ask.

  “Yes,” Drake answered. “She had one of those baby carriers on her arm. Doug was just walking up to her.”

  Were they talking about Bridget? What the hell was she doing there? She should have been home resting. How was she doing? I hadn't replied to her text, but that didn't mean I didn't wonder how she was. She didn't need to have the baby around all the germs at the office. I grabbed something off my desk and then walked out of my office when I heard Brooks again.

  “I bet that body snapped right back,” he said with a laugh. “Was she hot?”

  That fucker was such a pig.

  “Seriously,” Drake said. “She just popped out a kid and you're still thinking about fucking her. What is wrong with you?”

  “That doesn't mean shit,” Brooks said. “She's still doable. Maybe even easy. She'll be all vulnerable and shit.”

  “You are such a dick,” Drake snapped. “I guess I get how your single.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” I snapped, as I turned the opposite way of the conference room.

  “Don't you want your food?” Drake asked, as I walked toward the door to our office.

  “I'll get it in a minute,” I said. “I forgot to give Doug something.”

  When the elevator doors opened, I stepped in and pushed the button for Doug's floor. I hadn't given him the prices for the cameras and wanted to do it before I forgot. Since Drake mentioned he was in the office, I figured it was the perfect time. When I opened his door, I didn't expect what I saw. He was sitting behind his desk, with a baby in his arms, talking baby talk. It took all I had not to burst out in laughter.

  “I'm sorry,” I said. “I came up to talk to you about cameras, but it can wait.”

  “How's it going?” he asked, putting on a serious face. “I haven't really seen you since the hospital.”

  “Okay,” I said. “You know I don't like that place. I have some devastating and some happy memories there. How's the baby?”

  I was hoping to get him off my ass and onto talking about the bundle in his arms.

  “He's doing great,” he said. “The little guy has some lungs though.”

  “How's Bridget?” I asked.

  “She's doing okay,” he answered. “Gabby is right there helping her all the time. It's probably driving her crazy.”

  “That's good,” I said, thinking about her having someone to help her but wondering how any guy could not be there for his baby. “What's his name?”

  “Gabe,” answered.

  “Gabe,” I said, making sure I heard him correctly.

  “Yes,” he said. “Gabby wasn't having
that any other way. Bridget loved it, so that made it even better.”

  Bridget and Gabby had gotten close during those months, and Bridget had worked for Gabe for a long time, but wasn't naming her baby after her boss a little weird, I wondered?

  “Gabe,” I said again, trying to wrap my head around it.

  “Yep,” he said. “You didn't know they were together either? None of us did until a few months into her pregnancy.”

  “I had no idea,” I said, feeling blown away by what he'd just said.

  It totally made sense that she'd named the baby after his father. Gabe was the father. She was with Gabe. Were they together when he died? Doug hadn't even known. How could he not have known when he worked with them both every single day? It didn't make sense. I had to get out of there. So many things were going through my head, and none of it was adding up.

  “I'm glad she's okay,” I said. “I'll just check in with you later on the cameras.”

  “We're having a tiny shower for her,” he said. “We ordered a ton of food if you and the guys want to come and eat.”

  I thought about Brooks and his comments, and there was no way that was happening.