Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

  “Bridget,” I whispered, trying so damn hard to keep my shit in check.

  Her crying became even deeper, and I took a step toward her, but she shook her head. That was when I noticed just how red her face was. Her hair was everywhere, and she looked like she'd just gotten out of bed, but she also looked like she'd been crying for hours. It wasn't her seeing the things around me. It had nothing to do with what she'd just walked into. It was something else.

  “What is it, baby,” I whispered softly. “What's wrong?”

  She stood there frozen in place and crying hard.

  “Talk to me,” I said.

  “I didn't mean it,” she said through her sobs, and I felt like someone punched me in the stomach.

  “Mean what?” I asked, so damn afraid to hear her answer.

  She was crying so hard it was scaring me.

  “Breathe, baby,” I said, as I reached out and touched her arm. “Please talk to me.”

  “I'm so sorry,” was all I heard, before she went down on her knees.

  I was right there wrapping my arms around her.

  “You're going to hate me,” she cried, then sobbed. “You're not going to want me anymore.”

  I grabbed her cheeks and looked into her wet, red, tired eyes.

  “What happened?” I asked her. “What did you do? Nothing could make me stop loving you.”

  Then it hit me. Was she with someone else? Fuck! Had she cheated on me? There was no way. That couldn't have been it. She knew how I felt about that. She'd never do that to me. That wasn't her, right?

  “I'll do it alone,” she said, as she looked back into my eyes.

  Do it alone, I thought. What the fuck could she be talking about?

  “Bridget,” I said, feeling totally confused.

  “Derek,” she said, as one of her hands came up and held my face. “Please don't think I did it on purpose. I don't know what happened.”

  Then her crying started right back up again.

  “Breathe, Woman,” I said. “You are scaring me. Slow down. What the hell happened in the last two hours? I can't imagine what you could have done. Gabby said you went home to take a nap.”

  “I can't live with you,” she cried out, from between her sobs.

  “What?” I asked, as a tear slipped from my own eye.

  She couldn't live with me. Why the fuck not? I was a mix of so many emotions, but I knew I couldn't let it show, not yet anyway.

  “It's my fault,” she said.

  “What is?” I asked. “Is it someone else? Do you not love me?”

  She shook her head no fast.

  “Derek,” she whimpered.

  “You're scaring me, Bridget,” I said, a bit rougher than I should have. “What the fuck is going on?”

  She lifted her other hand. I hadn't even realized she'd been holding something. When she held it toward me, I took it. Then I saw the plus sign and my body froze.

  “Pregnant,” I whispered. “You're pregnant.”

  “I don't know what happened,” she cried. “It's all my fault. I'm so sorry.”

  I closed my eyes. There was no way. I couldn't lose her. Tears slid down my cheeks. A baby. She was carrying my baby. Labor, I thought, and my chest went tight. My eyes tightened. Shit! She had to be okay. I couldn't make it through losing her. I couldn't be without her. A picture of a little bundle in her arms popped into my head. What was I going to do? I was so torn.

  “Derek,” she said. “You have to believe me.”

  “It's okay,” I heard myself whisper.

  “No,” she whispered back. “It's not.”

  “Stop,” I said.

  “No,” she said, and I could feel her shaking her head.

  Her body was shaking a little less with each second that passed.

  “I don't know what happened. I was on the pill. When you were in the hospital, everything was running together. I must have missed some. I must have messed up. Shit!”

  “Stop,” I said again, a bit louder than the last time.

  “No,” she said. “I have to go.”

  Her hands pushed against my chest, but my arms went around her.

  “You don't want kids with me,” she said. “You told me.”

  She pushed against me again, but I held her tighter.

  “Stop,” I snapped out.

  My eyes opened, and her head was shaking from side to side.

  “No,” she said, as she pushed even harder and my arms tightened even more.

  She was running. She was leaving me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't let her go.

  “I can do it alone again,” she said. “Gabby and Doug with help me.”

  That was it. I couldn't take it. Those two names sent me over the edge of all of the craziness that was already moving through my mind.

  “Stop,” I yelled.

  Her body jerked, and she froze.

  “I'm sorry,” I said, before looking into her eyes and speaking roughly. “Gabby and Doug will not be taking care of my child. I will be.”

  “But,” she began, and I cut that shit off right away.

  “Do not but me, Woman,” I said sternly. “I love you. There is no way I would blame you. Everything was crazy there for a bit. I get that you could have missed pills. The days ran together. Shit! I don't even remember some of them.”

  “You don't hate me,” she said, as her crying began to slow down.

  “I love you, Bridget,” I said.

  “You still want me?” she asked.

  “I will always want you,” I said.

  “But you don't want kids with me,” she said.

  “Do not ever say that again. Do you hear me?”

  “But you said,” she began, but I covered her lips with my finger to stop her.

  “I said I didn't want to have kids because I was afraid of losing you. I still am. I'm so damn afraid. I can't imagine my life without you in it, baby. You're it for me. You're my forever.”

  “The baby,” she whispered.

  “The thought of my baby growing inside of you right now has so many emotions running through me. I'm not going to lie. It scares the shit out of me, but it also makes me so damn happy.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “I'm so sorry,” she said. “I should have been more careful. I heard what you said that day. I was upset about it. When I walked Jean out and we talked, I understood and came to terms with it. When I realized today that I was very late, I ran to the store and then back home to take the test. I didn't do it on purpose.”

  “I know,” I said. “I'm not blaming you. You were at the hospital every second. Things were a mess. How do you feel about having my baby?”

  “Our baby,” she said with a stern look.

  “My baby,” I repeated.

  She shook her head but smiled.

  “I'm nervous,” she said. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. We haven't been a couple for very long, we're moving in together, and we each have a child already. I'm not sure yet how that's all going to work as it is. The thought of figuring it all out while being pregnant and bringing a new baby home scares me a bit. Not to mention that my baby's dad is a bit bossy.”

  “A bit bossy,” I said with a laugh.

  “Really bossy,” she said. “At the same time, the thought of having a baby with you has me so damn happy. I know they are going to have so much love. You're an amazing father to Jenny. Jean and Joe are great as well.”

  Then she stopped, and I saw a sad look cross her face.

  “Jean,” she said.

  “That woman loves all babies,” I said. “Get that thought out of your head right now. Our baby is going to be very loved. I will be there every single second with you. We are in this together. They're going to have a big sister and big brother that love them so much.”

  She nodded.

  “You still want me to move in,” she said as more of a statement.

  “More than anything,” I said. “I want you here
even more now.”

  I lifted her from my lap, pulled the box from my pocket, and got on my knee.

  “Derek,” she warned.

  “I love you, Bridget,” I said. “You're my forever. When I stood behind your desk all those days, I wanted to protect you. I wanted to keep you safe. There was something about you that pulled me in. No matter how hard I fought, it wouldn't let go. I could have easily had one of my guys there instead of me, but I didn't want to. I liked being there. I like being the one to make you feel even a little bit better. When I saw you in the lobby the day Gabe was born, I was so damn scared. All I could think about was keeping you and your baby safe. I hadn't walked into that hospital once since my world had been turned upside down, but I did it. I went back in for you and for Gabe. Then I saw you in that hallway at work. I knew you were there, one of my guys told me. That was the real reason I went to Doug's office. I wanted to see you. I wanted to make sure you really were okay like he had told me. That was when I found out you were with Gabe. He was a friend of mine and a great man, and there was no way I was going to go against him. I didn't want a relationship, not at all. I saw you crying and knew you needed that card as much as I'd needed it when Jean had handed it to me. I thought I could be there as a friend to help you. That was my only plan. I wanted you to meet everyone. I thought that maybe one of those people could help you. Not for one second did I think that person would be me. Each time you walked through that door, I wanted you next to me. I looked forward to that cup of coffee every single week, and before I knew it, I was telling you things I hadn't told anyone else.”

  I took a huge breath and then continued.

  “The first time we were together, it scared me. I'd never once felt the way I had in that moment before. I felt bad about that. I felt like I'd gone against her. I tried to tell myself that it had just been so long, that it had nothing to do with who I was with. Then we were together again, and it was just as amazing. I knew it was you, but I fought as hard as I could to believe it wasn't. I wanted to help you. I wanted to take your worries away, but I messed that up. When you walked away from me, I thought I was going to be fine. I thought things would go back to normal, but they didn't. Each day that went by, I missed you more and more. I kept hoping you'd come back, that you'd realize you'd made a mistake, but you didn't. You didn't want me, and I tried to pretend that that was okay. I warned you about Gabby's ex for more than one reason. I wanted to see you, to talk to you, and to protect you. When those doors opened, and I saw that gun, I knew that I'd give my own life so you could live yours. Even though you didn't want me, I needed you to be okay. I've never once lost sight of a situation. I'd never before let my guard down. That wasn't me. I was the guy that kept it all together and made every move logically. Something happened, and I messed up. I had one goal, to get you away from him. Other than that, I wasn't thinking. He shouldn't have got me, but I did the one thing I'd never done before, I let my guard down.”

  “Derek,” she whispered.

  “Then it hit me,” I began again. “I loved you. I had to tell you. There was no way I was going down without letting you know exactly how I felt. That was when I shot him the first time. I had to get my head on straight. Then I shot him again. I knew I had to. He wasn't giving up and was going to take out everyone he had to to get to Gabby. When my eyes began to close, you were all I could see. I had to make it. You had to know. Then I opened my eyes, and nothing felt the same. You and my brother were arguing over food like you were best friends. The doctor was talking to Jean like I was her son. Then he was scolding you. Seeing all of you there for me made me feel so many things. That was when I knew I had to tell you. You had to know how I felt about you, and I couldn't wait. I knew I would do whatever it took to make you happy, and moving would be one of those things, so I said I'd move. Then I said that I loved you. I do, baby. I love you so damn much, and I love your son too. I know that our relationship hasn't followed a normal path, so I figured, why start now.”

  I opened the box I'd been holding so damn tight and faced it toward her.

  “Would you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife? Will you marry me?”

  “Derek,” her hand went to her mouth, and her tears began again.

  “You said yourself that it's going to be crazy,” I said. “We haven't been together long. We're moving into this house with our two kids. We're having a baby. It's a lot, I know it is, but I also know that you're it for me. You're my forever. I don't want to wait. I want you to be my wife, and I want to spend every day with you for the rest of my life. I want that right now.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “If you're sure.”

  “I'm more than sure,” I said.

  I slipped the ring on her finger, grabbed the back of her neck, and kissed her hard.

  “I love you, Bridget,” I said. “I will tell you every single day forever. Not one moment will go by that you won't feel that love.”

  I stood up and pulled her to her feet, and she looked around.

  “It's beautiful,” she said. “I'm sorry I ruined it.”

  “You didn't ruin anything,” I said. “When you walked in that door crying, I thought you didn't want me. I thought you were running.”

  “I've wanted you for a very long time,” she said with a smile. “You were the one I was afraid was going to run.”

  “Never,” I said, as I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. “We're having a baby. I should probably tell you that I'm going to be scared. I will be at every single appointment, and I will ask tons of questions. I'm going to be protective, and I'm going to most likely be a pain in the ass.”

  “I wouldn't expect any less,” she said. “I've never in my life experienced anyone like you.”

  “It's you,” I said. “I've never been the way I am with you, not ever.”

  She turned in my arms and looked at the house in front of us.

  “It really is beautiful,” she said. “We have a lot to do, don't we?”

  “We do, but we'll be doing it together. It's a good thing we have an extra bedroom,” I said. “Once you quit your job, things will be able to move a little faster. We'll be done in no time.”

  “Quit my job,” she said, as she pulled out of my hold and turned back toward me.

  “Yes,” I said. “You're pregnant with my baby, and you're going to be my wife. I want you to be home. I want to take care of you.”

  “So you just assume I'm quitting,” she said, as she stood a bit taller and her voice became stern.

  “I do,” I said. “I'll be the one taking care of my wife and my family. I've worked my ass off for my company. It's doing very well. There's no reason for you to work.”

  “What if I don't want to quit?” she asked.

  “Seriously?” I asked, knowing that my voice was growing louder to match hers.

  “Yes,” she snapped. “You can't just tell me what I'm going to do.”

  “You're my woman,” I snapped back.

  “That doesn't mean you can make every decision for me,” she growled out.

  I heard the door behind me open, but I didn't give a damn.

  “Is it because of him?” I asked. “Is Gabe the reason you won't?”

  I heard a gasp come from behind me.

  “Oh shit,” it was Gabby's voice. “Wait a second. You can't say no, Bridget. You have to say yes. He loves you, and he's a good man. Gabe loved you, I know he did, but he's gone. Derek loves you so damn much. I know you love him too. I see it every time you look at him. The man drives me crazy, but you will never find a man that loves you the way he does. All that broody, bossy crap, it's all love. You have to say yes.”

  Bridget stepped toward Gabby with a smirk on her face, and I knew we were in trouble. As much as I was demanding and cocky, my woman was just as strong and stubborn, and as pissed as I was, I couldn't wait to hear her mouth. She kept me on my toes every single day, and I couldn't wait for her to do it for the rest of our lives.

  Chap
ter 52

  Bridget

  “I should say yes,” I said, as I stood in front of Gabby.

  “Yes,” she said. “You have to say yes.”

  “I do,” I said.

  “Yes,” Gabby said.

  “You're not going to be mad?” I asked, knowing her words were about to bite her in the ass.

  “Not at all,” she said. “He's a great man.”

  “Yes,” I said, as I looked back at Derek. Then I turned back to her. “I'm giving you my two week notice.”

  “Wait! What?” Gabby snapped out. “What do you mean you're giving your two week notice? What does that have to do with anything?”

  I could see everyone standing behind her. Drake, Taylor, Jared, Walker, Jean, Joe, and Doug were all there. The three kids were over playing with the flowers on the ground, and TJ and Jenny were already arguing. When I took a step back, Derek wrapped his arms around me from behind.

  “He wanted me to quit my job,” I said. “You were sure I should say yes, so I did.”

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “You were supposed to say yes to marrying him.”

  “Oh,” I said with a smile, “I already did that.”

  I could see Jean laughing from behind Gabby and couldn't help the laugh that came from me.

  “It's not funny,” Gabby said. “You can't quit. We need you.”

  “This coming from the woman who's decided to start working from home,” Doug said.

  “That's different,” Gabby said.

  “I totally need you,” Doug said to me. “You keep my schedule and everything else perfectly in line. I'm not going to lie about that. If you left, I would miss you horribly as my assistant and as my friend. Not to mention the fact that we just had the entire lobby redone, and now you're both bailing on us.”

  “If Bridget will stay, then I will,” Gabby said.

  “The hell you will,” Doug snapped.

  “I'll stay,” I said, wanting to see what Derek would do.