Dangerous Love

by Casey Clipper

  “It’s a crawl space that leads outside,” he said, closing the door. “There’s several located throughout the house.”

  “Did you build these?”

  “Ironically, no. They came with the house. The previous owners were convinced the government would come after them one day, and they wanted escape routes. I didn’t know about these until after I’d moved in. I don’t think the realtor even knew they existed,” he said.

  “Have you ever been in them?”

  “Once, when I found them. I was curious,” he said nonchalantly. “This one leads outside to the left side of the house.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh,” he mocked. “Wanna play trapped girl and I’ll rescue you?” He waggled his brows.

  She laughed and pushed against his chest. “No, I’ve got to get these clothes put away. Everyday it’s a hunt for what I’m going to wear to work. I’m tired of living out of boxes.”

  “I’ll take you shopping.” He leaned down and ran his expert tongue up her neck, sending a wake of tingles down her spine. “In fact, let’s go.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the house.

  Derk’s get-the-job-done-now personality was something she was going to have to either adjust to or get him to lighten up over. If she suggested something in passing, she never knew if Derk would agree, then suddenly they’d be in the truck headed to a destination to get the task completed. That’d happened with the bedroom furniture and her new car. Nothing like being pulled into a furniture store without a bra and panties on. She’d given him an earful after they’d left the store. He’d pulled the car over to the brim of the road and took advantage of her missing undergarments.

  ***

  Mackenzie loved working for Derrick Murphy. Was the man intense? Yes, that’d be putting it mildly. Was his tone curt and seemingly angry? Yes, but she’d quickly learned the difference in the variety of his inflections. Was he mysterious? She couldn’t answer that, but she could say the man put off a dangerous aura that could make any woman without bladder problems pee their pants. But none of that bothered her, because Mr. Murphy treated her well. In fact, he’d made a couple comments about how he should have replaced his old secretary a long time ago.

  What had she done differently?

  Well, for one, she made certain he ate lunch daily. It didn’t matter if she went out to pick up take-out for herself or brought something in from home, she always had extra for him. Or Mary, his housekeeper would stop by early Monday mornings and stock the refrigerator with meals for the week. Apparently the former secretary hadn’t been feeding Mr. Murphy those meals, she’d taken them home for her boyfriend. What kind of woman did that? And how had Mr. Murphy let it slide? When she’d brought him his first heated lunch, he looked at her strange. “Did you make this?”

  “No, Mary made it. I have lunch for you all week,” she said. “Mrs. Murphy asked Mary to make you lunch for each day of the week to make sure you eat.”

  “When did she start this?” he asked, his handsome features visibly lightening.

  “She always has, Mr. Murphy,” Mackenzie said softly. “Your secretary was taking the meals home.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” he cursed. “That woman.”

  “Maybe she didn’t have any food.” Mackenzie had been there and done that.

  “Her husband is a wealthy bank CEO, Mackenzie. She dripped in diamonds when she sat out front. I hired her as a favor and regretted it every damn day,” he said exasperated.

  “Oh.”

  He picked up his office phone. “I need to call my wife and thank her. She probably thinks I’m an asshole for not appreciating her thoughtfulness. Damn it, I’m going to have thank Mary too. That fucking Bridget.”

  Mac had quietly left the office and closed the door behind her.

  She also stocked the full sized kitchen in the office. From water bottles, coffee, pretzels, candy, soda, snacks, her and Mr. Murphy’s lunches, as well as a couple bottles of champagne and his favorite whiskey, the office was now a place to work all day but not go hungry or thirsty. And Mr. Murphy’s employees picked up on that real quick. They’d come into the office for meetings and constantly raid the kitchen. Mackenzie made more trips to the grocery store than she ever had in her life. In fact, Mr. Murphy gave her a bank card that was to be used for anything she needed for the office, including the food.

  Mackenzie also became Mr. Murphy’s office guard dog. No one got past her. If they had a meeting with him, they waited in the office chairs she purchased until he was ready to see them. Though the men never sat in the chairs. Instead they took the opportunity to go the kitchen and feed themselves.

  Every single person, specifically Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, made her feel welcome and appreciated. They made her feel as if she was important in their lives. As if she belonged. They made her feel cherished and loved. There were times when she was in the shower, getting ready for work in the mornings, and would openly sob about the direction her life had taken. How her world felt complete for the first time. How her heart felt like it could burst into a million pieces with so much love consuming it. It was at those moments when Derk would climb into the shower behind her and wordlessly hold her. He knew. He just knew where her mind and heart had gone and how it was too overwhelming to hold inside.

  “Mackenzie,” Mr. Murphy interrupted her internet search for a better deal on printer ink.

  She looked up and noticed he was ready to leave for the day. It was only two-thirty on a Wednesday. Derk sauntered up to her desk and plopped down on the edge. When she’d been offered the secretary job, Derk had been offered a position close to Mr. Murphy. He now escorted the man everywhere and spent a lot of time in the office. Derk was gone early every morning to head over to Mr. Murphy’s home, where he’d pick him up and bring him into work. According to Derk, his new position was a promotion. All she knew was that it made him genuinely happy.

  “Yes, Mr. Murphy?”

  “I’m leaving for the day. It’s my wedding anniversary, and if I’m not home soon, well, I may as well not go home.” He grinned, taking her by surprise. The man should smile more often, he was devastatingly handsome. She could only imagine the women that fell to his feet. Though as far as she could tell, he only had eyes for Courtney. Which made sense. If she was a guy, she’d only have eyes for the gorgeous woman.

  “I’ll lock up.”

  Derk literally growled. Her brows slid together as she shot him a warning glare.

  “You will do no such thing. You’re done for the day,” Mr. Murphy said firmly. “You are never to be in this office alone. Do you understand me, Mackenzie? If for any reason I have to leave quickly, Derk, Smith, or Carl will be with me, and that will leave the office empty. I gave you a list of phone numbers, you call them and get them here immediately. But most often, you can leave when I leave. Is that clear?” he asked. The question wasn’t one to be argued.

  “But I’m supposed to work until five.” She glanced nervously at Derk. “I don’t want to lose the hours.”

  Mr. Murphy’s features relaxed. “Mackenzie, you’re paid salary. It doesn’t matter what hours you work. If I tell you that you can leave, you leave. No arguments. Now, get your items together and we’ll walk you to your car.”

  There would be no protesting. Not when she was outnumbered by her boss and her boyfriend. Yes, Mr. Murphy had given her a list of phone numbers of people he claimed were dependable to come and baby sit her. Which was essentially what they’d be doing. That rankled, but stating her concern would be useless. These men were headstrong and immovable.

  The next day, Mr. Murphy showed up at the office with a Doberman Pinscher puppy. “He’s yours, and he is to be here every day you’re here. You take him home in the evenings and weekends.”

  Derk rolled his eyes as he entered the office.

  “I…I…” She didn’t know what to say but melted as soon as the squirmy pup was placed into her arms. “I never planned to own a dog, Mr. Murphy.”

  “He�
��s your guard dog, Mackenzie. We’ll enroll him in puppy school and guard lessons.” With that, the man stalked into his office, but not before tossing another order over his shoulder. “And Mrs. Murphy is insisting that you and Derk have Sunday dinner with us every week.”

  Mackenzie looked at Derk with pleading eyes. Derk chuckled and patted the dog. “Nothing can be done about dinner. Mrs. Murphy wants us there, we have to be there. I guess this is as close as we’ll get to children.”

  She gasped, realizing that was a subject they never broached.

  “Do you want kids?” she stammered.

  He choked. “No. Do you?”

  She shook her head. “No. I have no desire to be a mother.” She focused on the puppy. “I don’t ever want something to happen and my children end up parentless, placed into the same system I grew up in. I refuse to do that.”

  He lifted her chin to look at him, those dark eyes studying hers. “We know plenty of people who’d gladly take our children in if anything ever happened. The Murphys would be on the top of that list. Smith. Jack. Carl. If you want children, don’t you dare worry about their future. We’ll work it out.”

  “But you don’t want kids.”

  “No,” he said. “I don’t see myself running after little Bobby or Jane. Not my thing. Screaming babies, diapers, middle of night feedings.” He shuddered.

  She beamed, something they had in common. A major issue addressed and out of the way.

  “I’m naming him…Bob.”

  Derk barked out a laugh and startled the puppy. “Bob?”

  “Bob. I’ll call him Robert if I’m angry.”

  He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, woman.”

  Yeah, she loved him too.

  30

  Derk felt himself try to wake from a deep sleep. His heavy eyes didn’t want to open. Especially when the feel of Mackenzie’s warm, naked body lay against his. Never had he enjoyed sleeping in the buff, until now.

  In his dream state, he went back to last night’s dinner at a local restaurant. Mackenzie managed to surprise him, again. Something he figured he was going to have to get used to. He hadn’t been prepared for the questions.

  “How did you get involved in your job?” she quietly asked, her voice unsure, her eyes wide.

  His initial gut response was to blurt out that was none of her business and to learn to turn a blind eye. But he thought better of it. Mac was different. First, she’d kick his ass for speaking to her that way. Second, she was loyal, probably to a fault. Whatever he decided to tell her about his dead parents and his life, she’d accept. Would he give her the gory details? No. But he could give her something to understand him, which in turn, may calm her worries. Because in the end, he didn’t want her stressing over him or his work.

  “My dad knew a lot of men from all different walks of life. When I was young, he’d take me to the club where the guys would hang out, talk sports, have a couple beers, just have ‘guy time.’ A number of them came from Mr. Murphy’s walk of life. They were genuinely good guys. When I was old enough to start earning money, a few of them had me do tedious jobs for them like wash their cars, yard work, shovel snow. As I grew, the jobs grew with me.” He took a drag of his beer to soothe his sudden dry throat. “When Dad died, I was only eighteen with no money, a high school diploma, not interested in college, working part time at the local grocery store and sometimes for those men. My parents’ home still had a mortgage. I had nothing. Not even a way to bury them. A couple of the guys paid for my parents’ funeral but not out the goodness of their hearts. They required services for payment.” He shrugged. “I knew what I was getting into. It’s not as if I’d been blind. I chose it because I knew it, and it was a way for me to survive. That was the start.”

  “That’s so sad.” The sorrow that crossed her features he didn’t need.

  “It’s not, Mac. I’m perfectly fine with it and don’t regret my choice. Never have, never will.”

  “But‒”

  “Mackenzie,” he warned. “Don’t do this. I said I’m fine with what I do. You’ve met the people I work with. You see how they treat me. I’m good. I make terrific money to buy you anything your big heart desires. I may not have a blood family, but these people are the closest I’ll get, and they have their heads on straighter than my own parents ever did. So don’t.”

  “You know, the tough guy act you can turn off every once in a while.”

  He cocked a brow. “Ummm, Mac, this is who I am. I don’t ask you to turn of the innocent girl act, do I?”

  She rolled her eyes and pointed her salad fork at him. “If you call me innocent again, this fork will end up serving your balls on my plate.”

  He chuckled. “Surprisingly, you’re not the first woman to threaten my manhood.”

  “I bet.”

  “You done giving me the third degree?”

  “Never.”

  He laughed. Man, he fucking loved her, and he’d answer any damn question she had, within reason.

  As he tried to ignore his body’s attempt to rouse, a muffled thump from what sounded like downstairs caused his eyes to fly open. What the fuck was that? Was that Bob? Did he get out of his puppy pen?

  Slowly, he crawled out of bed so not to disturb Mackenzie. She moaned and complained in her sleep over the loss of him underneath her. For a brief second, he admired his woman. Nude. In his bed. The bright full moon that shined through the open drapes gave a sensual spotlight to her tiny body. There was nothing sexier. He had zero clue he was capable of loving a woman so eminently, but Mac had done him in. The woman drove him to the brink of insanity, and he relished every second of it.

  Another thud, but this time he knew it wasn’t the dog. On cue, the puppy started to yap.

  He grabbed a pair of jeans and quickly slid into them. He crept to the bedroom door and opened it a crack to peek into the hallway. That’s when a dark shadow passed at the top of the steps. He closed the door and locked it.

  “Mackenzie,” he whispered, shaking her. He rushed to the chest of drawers and moved it aside, then yanked out a pair of yoga pants and a tee shirt.

  “Mackenzie,” he whispered again, his tone harsh.

  She jolted upright, and he covered her mouth with his hand as she went to yell at him. He placed a finger over his mouth and tossed her clothes at her.

  “Put these on now.”

  “Derk Forester!” A bellow from a deep voice resounded throughout the house. “You’ve been looking for me for a long time. Well, I’ve come to you.”

  Fucking hell, C.D. Maler came to him. Why the fuck hadn’t he considered this scenario? They all figured he’d go after Murphy. They should have considered Maler would go after Mr. M by hitting one of his closest henchmen. That’s how the man rolled. It was damn brilliant. But fuck him, Derk was in trouble because the man probably knew about Mac.

  Mackenzie’s eyes went wide with fear. Derk shook his head. “Stay calm.”

  She scrambled off the bed and jumped into her clothes. He yanked her over to the hidden crawl space that came with the house. “You go in there and get out of the house.” He grabbed his cell off the chest of drawers. “Call Smith and let him know what’s going on. Whisper, Mac.”

  “What about you?” she cried.

  “I’ll take care of myself. I need you to get out and away from the house. Once you talk to Smith, call Mr. Murphy.” The sounds of hard footsteps echoed off the hardwood floors. Closing in. Mackenzie started to shake.

  “Go. I’m moving this dresser back in front of the door so they won’t know where to find you.” He kissed her hard then forced her into the space. “I love you, Mac. Be smart.” When he pushed the dresser in front of the small door, he had to trample down the panic that he’d left her alone. But the man who invaded his house knew damn well that coming into his home was an act of aggression and defiance and a challenge. They’d probably been watching his place for days if not weeks. They’d want to get their hands on Mackenzie and use h
er against him. Hell if he’d allow that to happen.

  Luckily the bright night sky illuminated the room where he could easily find his knives and guns and loaded himself up. He stayed in his bare feet, so not to make a sound. Cracking the door open, he carefully eyed the hallway and listened intently. Where are the men that forcefully entered his home?

  Slowly he opened the door and crept down the hallway, his back one with the wall, his gun ready to shoot anyone who crossed his path. He was going to murder every single asshole who dared to enter his house. Who scared the shit out of his woman. Fucking hell, this was his karma for flaking on the job. Never leave a stone unturned, yet he had. That fucking snake managed to slither out from underneath and bit him in the ass. His main goal and focus needed to be to behead the bastards and keep his girl out of harm's way. Tonight he couldn’t allow revenge for invading his bubble to consume him. He needed to ensure Mac’s safety.

  A floorboard creak stopped his progression. His hearing was phenomenal, always had been. The bottom of the steps, that’s the direction the noise originated.

  He made his way to the top of the stairwell, frequent glances over his shoulder to catch anyone who might sneak up on him. His foot landed on the first step and his world went dark.

  31

  Mackenzie shook uncontrollably as she crawled through the dark space. She desperately tried to remain quiet so she could hear anything, but once she’d entered the space, every noise was blocked. She had zero clue what was happening in the house.

  While she scampered down the enclosure, aware of every sound she made, she dialed Smith, just like Derk told her. Thankfully he was at the top of the contact’s list.

  “It’s three in the goddamn morning, Derk,” Smith gnarled.

  “Smith,” she whispered.

  Silence.

  “Smith.”

  “Mackenzie?” he asked, suddenly sounding awake. “What’s wrong?”

  “There are people in the house.”