Derrick's Choice (Titan Security Book 1)

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  I hadn’t been able to go back to stay at my apartment. Every time I was there, I’d want to look over at Derrick’s window in hopes of seeing him typing away at his computer or watching me. All I saw now was darkness—a place without an owner—and my heart failing to feel anything anymore. I was thankful my uncle took me in, offering me a room to stay in until I could get myself together. He invited my parents over, trying to get me to talk with them, but I wanted to be left alone, allowed to wallow in my self-pity while they caught up on old times.

  Dad had been furious to know his brother was alive and living only a couple hours away. He understood the reasoning behind everything, but felt hurt. When he called their parents, they were ecstatic to know their beloved Jesse was alive and well and had made quite a name for himself with military technology. They planned to fly down, having moved to the Atlanta area years ago to retire, and meet up with everyone within the next month when all of their schedules aligned. I think if my grandmother had her way, she would’ve flown down that night. My uncle offered to send his plane for them, but they declined his offer, citing small planes made them a bit nervous. I guess they’d have to see his plane in person to realize just how well off he’d become.

  My memories drifted back to the day of the shooting, when Derrick’s dad arrived at the hospital. Uncle Jesse had been treated and released with only a flesh wound. He’d sat with me as we tried to get information on Derrick’s condition, but no one would tell us anything since we weren’t family. Rick tried to give me as many details as possible, but his father was being an asshole and blocking his attempts whenever possible. I did hear one nurse mention the medicine Rick had administered, along with packing the stomach wound, had potentially saved Derrick’s life. Without that medicine and equipment in their medical kit, he wouldn’t have made it to the hospital in time to operate.

  Mr. Caldwell wanted to attack Khalid the moment he’d seen him. Rick had to hold him back and let my uncle explain everything that had happened. The Titan team who’d been here in Tampa defended us, citing that Winston Voleur, a.k.a. Devlin Stansbury, a.k.a. Marque Diable Maléfique was the culprit. After we’d all explained in full detail, Mr. Caldwell turned his aggression toward my uncle and me, telling us it was our fault his son was here.

  Rick’s crew had located their guy Jasper, who’d been forced to work for Voleur because of threats placed against his family. Jasper had been beaten up and pretty much left for dead, but they’d managed to get to him in time and reassured him his mom and sister were safe and his job would be too. When Jasper saw me, all he could offer was: “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

  I nodded and smiled meekly at him in understanding. “I know.” It wasn’t his fault; Voleur had played us all. He’d outsmarted Titan Security and found someone with a weakness, one he could control to his liking.

  The first seventy-two hours after surgery were touch and go for Derrick. Mr. Caldwell refused to allow me to sit with Derrick and talk to him, until Uncle Jesse, Rick, and the doctor all cornered him, saying my voice may give Derrick the will to fight. I was allowed only twenty minutes at a time to let him know I was there and that I needed him to be okay. It scared me when his heart stopped once, but they were able to revive him. The biggest concern was blood clots, but the time frame for that passed, and his condition started to stabilize; although, he was still in a coma, so Mr. Caldwell insisted on moving Derrick closer to Orlando, where he could keep an eye on him.

  I tried going to Orlando to visit with my parents, but more importantly, to visit with Derrick. To my surprise, no one knew where he was at, not even Rick. That bastard father of his had hidden his first born away where no one could find him, citing Derrick only needed his father and no one else. He’d gone to the extreme of telling me I was nothing more than a tool used by his son, “a good fuck toy” as he called it. I’d never been so hurt in all my life. He’d made me question Derrick’s professed love for me.

  No wonder he had ill will toward his dad. When Derrick had explained the issues surrounding my uncle, he’d also told me how his father always tried to control every aspect of his life…and now he was doing it again, not taking into account what Derrick wanted, what would make him happy.

  All I could do was wait and hope that the knowledge of my love would be enough to pull him through.

  My uncle called me back to work, saying he needed my knowledge to finish up a couple of projects; after all, I’d been the one mainly working on them. I went to work every day like a zombie, doing my job and returning to my uncle’s house where I’d lock myself in my room and cry myself to sleep.

  Today, I was supposed to be at work early. Uncle Jesse was going to announce my new position as Manager of the Aerospace Engineering Department and introduce the new Vice President he’d hired to be his right-hand man. I just hoped this one wouldn’t be a nut case.

  I still hadn’t heard a word from Derrick, but I’d kept in touch with Rick. We’d grown quite fond of talking with one another, and I’d really hit it off with his girlfriend Tiffany. It was nice to have someone else who was a submissive to talk with.

  My mind was wandering as my uncle announced my promotion. I heard the clapping all around and nodded and smiled appropriately. Then an audible gasp ran through the employees. “Now I’d like you to meet your new Vice President. He really doesn’t need much of an introduction, since you’re all familiar with him. Right, Derrick?”

  I could feel my body shaking as I turned around and saw him. He was okay! He was right behind me, smiling from one ear to the next with his arms outstretched. “Come here, love.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I literally ran into his arms. I couldn’t help the tears streaming down my face as his arms enveloped me with his warmth. Everyone clapped for us, but all I heard was his breath near my ear as he whispered, “I’ve missed you. I promised I’d keep watch over you, and I have been for a while now, thanks to your uncle.”

  I was speechless. I tried to ask the questions, but Derrick seemed to know what I needed to hear, “I heard what my father did, what he said to you. He was a jackass, but my mother finally set him straight, and he’s on a tight leash now.” Derrick pulled back just a little, a smug smile on his face, “I’ll let you in on a little secret: my mom’s the Domme in their marriage.”

  Holy shit! I couldn’t wait to meet the woman who could control his father. She needed a freaking medal to put up with his crap.

  He went on to elaborate, “Mom wasn’t happy when she found out I’d fallen in love and Dad tried to block it. She wants to meet you soon since you’ll have lots to talk about. She’s already met your mother—they’re actually good friends, have been for years.”

  Okay, why was he telling me all this. “I wanted to get back to you, but I needed time to heal. The bullet Voleur put in me took out one of my kidneys and ricocheted against some bones, causing fragments that needed to be removed. I only got released from the hospital a week and a half ago.”

  “But why not contact me? Why wait?” I was hurt that he didn’t love me enough to get in touch.

  My uncle wrapped his arms around both of us and guided us into one of the private offices nearby to continue our discussion, having already dismissed everyone else back to work. “I’ll give you two some privacy to sort things out.”

  As soon as the door closed behind my uncle, Derrick grabbed both of my wrists, shoving them behind my back and securing them with the tie I just noticed he’d removed. “You’ll do wise to listen to me, sweetness. I wanted to be here. I tried everything in my power to get to you, but everything was conspiring against me.”

  My brows furrowed trying to figure out what he was talking about. “When I came to, I discovered my body was fighting off an infection. I went through fevers, chills, and bouts of delirium and rage. I wanted to get to you no matter what, but kept ripping the stitches and causing further damage. They had to keep me sedated in order to get things under control.

  “The infection finally
faded, and I was released from the hospital. I had hoped to come to you, but I was pulled into the local government headquarters to get debriefed by my father and several top-ranking government officials, since this ended up being a matter of national and worldwide security. The only thing I can say, with some certainty, is that all of Diable’s accounts have been shut down in an attempt to prevent another individual from taking on the persona and continuing on with their misguided principles.”

  I nodded. “So no more Diable?”

  He smiled. “No. Voleur, Stansbury, whatever the hell you want to call him, will hopefully be the last.”

  “The debriefing took longer than expected, over a week. During that time, my father was insistent that I follow in his footsteps and start taking over some portions of Titan Security. He’d apologized for all the names he’d called me when he thought I’d let your uncle die. He’d even called me a genius for creating such a ruse to draw Diable out.”

  My heart began beating faster, wondering if Derrick was leading up to him leaving. I asked with a quivering voice, “Are you taking the offer?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “No. I had my mother with me when I approached my dad, letting him know that my heart has never truly been 100% in the security business. While I enjoy the occasional challenge and watching over those that I care about, I find the work I’ve done for your uncle most rewarding, that’s why I accepted Voleur’s old position. I like being able to create something from nothing, to improve upon existing designs, and to just let my mind think outside the box for once. I’m ready to chart my own course.”

  It was nice to see him talk so animatedly about the life he envisioned. I’d never seen him so full of life as he was now. “And how did your dad take it?”

  He began moving me back against the edge of a desk, lifting the edges of my dress up and slipping his hands underneath. “Mmm you’re wet for me.” His words caught me off guard, as his hands started pulling at my underwear before ripping them into shreds and tossing them over his shoulder.

  Derrick landed a small kiss on the side of my neck before nipping at my skin, making me moan. How he could think coherently enough to finish his story was beyond me, but he picked up where he’d left off, “Dad pitched a fit, but my mom brought him to heel. We both insisted the main headquarters for Titan Security, not just a branch location, should be in Orlando where Rick can start the proceedings of slowly transitioning into the lead while my father continues to work another ten years or so before phasing out and enjoying some time off in retirement.”

  “What about Mr. Prescott?” I wasn’t sure where this left him and his family. I gasped as he lifted me up on the desk, spreading my legs and stepping between them.

  “I talked with him and let him know I was torn between doing what was right and doing what was in my heart. He understood and told me to enjoy my new career. Rick is working between the two companies for now, building up one of Prescott’s men to take over for Prescott when the time’s right. Because he gave us both our first jobs out of the service, he and his family will always have our protection, whenever needed, whether it be individually or as part of Titan. We’ll always have his back.” His tongue trailed a line from my jaw, across my shoulders, and down to the edges of my breasts before he nipped at one of my peaks hiding underneath the material.

  He reached for his belt and then his zipper, undoing his pants and revealing he’d gone commando underneath. He positioned his cock at my entrance, nudging through the moist folds. His face was all smiles as he pulled back and added, “Mr. Prescott asked that I be sure to send him an invitation.”

  Before I could ask what he was talking about, he went back to discussing his brother, “Rick has asked if I’ll act in an advisory capacity for Titan, helping to train some new recruits from time to time and helping him get a feel for who’s who and what their strengths are…but that’ll have to wait until after our double wedding. The Prescotts, your parents, and the Lombardis all want to be there.”

  He was purposefully trying to confuse me. He knew he had my hands tied behind my back, and I couldn’t go anywhere with him against me on the desk. The head of his dick held firmly at my entrance, waiting. I took a deep breath in and finally asked, “What are you talking about?”

  One of his arms wrapped around my waist pulling us closer together, nudging his erection a little further inside, while the other held the nape of my neck, allowing his lips to hover a hair’s breadth away from mine. “Marry me?” His lips crashed down hard over mine as he fully sheathed himself inside me.

  My mind was completely obliterated. He knew he could get his way with me, the bastard. He knew sex was my weakness. His thrusts were frantic. “I’m sorry this is going to be fast and quick, but I’ve missed being inside this pussy, owning it as mine. I need to reclaim you, love. Say you’ll marry me, be mine permanently, forever.”

  He had me right on the precipice of my orgasm, and I could tell by the way his forehead was sweating and his body shaking that he was just barely containing his own. He thrust into me one more time, when I yelled out, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. I’m yours forever, Derrick.”

  Our lips crashed against one another swallowing each other’s moans as we both came together. I knew Derrick, my Master, meant the world to me. This past month without him had nearly broken my soul. But this…I finally felt I could breathe again. I felt whole.

  We were both breathless when we pulled apart, our foreheads leaning against one another. “I missed you, sweetness. Were you serious about being my wife?”

  Feeling satiated for the first time in forever, I smiled. “I missed you more, Master. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, as long as we’re together.”

  He untied my hands and brought them around, kissing my wrists where his tie had left an impression. I thought he’d pull up his pants and let me down from the desk that was now dripping with the evidence of our encounter, but he shook his head when I tried to move. “We’re not done, darlin’. We’re going one more round before I take you back to my place and spend the next few days deep inside you—where I belong.”

  I watched in wonder as he removed his blazer. In all the hurry to get inside me, he’d failed to take it off. He handled it carefully, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a couple of items. The longer item was placed on the desk, while the smaller one he held in his hand and got down on one knee before me. “I had a talk with your parents while I was in Orlando. I asked their permission for your hand in marriage and got their blessing. Your dad actually seemed relieved that a former military man would be watching over you to keep you safe.”

  “Since you’ve already accepted, this is just a formality. I’m holding you to that ‘yes’, even if it was given in the throes of passion.” He opened up the ring box to reveal a heart-shaped two-carat diamond, with an intertwined band coming up on both sides and forming into one around the diamond—just as our lives came from differing sides and formed together as one in life.

  He grabbed hold of my hand, kissing the top of it as he slipped the ring onto my third finger, where it’d stay for eternity. He reached over to the other box he had set next to me. “I know our journey into the realm of kink has only just started, but you already know most of the ins and outs of the BDSM lifestyle, having grown up around it. I don’t just want you for my wife, but also as my submissive. I want to bring you to heights you haven’t even begun to imagine. I’d like to continue to play with you in the club and even more in our bedroom at home. You already call me Master, but can we make it official that I belong only to you and you belong only to me, that no one will ever touch what’s mine?” He opened the case to reveal what some would think was a necklace, but I knew was a collar. My mother had one similar to all the Prescott and Lombardi women, only a bit daintier than theirs. Now I was looking at one with both diamonds and aquamarine gems the color of my eyes interlaced through the infinity links.

  I nodded as he rose to his feet, removed the collar from the box and pl
aced it around my neck. “To everyone who knows our lifestyle, they’ll see this as my claim on you both in and out of the club. When we play at Rapture, you’ll wear your other collar—the one with my initials—but everywhere else, I’d be honored for you to wear this.”

  His hands moved down to my legs, pulling me to the edge of the desk, as he pressed against my center, thrusting into me with force and causing me to gasp. “Now, where were we?”

  I laughed. “Gee, you get right to the point, don’t you?”

  “Maybe that head,” he motioned down toward his dick, now buried deep within me, “likes pointing your way. I just want to savor what I’ve missed.” He leaned in, nipping the side of my neck as he whispered, “Think of a date and make it soon. My brother and I are anxious to marry you and Tiffany. We don’t want to wait longer than a month or two.”

  His hips began to move, and my mind was lost to him, to us, only living in the moment, loving each other completely.

  Our honeymoon was in Fiji, courtesy of Jesse’s uncle, Mr. Bradford. He’d been so thankful for my and Rick’s help that he let us use his private plane and set each of us up with high-end hotel accommodations. It had been two of the best weeks of my life.

  Jesse was really opening up to everything about our preferred lifestyle. When I’d promised to take her every way a man can possibly take a woman, well, we’d finally completed that list on our honeymoon. I’d opened the doors for my little minx and found her just as insatiable as I am. I truly had found my match in life and in love.

  I’d never imagined myself settling down and getting married, but once I’d found the right woman—someone who complemented and completed me—I couldn’t wait any longer. I’d managed to get Jesse to agree to marry me within the month. Tiffany agreed with the date we’d picked, and together the Bradfords and the Prescotts began to plan our weddings. Mr. Prescott insisted on us having it at his property, his wife taking care of all the details—all that left us with was to get our tuxes and our brides to pick out their dresses.