“Honey, all these Doms are,” Ava replied. “It’s in their genes or something they learn at Dom school.”
“Dom school?” Jacey asked with a giggle.
“Where all Doms go to learn how to beat on a subs ass,” Holly replied wryly.
“Thank God I have Sam to run interference else Roarke would be unimaginable.”
Holly nodded at Ava’s words. Roarke did seem pretty formidable.
“Anyway, Roarke said that he’s invited you all over for dinner tonight. The men will all meet us there after we’ve finished shopping. They’re going to watch some game or something.”
“Poor Sam,” Holly said.
Ava nodded. “Sam isn’t really into sports, but he has to pretend he is or he’s scared he’ll lose his man card.”
Jacey grinned.
***
Exhausted, but happy, Jacey leaned her head back against the headrest of Ava’s town car as Max drove them to Roarke, Sam and Ava’s house, out in the suburbs.
The other girls were quiet as well, all of them tired from a long day of shopping, laughing and general silliness. It had been one of the best days of her life.
The scenery around them changed, the houses becoming larger and further apart.
“Almost home,” Ava said just as light blasted through the rear window.
“What is this guy behind us doing?” Holly asked, turning around to look. “Why doesn’t he pass us if he’s in such a hu−” her words ended on a scream as the car rear-ended them.
“What the hell!” Ava screamed.
“He’s coming again,” Holly yelled, trying to reach for her handbag. She managed to grab it just as the car behind them hit them again, sending her handbag flying as the women screamed and braced themselves.
“Hold on, ladies. I don’t think I can outrun him, but I’m going to try,” Max called back calmly.
“Damn it, I can’t reach my phone. We need to call the guys!” Holly yelled.
Jacey dug out her phone, her hand shaking as she hit Derrick’s name in her contact list. Luckily she had few contacts stored on the phone. She managed to press call just as the car hit them again, sending their car flying.
It spun across the road before rolling into a ditch.
Derrick pulled out his phone, smiling as he saw Jacey’s name appear on the screen.
“Hello, beautiful,” he greeted her.
He froze as he heard a screeching noise then loud screaming.
Then nothing.
“Jacey!” he yelled. “Jacey, answer me.”
The other men looked over at him in alarm, Roarke quickly switching off the television.
He hung up then tried calling her.
Nothing.
“Fuck!” He stood. “Something’s happened. Jacey called and I heard some crashing noises then screaming.”
The men immediately stood, faces pale as they reached for their own phones. They raced out of the house, jamming themselves into two cars.
He had no idea where the girls were, he only knew he had to get to them quickly.
***
Jacey opened her eyes with a groan. Shoot, her body hurt. What the hell happened? She looked around carefully, where was she?
Somebody moaned beside her. She turned to her right, whimpering as her head screamed in pain at the movement.
“What happened? Oh God, were we in an accident?”
She knew that voice. Holly. They’d been driving when a car had hit them. Jacey lowered her hand to her stomach. The baby!
“Ava!” she called out. The only light piercing the darkness was coming from their headlights.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a car approaching along the road.
“Did that sound like a car?” Holly asked. “Hey, help! Help!”
A queasy feeling hit her stomach and even as her body screamed in pain, Jacey reached over to Holly, placing her hand over Holly’s mouth.
“Shh, it could be the driver coming back.”
She felt Holly stiffen. Shaking, Jacey drew back, frantically trying to get her seatbelt off.
The other car had stopped, but there were no more sounds. Jacey strained, trying to hear anything. If they were good Samaritans stopping to help then why was it so quiet? Her suspicions grew.
What was she going to do? She had no way of protecting any of them.
“Holly, can you see Ava?” she whispered. Maybe if she could get the other two women could hide then she’d be able to save them.
“What’s happening?” Holly whispered back. “Oh God, Jacey, the babies. What if our babies have been hurt?”
“Holly, shh, it’s going to be fine. You just need to stay calm. The baby can sense when you’re upset. Just stay calm. Get down if you can and stay down.”
There was the sound of a car door slamming shut. Shit, he was coming.
“Holly, act dead. Don’t move. Okay?”
Just as Jacey figured the guy must be getting close when she heard another car approach. She held her breath. Then there was the sound of running and a car starting up.
Oh God. Oh God. He was leaving.
As she sat back in relief, pain washed over her. Dark spots danced in front of her eyes.
“What happened?” another voice asked.
“Ava!” Both women said with relief.
“Where am I? Why do I hurt so much?”
“Ava, we’ve been in a car crash,” Jacey said, ignoring her own pain. “Just stay calm. The guys will find us. I managed to call Derrick before we crashed.”
At least she hoped she had. The other car got closer and she nearly cried in relief as it slowed and came to a stop.
“Roarke has GPS on the car and my phone,” Ava told them. He’ll find us.”
“Jacey! Holly! Ava!”
“They already have,” she said, sighing in relief as she heard Derrick’s voice.
***
Derrick paced up and down the hospital waiting room. He was spending far too much time in hospitals lately. What was going on? Why the hell wouldn’t anyone tell them anything?
He glanced over at Brax who stood leaning against the wall, his shoulders slumped, his gaze on his feet.
Sam rested his head on Roarke’s shoulder. Their fear was plain to see in the hard lines of Roarke’s face and Sam’s utter silence. They’d managed to locate the women quickly with the help of the GPS that Roarke had on his town car. Apparently he had them on all his vehicles.
Derrick made a mental note to do the same. No way could he put up with the terror of knowing something had happened to her but having no idea of where to look.
Not that she would be leaving his line of sight for the next, oh, fifty years or so.
All of the men looked up as a doctor entered the room. He seemed a bit taken aback by the tense looks sent his way, but like a true professional, he soon rallied.
“Brax Jamieson?”
Brax stepped forward. “That’s me. Is Holly all right? What about the baby?”
Derrick stepped up beside him, his stomach clenched into a knot of worry for his sister-in-law and unborn niece or nephew.
“Ahh, perhaps you’d like to come with me and we can speak in private?”
Brax shook his head. “They’re family. You can speak in front of them.”
“Is Holly going to be all right?” Derrick asked.
“Mrs Jamieson has some bad bruising, we’re monitoring her and the baby closely. The baby appears to be fine, but we’d like to keep her overnight as a precaution.”
“Thank God,” Brax breathed. “Can I see her?”
“Yes. The best thing you can do at the moment is to keep her calm. The baby and Mrs Jamieson need reassurance that they are safe and well.”
Brax nodded, taking in every word.
“What about Ava and Jacey?” Derrick asked.
Roarke and Sam came to stand up beside them. The doctor looked down at a file. “Ava Landon? You’re Roarke Landon?”
He looked at Derrick.
“She’s mine. I’m Roarke.”
The doctor looked over at Roarke who had his arm around Sam. “Right, well, Mrs Landon has a concussion and a sprained wrist. She’s shaken and we’ll keep her overnight for observation as well.”
Roarke let out a deep breath.
“Thank you, doctor!” Sam said, swinging his arms around the doctor and lifting him into the air.
The doctor looked shocked and a little shaky as Sam let him go again.
“I’ll get a nurse to show you to their rooms when they are moved out of the E.R.”
“Wait. What about Jacey?” Derrick said as the doctor turned away. “Jacey Reynolds.”
“The other young lady who was brought in is being treated by a colleague. He’ll be along shortly.”
Derrick ground his teeth in frustration, but there wasn’t a lot he could do as the doctor left. A nurse soon arrived to show the others to Holly and Ava’s rooms.
“Go,” he told them as they looked over at him. “Don’t wait around for me.”
“I’ll come back to check on you,” Brax said.
He nodded. “Tell Holly I’ll be in as soon as I can.”
Derrick paced the room until a female doctor entered the room.
“Derrick Ashdown?” she asked.
“Yes. Jacey, is she all right?”
“She’s got some bruising and the baby was in a bit of distress when she arrived. We’ve managed to calm Ms Reynolds down, but we’re going to need to keep a close eye on her for a few days.”
“Of course, whatever you think is best. Is the baby going to be all right?”
Up until now his main focus had always been Jacey, but now with a potential risk to the baby, he found himself nearly panicking. What if something happened to the baby and there was nothing he could do?
Derrick hated feeling helpless.
“We’re doing all that we can,” the doctor told him, which wasn’t all that reassuring. “The best thing is to keep Ms. Reynolds as calm as possible, she’s still quite upset.”
“I can do that,” he said. “Can I see her?”
The doctor nodded. “Come with me.”
As Derrick walked through the doorway into Jacey’s room, he started breathing again. He’d arranged for the payment of her bill and a private room when they’d arrived at the E.R. No way was he having her share a room.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said quietly as he sat down in the chair next to her bed.
She turned her head, opening her eyes. The bruises marring her forehead stood out starkly against gray-white skin.
“Derrick.” She held out her right hand, and noticed an IV line attached. He gently clasped it tightly in his. “Derrick, I’m so scared. There was some bleeding, the baby—”
“The baby is going to be fine and so are you. I will allow nothing less.”
She smiled, even as a tear dripped down her cheek. “You’re so arrogant.”
“It’s not arrogance when you’re always right. That is something you should learn now.”
She snorted. “I don’t think so. I’ve got to stop your ego from growing any bigger.”
He raised a brow, staring down at her with mock sternness. “Now, see here, young lady, any more sass from you and you’re going to end up over my knee, with my hand turning your ass bright red.”
There was a small gasp and Derrick turned to see a blushing, young nurse standing behind them by the doorway.
“Umm, I just need to take Ms. Reynolds vitals.”
Derrick watched as the nurse took Jacey’s blood pressure and temperature. She fumbled around, sending him nervous glances every so often. Derrick worked hard to keep his face friendly and non-threatening. It didn’t help that Jacey was biting her lip, trying to prevent herself from laughing. She let out a giggle as the poor girl left. With a groan she raised her right hand to cover her ribs.
“You shouldn’t make me laugh,” she scolded.
“Me?” he said innocently. “I didn’t do anything.”
“That poor girl, she now thinks you’re a pervert.”
“You love my pervertedness.”
Jacey reached back down to grab his hand, her face growing serious. “I’m so scared. I can’t lose this baby, Derrick.”
“You won’t,” he told her fiercely. “You are going to do everything the doctor tells you. Both you and the baby are going to be fine. You will remain calm and positive and allow me to look after you both.”
“So bossy.” But there was a flicker of a smile on her face as she scolded him. “What would I do without you, Derrick?”
“You never have to find out. You’ll never be without me again. I want you to relax, baby. Let me worry about everything. You just stay calm and look after yourself and the little one.”
She sighed, relaxing back into the bed. Her eyes drifted shut as he ran his fingers through her hair.
“How did you know to come looking for us?” she asked suddenly.
“I got your phone call,” he told her. “Roarke had GPS on the car you were using. Bloody good idea.”
She opened her eyes to stare at him suspiciously. “You’re going to put them on all your cars, aren’t you?”
“You bet.”
“Don’t you think that’s overreacting?”
“I’ll do whatever is needed to keep you safe.” He meant every word. “I was so scared. What happened? Did a deer run out in front of you or something?”
“No,” she replied. “Someone tried to run us off the road. It wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate.”
Chapter Fifteen
Derrick lay back on the surprisingly comfortable reclining chair in the room and looked up at the hospital ceiling.
He ran his hand through his hair, Jacey’s words spinning through his mind. She’d told him everything she could remember about the crash. Someone had tried to run the girls off the road. Then they’d come back to finish the job. If that other car hadn’t come along… he swallowed.
He could have lost her. Could have lost the baby. Holly. Ava.
Christ. Why would someone try to hurt them?
Jacey knew. He could tell by the haunted look on her face. She thought this had something to do with her husband. He clenched his hands.
He would have questioned her further, but a different nurse had entered the room, telling him that Jacey had to rest. He could see the exhaustion on her face and knew that the best thing she could do right now was get some sleep.
So as Jacey slept, Derrick lay back on the chair the nurse had found for him and stared at the ceiling, worrying. There had been no way he was leaving her. No way in hell. In the morning he’d arrange for round the clock security for all the women. He’d also question Roarke about his driver, who had been released from hospital with just a couple of bruises.
Derrick wondered how long Jacey needed to stay in the hospital. He wouldn’t go against doctor’s orders but if someone were trying to harm her then the best place he could protect her was at his house.
What he didn’t understand is why Jacey’s husband would he want to harm her. Maybe kill her? Because he was angry that she’d gotten away from him?
What if it wasn’t about Jacey?
He knew that Roarke, Sam and Brax were staying with Ava and Holly for the night. The women would be protected tonight. Tomorrow he would find out exactly what was going on.
***
Jacey woke up disorientated and in pain. She blinked, looking around. White on white on white. The smell of disinfectant hit her nose as well as the noise of people moving around and talking.
Hospital. Accident. The baby.
She reached down to cover her stomach.
“Jacey? Hey, you’re awake.” Derrick looked down at her, a smile on his tired face. His hair was sticking out at all angles, looking more rumpled than she’d ever seen him. In fact, she didn’t think she’d ever seen him with a wrinkle in his clothes. He always managed to look like he’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
“Derrick, the baby? Is it okay?”
“The doctor will be in soon,” he reassured her. “They’re going to do an ultrasound and check on the baby.”
“Okay, okay, that’s good. Derrick,” she grabbed his hand, staring up at him urgently. “There are things I need to tell you, things I should have told you before, but I thought I was protecting you. He’s found me. He’s coming after me.”
“Jacey, shh, I know we need to talk and we will.” He gave her a stern look. “But I want you to remain calm right now. Once the doctor’s been in, I’m going to go and check in with the others. I’ve arranged for security, they’ll be here within the hour. I don’t want you worrying, understand?”
“Holly, Ava, are they okay? Holly’s baby?”
“They’re fine. In fact, they’re probably going home today. Ava had a bit of a concussion and they wanted to keep an eye on Holly’s baby, but everything looks to be okay.”
“Thank God.” She relaxed back onto the bed, some of the tension leaving her face. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to them. It was my worst nightmare. I was so scared something would happen to you, that I never considered anyone else. Now I realize I should have told you. We all could have died.” Tears welled in her eyes.
Derrick cupped her cheeks between his palms. “Baby, it’s going to be all right. I promise. I’ll make sure of it.”
***
Derrick knocked on Holly’s hospital room door before opening it and stepping inside. Brax glanced up, his face tired and lined with stress.
“Derrick,” Holly said with a smile. She was pale, but her eyes lit up when she saw him.
“Hey, love, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
She attempted to sit up and Brax immediately jumped to his feet, holding her shoulders down.
“Lie down, Holly.”
“Brax, I’m tired of lying down. I need to move around. The doctor said I’m fine, now let me up.”
Brax growled under his breath, but relented and handed her the controls for the bed.
“What exactly did the doctor say?” Derrick asked, sitting on a chair and grabbing hold of her hand.
Just For You, Sir (Doms of Decadence) Page 13