"How did I get so lucky to be loved by two beautiful creatures," she whispered more to herself than to him.
Derrick gave her a warm smile. A smile reserved for only her.
Sean stalked back into the room. "They're going to release her within fifteen minutes."
She smiled tiredly at her cousins. "I love you both so much."
Ryan's body relaxed when he stepped up beside her. "I love you, too, sis. I don't know what I would have done if you'd been in that car."
"Why weren't you in that car, Court?" Sean asked.
"I was mooning over a diamond necklace in the store window next to the baby shop. Darren loaded the bags into the car." Her lip quivered but was unable to hold in her tears. "He was laughing at me and told me I could stare at it online."
Horrified, Derrick couldn't believe Courtney's fate. For once she indulged and admired a diamond necklace, and that ended up saving her life.
***
When Courtney stepped through the front entrance of the house, Darren's scent hit her full force. She collapsed into Sean's arms. That wonderful aroma consumed her. She wouldn't be able to get away from the smell. It would be a constant reminder of her now dead husband.
“Court, do you want to lie down,” Sean asked.
She shook her head, choking on her tears. “I can’t be in our bedroom without him.”
Pulling away from her cousins, she looked at Derrick, a spitting image of his brother. She flung herself into his arms and sobbed into his chest.
“Shhh, it’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” Derrick whispered. His grip was tight as he held her against his hard chest and led her to the sofa.
Ryan entered the room with a glass of water. He handed her a tiny pill to help take the edge off her nerves.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to take those.”
“You must, Court. For your baby. You're too worked up, please,” Ryan begged.
Derrick knelt down in front of her. Silent, large tears continued to roll down her face. Derrick brushed them away. He leaned up and kissed her chastely. "I love you and that baby you're carrying, Courtney. It's us now. We have each other to lean on through this. We'll take care of one another. But I need you to care for this baby. For us."
He grasped her hand and squeezed.
"Promise?" she whispered.
"Always," he vowed. "Get some rest, sweetheart," he ordered.
He stood, kissed her cheek and allowed Sean and Ryan to temporarily dote on her.
Derrick
When Derrick stepped into the kitchen to snag a moment alone, he braced himself against the island. For the first time that day he processed that his brother had been killed. And his sister-in-law managed to ward off death. A part of him wanted to mourn the loss of his best friend, but the other part, the part he allowed all to see, wanted revenge. For his brother. For himself. For Courtney. For his parents and sister. For all the men that worked under Darren. And for his brother's unborn child. A tear escaped down his face. He angrily swiped at the damn thing. He couldn't allow himself to show weakness, even for his brother.
He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his cell phone. He needed to call his parents before they watched evening news. He did not want them finding out over the television that their youngest son had been murdered.
Chapter 19
Derrick
Darren's home somberly bustled with his men and their wives, his own family, and Courtney's family. Not much noise, sounds consisted mainly of sniffling, quiet sobs, and murmurs.
Everyone who visited took their turns keeping a watchful eye on Courtney. Food was pushed upon her, decaf tea, bottled water, but it all remained untouched. She'd shut down. Seated in the corner of sofa, she stared off at nothing in particular, with not a hint of life behind those blue eyes. As Darren's wife, she was expected to greet those who stopped by her home to pay their respects. But she wasn't capable of holding down any form of conversation. Every so often a tear would slide down her cheek and land on her chest but not a peep came from her.
Darren's parents were distraught and Diane sobbed into her husband's chest. They tried to understand what had happened, but couldn't comprehend why their son had met his demise. They were well aware of Darren's business but had been under the impression he was well protected.
Acting as her personal security, Courtney's parents, Sean, and Ryan took guard over her. They allowed her to get into her own mind and grieve but refused to leave her side.
Derrick continuously checked in on Courtney. He would kneel before her, caress her tear stained face, and ask her how she was doing. Did she need anything?
Unable to speak, she would only shake her head.
Now Derrick stood in the kitchen with Jack, Carl, and a couple of the territory managers.
"I want it known right now that everything remains as it has under Darren. I will be taking over, and trust me when I say, I will be far worse to deal with than Darren ever could if anyone looks at Courtney crossed-eyed," he said, his features dark and dangerous.
"But you aren't Courtney's husband," the Eastern territory manager stated factually and arrogantly.
Derrick stiffened, the muscles in his jaw flexing.
"And Darren insisted that I make certain Derrick is put in charge," Courtney said, surprising everyone.
All heads whipped the direction of the doorway. She cautiously approached Derrick, who protectively wrapped his arm around her.
"Darling, you should be resting," he said.
"I'll be fine as soon as this is settled." She turned back to the manager, narrowing her eyes. "Derrick will now be the one in charge. According to Darren's will, I name a new head and that is Derrick. He's now in charge. Does anyone have a problem with that?" she challenged.
They all shook their heads, stunned by Courtney's interference.
"Good, but just in case anyone does have a problem, they can speak to me about their issues. I'll always open my door for anyone to walk through," Courtney said. She turned on her heels to leave the kitchen, but stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Although, that doesn't mean they will be leaving through that door...alive."
She left the kitchen and approached her cousin. "Sean, I'm going to bed."
He bolted up off the couch. "Okay, sweetheart, let me help you upstairs."
"Do you want me to come with you, Court?" Derrick said from behind her.
Courtney startled, unaware he'd followed her. "Finish your business."
"I won't be long, honey," he said.
He kissed her on the cheek and watched her like a hawk walk upstairs with her cousin. He went back to the kitchen needing a plan in place to protect Courtney and find his brother's killer before any more damage could be done.
"What she said." Essentially, Courtney just ended all conversations regarding who was in charge of the family and crowned him king.
***
Two hours later Derrick stepped into Courtney’s bedroom. He never meant to take that long but had too many phone calls on leads to follow up regarding his brother’s premature death.
Lounging on either side of Court, her cousins gazed at the television that was kept at a low volume. Both men quietly and stealthily crawled out of the bed.
"Did you give her something?" Derrick asked.
"We had to," Ryan shamefully admitted.
"She was too hysterical crawling into bed. She's clinging to Darren's pillow right now." Sean nodded towards her. Sure enough, a pillow tucked under her head, her face was buried as if taking in her husband’s scent.
Derrick nodded. Unfortunately he agreed with that course to keep her calm.
"We're going to go home unless you need us to stay. Ryan will be back first thing in the morning. I work tomorrow," Sean said regretfully.
"No, go. You both must be exhausted," Derrick said.
They all stepped into the hallway.
"We talked about it and want to make arrangements to deliver the baby here when the time comes," Ryan said. "There'
s some unused equipment the hospital can loan us. We can easily turn one of the spare bedrooms into a hospital room."
"I agree. Thank you," Derrick said grateful. How appreciative was he that her cousins were just as overprotective of her.
"Take care of yourself and Courtney," Ryan said gruffly.
"I will."
Derrick didn't bother to see Sean and Ryan out. Plenty of security surrounded the home to make sure they found their way out. Until the person who made the hit on his brother was found, the Murphy home would be on lockdown from outsiders. His men knew to vet anyone who came knocking. Sean and Ryan were on the short list of approved visitors.
Down the hall, Derrick stepped into the spare bedroom and switched on the overhead light. God, his entire body and mind felt drained. Exhausted, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on a large plush chair in the corner. Yanking off his tie, he threw it over the jacket. He found a pair of lounge pants in the chest of drawers, stripped out of his suit, and slid into those pants.
Courtney had insisted on keeping a complete bedroom set up for him with suits, shoes, casual clothing, and sleepwear. Often he stayed the night and she’d expressed that there was no reason for him to get up early to go back to his place to shower and dress. Randomly one day, she had insisted he check out the room and gave him a tour of all she purchased for him to stay the night comfortably. He’d been humbled at that fact she took time to cater to him.
Obviously he held a special place in her heart but how would that transfer into a relationship between them? They were now bound together through blood and family loyalty. Neither had a choice. Yes, he’d been madly in love with her for years, but he prayed she understood the position they were forced into to keep her safe. He hoped someday she would love him as much in return.
Derrick crawled into the California king and closed his eyes. Visions of his younger brother slammed into him. A gaping hole in his heart opened further. His brother, his best friend was gone. It had always been a realm of possibility, but they’d protected Darren. Always. They'd slipped up.
Darren had allowed his love for his wife to interfere with his business. Lately he’d tended to end his day early, wouldn’t enforce runs or collections, and gave his men passes when underachieving. Derrick fully understood why. Courtney could make a man lose his sense of reality in her presence. That was a trap he was going to have to concentrate on not falling into. He couldn’t allow his love for her to alter business decisions.
Sighing, he wiped a single tear that had escaped his left eye. A vivid high school memory came to mind as if it happened yesterday.
Senior night for Derrick and he noticed Darren had been unusually quiet all day. They had their pictures taken together, Darren and him in their blue and gold football uniforms and Diane in her cheerleader uniform. After their victory, their parents had gone home. Darren and he headed towards the car they shared when his little brother stopped.
"What am I going to do without you here?" Darren asked, looking dejected.
Derrick furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"
"What am I going to do?" Darren asked again.
Derrick studied his brother, leaned on the roof of the car, and crossed his arms.
"Darren, you'll be fine. You don't need me around. What you do need is to find your own identity, not be Derrick's little brother. Rule the damn school." He waved dismissively to the dark building that during the day screamed with high school kids. He smirked. "Get laid. A lot. You won't have to worry about getting my rejects."
Darren scoffed. "As if. I have my own line."
Derrick chuckled. "You'll be okay. Just keep up your grades so you can come to college with me."
Darren sighed and nodded.
Diane sashayed up the parking lot in her uniform. "What the hell are you two lover-brothers doing? You were supposed to pick me up at the gate. I've been waiting forever."
Derrick rolled his eyes. "You have not been waiting. Don't be overdramatic. Let's go home before Mom and Dad worry."
Thinking back, it occurred to him that was the moment he realized how much Darren leaned on him. That knowledge made him swell with pride.
Little did he know that tiny bit of advice would propel Darren to thrive and gain the confidence to start and run an empire that consumed the entire Northeast.
Chapter 20
Derrick
Cozy warm, Derrick stirred out of his light slumber. His muscular arm clung to the softest of skin while a familiar scent wrapped around him. He jerked awake, his eyes flew open to find Courtney sleeping on her side, situated into his body, her back to his front.
When had she crawled into bed with him?
His heart clenched for her. She wasn’t able to sleep in her marital bed without her husband. He reached around her and swept her askew hair off her face. She looked so peaceful. Softly he kissed her cheek then slid his hand around her pregnant belly. He was surprised when he felt the baby kick against his palm. He hadn't known the baby moved that much. Courtney and Darren never said a word. Keeping his hand in place, he relished the sensation of the baby tumbling underneath his large hand.
How was she sleeping through this movement?
He relaxed back against the pillow and buried his nose into Courtney’s sprawled out hair. He felt something stir within him while he held her in his arms. The overwhelming need to protect her and her baby engulfed him. He'd always wanted her. She managed to suck him into her natural essence of femininity, love, and devotion. How Darren lost his edge with Courtney he couldn't fathom, because the urge to go all out caveman over her was rapidly consuming him. Not that he considered that a horrible state. It would make certain he never left Courtney. Permanently.
Courtney
A forceful kick to the ribs painfully woke Courtney. Her eyes flew open.
Darren.
Reality of yesterday's nightmare struck her hard. Tears spilled over and hit the pillow. Rolling onto her back, she felt her chest constrict, like a vice squeezing her chest.
The bed sank and a gentle finger wiped at the tears. Derrick leaned down and kissed her forehead. Knowing he was here for her gave her something to hang onto. She reached for his hand. He wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed reassuringly.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
Courtney shook her head.
"You need to eat, sweetheart. For the baby," he said softly but firmly.
His dark chocolate eyes held her. Derrick would bring something different to her life. His no nonsense demeanor would prevent her from any type of hurt again. Those dark, piercing aware and alert eyes saw everything. Derrick's skeptical personality didn't trust anyone but himself.
"Okay," she agreed.
Derrick gave her a small smile. "Good."
After helping her up out of bed, they left the spare bedroom. Derrick stopped at her bedroom and went inside to retrieve her silk robe. He helped her into the garment.
Darren had bought her these gowns when her baby bump outgrew her usual nightgowns. He'd been attracted to her pregnant body in the smooth sleepwear.
Derrick brushed his lips on her bare shoulder. "I don't like the men seeing you in your nightgown," he admitted. "From now on, only me," he softly ordered.
"Staking your claim already?" Courtney teased.
He cocked a censorious eyebrow in return. About to make a smartass retort, she clamped her mouth shut.
He was serious. Huh? Did he have a right to be?
With the subject dropped, Derrick placed his hand on the small of her back and led her downstairs to the already busy home. They stepped into the kitchen where Jack, Carl, and a few other men gathered drinking coffee. The room stood eerily silent. All lost in their own, mournful thoughts. It was the first time she'd seen Jack since she lost Darren.
Jack
"Mrs. Murphy," Jack said, his voice filled with regret and sorrow. He felt solely responsible for Darren's death. He shadowed his boss everywhere. But Darren had managed to talk Jack into
taking the day off. He'd wanted to spend special alone time with his wife choosing new baby furniture. Their conversation had rattled through Jack's mind all night.
"Jack, I'm taking Courtney to the baby furniture store downtown today," Darren said. He took a sip of his coffee, not looking up from the newspaper.
"'K, Boss. What time you want to go?" he asked.
Darren shook his head. "I'll be taking Mrs. Murphy myself, Jack. Take the day off. I want to be alone with Courtney."
He hesitated, not thrilled with the plan.
"It will be all right, Jack. It's one day," Darren assured him.
He nodded tightly. "Okay, Boss, but if you change your mind‒"
"You'll be the first to know," Darren finished.
"I guess it's Ms. now, Jack," Courtney said.
Every single man gasped.
Jack approached her, tears swimming in his eyes. He blinked, desperately trying to hold them at bay. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Murphy," he said, refusing her title. "I can't even begin to...I don't...I can't...I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you need, whatever. I don't care." The tears escaped his eyes. He roughly wiped at them. "If...if..."
He'd been with Darren since the kid had been in college. He'd done his first collections. He'd given him advice on how to get his business up and started and personally through the kid's depression stage. He'd kept Darren's secret from his parents. He'd had Darren's back since day one. Darren was like a son to him, not a boss.
Surprising Jack, Courtney snaked her arms around his large frame. He couldn't help but bury his head into her hair and wrap himself around her. His big body shook from his silent cries. And the terrific woman that she was, she held him, allowing him to wallow in his grief. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, but he needed it. Darren trusted him and Carl to watch his back. No one else was bestowed that honor.
When Jack pulled away, Courtney took his hands. "I would never blame you," she said. "Darren wanted the day to be about the two of us and our baby. I understand that he can be very persuasive." She snorted. "I personally know he can be."
The Boss's Love Page 20