Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Epilogue
Derek
(Hunter PI & Security #1)
By Sharon Cummin
Copyright © 2017 Sharon Cummin
All Rights Reserved
Warning: This story contains explicit sexual content that is not intended for those under the age of 18. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious and the age of 18 and older. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Epilogue
Prologue
Derek
After sixteen years in the military, I was going back to being a civilian. Was I going to miss my guys? Of course I was. I'd grown close to so many of them and knew that I'd stay connected to some of them for the rest of my life. They were my second family, or my first considering I spent more time with them than anyone else. When the time had come to decide to stay or leave, it was a tough decision. It was all I'd known. It was my life. I'd seen some crazy shit and been in some spots I never thought I'd make it out of. I'd watched men die only a few feet away from me, some of them mine. I'd even had to kill. I was a SEAL, and I gave it everything I had. Was I afraid? Hell yeah I was, but I knew what needed to be done, and I did it. Helping keep our great country safe was an honor. Every single person there with me would have given their life, and so would I. The day I finally decided it was time to go home, I didn't know what was going to happen. Like I said, it was everything I'd known.
Being away from my wife Jennifer all those years wasn't easy, but she'd stood by my side the entire time. She knew it was what I wanted, what I thought I needed to do for me and for her. We were high school sweethearts. She was my everything and had been since I'd first sat next to her in ninth grade. We'd been through some rough times during those four years of school, but we'd come out stronger than ever.
When I told her I wanted to join the military when I was eighteen, she wasn't thrilled, but she didn't object. My girl was awesome like that.
My parents sucked. I wasn't close to either of them. It was the opposite of her relationship with her own parents. Where hers wanted her to go to college, mine just wanted me out of the house. Neither of them were going to spend a dime on my future. My dad hadn't been around since right after I was born, and my mom had her head shoved so far up her new husband's ass. I had a three-year-old brother named Drake, but things seemed okay for him. The new guy felt different about him than he did me.
Jennifer's parents supported my decision. Without them, I don't know what I would have done. They went with us to the courthouse to get married before I left, and they made sure I got where I needed to go. Jennifer went away to college, and they paid the whole bill. Like I said, they were amazing.
I hadn't planned to stay in long, just until I could make a life for us. Year after year, I got myself in deeper. I didn't want to leave. It was where I belonged. Each time I had a decision to make, she told me her feelings on the matter, but she never tried to sway me in any way. Being a SEAL made me feel important. It felt like I was being the man she deserved.
Picking up and leaving at a moments notice got tougher as time went on though. It had been sixteen years, and I could tell it was taking a toll on both of us. Her parents had moved to California, and she'd fly out to be with them each time I left. She feared for my life, I knew she did. She tried to be strong, but I could hear the quiver in her voice when I'd call after a long time with no contact. When the time came for yet another decision, she didn't hold back.
“I want you home,” she said. “I need you with me.”
That was it, I was done. She'd never put it out there so bluntly before. She needed me. I thought I'd been giving her what she needed all along. I was being a good man, but she needed more. She needed me, and I was ready to be home with her too. Coming and going was getting to be too much. Seeing certain things was starting to overwhelm my mind. I wasn't the man I'd been before. Some things just couldn't be forgotten.
I'd never forget that day I called to tell her. She was at her parents' house. When she picked up the phone, she sounded exhausted. The second she heard my voice, she was up and smiling. I could hear the damn smile in her voice and knew I was making the right choice. No matter what I did when I got there, it wouldn't matter. I'd figure it out, but I'd do everything I could to make her happy every single day. That would be my main goal.
I'd be home and gone again, one last time, before finally getting out. I was only going to be gone three months. Then I'd be all hers. She was so damn excited, and so was I. Leaving h
er that last time was so damn hard. I was counting the days to being home with my beautiful wife for good. I couldn't wait to sleep next to her without worrying about when I'd have to leave her again. We were going to have the rest of our lives together, and neither of us could wait.
Just before I left, she'd made a huge dinner with a smile on her face the whole time. I knew something was up, but I wasn't sure what it could be. She wanted to move to California to be close to her parents. I wasn't sure about it, but what could I say? She'd been right there with me, where I wanted to be, for sixteen years, and there was nothing holding us back from going. I didn't have a job lined up yet, and we didn't plan to stay in a military town, there was no reason to. She'd gone back and forth so many times through the years. Her parents were great. I honestly had no right to say no. It was my turn to do for her like she'd done for me. If she wanted to start our new life by her parents, then we would.
By the time I called home the first time, she'd already told her folks and started house shopping. I loved hearing how happy she was. She had to have been smiling every second. By the time I called again, she'd found the perfect place. It was exactly what she wanted. When I called the third time, she rocked my world. We'd gotten the house. Of course her amazing parents were helping us. She'd already packed everything we owned, and her dad had flown in to help her. That wasn't it though. That wasn't what got me. I was going to be a father. We were going to be parents. She'd gotten pregnant while I'd been home. We hadn't been trying, but we hadn't been preventing it either. We'd both kind of come to the conclusion that it wasn't going to happen for us. Hearing it over the phone wasn't how I would have wanted it, but with being in the military, it was pretty normal. I didn't care. It didn't matter. I was just so damn happy, and so was she. Talk about counting the days, I really did after that news.
My time was up. I was going home. It wasn't exactly home, but it would be. I'd do anything for her. She was the love of my life, and I couldn't wait to see her. All I had to do was fly to California. She was already there waiting. How she pulled off moving that fast, I had no idea. All I knew was that her parents were a huge part of it. We were so damn lucky to have them. If it weren't for them, I never would have believed in love or a real family. They treated me as their own, and for that, I would be forever grateful.
Saying goodbye was rough. I was a total pussy. The guys laughed and gave me shit about it, but I didn't care. I was closing out a huge chapter of my life and starting a new one. Part of that scared the shit out of me, and the other part had me so damn excited.
When I stepped off that plane, I didn't think I could move any faster. My ass got through that airport as fast as I could. When I got off the escalator and saw her on the other side of the baggage area, my face lit up. I felt a smile cover my whole face. Our eyes connected, and she took off running. It was like a scene right out of a movie, and I didn't care. I dropped what I was carrying and opened my arms wide. She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, and hugged me so damn tight while I spun her in a circle. I felt her tears slide down my cheek and let loose a few of my own. When she slid down my body and her feet hit the floor, I pulled back and took her face in my hands.
“I'm home,” I said.
“I love you so much,” she said, with a smile so wide. “You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment.”
“I love you too,” I said. “I'm going to make you smile like that every day for the rest of my life.”
“I'm going to hold you to that,” she said with a laugh.
“I bet you will,” I said with a smile, as I covered her mouth with mine.
I was home, right where I belonged. I was so nervous, but I knew everything would be fine. We were together. We were going to have a baby. Life was perfect.
If I knew just how much my life was going to change in such a short time, I would have held her tighter, kissed her harder, and memorized every tiny detail of that moment and every one that followed.
Chapter 1
One and a Half Years Later
Derek
My baby girl had just gone to bed. The day had been long but fun. It was her first birthday. She was growing so fast. We'd taken her to the zoo to see the animals and then back home for cake. When Jenny tore into that cake, I couldn't believe it. That shit was everywhere, and my little girl laughed the whole time. She was my life, the one I lived for. I don't know what I would have done without her. Just thinking about it brought out so many emotions. I'd never been an emotional guy, but that last year had torn me up and changed the way I looked at everything.
Once my little girl was cleaned up, which wasn't a small task, I tucked her in and went down to help her grandma Jean clean up the rest of the mess. Her grandpa Joe was probably already asleep in his recliner. He'd looked just as tired as my girl did. When we were done, I made some coffee and sat down with Jean at the kitchen table.
“That was a big mess for such a little girl,” I said. “I can't believe she did that. She's always so clean when she eats.”
“It was adorable,” Jean said. “She seemed to have a good day. Jenny loved the animals, and her cake was a hit. I love watching her smile. She looks so much like both of you, but that smile is all yours, even though you don't let us see it often anymore.”
“She's the only reason I smile,” I said, as I looked down at the dark liquid in my cup. “It's been a rough year.”
“It sure has,” she said, as she reached over and covered my hand with hers. “Have you thought about what you're going to do?”
“I want to make my girl proud, I really do,” I answered.
“I know you do,” she replied softly.
“I need to do something,” I said, more to myself than to her. “You don't have to tell me to get off my ass.”
“It's not like that, Derek,” she said. “Please don't think that. I just want what's best for you. I don't like seeing you like this. You've always been so active and motivated. I don't want to see you moving through each day on auto pilot. That's not who you are. You know we love you. What do you want to do?”
“I'd like to own my own business. I'm not sure I'm cut out for working for someone else,” I answered honestly. “I'm just not sure where to start.”
“We'll help you any way you need. All you have to do is ask,” she said. “We can't help you if we don't know how to. That little girl loves you so much. You're such a good father to her.”
“She deserves the best,” I said. “I'm glad she had a good day today.”
“She must have,” Jean said with a laugh. “She didn't even make it to seven before falling asleep. Why don't you go out for a bit. Take a little time for you. I'm tired myself. I think I'll go see what Joe is watching and relax with a book.”
“You sure?” I asked.
“I am,” she said, as she stood up. “Have a little fun. You deserve it, Derek.”
She walked over, wrapped her arms around my neck, and hugged me from behind my chair.
“I just want you to be happy. I think it's time you start thinking about it,” she said. “I'll see you in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for everything. I'm so lucky to have you. Don't think I don't know that.”
“We're pretty lucky too,” she said. “Have a good night.”
I sat for a minute before getting up, putting my cup in the sink, grabbing my keys and phone, and walking out the door. I could definitely use a few minutes to myself to think about how I was going to get my shit together. Jean wasn't far off on what she'd said. I needed to do something with my life. If not for me, then for my little girl.
I pulled into the bar parking lot and parked my truck. I'd been to the same bar more times than I needed to be that year. It was the place I went to clear my head and think for a few minutes. It was the only place I knew. I never stayed long, only long enough for a drink or two. I'd met a few guys there, and they all seemed pretty cool. Some of them had families, and so
me of them had nobody. We were all a mix of one fucked up or another, but for the most part, everyone got along.
When I pulled open the big wooden door, the music hit me right away. I took a seat at the bar and was handed a beer within seconds. I told you I'd been there more times than I should have been. I said hello and looked around. None of the guys I normally found myself talking to were there, so I sat silent, listened to the music, and wrapped my fingers around the cold one in front of me. Then my mind started wandering. Jean was right, I needed to think about the future. My little girl was already one, and my ass was still home, doing nothing. It was great that I was able to be there with her, but I needed something for myself too. I needed to be able to take care of her. My savings would only last so long, and I needed to stop taking help and stand on my own two feet. I'd spent years in some very fucked up situations. I'd led men through some crazy shit. I was a damn SEAL. What the fuck was wrong with me?
My fingers moved up and down the cold wetness on the side of my bottle slowly, and I was lost in thought. When a hand grabbed my shoulder, I moved instantly. I was off my chair, with that hand in mine, as I spun it around and pulled the arm attached to it up. Then I shoved the fucker into the bar.
“Shit! What the fuck,” followed a loud yelp, and I was quickly pulled back to reality.
I let go instantly. It took a second for me to get my shit together. The guy spun back around and narrowed his eyes at me. It was Brooks. He was a damn regular at the bar, and we'd talked many times. My hands both went up, and I shook my head.
“Really,” he snapped. “What kind of hello was that shit?”
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I was fucking lost in thought and didn't hear you walk up.”
“Hey Derek didn't help to announce my entrance,” he said. “That was some crazy shit.”
“I swear I didn't hear you say my name,” I said. “I really am sorry. I've told you before about that touching my shoulder shit. Sit down. Drinks are on me.”
“Isn't that nice of you,” he said sarcastically. “That's the least you could do after trying to kill me.”
“Come on, Brooks,” I said with a smile. “You can't be that big of a pussy.”
Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1) Page 1
