“Sorry to hear that. It should be good things ahead when you come out,” I said.
“Guess I could say the same for you,” he replied.
“Nothing I can do. The past is in the past. I can't change any of it,” I said. “So, you want to work here?”
“I'm not so sure about that now,” he said with a laugh. “I didn't know you would be my boss. Working with your ass again might just be too much for me to handle.”
“Fuck you,” I snapped.
“He's awesome,” Taylor said in my defense.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. “You're just kissing my ass because you brought him here without asking me.”
“I did not bring him here,” he said. “I told you, he showed up on his own.”
I shook my head and laughed.
“I was thinking about bringing in a new guy, but I wasn't sure,” I said. “The job is yours if you want it, Walker.”
“I think I do,” Walker said with a smile.
“Welcome to the team,” I said with a grin. “This is going to be fun. You were my boss for a time, and now I'll be yours.”
“That's exactly what I was talking about,” he said with a shitty look.
“I'm just fucking with you, man,” I said. “I'm glad you're here.”
Just like that, the team grew. I knew what it was like to start over after leaving the military. There was no way I wasn't giving one of my own what was given to me, a chance at a new start.
Chapter 5
Six Months Later
Derek
So much had happened in such a short time. Business was great. We had enough work to keep Taylor, Walker, Brooks, and myself busy with cases. Drake stayed at the office, and there was more than enough work for him there. He was doing great things to make our lives easier as well as making the company look good. Our damn schedules were packed, and none of us were home any more than before. I couldn't complain though. We were getting more and more calls that didn't involve cheating spouses, and for that I was thrilled. We still took those cases, just not as often.
Something happened that rocked all of our worlds, we lost Gabe. I couldn't believe it. The guy was so young and had so much to offer the world. It was a sad day and months following. When Doug called me, I went straight to his office. It wasn't just business, I'd become friends with both of them. He took off for Michigan to help Gabe's sister with the funeral. I knew that wasn't easy for him. Not only had he lost his best friend and business partner, but he was also going back to a place he definitely didn't want to go to. Doug actually worked for Gabe, but you'd never know that unless they told you. Those two guys made every company decision together. After Doug got back and a tiny bit of time had gone by, they began planning a memorial at work since nobody else could make it to Michigan. Gabe deserved an amazing send off. He really was a great man.
Gabe had definitely done great things. He'd grown his company so much since he'd moved it into the bigger building, and he had the rest of the place filled with renters. He'd even traded in that beat up car for a Mustang, a Ferrari, and a Challenger. The Challenger was the one he was driving when he lost control of his car that day. He was awesome and cared about every single person that worked for him. I would never forget the chance he'd given me. It had truly turned my life around, and I would be forever thankful.
When Doug showed up in my office just days after returning from Michigan, I was shocked. The tension written on his face was something else. I'd never seen anything shake Doug before, not like that. He sat down in the chair in front of my desk and put his head in his hands.
“You okay?” I asked.
He shook his head but didn't lift it. After a few minutes of staring at him, unsure of what to do, he finally spoke.
“She's coming here,” he said.
“Who?” I asked.
“Gabby is,” he answered, as he lifted his head. “Gabe's sister.”
I was pretty good at reading people, and that man had a million emotions running through him all at once. Then I thought back to the conversation in the bar when I met him and Gabe, and I had to fight back a laugh. Oh, there was definitely something there.
“She's coming here?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “She'll be here for six months. Then her ass will be gone for good. She will be in Gabe's office and wherever else she wants to be during that time. I knew you'd need to know.”
“How?” I asked.
“That fucker put it in his will. We have to work and live together,” he said stretching out the word live much longer than he should have. “Can you believe that shit. He's fucking with me from the grave. If he were here right now, I'd kick his ass. I bet he thinks this shit is funny. He's probably looking down laughing his ass off right now. Six months, we have to be around each other for six months or neither of us get a single thing. I can't lose this company, Derek. He worked his ass off for it.”
“She's not going to let you lose the company,” I said. “She's his sister.”
“She's evil,” he said, as he stood up and walked toward my door. “I just wanted to let you know.”
“It'll be fine,” I said. “She can't be that bad. What the heck kind of past do the two of you have?”
“None,” he said, as he walked out mumbling.
“I'm here if you need me,” I yelled toward him, as he walked down the hall.
“Thanks,” he yelled back over his shoulder, as he continued walking.
I couldn't even imagine the story of those two, but I was pretty sure it was going to come to light at some point during those six months. That's a long time to be around someone all day long. There was a shit storm brewing there. I could feel it, and I was pretty sure everyone else would too.
The two months that followed weren't too bad. Things seemed to be getting back to normal. I kept to myself and stayed in my part of the building, but I hadn't heard about the two of them killing each other, and I had yet to meet the crazy sister.
I was sitting in the conference room with my guys around me. It was something we did at least once a week. That way we all knew what the others were doing, and we could see if anyone needed any help with what they were working on. We made a great team and got along most of the time. We'd just finished going over all of the cases when the office phone rang. Drake grabbed it and looked at me right away.
“Sure,” he said. “I'll get it right away, Doug.”
He hung up the phone and stood from his chair.
“Doug needs a copy of the photo of the guy that was just in the lobby,” he said, as he took off out the door.
It wasn't but a few seconds before my personal phone rang. I looked down at it and saw Doug's number.
“We're done,” I said, as I motioned for the other guys to leave before picking up my phone. “What's going on?”
I got up, walked down the hall and into my office, and closed my door behind me.
“I need one of your guys in the lobby every second someone is in this building, and I need Bridget walked out to her car every night,” he said in a pissed off tone.
“You want to tell me why?” I asked.
“Gabby's ex was here, and he's a nasty asshole,” he said. “I can see why Gabe hated him so much. It was crazy, Derek. The second she saw him, her body locked up, and I thought she was going to hit the ground. It wasn't good. I'm taking her back to Gabe's. Call me if his ass shows back up here again. I've sent out an email that everyone needs to leave at six, but Bridget's ass won't listen. I already know that. Make her leave. Carry her out to her car if that's what it takes. I don't want anyone here with that punk around. He came all the way from Michigan to ask Gabby how much money she had.”
“I'm on it,” I said, as I stood and walked out of my office and into Drake's. “Don't worry about anything here.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I'm so damn glad you put all that shit in when I was making fun of it. Talk to you later.”
He hung up just as Drake was handing me the picture.<
br />
“He does look like an asshole,” I said. “A shady fucker for sure. I'll be down in the lobby for the rest of the day.”
The rest of the guys were standing outside of their doors by then.
“I might need some of you to take turns with me,” I said, as I went through the same talk Doug had just given me. Then I turned to my brother. “Go next door, and get the footage for the fucker in the lobby.”
Then I walked out, got into the elevator, and stepped out into the lobby. I stood back from Bridget so I wouldn't bother her. I'd met her once, the first time I'd met Gabe, but I never talked to her. I got the feeling she wouldn't want me right next to her. A few minutes later, Doug got out of the elevator with a woman. She walked over to Bridget while Doug walked over to me. He handed me a copy of the picture I already had of the guy from the lobby. He must have gotten it from my brother, but I didn't say a word. Then he walked over to the two ladies and was saying something to Bridget. I could see her nod as she looked in my direction. She didn't seem too happy, but in the end, Doug walked out the door with Gabe's sister and Bridget went back to what she was doing.
Every time the front door opened, she snapped right to attention. I could tell from behind her that she was shaking. The woman was just a tiny thing, and she looked so damn nervous. I even noticed her look up each time the elevator opened as well. I took a few steps forward so that I was right behind the area she was sitting at. She looked back at me before going back to what she was doing. The more time went by, the less she shook. For a short while, she even looked relaxed.
That woman worked her ass off. Between phones, computer work, and directing people, she still found time to turn quickly and see if I needed anything. She kept her eyes down each time she asked me though. There was no way she was making eye contact. I would have thought it was cute if she hadn't jumped every time the damn door opened. She wasn't doing it because she was shy. It had everything to do with the fact that she felt intimidated, and it wasn't just with me.
Six o'clock came and everyone left the building. Thirty minutes later, Bridget was still working and didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. I wasn't sure what to do. Doug was pretty clear that he wanted everyone gone, but she was in her own little world, and I wasn't sure I wanted to stop her. She seemed so content and lost in whatever she was working on. For a moment, she was even humming a song. The second she finished what she was doing and began to move on to something else, I decided to interrupt her.
“It's time to leave, Ma'am,” I said.
“Bridget,” she said. “I'm not an old lady.”
Her comment made me smile, and I was glad she didn't see it.
“Bridget,” I said.
“You can go,” she said. “I have a few more things to do.”
I'd already heard from my brother and knew that the guy that had been in the lobby earlier was an asshole with nothing to lose. He had no job and a history of fighting. It might not have been from when he was with Gabe's sister, but it was in the present. There was no way I was leaving Bridget alone in the building with him around.
“Can't do that,” I said. “Doug wants you escorted to your car.”
She stopped what she was doing and looked up at me with a cocky look that totally surprised me.
“It might not be safe,” I said, cutting off any shitty comment that was about to come out of her mouth.
“Fine,” she snapped, just after letting out a loud huff.
She grabbed her stuff, shut everything off, and walked toward the door. I reached out and opened the door to the building, and she tensed, I could feel that shit. I stood beside her while she locked the door. Then I looked around and let her know that everything was okay. When she began to relax, I could feel that too. We walked to her car, and I opened her door for her. She looked up with a surprised look, and I quickly brushed it off.
“I'll be back at six,” I said.
“You don't have to get here that early,” she said, as she hurried to get into the car.
“I do,” I said. “If I'm not at that front door, wait in your car for me. Goodnight.”
I shut her door without another word. Then I headed back and unlocked the front door again. I watched her drive away before going back inside and locking the door behind me. I wanted to watch the footage of the asshole and what he said before I left for the night. One quick sweep of the building after that and I'd be on my way.
I sat down and watched the video. The guy was a real jerk. Gabe's sister's reaction the very second she saw him told me something about him. That man wasn't afraid to hurt a woman and not just with his words. I couldn't help but wonder if Gabe or Doug had known. I couldn't imagine they would have let it go. Even Doug, who couldn't seem to stand her, would have done something, right? Either way, she wasn't with the piece of shit anymore, and it wasn't my business to dig into her past. My job was to keep the building and everyone in it safe while they were there.
As I walked around the building, I thought about Bridget. The shit on that video wasn't enough to have her jumping every time someone walked in. I also noticed she reacted to guys but not to girls. She was just a little thing, but she definitely had spunk. The way she commented when I called her ma'am and the huff she let out told me that.
I'd walked through that lobby a million times on auto pilot. I'd always been thinking about work, Jenny, or things I needed to take care of with the building. I'd said hello here and there, but I'm not sure I'd ever waited for a reply. Had she said hello back, I wondered? How many people had done the same, walked through the building without even bothering to acknowledge someone sitting there? It made me realize that I didn't pay attention or notice things like I thought I did. It made me think, and it also made me feel a bit guilty. How could I not have noticed her before? The way she reacted to people, I should have seen it. Not that it was my business, but I'd prided myself on being on top of things. If I'd missed her there, what else had I been missing? Her reaction wasn't just about Gabe's sister's ex. The only thing I knew about Bridget was that she worked for Gabe and Doug before I'd ever come along. Had they known her or met her in a bar like they did me? Everyone had a story, some worse than others. I couldn't help but wonder what hers was.
Chapter 6
Derek
I was up and to the office well before six the following morning. Bridget's ass had no intention of listening to what I'd told her, and I knew it. Sure enough, she parked in the lot fifteen minutes before six and walked right into the building. It frustrated the shit out of me. What if I hadn't been there and that asshole showed up? I wasn't used to people not listening to me. I was already standing behind her desk, but I could see everything through the front windows of the place. When she looked up and saw me, her ass knew she was wrong. I could see it in the tiny grin pulling at the sides of her mouth.
“Good morning, Bridget,” I said, stressing her name. Just thinking about the day before had me holding back a smile.
“Good morning,” she said, as she looked away from me. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No,” I answered. “Thank you.”
She nodded, turned to her computer, and got right to work. When the front door opened, her head snapped up and a look of relief covered her face when Gabe's sister walked in. Things went so fast the day before, I hadn't really had a chance to even meet her. She had a smile on her face when she walked through the door, not even close to looking like the woman that walked out the day before.
Bridget let out a laugh when Gabe's sister walked over to her. I saw Bridget looking over her shoulder at me from under my glasses. I was wearing a suit and standing tall. They both needed to know that as long as I was there, they would be safe. Then I heard Gabe's sister whisper, but I wasn't sure what she'd said. When Bridget whispered back, I was shocked.
“I'm pregnant,” she said.
I didn't see that coming. She was tiny and not showing yet. I couldn't believe it. Gabe's sister looked up at me with a smile an
d pulled me from my thoughts.
“Is Bridget getting you everything you need?” she asked with a giggle.
“Yes,” I said with a nod.
She walked closer to me and looked up, but I didn't move. Then she laughed. What the fuck was that, I thought, as I looked down under my glasses at her.
“Leave him alone,” I heard Doug say, as soon as he walked through the door. “Do not fuck with him, Gabby.”
“I'm not,” she said innocently, as she turned around and walked back toward Bridget. “I didn't do anything. I was just asking the big man if Bridget was taking care of everything he needed. That was a nice thing.”
“That is correct,” I said, trying to help her out.
What the fuck was up with her calling me big man? I wasn't that damn big. Doug gave her a dirty look that had me wanting to laugh so damn hard. Doug had said there was nothing between the two of them, and that was total bullshit. There was more tension between them than I'd ever seen before, and it definitely wasn't hate they were feeling.
“His name is Derek,” Doug snapped. “He knew Gabe. His security firm is in the building.”
“You knew Gabe?” she asked, cutting out her innocent act immediately.
“Yes,” I asnwered.
“This is his sister Gabby,” Doug said, as he looked up at me and rolled his eyes in irritation.
“His twin,” I said. “Sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” she said in a sad tone.
“We need to get to work,” Doug said. “If we don't, John's ass will be wondering where we are. He's taking his job just a bit too serious.”
“It was nice to meet you, Derek,” she said. “Take care of my girl down here.”
There was that damn giggle again as she walked toward the elevator with Doug.
“Damn that guy is scary,” she said.
I don't know if she thought I couldn't hear her or if she just didn't care. I would bet the latter.
“He's not standing there so he can be friendly,” I heard Doug say sarcastically.
Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1) Page 5
