Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)

by Sharon Cummin

  He lifted me up. I tried to fight, but I couldn't get away. When I finally opened my eyes, there were cops and paramedics everywhere. They were working on Derek. His shirt was open, and there was blood everywhere. Then I saw the gun next to him. I turned my eyes to Gabby, and she was staring at the floor. When my eyes traveled the path hers were taking, I saw him. Her ex was on the ground, and there was more blood than I had ever seen in my life surrounding him.

  I heard the door open and looked over to see Drake step through it. He looked toward Derek and fell to his knees. I kicked and fought until I was free and ran to him. When I fell down behind him and wrapped my arms around his neck, he leaned into me, and we both cried. Then his arms came around me, and we sat together, watching them move fast around his brother.

  “He has to be okay,” he cried. “He's my brother. He saved me. He's all I've got.”

  “I know,” I said, as I held him as tight as he was holding me. “I know, Drake.”

  They lifted Derek onto a bed as they worked to save him. I could hear what they were saying, but none of their words made sense.

  “He'll be okay,” I whispered to Drake. “He has to be okay.”

  They took Derek through the doors and lifted the bed into the ambulance.

  “I have to go with him,” I heard Drake say. “Come with me. Please come with me.”

  I heard the word dead come from the other side of the room and looked toward Gabby. Doug had his arms wrapped tightly around her.

  “He's dead,” I heard her say again, as she stared down at her ex.

  “I have to go,” I said, as I looked at Doug, and he nodded.

  With my arms around Drake, we walked out the door. They wouldn't let us in the ambulance, so an officer led us to the back of a police car. When the ambulance left, our car was right behind it. I sent Jean a text while we rode toward the hospital. I felt bad, but there was no way I could hold it together on the phone, and she needed to know where we were going.

  As soon as they got Derek out of the ambulance, they took off down the hallway, and we were left behind. We sat together in chairs at the back corner of the room. Jean walked through the door, and when she reached us, we were both up with our arms around her instantly. She sat between us and held our hands in hers. I'd never seen a woman more strong and caring than her in all my life. She was a rock and the one holding us together.

  We sat quietly for hours before Doug and Gabby came through the door with the rest of the guys on their heels. Taylor's eyes were on me as Doug and Gabby hurried over.

  “You knew he was out of jail,” Gabby said immediately. “You didn't tell me. You lied to me.”

  “Derek told me this morning while I was at the diner,” I whispered.

  Taylor stepped between Gabby and me.

  “What are you doing?” Gabby snapped at him.

  “She doesn't need that right now,” he said. “Derek just found out this morning that your ex was out of jail. Drake started tracking him right away. There had been no movement at all. That means that he didn't buy a plane ticket, rent a car, take money out of his accounts, or use a card. He had help getting here. He had his own car, but I doubt he had a pile of cash at home somewhere. When Derek found out, he wanted to tell Doug, but he wasn't going to do it over the phone while Doug was at a meeting. He didn't want you to know, Gabby. He didn't want you to worry over nothing.”

  “Nothing,” she snapped, and Doug pulled her toward him. “This is my fault. He is in there, fighting for his life, because of me.”

  “No,” I whispered from behind Taylor. “He's in there because of me.”

  “What?” Gabby and Taylor asked at the same time.

  “I called him,” I said. “When your ex walked in and came toward me, I hit redial on my phone, knowing Derek was the last person I called. If I hadn't called him, we wouldn't be here right now.”

  “For him,” Drake spoke for the first time in hours. “We wouldn't have been here for him, but we would have been for you. He wouldn't have been okay with that.”

  “Nobody is to blame but the asshole that walked through that door,” Jean said. “It's not Bridget or Gabby's fault at all. There is only one person to blame.”

  “You should have called me,” Doug snapped at me, and Taylor turned toward him.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because I should have been there to protect you and Gabby,” he answered.

  “Stop,” I said, as I shook my head. “I'm tired of you needing to protect me. You have a wife, take care of her. I need you to stop taking care of me.”

  “It was Derek's job to protect you,” Drake said.

  “No it wasn't,” I said. “I'm not anyone's job but my own.”

  “Our company is paid to protect that building and everyone in it,” Drake said. “Yes, it was his job.”

  I felt Jean's grip on my hands tighten. Drake was right, Derek was doing his job. That was why he called me to the diner and the reason he told me to call him. How could I have been so stupid, I wondered?

  “Stop,” I heard Jean snap toward me. “I know what you're doing, and you need to stop right now.”

  I shook my head as tears began pouring from my eyes again.

  “He's right,” I told her. “That doesn't change the fact that Derek needs to be okay. He has a daughter and family that love him. He needs to make it through this. She can't lose both of her parents.”

  “That man has been through too much to give up now,” Jean said. “He's got a lot to live for.”

  When everything settled down and everyone sat down, I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Time moved slowly, and every time my mind went to him, I'd fight back the tears. Drake was right, Derek was doing his job. I guess he was protecting me, that was what he was paid to do.

  I felt a hand on my knee and jumped. When my eyes shot open, I saw Taylor kneeling down in front of me. Gabby was watching us, I could feel her eyes on me.

  “It's going to be okay,” he whispered. “He'll get through this. You need to stop letting your mind go wherever it is that it's going. It wasn't just his job.”

  I bit down hard on my lower lip to try to stop my emotions from kicking in again. Gabby got up and walked over toward me, and Taylor let out a tiny laugh.

  “Is she coming to protect you from me?” he asked, and I nodded. “She's looking the wrong way. It's not you I've got my eye on.”

  My eyes widened.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Don't worry about it,” he said. “Derek already threatened me. He better hope he comes out of this, or I'll be all over that assistant of hers.”

  “Sarah? I asked, and he nodded. “No way. You are not messing with her. She's a good one.”

  “Maybe a good one is exactly what I need,” he said with a wink.

  I let out a laugh just as Gabby leaned down next to Taylor.

  “You okay?” she asked, as she shot a dirty look his way.

  “No,” I answered her honestly. “He has a little girl that needs him. I need him to be okay for her.”

  Taylor snickered, and I shot a warning glare his way.

  “Maybe you should go pick Gabe up,” she said. “I'll stay here with Doug.”

  “Can you get him for me,” I said. “I can't leave Jean and Drake here. I want to be with them.”

  “If that's what you want,” she said.

  “Thank you,” I said, as I stood to hug her. “Are you okay? I know what you saw back there.”

  “I am,” she said. “I will forever be in Derek's debt. It's bad, but I feel free. I finally feel free. Every single day I worried about him getting out of jail and coming after me. It turns out I was right to worry. It's going to take a long while to get that sight out of my head, and I feel bad that he lost his life, but I feel worse that he shot Derek. It doesn't matter what anyone says, he's here because of me.”

  “He'll be okay,” I told her.

  Did I believe that? I had no idea. I said it for her. I wanted her to feel b
etter. That was how it always was when it came to Gabby. I was always worried about her.

  “Take your time here,” she said. “If you need a ride home, one of us will come and get you. I'll take care of Gabe for as long as you need. Be here for his family and his friends.”

  She looked over at Taylor, and he laughed.

  “I don't want your girl,” he said. “Not Bridget anyway. You're looking at the wrong guy.”

  I watched Gabby's shoulders relax and laughed.

  “Shut up, Taylor,” I said. “Thank you for everything, Gabby.”

  Gabby walked over to Doug and said something. He stood up, walked over, and leaned down to hug me.

  “He's going to be okay,” he whispered. “Call me when you're ready. I'll come back and get you.”

  “Take care of her,” I said. “That's what I need.”

  He nodded and took a step back. Then he turned, wrapped his arms around his wife, and they walked away.

  They weren't gone for five minutes when a very exhausted looking doctor came out and walked over to our group. He looked down at Drake, who had the most nervous look on his face.

  “Derek Hunter's family?” the doctor asked, and Drake nodded.

  The doctor leaned down in front of Jean and Drake. I leaned in close and the guys got up and gathered around him.

  “He's out of surgery,” the doctor said, and I let out a rush of air. “We've done all we can.”

  My body instantly froze. What does that mean, all we can? I felt Jean grip my hand in hers and took a deep breath.

  “He's going to be asleep for a long while. It will be up to his body and how it takes the damage and repairs itself. Time will tell. Right now, all we can do is wait. You can see him two at a time. I'd like to think he'll know you're there, so talk to him. He went through a lot. When he does wake up, he's going to be exhausted. That's normal. My only request is that you don't stress him out in any way. Just be there.”

  “I can stay, right?” Drake asked. “He's my brother. I'm not leaving him.”

  “As long as you don't stress him out or get loud, you'll be fine,” the doctor said, before turning to Jean. “Are you his mother?”

  “Yes,” Drake answered. “She's our mother.”

  “The next couple of days will tell us everything we need to know,” the doctor said. “We'll run tests periodically to make sure everything is going as we need it to internally.”

  Jean nodded, but I could see the shock on her face the whole time. Drake had just said she was their mother. I was sure she was even more blown away than I was by his comment.

  “They'll be out to get you shortly,” the doctor said. “The rest of you will be able to move to a different room as well.”

  “Thank you,” Drake said. “Thank you so much for saving my brother.”

  The doctor nodded, and then he was gone.

  “Your mother?” Taylor asked, of course being the one to point it out.

  “She's more of a mother than our mother ever was to him,” Drake said.

  When the nurse came out, she walked us to a waiting room on another floor.

  “Who's his brother?” she asked.

  “Me,” Drake said right away.

  “You and his mother can come back,” the woman said.

  Jean looked over at me with a smile.

  “You go with him,” she said.

  “No,” I said. “I'll wait here. You two are his family.”

  “I said go,” Jean said sternly. “Don't give me any crap either.”

  Drake grabbed my hand and pulled me along. The nurse opened a door and motioned for us to go in. My feet froze in place, and Drake looked down at me.

  “He needs us,” he said. “No matter what the two of you think, he needs you just as much as he does me. Get moving.”

  I walked in but stayed right next to Drake. The second my eyes landed on Derek, my knees gave out, and Drake caught me right before I hit the ground. He pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms tightly around me. Tears poured from both of our eyes, and we stood silently watching Derek. He looked so different. The tough, cocky guy was gone. Instead, there was a pale, quiet, vulnerable man in his place. I watched the sheet on his chest move in rhythm to the sounds of the machines. When I pulled out of Drake's arms, I took a step closer and took Derek's hand in my mine. It felt so fragile. He was so still. I waited for him to open his eyes and make some demanding comment, but he didn't. I looked back at Drake, and he smiled.

  “Not a word,” I said. “Do you hear me? I'm having my moment, but when any of those people out there walk in, I'll be right back to normal.”

  “As long as you don't tell them I'm crying like a baby in here,” he said.

  “Are you going to tell your mom?” I asked.

  “No,” he answered. “They haven't talked since he left for the service. I haven't talked to her since Derek told me he wanted me here and I took off. She hasn't been a mom to him since he was little. Calling her would only start trouble.”

  I looked back at Derek. What kind of mother had she been, I wondered? That was one thing we never talked much about.

  “He's strong,” Drake said. “He's made it through some tough shit.”

  “He better make it through this,” I said.

  “For Jenny of course,” Drake said with a wink. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  I walked out and got Jean. She wanted to see him before going home to Jenny. That little girl was the only one that mattered. Her daddy wasn't going to be home to tuck her in, and she needed all the love we could give her.

  When Jean came back out, Taylor stood up.

  “I have to work for a few hours tomorrow,” he said. “As soon as I'm done, I'll come get Jenny so you and Joe can come see him.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “You're a good man, Taylor. I don't know why they all give you such a hard time.”

  “Neither do I,” he said. “I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to run back and see him so I can get home to TJ.”

  Taylor headed back toward the room, and I walked Jean out.

  “He'll be okay,” she said.

  “Do you really believe it?” I asked her.

  “I do,” she said. “He has a lot to look forward to.”

  I gave her a strange look and she smiled.

  “You are both so damn stubborn,” she said. “I'll see you tomorrow. Call me if anything happens.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “Give Jenny a hug from me.”

  “I will,” she said. “She really likes you.”

  “I like her too,” I said.

  I watched Jean pull away before going back inside to find the guys getting ready to leave.

  “Watch after our guys,” Taylor said. “Drake said he won't leave. He's insisting that he needs to be at work too. Talk some sense into him.”

  “I will,” I said. “I'm not leaving.”

  “Already knew that,” Taylor said. “Call if anything changes. I don't care what time it is.”

  I hugged each of the guys, and it wasn't until they were gone and I was standing alone that I noticed I hadn't flinched once.

  When I walked back into Derek's room, Drake was sitting in a chair, leaning forward, with his head on the bed. I sat quietly and watched him sleep for three hours. When he finally picked his head up, he grabbed his neck. The doctor came in, checked Derek, and left. When I looked over, I watched Drake wince as he moved his head from one side to the next.

  “You're planning to work tomorrow?” I asked.

  “I am,” he said. “I'll leave from here. I have to make some calls. He was just getting ready to start another case with the police department.”

  “You're going to go to work looking like that?” I asked. “You can't do that.”

  “Sure can,” he said.

  “There's your brother,” I said, with a smile.

  “What?” he asked.

  “That cocky attitude,” I said. “You sounded just like him. I'm staying until he wakes up. You sh
ould at least get a few hours of sleep. I'll call you if anything happens.”

  “Who sounds like him now?” he asked, with a laugh. “It's not your job to stay. I'll be fine.”

  “I know it's not my job,” I said. “He's my friend. He's been there for me, and it's my turn to be there for him. Even if he's not barking demands out at me.”

  “I should stay,” he said.

  “Then we stay together,” I said.

  “I see it now,” he said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he answered. “You're really not going to leave.”

  “I'm not,” I said, as I grabbed my phone.

  Me: I'm staying so Drake can get a couple hours of sleep. He has to call Derek's clients tomorrow. Can you take care of Gabe for me and drop him off in the morning?

  Gabby: Of course. How is he?

  Me: Quiet

  Gabby: Call me if anything changes. I'll bring you some stuff after lunch tomorrow.

  Me: Thank you!

  When I turned my phone toward Drake, he read the messages and smiled.

  “You're a great friend,” he said, stressing the word friend.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Now get home while your eyes are still open. He needs you.”

  Once Drake left, I sat in the chair he'd been in. I took Derek's hand in mine, and before I knew it, someone touched me, and I jumped.

  “I'm so sorry,” a woman said. “I didn't mean to scare you. I have to check Mr. Hunter.”

  “That's okay,” I said. “I have issues.”

  “Don't we all,” the nurse replied, with a smile.

  She moved around him quickly. Then she walked out of the room. A few minutes later, she came back with a blanket and a pillow.

  “That can't be comfortable,” she said. “It gets cold in here.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I feel like my nose is going to crack off.”

  I hadn't felt my eyes close, but when I opened them again hours later, my hand was still holding his, and I smiled.

  “If you were awake, one of us would have pulled away by now,” I said, with a smile. “As much as I like holding your hand, I'll give it up just to see those eyes. Hurry your ass up. You've got a little girl waiting for you.”

  Between Drake, Jean, Doug, Taylor, and Gabby, my phone was dinging every few minutes.