"I feel much better," Courtney said. Darren wrapped a protective arm around her waist.
"There is an enormous difference," Darren agreed. "She's been cooperative about allowing me to pamper her."
She rolled her eyes.
"Good." Sean nodded.
"Did you two come here to check up on me?" she teased.
"Ah, yes." Ryan grinned.
She laughed, the joyful sound vibrating off the walls.
"Come in," Darren said, motioning inside.
Sean and Ryan followed Darren and Courtney and took seats on the sofa. Courtney set herself between her cousins and Darren sat in a chair next to the couch.
"What are you up to today?" Sean asked her.
"I'm having lunch with Derrick," she answered. "Why, you have something in mind?"
Ryan shook his head. "Nope, just wanted to know what you were up to. Are you driving yourself?"
"Carl and Jack are taking her,” Darren answered, reinforcing his demand from a few minutes ago.
"We can take you if Derrick is able to bring you home. We're going to meet a couple of nurses for lunch. Where are you meeting him?" Ryan asked.
She burst out laughing. "Meeting a couple of nurses?"
"Ryan set it up." Sean pointed to his brother.
Leave it to her two single, very handsome cousins to be so nonchalant about a double date with nurses. Who knew what kind of debauchery would ensue between the two couples.
"Well?" Ryan pressed.
"I don't know where we're going specifically. All I know is downtown somewhere. Derrick is supposed to text the restaurant."
Darren's cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and stood from his chair. "Excuse me, I have to take this."
Once Darren left the room, the three cousins continued with mindless chatter.
After a few minutes, Darren stalked back into the room. "I need to leave but I have to take Jack and Carl with me. Can I take you up on the offer? Do you mind making sure Court gets to lunch? I'll let Derrick know he needs to drive her home," he asked.
"Of course, it's no problem. Do what you have to do," Sean said.
"Is everything okay?" Courtney asked. She stood and approached him, slightly worried.
"Yes, sweetheart. It's just business. I'll be home early this afternoon, maybe before you return from lunch." He kissed the tip of the nose.
She sagged with relief. "Okay."
"Why don't you get ready and I'll call Derrick," he suggested. "I'll be gone by the time you're out of the shower."
She nodded. If she didn't get ready soon, she'd be late and Derrick didn't do late. "Love you."
"I love you."
She turned to her cousins. "I'll be back down in a bit."
"Take your time. We'll just watch the morning news." Sean waved her upstairs.
Darren
Darren watched his wife bound up the stairs. Obsessed didn't come close to describing his need for her.
"There's coffee in the kitchen, make yourself at home,” Darren said.
"Thanks, Darren," Ryan said. "And thanks for taking good care of her. She looks fantastic. I'm glad things have settled between you two."
"So am I. She got a clean bill of health and we've started to work on another baby. She begged, I couldn't tell her no." He glanced back up the stairs.
"We could never tell her no either. That woman knows how to wrap her men around her little finger," Ryan admired.
"That she does," he agreed. He dialed his brother while stepping outside.
Courtney
An hour later, after she finished primping, she found her cousins made themselves at home with coffee, the newspaper, and the morning news programs. It amazed her how comfortable they were no matter where they ended up.
Dressed in black slacks, a form fitting sheer ivory button-down blouse, and a pair of black high heels, she looked sophisticated and sexy.
"Court, you look beautiful. You would never know that you had gone through..." Sean trailed off.
"Thanks," she said, aware of where his mind had gone.
Sean's cell phone rang and thankfully interrupted the awkward moment. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID.
"Shit," he murmured. "Hello?"
Sean listened for a minute. "Okay, we'll be there in about fifteen."
He disconnected the call and stood. "Call the girls. We've been called in. There's some sort of emergency and they need more staff."
"Are you kidding me? We just pulled five twelve's," Ryan whined.
"I know, but something about the power in the hospital is down. They need everyone to help transfer patients," Sean explained. He snatched his jacket.
"Oh," Ryan exclaimed.
If the power was down, the generators in the hospital would keep the machines for the babies in the NICU running. But the staff would need to move the babies if power wouldn't be restored soon. Her cousin wouldn't be anywhere else except with those babies.
He jumped up, threw on his jacket, dialed a number on his own cell, and rushed out the door.
"Sorry, honey, but we have to go. Are you going to be all right? Will you call Derrick to pick you up?" Sean asked.
"I'll call him."
He narrowed his eyes. "Make sure you do or I'll tell your husband."
"You wouldn't," she gasped surprised.
"In a heartbeat," he warned.
She sighed, disgusted. Outnumbered by her overprotective husband, brother-in-law, and two cousins.
"Okay, okay," she placated.
"Good. I have to go." He kissed her forehead then rushed out of the house.
"Be careful," she called after them.
Both men waved to her when they burned rubber out of the driveway. She closed the door and heard her phone chirp. Courtney went to the kitchen, where she left her cell.
12:00 Murphy's.
A change of plans. She was about to return a confirmation text when she was interrupted by the front doorbell. Maybe Sean or Ryan forgot something. She set her phone back down to answer the door. A quick glance out the peephole, a habit Darren had browbeat into her, she did a double take.
"Shit," she whispered.
What was she going to do? She was alone for the first time in months. How had that happened? Damn it, Darren was going to be livid.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she closed her eyes and exhaled to calm herself. She needed to keep her cool. Opening her eyes, she swung the door open and glared at the group of five men standing before her.
"Courtney," John Marshall smiled.
“What?" she barked.
John took a step back, shocked. The other men didn't flinch.
"Courtney, can we come in and talk to you?"
"No," she snapped. No way in hell she was allowing them into her home.
"I need to speak with you, Courtney." His tone grew harder. He squared his shoulders and grew upright. "Now, we can do this the hard way or the easy way, your choice."
She took two steps towards him, hauled off and slapped him across the face. Hard.
"I have nothing to say to you. Get the hell off my property," she screamed.
Before her mind processed what happened, she was yanked out the door and thrown up against the brick. Her arms pinned behind her back, someone read her, her Miranda rights.
When her brain caught up, she felt blood drip from her mouth.
"What the hell are you doing?" she spat.
"Assaulting a government agent, Mrs. Murphy, is against the law," David growled into her ear.
"Fuck you." She had enough. They had cost her too much. If they wanted to throw around the mob boss's wife, then they would get a sorely uncooperative‒and just a bit pissed off‒woman.
After she was secure in cuffs, she was pulled from the wall and spun to face them. John gasped and slid David, who blinked, a side-glance.
David shook off his stare and passed her to one of the other agents, who pushed her into an unmarked government car a
nd into the back seat. David pulled the door of the house shut, and took her into custody.
Shit. Darren was really going to be pissed.
***
Derrick
For an hour Derrick waited at Murphy's for Courtney to arrive. He had texted her cell phone, called her cell phone, called the house phone, but no answer. His gut told him something was seriously wrong but he tried to remain calm and levelheaded. Courtney would never stand him up. He'd tried Darren's cell numerous times, but his brother hadn't answer either.
About to punch Darren's number into his cell again, he stopped when Jack and Carl casually strolled into the bar.
Jack headed straight for Derrick and held out his hand. "Hey, Derrick, how are you?"
"Where's Courtney?" he snapped. No time for pleasantries.
Jack took an automatic step back.
"I thought she was having lunch with you," Jack said confused.
"She didn't show up," Derrick bit.
"Her cousins were supposed to bring her," Jack explained.
Darren sauntered into the bar, and Derrick's sharp eyes swung to his brother. Darren stopped at his intense gaze.
He stalked up to his brother.
"Where's your wife?" he demanded.
Darren blinked confused. "She isn't here with you?"
"No, I've been waiting for an hour and she hasn't shown," he growled.
"Sean and Ryan were supposed to bring her. Let me call them," Darren said. "She's probably with them."
Darren dialed Sean's number, switching the call to speaker so Derrick could listen in. He answered on the fourth ring.
"Sean, it's Darren. Where's Courtney?" he asked.
Sean hesitated. "She's having lunch with Derrick."
Darren hesitated. "No, she didn't show up. I'm standing at my bar with Derrick. I thought you were bringing her. Did you drop her off?"
"No, Ryan and I got called into the hospital not long after you left. She was supposed to call Derrick to pick her up. She promised me she would," Sean hissed.
"I'll call you back," Darren said and closed his phone.
"I texted her around ten to tell her noon here." Derrick waved dismissively.
"I need to get home. Something's wrong," Darren said in mid turn. He bolted out of the bar with Derrick, Jack, and Carl on his heels.
"Get into my car. I'll drive," he barked at his brother.
Darren and Derrick jumped into the Lexus IS F and broke every speed limit and traffic law to get to the Murphy home.
***
Darren
Before the car was parked Darren jumped out and rushed up the steps of his home. He burst through the front door.
Something was off.
The door was unlocked. That was something that was not allowed in his home if Court happened to be alone. All entry doors were to be locked at all times.
"Courtney!" Darren screamed, running from room to room. The television had been left on. Something never done when they went out.
Darren rushed to the kitchen and stopped. Lying alone on the island was Court's cell. He approached it warily, as if maybe the phone wasn't real. He opened the phone and found Derrick's text had been read.
"She got your text." Darren wheeled around to find his brother close behind him.
Darren took off upstairs and prayed his wife wasn't ill.
"Courtney," he screamed again. Panic set in. His wife would not disappear when she knew he would lose his mind not knowing what where she was.
When he bolted into the empty bedroom, the distinct scent of a shower and her perfume lingered in the air. He checked every spare bedroom in the house.
Nothing.
He met Derrick in the hallway just as Jack and Carl charged through the front door. Derrick held Courtney's purse in his hand.
"It was in the dining room."
"What the fuck," Darren bellowed. Something was truly wrong. His world tilted and went dizzy. Derrick and Jack grabbed him and led him to the sofa.
"Don't tell me someone got to her. Jesus, don't tell me," Darren choked.
"No way, Boss. No one is that stupid," Carl reassured him.
"Carl's right. No one would come after Courtney," Jack agreed. "It has to be something else."
Derrick left his side and paced the hallway, phone attached to his ear. He started to place calls to all connections he had in his pocket. They couldn't officially call the police, she has been missing for only a couple of hours, but he made calls to those officers on Darren’s payroll.
Darren's phone rang. He didn't look at the ID. "Courtney?"
"It's Sean, did you find her?" he spouted.
"No, we came home and her phone and purse are here. The TV was on and the door was unlocked," Darren answered.
Sean was quiet for a moment. "I'll get there as soon as I can. I'll also have someone here call the hospitals."
Sean hung up before Darren could tell him no, he would handle finding his wife. Where the hell was his Courtney?
Over the next few hours the Murphy home turned into a central post. All of Darren's men were sent out in search of his wife. Her car sat untouched in the garage, her keys in her purse along with money, credit cards, and driver’s license. All those items said wherever she went it wasn't by choice.
Sean called all the local hospitals and the officers on the Murphy payroll reported no signs of Courtney. All fronts came up empty. Derrick spent almost the entire time on his phone. Still nothing.
Both men paced, snapping at their men or barking orders. Sean showed up in scrubs but needed to return to the hospital an hour later. His only consolation was that Daren and Derrick were like two rabid animals on the hunt. There was nothing he could do to add to what was already being taken care of.
It was as if Courtney dropped off the face of the earth.
Darren slammed his hand down on the kitchen island. "How could she have just disappeared? How is that possible?"
Derrick paced the kitchen on his cell, speaking in a low tone, when he bellowed, "She's where?"
"What? Where is she? Did you find her?" Darren was on top of his brother.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Derrick disconnected the call and spun to face his brother. Jack, Carl, and a few other men rushed into the room. "She's downtown at the federal building. In custody."
The room went eerily silent. The temperature in the room plummeted.
"I'm going to kill him," Darren fiercely vowed.
***
Courtney
Hours Courtney had sat in an interrogation room. She had been given some water and been allowed to use the restroom, but other than that, no one came in to see her. She had laid her head on the table while she sat in an uncomfortable, metal chair, without speaking. When she did speak, it was when a female agent waltzed in with the water or to take her to the rest room.
"I need to call my attorney," Courtney demanded.
The woman refused to acknowledge her.
Finally John and David arrogantly strolled in, folders in hand. They took a seat across from her at the metal table. It was like a scene out of a bad Law & Order episode. She straightened her spine and shot them both a glare.
"You can't hold me here," she snapped.
"We can hold you here until your hearing for assaulting an agent," David said smugly.
She rolled her eyes.
"I want to talk to my attorney," she ordered. "I have that right."
"You do and you will, but when we're finished," John said snidely.
She cackled evilly. A side of her she didn't even know existed. Tired of these pissant games, she refused to cooperate. "I'm not saying a word until my attorney is here. Don't waste your time." She leaned forward in her chair and rested her arms on the table. She whispered, "I'm not stupid."
She sat back, crossed her arms over her chest, and cocked an eyebrow. They stared, dumbfounded. Shooting each other a considering side-glance, John opened his mouth but a sharp knock on the door interrupted him. Anothe
r agent stuck his head into the room.
"Her attorney is here and demanding to see her. Schultz is showing him back," the man said stiffly, slamming the door closed behind him.
Her lips quirked. "It was only a matter of time before they found me."
Another sharp knock and the door flew open. Derrick brushed past the agent and stopped dead when he took in the sight of her. His eyes blazed ferociously. Three long strides towards her, his right hand came up and grasped her chin, examining the damage. Did she look that bad?
"Did they do this to you?" he asked, his restraint undoubtedly held by a thread.
She nodded. "When they cuffed me, they manhandled me, throwing me against the brick of the house."
He searched her eyes with a look she'd never seen before. Relief? Anger? Love? Revenge? All of the above? She wasn't sure.
"What is she being held for?" he ran his thumb over her split lip.
"Assaulting an agent," David answered.
Derrick scoffed, released his grip, and then took a seat next to her. "And what could she have possibly done to you when you were obviously on her property without a warrant and threw her up against brick walls?"
"She slapped Agent Marshall," David said. "All we did was come by to ask her a few questions. We hoped she could help us but she refused."
"She doesn't have to answer your questions,” Derrick said factually.
John pulled a picture of a woman out of his folder and pushed it towards them. "This is Agent Jamie Little‒"
Derrick snorted.
That reaction didn't faze John. He continued, "She was last seen three months ago and we believe Darren Murphy knows where she is." He asked her directly, "Do you know her or have you seen her? She was last seen leaving to meet your husband at his bar."
They just wouldn't give up would they? They were desperately trying to use her against her husband. Bastards.
She refused to entertain them by giving the picture a glance. She knew who the star of that picture was. The bitch’s face was committed to memory.
"My client isn't answering any questions. Now, I've already placed a call to your supervisor for her release. You'll both be answering to your superiors," Derrick warned.
Pushing back from the table, Derrick pulled Courtney's chair out and helped her up. He grabbed her hand, picked up his briefcase, and marched to the door that another agent opened for them. Courtney couldn't keep up with him dragging her out the door.
The Boss's Love Page 16
