Chapter 15
Darren
Forty-five minutes after they'd arrived downtown, Derrick escorted Courtney from the federal building, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. A caravan of cars waited out front. Darren jumped out of his SUV and rushed towards his wife. When he caught eye of the cuts, scrapes, and bruises on her beautiful face his vision went red.
"I am going to murder someone," he growled.
"I'm okay," she said.
He held her face in his hands and pecked her lips. Derrick released his hold on her.
"Just take me home," she said.
He pulled her into his body and wrapped her protectively in his warmth. He placed her into the car then slid in next to her and Derrick slid in next to Darren. Jack, with Carl in the front seat, drove Courtney home.
When they walked through the safe environment of their home, Darren had taken her upstairs, showered with her, and then helped her into a tiny, red satin slip. Afterwards, he helped his wife into bed and laid with her. He held her firmly in his strong arms until she'd passed out. By nine that night Courtney had fallen sleep, exhausted.
What disturbed him most was she hadn't spoken a word about what she went through. He wasn’t worried if she had spilled any information. Derrick said they hadn’t been able to get anything from his wife. Pride pulsed through his veins. But, the scratches on her face said the fucking agents had roughed her up. The last man who had laid a hand on Courtney paid with his life. Her silence meant she was rankled. Part of him was desperate to know what was ran through that mind of hers, but the other part feared she wanted to leave him. How the hell did he approach her?
Once Courtney was fast asleep, Darren quietly crawled out of bed and went downstairs. His brother and his men gathered in the kitchen and dining room. Soft murmurs filled the air. Stalking past his brother, who stood silently staring out the sliding glass door, lost in his own thoughts, he headed downstairs to the game room.
Derrick
Out of his peripheral vision, Derrick saw his brother stalk downstairs. A few minutes later, the sounds of glass breaking, items thrown against walls, and all out war on the game room filled the house. Darren's men grew silent but he never flinched. Instead, he brooded over what course needed to be taken to seek out revenge for Court.
His brother had always been the emotional one of the family. Naturally he would need to let off steam. He never knew how to handle his rage except push it outward. Derrick, on the other hand, internalized his fury. His mind ruthlessly worked over images of John Marshall and his partner tied to chairs and tortured. Silent satisfaction coursed through him knowing he'd handle the personal attack on their girl.
For a good ten minutes Darren's tantrum ricocheted throughout the house. Derrick jolted when a pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist. Courtney laid her head between the shoulders blades of his suit jacket. He placed his hands over hers, relishing in her gentleness.
Neither of them said a word while they listened to Darren’s destruction. Courtney released Derrick and stepped in front of him. He reached up and stroked her abrasions on her cheek and the cut on her lip.
“I’ll take you to the doctor tomorrow to get these looked at,” Derrick said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“For my piece of mind,” he said. He couldn't handle seeing her bruised and battered. She was too precious to be harmed.
“Okay,” she conceded. “For you.” She laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body to keep her warm in that red silk nightie. Why hadn't she put on a robe?
“You couldn’t sleep?” he asked.
“He woke me,” she whispered.
“Let me take you back up to bed. I’ll stay with you until he calms down,” Derrick said.
“All right.”
He led her back up to the bedroom, kicked off his shoes, took off his jacket, and crawled on top of the blankets next to Courtney. She slid between the sheets and curled against him. She closed her eyes and he lulled her by caressing her bare shoulders and arms.
“Will he be okay?” she mumbled.
“Once he gets it out of his system,” he answered. He rhythmically stroked her arm. “Are you all right?”
“I think,” she said unsure.
“If you need someone to talk to, honey, you can always come to me. It can be between just us, I promise,” he said.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice tired and heavy.
“Anything for you, Courtney. I love you,” he said. He kissed the top of her head, taking in her vanilla and floral scent.
"I love you too,” she whispered.
Darren
Trudging upstairs, Darren was sweaty, scratched from broken glass, and exhausted. He snuck into the bedroom to grab a clean pair of boxers to take a shower. When he opened the door, he stopped at the sight of his brother holding his wife in his bed, sound asleep. Darren cleared his throat. Derrick’s eyes flew open then narrowed his direction.
“What the hell are you doing?” Darren snapped.
“She came downstairs in middle of your fit and needed comforted. You know she would never interrupt you,” Derrick said composed.
Glowering at his brother, he watched Derrick carefully slide Courtney out of his arms. He crawled out of bed, stepped into his shoes, and grabbed his jacket from the end of the bed. They stepped into the hallway and Darren closed the bedroom door behind them.
“Quit trying to take my place with my wife,” Darren accused.
Derrick took a defiant step towards his brother, his eyes dark and dangerous. “I would never, and I’m insulted that you would accuse me of such a thing. I’m worried about your wife, not you. You need to do damage control. She was unusually quiet today. She was put in a position that she’s not used to being in.” He stepped back after his brother relaxed. “Darren, don’t be surprised if she asks you for—”
“Don’t,” Darren whispered, holding up his hand. He willed the onset of fear away. There was no way he could acknowledge that Courtney might ask for a divorce after the day's events. His brother wordlessly studied him.
“Okay, I won’t say it, but I hope I’m wrong.” Derrick turned away and headed down the stairs. He stopped half way. “I’m taking her to the doctors tomorrow. I don’t like seeing her face marked.” He left the house, his menacing presence gone with him.
Truth be told, Darren was relieved his brother had been there for Courtney. Admittedly not in the right from of mind, he couldn't give her what she needed. Instead, he wallowed in self-anger, wanting to get his hands on something to take out his frustration. He wanted nothing more than to get his hands on John Marshall and put a bullet between the man's eyes. Yeah, that would make him feel a hundred times better.
Daren soaked himself under the hot stream to try to relax his muscles that were one big ball of tension. What the hell would he do if his Courtney asked for a divorce? He would never allow that. But how could he continue to subject his wife to all that she has been through in the past months? The life he wanted for her did not include all the drama. Deep down he admitted he should've expected his life to effect hers. He tried like hell to shelter her from the game that he played with the law. When he started his world back in college, he never considered a future with a wife and the potential hazards.
After he finished his shower, he dried himself off, threw on his boxers, and crawled into bed. He pulled her into his hard chest. Courtney automatically curled into him. He kissed her cheek and fell asleep holding onto his girl. Right where they belonged.
***
Courtney
Derrick waited for Courtney in the lobby of the doctor's office while she was examined. When finished, he led her to his car to take her straight home, as per Darren’s strict orders.
During the ride she remained quiet and solicitous. Her life with Darren had grown more tiresome since learning of his private world of organized crime. Although she remained pretty much in the dark with ninety-nine percent of hi
s activities, apparently that wasn't enough to stop her from becoming a target to get to her husband. Could she continue down the path? She loved Darren, to her core, but the life she had envisioned when she had agreed to marry him did not include all the drama. She vowed "for better or for worse." Worse was definitely before them.
The issue was that matter what, Darren would never allow her to walk away. Previously he warned her of that. Idly she wondered what he would do if she asked to leave. She also knew that if she consulted her cousins, they would presumably order her to stay with Darren. For her safety.
"Talk to me," Derrick said, interrupting her thoughts.
Courtney glanced his direction and smiled weakly. "About?"
"What's going on in that mind of yours," he said sympathetically.
She sighed and refocused on the passing scenery.
"That bad, huh?" he said.
"Ever since I found out about Darren's...career, my life has been turned upside down," she replied. "I hate it. The FBI, the baby, the heart attack, the set up to catch him cheating, dragging me out of my home. It's all too much, Derrick. How am I supposed to live with this day-after-day? How am I supposed to enjoy my husband and my marriage, give him babies, even go out to dinner without thinking what's going to happen next?"
Derrick remained quiet for a moment. "Are you saying you want to leave us?"
She looked to him, shocked. "Us?"
"Darren and me," he said.
"Derrick?"
He stopped at a red light and faced her. "You don't think you belong solely to Darren do you? There's a reason why I'm still single." He paused. "You."
Did she just hear him correctly?
"Do you honestly believe I don't love you the same as Darren? Of course I do, but the lucky bastard is the one who found you first. He gets to hold you in bed every night and gets to be the one that you call husband. There's a plan in place. If anything goes wrong, I'm to care for you." The light turned green. He turned back and pulled away from the light. "When you say you're thinking of leaving, you'll be leaving both of us. I love you Courtney, and I hate that you're going through this. I do. I'll do my best to use all my resources to make sure you're safe. But essentially, it's Darren's job and his call on how to protect you. I won't overstep my bounds."
"You love me that much?" she whispered.
Their bond has always been special but she never viewed it as an in-love connection. His behavior and circumstances clicked into place. The fact Derrick wasn't married. The constant lunch dates. Derrick taking care of her when needed. The special interest he took in her well-being and her happiness. Personal gifts, like the diamond tennis bracelet for her birthday. The way he held her hand or constantly kissed her. Why hadn't she seen it? Was she that naive?
"Honey, I love you like no other woman. Don't leave," he implored and took her hand into his. "We both need you."
Tears swam in her eyes. That was the most heartfelt admission she never considered she would receive from him. Ever. His demeanor held everyone at arms length. How could she leave him or Darren if they both felt that way about her? To be loved by two men was something she never expected.
She had to look away while the tears escaped her eyes. She wiggled her hand free to swipe her eyes.
"We'll do better. Darren will do better. He'll protect you and make certain this never happens again. He wants you to have a normal life and wants you to be happy," Derrick said. "Honey, there is no 'out.' Neither one of us will allow you to leave. You can either fight the life or learn to deal with what you've married into. You don't have to embrace it but learn to live with it. But you won't be allowed to leave."
He was right. She needed to pull herself together. Become strong for herself, her husband, and brother-in-law. She needed to create the happy marriage that she desired. They deserved it. There would be no option to leave, especially with Derrick's added admission of loving her. Along with her husband, now she had Derrick who refused to let her go. Talk about married to the mob.
Derrick pulled into his brother's driveway and climbed out of the SUV. He opened Courtney's door and helped her out. Unexpectedly he yanked her into his body, holding her tightly, as if she was his lifeline. Needing a release for her mixed emotions, she sobbed into his chest.
Darren
He heard his brother pull up in the driveway, but they hadn't made their way into the house yet. Darren stalked outside and stopped on the front step, unsure of what he was witnessing. Twice now, he found his wife in his brother's embrace. What was Derrick playing at? He watched Derrick lean down and whisper into her ear. Courtney looked past his brother to him, a tiny smile forming on her lips. Derrick released her and Courtney left his side. Darren smiled warmly as she approached and stepped into his arms. He wrapped himself around his wife and buried his head into her hair to take in her sweet scent.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?" he asked.
"Yes."
He pulled back to look her up and down. "What did the doctor say?"
He led her into the house towards the sofa. Derrick strolled past the living room to the kitchen.
She explained the doctor's instructions to treat the scrapes.
"Good. Do we have the cream? I'll send Jack out to get some," Darren said.
"I think we do."
He nodded.
"Darren, I need to talk to you," she said.
He balked, shaking his head. "Don't, Courtney. Please don't do this to me. Please," he said. "I can't lose you. Don't ask me to let you go, because I can't. I won't. It's not an option."
"Originally, I think I was going to ask to leave. Derrick talked to me and calmed me down." She looked towards the large bay window. "He's right. I know, deep down, you'll do everything to make sure nothing interferes with us again. I just can't help but to be pessimistic. Look at everything that's happened." She took a deep breath. "I did vow for better or worse. I had no idea about your life when I married you because I was naive. My fault." She placed her hand on her own chest, taking the blame. "But once I found out, I had that opportunity to walk away." She held up her hand when he tried to protest. "I know you're going to say you wouldn't have allowed me to leave, but I think you would have if I couldn't live with it. I chose to accept your world because it’s a part of you. So I have to live with whatever comes our way. I need to put my trust in you that you will keep me safe."
When he was certain she finished, he took her face tenderly into his hands and kissed her softly on the lips. He stared directly into those enormous blues. "I do love you, more than anything else in the world. If you stay by my side, Court, I'll do everything in my power to give you as close to a normal life that we could possibly have."
"All right."
He let it go at that, not wanting to pressure or push her. "Now, go find the cream and let's get these scrapes taken care of. It tortures me to see them on you."
They both stood and Darren led her to the bottom of the steps to head upstairs to the main bathroom. He went to the kitchen where Derrick downed a cup of coffee.
"You did this for me?" Darren asked.
Derrick looked his brother in the eyes. "I would do anything for you."
He nodded. "I know you would."
"I love her as well, Darren. She's your wife, I respect that. She needs you by her side. There's no other woman that is more perfect for you," Derrick said.
"I could say the same about you and her," he pointed out.
Derrick shrugged. "I suppose."
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"You're welcome. I did brush over the topic if something should ever happen. I needed to explain why I'm committed to making sure you two work this out," Derrick said short.
Darren nodded. "I need a will."
Derrick blinked. He'd shocked his brother. A rare satisfaction crept through him. It was rare to take is brother by surprise. The man was normally too self-composed.
"Everything goes to Court. If anything does happen, you're to take ov
er the business. Everything needs to go to my wife and our future children, so no one tries to take what is rightfully theirs," Darren said.
"I'll get it ready and have it for you by the end of the day to sign," Derrick said.
"Good."
"I'm going to head to the office unless you need anything else."
"No, I'm going to concentrate on my wife today."
Derrick nodded. "Yes, you need to."
Chapter 16
Courtney
Bouncing up and down, overexcited, Courtney threw herself into her cousins' arms.
"We did it." She beamed. Happy tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Yes, you did, honey," Sean said.
"When are you going to tell him?" Ryan asked.
"Tonight. Can I have the test? I'll leave it for him to find," she answered.
Sean chuckled. "Okay."
"Will you deliver the baby, Sean?" she asked, unsure of his reaction. Even though he was a cardiologist, he knew how to deliver babies. She figured that with her cousins' help they could protect her and her baby when they were most vulnerable. To say she'd become a bit paranoid was an understatement.
Sean gaped. "Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't trust anyone else. I don't trust anyone else. And I want Ryan to be hands on with my baby," Courtney said.
Blinking back tears, Ryan turned away. SEALs don't cry. She wanted to laugh at him but couldn't do that to his masculinity.
"Court, are you sure? I can't be entirely hands-on in the hospital because I'm a NICU nurse," Ryan explained.
"I'm sure between the two of you and my husband you'll figure something out," she said confidently.
"Yes, I would be honored to deliver your baby, Courtney," Sean said.
"I would be honored to look after your child, Courtney," Ryan said. "I'm humbled that you asked."
The Boss's Love Page 17
