“You love my pervertedness.”
Jacey reached back down to grab his hand, her face growing serious. “I’m so scared. I can’t lose this baby, Derrick.”
“You won’t,” he told her fiercely. “You are going to do everything the doctor tells you. Both you and the baby are going to be fine. You will remain calm and positive and allow me to look after you both.”
“So bossy.” But there was a flicker of a smile on her face as she scolded him. “What would I do without you, Derrick?”
“You never have to find out. You’ll never be without me again. I want you to relax, baby. Let me worry about everything. You just stay calm and look after yourself and the little one.”
She sighed, relaxing back into the bed. Her eyes drifted shut as he ran his fingers through her hair.
“How did you know to come looking for us?” she asked suddenly.
“I got your phone call,” he told her. “Roarke had GPS on the car you were using. Bloody good idea.”
She opened her eyes to stare at him suspiciously. “You’re going to put them on all your cars, aren’t you?”
“You bet.”
“Don’t you think that’s overreacting?”
“I’ll do whatever is needed to keep you safe.” He meant every word. “I was so scared. What happened? Did a deer run out in front of you or something?”
“No,” she replied. “Someone tried to run us off the road. It wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate.”
Chapter Fifteen
Derrick lay back on the surprisingly comfortable reclining chair in the room and looked up at the hospital ceiling.
He ran his hand through his hair, Jacey’s words spinning through his mind. She’d told him everything she could remember about the crash. Someone had tried to run the girls off the road. Then they’d come back to finish the job. If that other car hadn’t come along… he swallowed.
He could have lost her. Could have lost the baby. Holly. Ava.
Christ. Why would someone try to hurt them?
Jacey knew. He could tell by the haunted look on her face. She thought this had something to do with her husband. He clenched his hands.
He would have questioned her further, but a different nurse had entered the room, telling him that Jacey had to rest. He could see the exhaustion on her face and knew that the best thing she could do right now was get some sleep.
So as Jacey slept, Derrick lay back on the chair the nurse had found for him and stared at the ceiling, worrying. There had been no way he was leaving her. No way in hell. In the morning he’d arrange for round the clock security for all the women. He’d also question Roarke about his driver, who had been released from hospital with just a couple of bruises.
Derrick wondered how long Jacey needed to stay in the hospital. He wouldn’t go against doctor’s orders but if someone were trying to harm her then the best place he could protect her was at his house.
What he didn’t understand is why Jacey’s husband would he want to harm her. Maybe kill her? Because he was angry that she’d gotten away from him?
What if it wasn’t about Jacey?
He knew that Roarke, Sam and Brax were staying with Ava and Holly for the night. The women would be protected tonight. Tomorrow he would find out exactly what was going on.
***
Jacey woke up disorientated and in pain. She blinked, looking around. White on white on white. The smell of disinfectant hit her nose as well as the noise of people moving around and talking.
Hospital. Accident. The baby.
She reached down to cover her stomach.
“Jacey? Hey, you’re awake.” Derrick looked down at her, a smile on his tired face. His hair was sticking out at all angles, looking more rumpled than she’d ever seen him. In fact, she didn’t think she’d ever seen him with a wrinkle in his clothes. He always managed to look like he’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine.