Entering the kitchen, he jotted a quick note and left the keys to his sports car on the counter so she could use his vehicle to get to work. He told himself he didn’t want her taking the bus or walking. When he left the house with Smith, who’d been in the living room the entire morning reading the paper, he locked the door behind him. A first. Derk never locked up his home. People knew better than to enter without an invite. But he had something of value in the home that couldn’t be tampered with. He needed to protect it. For now.
Man, Mac was screwing up his routine, and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.
***
Derk and Smith sauntered into the funeral home, bypassing all the men and women who stood in the line that wound around the building outside to pay their condolences. They stepped into the viewing area where the line formed and found Courtney standing next to the head of the casket beside her deceased father. Derrick stood menacingly beside her, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. On the other side of the casket sat Courtney’s mother and uncle and his two sons, Sean and Ryan. Sean's wife, Beth, sat with Sean's mother in a couple of seats off to the side. Sean’s and Ryan’s newborns weren’t present, so he assumed they were all with Lynn. He also noticed Sean's over-the-top avoidance of looking Courtney's direction. Why the man didn't buck up and bury the fucking hatchet, Derk didn't understand. Mrs. Murphy was a goddess. How could anyone stay pissed at her? Their family squabble and Sean’s blatant stubbornness to forgive was ridiculous. What a fucking pussy.
Focusing on the reason they were here, even in grief, Courtney was stunningly beautiful. Dressed in a designer black suit and heels, her eyes red rimmed and face pale, none of it deterred from her.
Derk scanned the room. Talk about a gathering. These same group of people were at Courtney's first husband's funeral. That showed how much she was revered by their organized world.
Courtney caught their eye and waved them over. When they approached, she abandoned the territory leader of the West, who held up the line, and focused on them.
"Derk, Smith," she said. Her eyes swam with tears. "I can't thank you enough," she said softly.
Embracing them both firmly, her husband loomed.
"Mrs. Murphy," Smith quietly said, "there's no reason to thank us."
"I'll argue that point with you," she said. "You both got me to the hospital quickly. If I had been alone..."
"Don't, Court," Murphy quietly but sympathetically reprimanded.
Her voice cracked. "You both stayed by my side. I owe you."
Derk vehemently shook his head. Nope, she didn't. Never. He'd do anything for the woman.
She held up her hand. "I'm indebted to you. If you ever need anything, please don't ever hesitate to come to me."
"Courtney," Derrick scolded harshly. He pegged both men with a hard, icy stare. "You will not approach my wife for anything. If you need something, you come to me."
They both nodded, not about to get into the middle of that disagreement. Courtney overstepped her bounds. That issue was between her and her husband.
Courtney closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Derrick's right," she conceded and took her husband’s hand into hers. She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."
He kissed her on the forehead but didn't respond.
That would be the extent of their argument in front of the general public. Murphy and Courtney's relationship was much stronger and secure than hers had been with Darren, her first husband. He’d been a firsthand witness. Mr. Murphy didn't tolerate much and he certainly wouldn't condone his wife's shenanigans like his brother had. It seemed Murphy managed to settle his wife down. Derk internally marveled what it would be like to have a woman at his side that was loyally dependable in every aspect of their lives. Someone who didn’t want money or sex or power. Someone who just wanted a man for himself, no other agenda. To have the all consuming relationship Courtney and Derrick had together. What drove them to feel the necessity to stand by each other without judgment and utter devotion? What could that possibly feel like? Was it really that soul-soothing to have the love of a woman? Could Mackenzie be a woman to take a place next to him and give him raw affection that could tame him?
Snorting at the ridiculous thought, he brushed it off. Why the fuck was Mac obsessively consuming all his thoughts? He needed to get a grip. He was turning into a fucking woman with these deep questions. What man needed this shit? See, not even in a relationship, and he was being driven to the brink of insanity.
Derk and Smith stepped out of line and off to the side, mingling with other men and women who attended to express their sympathy. Talk about a who's who in the mob community. He was surprised the police weren't sitting out front arresting men as they stepped out of the building. Though, Mr. Murphy probably paid a pretty penny to make certain his wife's father's funeral wouldn't turn into a spectacle.