Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1) Page 18

  “Let’s all grab some coffee or tea and sit down.” Nate nodded to Libby who started pouring steaming mugs. Decker gratefully took the brief distraction from his parents and sat down with his coffee while everyone else found a seat with their warm mugs.

  “So, the best we can figure, Nicky interrupted someone who was trying to find something in either Katie or Decker’s offices.” Nate spoke quietly, obviously trying to ease the sting of this blow.

  “Start at the beginning, please.” Decker sipped his coffee, but Katie noticed the hard glint in his eyes already showing that his head was leading him to conclusions that weren’t ones he wanted to accept.

  “This morning, I was going to go over some of the financial reports, but I was missing that one that you told me you were taking a last look at on Thursday. I was going to head down to The Center+ to grab it from your office, but Nicky stopped by the house before I left and said he was going down there anyway to finish up some things for a talk therapy session they were planning for tonight. He offered to grab the report; I knew it was in the red folder and it would be front and center on your desk, so I told him where to find it.” Nate took a sip of his hot tea as Libby ran her hand along his thigh; the anger Decker was feeling was reflected in his father’s eyes, but Nate’s eyes also showed guilt, guilt that he’d let his twin brother walk into getting hurt the way he did.

  “When I got to The Center+, I finished up what needed done in the room we were going to use for tonight’s talk therapy, then I headed to your office, Decker. I was surprised at how messy your desk was, you never leave anything messy. I was looking for the red folder when I heard something in Katie’s office; it scared me because I knew no one should have been in those offices. I walked to the doorway between the offices and looked around, but I didn’t see anything or anyone. When I turned back around to take one last look for the red folder, I felt someone come up behind me. I’m not sure what they hit me with, but they hit my head and then ran out of the room. I fell down, but I was able to get back up and call Nate. He and Jeremiah came to help me. The police came and asked me a lot of questions.” Nicky finished his story, but Katie had a feeling there was something he wasn’t saying.

  Decker must have gotten the same feeling because he looked around at the stoic faces surrounding the kitchen table. “What are you not telling me? What else happened? Damn it, something like this happens, someone I love gets hurt when it should have been me, I deserve to know what you’re not saying.” Decker slammed his fist on the kitchen table.

  “Decker, I’m glad you and Katie weren’t there. I didn’t get hurt that bad, and I’m glad it was me and not either of you.” Nicky looked Decker in the eyes before letting his head fall; his voice was quiet and shook as he spoke again, “I think the person who hit me would have hurt Katie worse than me.”

  Decker’s eyes snapped toward his father after hearing what his uncle had said. “What’s he not telling me, Dad?” He reached over as if to hold Katie’s hand, but pulled back at the last moment. That single movement stung worse than salt in a paper cut; she felt like miles were between them; she had no hard proof, but her gut told her that this incident was going to cause issues between them. Issues she wasn’t going to like.

  “Go ahead, Nick, tell him what the person who hit you said.” Nate nodded at his twin; Nicky’s eyes shone with tears and his wife, Carly, reached over and took his hand.

  He sniffed his nose and then spoke softly, “I don’t know if it was a man or a woman, I don’t really remember the voice, I just remember the words. ‘You’re lucky you aren’t that bitch Katie. I’m going to kill her. And soon.’ That’s when they hit me, and I just remember getting up later to call Nate.” Nicky wiped his eyes and looked between Katie and Decker. “So, you see, I’m so glad you weren’t there. A sore head is better than Katie ending up dead.”

  A short while later, the group dispersed. Katie found herself being driven home by Sawyer while Decker stayed to talk some things over with Nate. She felt a bit spooked as Sawyer walked her to her door, but he got her settled in bed and promised to lock the door behind him as he left. “Sawyer? Why do I feel like I just got the proverbial brush off from your brother?” Tears threatened her eyes as she spoke; Decker had kissed her cheek absentmindedly and basically pushed her into Sawyer’s arms. No promises to call her, no words spoken in love, no assurances that everything would be fine. Her heart hurt, and her mind was running in circles trying to get inside Decker’s head to figure out what he was thinking.

  “Katie-girl, if I know my brother, this is going to play out in one of two ways. The first option is he’s going to get pissed, pull you closer, and solve this shit. The second option is he’s going to get pissed, push you away in order to protect you and get control of the situation back, and solve this shit.” He leaned in to kiss her head and tucked the blankets around her tightly. “If I’m being honest with you, I think Option 2 is the most likely right now. He’s going to blame himself for not being there, for Uncle Nicky getting hurt, for putting you in danger. He was off having fun in the sand and sun when this happened. Someone is purposely fucking with him and The Center+, and you’re in danger; he’s going to tick each of those things off on his well-manicured fingers and add them up to one thing: ‘I need to get this under control,’ and the way he’ll do that is to push you away to protect you.” Sawyer rubbed her hand through the blanket as tears poured from her eyes.

  “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. I think I’ve felt this coming since he first got your text tonight. Do I have a chance of fighting him on this? Or do I just have to sit by and watch as he closes in on himself again and pushes me away all in the name of controlling a situation and fixing whatever is going on?” She sniffed and wiped angrily at her tears.

  “Well, I guess you could sit by and watch, but that doesn’t seem like my Katie-girl. And I know sure as shit that Kendrick, Zach, and I aren’t going to let him go running back to the uptight douche he used to be. I love my brother dearly, but he’s been a lot more fun since you came into his life; I’m not going to let him throw that away.” He laughed as she giggled. “Now, all of that being said, I think it will get worse before it gets better. And, I’m in 100% agreement with him that YOU need to be protected. I don’t get why someone seems so dead set against you and him being together, but that threat against you tonight isn’t something any of us are going to take lightly.” She shivered as Sawyer spoke of the menacing threat Nicky had shared with them earlier.

  “Sawyer? In any other situation, this would be a totally fucked up request….” She looked up at him from her pillow and he just laughed, already knowing what she was going to ask.

  “No worries, Katie-girl. Let me text Decker to let him know where I am. I’m going to check the locks on all the doors and windows, grab a pillow from the couch, and lose the jeans. I’ll be right back.” She smiled as he walked out of her room. Her heart hurt because she was so far from Decker, but she trusted Sawyer to take care of her until she could be back in his brother’s arms.

  Sawyer checked the locks, called the police department to be sure an extra patrol was watching Katie’s house and texted his brother.

  Sawyer: I know what you’re doing. Pushing her away isn’t what she needs. She needs you, and you need her. I’m staying with her tonight. Think about that. By ‘protecting’ her and getting your damn precious control back, you’re leaving her alone; she’s sobbing in bed, and I’ll be the one wrapping her in my arms and comforting her. Great plan, brother. I love you, but if you do what I think you’re going to do, I’m not supporting you.

  He headed back up the stairs and crawled into bed with her. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered, “We will get through this, Katie-girl, and I’ll be here by your side until we do. I love you.”

  She sniffed her nose and whispered, “Thank you, Sawyer. I love you, too.”

  **********

  Katie’s head was aching so badly the next morning, she had Sawyer let Decker know
that she would be in later. Sawyer had briefly filled her mother in on what was going on, telling her to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and to call the police with any concern.

  He had hugged her tight before leaving, “Don’t lie down and take this. Maybe I’m wrong and he’ll choose Option 1; I hope to hell he does. But, if he goes with Option 2, you have to fight. It won’t be easy, but he’s got to see that he needs you by his side and pushing you away isn’t the way to fix this. I’m going to talk to him first thing to see where his head is at, but I want you to get a hot shower and some breakfast and get your ass to work. And talk to him.” A quick kiss to her cheek and Sawyer was gone.

  **********

  Walking into The Center+ a few hours later, Katie smiled at Decker’s parents and held her head high in regards to their crushed expressions. Did they already know what he was planning on doing? Holding her steaming coffee in her hand, Katie checked in at her mailbox.

  “Katie? Could I talk to you, sweetie?” Libby Morgan was probably the sweetest person in the world, and Katie could tell that what she wanted to talk to her about was not making her happy.

  “Sure, Libby, what’s up?” Katie tried to play nonchalant, but she knew talking to Decker’s mom was going to be hard.

  They walked side-by-side to the conference room. On the way, they passed the gym and Katie’s heart stopped when she saw Sawyer and Decker speaking. Kendrick and Zach stood off to the side. None of the four men looked happy; there was definite tension in the air, and it broke her heart knowing that Decker was indeed choosing Option 2. Her heart, wounded as it was, warmed to know that the other three men were standing up for her.

  “Katie, my son is very special to me; both of my boys are absolute gifts and I treasure them. That being said, I don’t agree with the way Decker plans on handling this situation. Both his father and I tried to speak some sense into him last night. Even Jeremiah and Kyle tried to talk to him; his Aunt Audrey all but castrated him with her words, but he’s not backing down right now. I know I don’t really have the right to ask you to do this, but I’m going to anyway because I feel it in my soul that you two are meant to be together. Please don’t give up on him; every person in his family will stand by your side and fight him on this. He’s mad and scared and hurt right now; he thinks he’s let us all down. The only way he knows to fix things is to pull the reigns tight and shut himself down to everything but protecting his business and you. He doesn’t see that shutting you out isn’t protecting you, it’s hurting you; he thinks that he’s doing what’s best. Give him some time, Katie, but don’t give up on him.” Libby’s eyes shimmered with tears. Patting the girl’s hand, she stood to leave. “Don’t let him forget how beautiful you made his life, because you did that, Katie. You made his life so much more than what he allowed it to be before.”

  Katie dried her tears and walked with determination to her office. Setting her coffee cup down, she checked her mascara in her small compact mirror and then headed to Decker’s door. He had barely had time to dry his hair after his workout with the guys and the scent of soap emanated from him, teasing her senses and choking her with emotion.

  “Good morning, Decker. Could we talk?” She spoke professionally, not knowing exactly how he was going to play this off. Would he pretend like their relationship hadn’t happened and just treat her as his assistant manager? Or would he address the huge white elephant in the room; the beast was so large, Katie felt like it was seated on her chest. Did he feel it too?

  “Good morning, Kate. Yeah, I think we should talk. Pull up a chair.” Decker avoided meeting her eyes, not a good sign. This lit a spark of anger inside of her. I won’t let him do this. Not now, not this way. Making up her mind, Katie pulled a chair in front of his desk and sat down. Pulling herself up to her full height, she sat on the edge of the chair.

  “Decker, before you speak, I have something to say, and I want you to just listen until I’m finished.” Leaving him no chance to argue, she started speaking.

  “When I first met you, years ago, you were this serious, controlled, unapproachable young man. I adored your brother, but I fantasized about you.” The tick in his jaw was the only indication that he was hearing her words. She plowed on. “Years later, I found the absolute perfect job for me in my perfect little hometown, working alongside the perfect boss. Fighting the immediate attraction we had for each other became pointless, and you soon became my perfect match, my missing puzzle piece. You are it for me, Decker; I gave you myself, I gave you my love, my heart, my soul.” Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and went on.

  “I hate what is happening to The Center+; I don’t understand it any more than you do. I am woman enough to admit that I’m scared to death of that threat Nicky shared with us,” her breath hitched when his jaw tightened yet again and his nostrils flared in anger over the threat to her. As long as that emotion continued to show on his face, she knew she hadn’t lost him forever.

  “I spent last night in the arms of your brother. Stop growling, you know there’s nothing there, even if I wanted there to be. I tell you this so you’ll stop being so pigheaded; your brother held me and comforted me last night. Your mom offered me her support this morning. I love your family, Decker, but I want your arms and your comfort and your support.” Taking another deep breath, she readied herself to deliver her ultimatum.

  “Decker, I watched my father put his business and his professional goals in front of his marriage for far too long. You are not my father, I know that. I know that in your heart-of-hearts, in your misguided head, you are doing this to protect me. But, I won’t stand by while you shut me out. One week, Decker. You have one week to figure your shit out. I will stand by your side and we will fight this and work it out, together, as a team, or, I’m gone. I will walk away from the most wonderful job, family, and man I’ve ever known; I won’t be second to your business, Decker. I can’t, and I won’t. One week.” She willed away the tears which threatened to fill her eyes and waited for his response.

  He looked at her with hard eyes. Not hard, hateful eyes; hard, broken, determined eyes. “Kate, you are the best thing that ever happened to me, both personally and professionally. The threat against The Center+ and you is just too much. I can’t risk you, and I can’t risk my business. Whoever is behind this seems to be pissed that you and I are together; if they see that we’ve cooled it on a personal front, maybe they’ll give up and leave us alone, or, they’ll mess up and we’ll catch them. I’d never choose the business over you, but all of this started happening when I brought you on board, and we started a relationship. The Center+ keeps taking hits, you’re in danger, and my Uncle Nicky was hurt because I’ve lost my focus.” He pinched the bridge of his nose before he spoke again. “I can’t promise you anything will be solved in a week; I want to ask you to give this thing more time, but that would be unfair of me. So, take your week, but I can’t guarantee anything, so be sure you’re ready to follow through on your ultimatum. I won’t put you in more danger; if that means I lose you in order to protect the business and you, so be it.” He looked at her with sad but unwavering eyes.

  “So be it, huh? So you’d throw away all that we have instead of fight for us? You’d go back to that cold, bleak existence you called life, all in the name of protecting me and your precious business? Why, Decker?! It would be so easy to let me stand by your side and fight with you. Everyone else sees it, why can’t you?” She started to crack, her voice was beginning to quiver with emotion. “You know what? Forget it; there’s obviously no talking to you right now. I’ll give you some time. Until the end of the week, you know where to find me. I hope you also know that I won’t be sitting idly by, waiting for you to come up with a fix for this. I love you Decker Morgan. Even though you aren’t willing to fight for us right now, I am; I’ll fight for both of us.” She stood from the chair.

  “Damn it, Kate, I am fighting for us! Why can’t you see that? I lost my control, I lost my focus, and that led us to where we are no
w. My family, my business, and the love of my life are in danger. I can’t split my focus, so for now, I will do what I have to do to protect everyone and everything that I love. You’re the one handing out ultimatums, Kate. Not me. I’m not pushing you away, I’m protecting you.” He leaned towards her, palms flat on his desk.

  Her body, heart, and mind wanted nothing more than to lean over that desk and kiss him until he stopped this asinine plan of his. But she wouldn’t do that; their love was more than a physical attraction. He needed to come to her because of his love for her, not because he wanted her back in his bed.

  She turned and walked out of his office. Knowing that she was shot for today, she gathered up her bag and headed to the gym; a good punishing run on the treadmill would maybe help clear her mind and comfort her broken heart.

  Chapter 25

  A few shots into his evening drinking with his brother and cousins, Decker was more pissed off than when he’d arrived at the bar. The three fuckers who were supposed to be his best friends, supposed to support him and stand by him, were clearly not on his side; they were on Kate’s side. Everyone was on Kate’s side. Damn it, why couldn’t they see that he couldn’t pull her any further into this mess? If it wouldn’t be the worst move ever for the business and it wouldn’t crush her spirit more than he already had, he would fire her from her position in hopes of keeping her away from danger. But, he already feared for his ‘cock-n-balls’ when her grandmother found out that he had essentially ended things with her. It wasn’t a permanent separation; it was just temporary until he could get things at the center under control and get Kate out of danger.

  “Okay, I feel like we need to run down the list of possible suspects again. Who in the hell would be so out to get me and ruin The Center+, putting Kate in danger at the same time?” Decker racked his brain, trying to come up with names.