Casey wished it was a normal day at the estate… A day when she'd put on a cute little outfit, and waltz straight past the guards and into Derek's office without a care in the world. Maybe she'd find him behind his desk, eyes scanning some report, or on the phone negotiating an insane business deal, all while looking like her favorite brand of catnip. His tailor made suits curled around his frame like a second skin and she often thought about peeling off him layer by layer…
She wished it was one of those days, where he'd sit in the armchair by the fireplace, one leg bent; his ankle resting on his opposite knee, while taking leisure sips of his aged whiskey, making her jealous of the glass that got to touch his lips. Those golden eyes would flash to her for just a second and promise every bit of trouble. But that was ok because as Casey was learning, she loved Derek's kind of trouble. It was the kind of trouble that left her breathless and flushed.
A romance writer couldn't paint a better picture if they tried.
She could wish on every star, but it wouldn't make it any better...
Casey knew about Derek's world, of course, she did. She didn't know the nitty gritty, she didnt have to. She had picked up the pieces from what he had told her, and filled in the blanks from what she could. But watching it happen, her heart thundering in her chest as she tried her best to process it...it just didn't seem real.
She watched him walk away, back straight, a soldier going off to war with his squad, but really what she watched was her heart walk out of that room.
She couldn't get the image out of her head, even as Sam navigated her through the back hallways of the estate. She was running; her body was on autopilot, but her mind was stuck in that dining room with him...Feeling the weight of his warm hand curled possessively around her thigh; his thumb brushing across her skin, driving her crazy, and promising a good night ahead. But no. That wasn't an option anymore. Survival was.
She didn't register any of the twists and turns till they ended up in front of Derek's office…. Derek's office? That's when she finally came to, her mind catching up with what was actually happening.
"What are we-" she started to ask.
Sam didn't answer. Instead, he locked the office door behind him, and walked over to the bookshelf, pulling on a book, which wasn't a book at all. The entire bookshelf panel clicked, unlocking and revealing that it had always been a secret door.
"Safe room," he explained the obvious.
That's when she finally got a good look at him. It wasn't her Sam. No, it was a different version of him she had never seen before. He was a soldier on his assignment. And that time she was the job.
Her breath caught in her throat. She had never seen Sam or any of the boys look so serious. Never seen them ready to kill. They are good about hiding that from her, thinking she is too delicate to handle it. And crap, maybe they were right? Her knees felt weak, and her vision was getting a little blurry around the edges. But still, she sucked in a breath and walked through the door, knowing time was of the essence and she wouldn't put them in graver danger.
Through the doorway, there was a flight of stairs leading down to a massive metal door that had to be bulletproof. A bunker? He did have everything, didn't he? But this was for safety. If his space, his home was compromised, this is the last resort. But he wasn't there. He was somewhere out there, doing god knows what…
Through tunnel vision, Casey saw bits and pieces of the room when she stepped inside. It was bigger than what she expected. A big comfy couch that could double as a bed if needed took up most of the back wall. A TV hung on the wall across from it, a kitchenette right next to it. A door that probably led to a bathroom was at the end, and a tech bay was in front of it.
After locking them in, Sam led her to the couch. It was only then that she had started to shake. The adrenalin of the past few minutes catching up to her nervous system. Fight or flight was a real thing.
Derek's gun, the one he had pressed into her hand, lay in her hands on her lap. She stared down at it, her shaking fingers, holding it like a precious gem in the palms of her hand. Derek's gun. Her mind chanted. She knew he had a gun, she'd seen it peek from beneath his waistband every once in a while. She watched him pull it on Sam not too long ago. Hell, he had a whole army and weapons room; obviously, she knew it. But knowing that he was out there, somewhere in danger while she hid tucked away in his safe room was unnerving. It was a room she didn't realize existed before the night's events. A room whose only purpose was to exist for the sake of trouble. A room that would surely drive her crazy, if her heart didn't give out her first.
Her mind, trying to protect her, played back their highlight reel instead of what happened outside that door.
She remembered sitting in his office only a few meters away from where she stood, asking for his protection. She thought about the heated glances and stolen touches that simmered over the last few months. The pool where she nearly kissed him. The night she did kiss him in his bedroom. The nights he let her use him, control him, topping from the bottom, he had later explained. She had explored so much with him during her time there. Sex and intimacy had never felt that way before. It had never been so fun, easy, and sexy.
Was she allowed to feel that way? So soon after the Truman mess that she was still very much in? Was it a trauma response?
Although the timing was concerning, she knew that the thing with Derek wasn't new. It was an old flame reigniting over time. And more importantly, she was sure, more so in that moment, that it was real and true. It means something. He meant something. A lot of somethings if her erratic heartbeat had anything to say about it.
"Sa…Sammy," she shuttered, her teeth clattering, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.
"Shit," Sam cursed, forgetting what he was doing by the computer and making his way over. He picked up the blanket that was draped over the side of the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders gently before taking a knee to be at eye level with her.
"Shit," he cursed again, seeing the state of her. "You're ok, Case," Sam promised, pulling her into his strong arms and chest. When had scrawny Sammy begun an impenetrable wall? Casey closed her eyes and tried to breathe but couldn't.
Sam pulled back enough to look at her eyes. "It's ok. You're just in shock. That's normal. You're not used to this. No one should be used to this," he explained, and sure, his words made sense. But believe them there was another there.
"Here's the deal," he started, looking serious like a captain, prepping her for a championship game. "That wall," he pointed behind him, "Is 10 layers of titanium. No one is getting through that. And if they do, they have to get through me, ok?" he explained. "And no one has ever gone through me. With my life, do you understand what that means? I will guard you, with my life, Casey." He swore the Venturi oath to her that time. And although she didn't know much, she knew what that meant—the severity of his words. And as much as she appreciated the sentiment, she didn't want it.
Casey shook her head adamantly. It wasn't her safety she was worried about. She trusted Derek, she trusted the team to keep her safe. She hadn't given herself a second thought. She didnt think anyone was after her. She knew it was bigger than herself. It was about Derek.
So no, she didn't want Sam's protection, sweet as it was. She wanted him to go find Derek. To help him. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after everything. Ever since she ended up there, they had been easing into this new place that had been so easy, despite everything. They had just gotten to a good place. A place that could lead to the future, if they chose it. They had so much left to say. And she couldn't help but think that she might not have another chance…
"But Derek," she blurted out, his name. "Derek," she repeated like it explained everything. Because it did.
Sam just smiled im response. "Derek?" he asked. "Casey, Derek is one strong son of a bitch. And all those fancy custom suits he wears? They have a bulletproof lining in them. It's not as strong as mine," Sam explained, tapping the vest under his black shirt. "But it will keep him breathing," Sam explained. "His suit, it's his armor," Sam explained. "That's why you hardly catch him out of it. But I'm sure the boys got a vest on him as soon as they could. Regardless, Derek is the best shot I know. Even better than me, just don't tell him I said that. And he got over fifty men out there who would die for him. He'll be fine," Sam promised. "Right now, he's got Ed in his ears, being his eyes-"
"Ed ?" Casey asked, suddenly remembering who else was in that room with them. Although Ed was part of that world, she didnt think he was as prepared as the rest of the team was for an ambush. "Where is he?" she asked, starting to panic again and undo Sam's calming efforts.
"Another safe room," Sam easily confirmed. "We've got half a dozen across the property. The staff knows what to do when that alarm goes off. The kitchen, the medical wing, everyone. Don't worry ok? We've prepared for this," he explained.
Knowing that was helpful. But it wasn't enough. Because Derek was still out there. Reckless Derek who would willing to stand in front of a gun to protect his people, and got shot for his efforts the last time he'd done it. "It's personal," he explained to her. How much more personal was it now, when he was being attacked in his own home? He wouldn't stand down and Casey knew it.
"I promise. He's got men at every side. And he's got you to keep safe. And if anything motivates Derek, it's you," Sam tried his best to reason.
"That's not true," she argued, not believing it. But something in Sam's eyes told her it was.
"Oh, but it is. The things that man has done for you, that you don't even know about…" Sam trailed off, smiling but shaking his head.
"Like what?" Casey asked, perking up.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Where do I begin? When you didn't want Derek's guards keeping you safe when you wanted new security detail… He started a new company that does security. Your security, only. Loophole," Sam shrugged. "When the elevator in your apartment building broke while you were at work, he had us go fix it before you even got off work. One day, some guy tried following you home from the bar. He didn't make it past two blocks. Once, you're car headlights were out. They got replaced while you had dinner with Lizzie. I don't think you even noticed," Sam chuckled.
Casey could only blink in response. Even with everything he had to do in a day, he was still taking care of her. Of course, he watched over her. He was always there. Even when she foolishly pushed him away, even when she was unaware. He was good. Too good for her. For what she had put him through. And then she brought trouble straight to his doorstep. Not that he couldn't handle it but…
"He's good, Case," Sam whispered in the silence, misinterpreting her reaction.
"What?"
"Derek. He's… inherently good. You know most of the staff that works here? It's all family. It's the women Derek saved. Moms who lost sons to drug wars. Kids who were orphaned. Every person he saves offers them a home. Some are too broken to go back to the real world, some don't have anyone left. So they stay here. He provides schooling and training, so if they ever decide to leave, they have options."
"The kitchen staff?" Casey asked slowly, already knowing the answer.
"Chef was half dead when we found him," Sam explained softly as if remembered that day.
Casey felt another piece of her heart shatter. The grumpy quiet chef she had quickly fallen for. The one who offered to help Derek, to take up arms if Derek ever needed him to. He had been through more than she could ever imagine. But he survived it all, partly because of Derek. No wonder Derek had brought him a restaurant.
"He pretends he's the villain, but it's to keep everyone here safe. To keep his family safe."
"Would die for him?" she had to ask, because if Derek did all those things for them…
Sam nodded. "They would. And Derek would die for any of them in return. He doesn't ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do himself. He spent hours in the kitchen with the chef preparing a meal for the entire company dinner once. He's trained in the medical wing, learning how to administer first aid in case anyone gets hurt and we're too far out. There's a reason we are all so loyal to him, Case. It's cause he's loyal right back. So I'm not worried about what's happening out there. I know he's safe," Sam promised.
Casey nodded, the adrenaline starting to crash and zapping the energy out of her. Sam noticed, getting up to get some juice and crackers in the bunker's fully stocked kitchenette. She wondered if that room was routinely taken care of…it looked to be.
Sam found some over the ear headphones in the tech bay and handed them over to her.
"Do me a favor, drink some of this, and keep breathing for me. In and out. Count them if you have to."
Casey nodded, accepting the headphones.
"Now, I'm gonna try to see what's going on, ok?" he explained, nodding towards the computer that must have some sort of connection to the main frame.
Casey nodded again, curling up into a ball, and pressing herself against the couch. She tried to breathe through the worst of the shakes before slipping the headphones on. Sam must have connected them to the computer; the sound of soft instrumental music played in them.
She looked down at herself, at the soft blanket covering her bare legs. At the shoes, she didn't remember slipping off, yet running in. She remembered the first night she was there, Sam being the one to save her and wrap a blanket around her then too. The difference was that this time there was no ring on her finger. No the only diamonds on her body were courtesy of Derek's this time. Earings, and a necklace to match. Her hand came up to her throat, where a singular diamond sat at the hallow of her collarbone. She wrapped her fingers around it as if it was a part of him.
Please be ok, she chanted to herself, pressing her eyes closed. Please, please, please.
It could have been seconds or days, but eventually, Casey heard a noise loud enough to slip past the cushion of her headphones. She ripped them off her head, her heart thundering in her heart once more.
She started to hear the electronic voice come through the AV system connected to the bunker.
"Code E.N. . One. Zero. Three."
Casey's heart dropped. She knew that was that was good or very bad, and it was a 50 - 50 split.
"I repeat. Echo. November. X-ray. Two. One. Zero. Three," came that automated voice again.
Unsure what that meant Casey turned to look at Sam. He looked relaxed for the first time since the alarms went off, sitting back into his chair, the weight of the world slipping off his shoulder and he looked young again. A smile graced his face, and Casey's entire body relaxed in response.
Good news then.
"That's the all clear, Case," he explained, sounding just as happy to hear it. "Let's get you out of here."