Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 217: Rescue

Chapter 217: Rescue

When the text from Emily had come in. Derek had opened it with a smile on his face.

He had been expecting it to be her complaining about the price of the milk again. Or how there were so many varieties of milk.

So when he opened it, he did so with a big smile . Already anticipating that she would be saying something completely serious that he would find funny nonetheless. But instead Derek opened the message, read it, and his smile was cleanly wiped off his face.

Just to be sure, he read it and then re-read it again, several times, for good measure.

But on the fifth read, the message finally sank in. Derek’s uncle was in the area. ’Sebastian Haven is here’

They were in trouble.

Taking a deep breath, Derek forced down all of the panic that was threatening to build within him.

’What do you mean my uncle is there, Emily?’ Where exactly he?’ ’Is he in the building or is he out on the street?’

Derek sent the messages in succession and then he waited, holding his breath as Emily’s replies began to pop in.

’No, he is not in the building.’ The first message read and then it was swiftly followed by the second one.

’He is at the same store that I am in. The one with the fancy name. I just happened to catch a glimpse of him. Am I being paranoid? Does Sebastian normally come around these parts? I was of the mind that he avoided you like the plague outside of work or has he recently bought property on this side of town?’

’Or he could be visiting somebody.’ Even through her texts Derek could tell that Emily was rambling, and a rambling Emily was a nervous Emily. That was not good.

The situation was bad enough. Derek did not need her panicking as well. If she panicked.

Then there was a huge chance that she would make a mistake that they could not safely walk away from. He had to find a way to get her to calm down. ’Does the store have any soy milk?’ He texted. This time there was a brief pause.

’Milk?! Derek, are you seriously asking me about milk right now? I have just told you that your uncle is here.’ Emily typed back. And Derek let out a breath.

Good, she was annoyed. Being annoyed was better than being panicked.

’I know. I just sent you that one to get you out of the panic that you were slipping into.

We do not need panicked Emily right now. In fact, if you could call staff sergeant Emily, that would be best.’ Derek sent the message before he could think to edit it.

’What do you mean staff sergeant Emily?’ She sent back and Derek gulped.

Oops.

The cat was out of the bag on that one. But they had bigger fish to fry. A fact that he reminded her of in his next message.

’That is something for another time. Right now we have a more pressing issue to attend to. Don’t you think?’

He waited, and a few seconds later, her reply came.

’Alright, your uncle’s situation is more pressing. But do not think that I will be forgetting about this Derek Haven.’ She sent, and then a few seconds later it was followed by, ’so what do we do?’

Derek sent Emily another message. ’Has he spotted you yet?’ He asked. And the reply was swift. ’No,’ she wrote. So his uncle had yet to notice her. Good, that was good. Derek could work with that.

’Keep an eye on him.

and keep me posted. But whatever you do, make sure that he does not see you. It will not end well for either of us if he recognizes you.’ Derek said.

He knew that the last part was not needed. Emily knew just how bad that would be as much as Derek did. But a reminder for both of them was not amiss.

Staring at his phone, Derek sent one last text.

’Hang in there, I will be arriving in a few minutes.’ And with that he pocketed his phone. No longer preoccupied by staring at the device, Derek broke into a run. And as the world blurred around him.

He was grateful for all of the countless hours that he spent in the pool, swimming his nights away. His stamina was ridiculous. Derek was pretty sure that if he had been anyone else. He would have been winded long ago and stopped. But as he ran through the streets, skilfully dodging people and pets alike.

Derek did not even feel the slightest hint of exhaustion or muscle pull trying to creep up on him. So he ran, and he ran, all the while trying to come up with a solid plan. To think things over in a rational way.

His uncle was not exactly known for being subtle. So if he had been following Derek in the past.

Derek would most likely have noticed him. If the opposite were true, if his uncle had been tailing him for a while without Derek noticing. Then he was in for a world of trouble. And whatever it is that came his way, he would make sure that it affected only him.

Emily had to be protected at all costs.

But even as he thought of his uncle somehow having gotten the drop on him, Derek dismissed that. Had Sebastian Haven had something on him. He would have used it the very moment that he had gotten the information. Derek’s reputation would have been in tatters had his uncle known about him and Emily.

So there was a huge likelihood that Derek could still rescue the situation. Picking up speed, Derek ran until the store that Emily was in came into sight, and then once he was a block away he slowed down.

Faking a casualness that he did not feel. Derek ran a hand through his hair, and then he forced his shoulders to relax.

"I live around here. It is normal for me to be in these parts," He said aloud, needing to hear it himself in order to be able to be more centered. If his uncle even caught a whiff of Derek’s discomfort. Then he would be caught in a web of trouble that he did not need. Coming to a stop in front of the store, Derek took a deep breath. And after that deep breath, Derek was able to calm himself even more.

He walked into the store, the doors opening for him, hissing softly like a giant snake and Derek had a single wild thought that he was headed into a snake’s lair. But he swiftly pushed that thought aside. There was no snake.

Only his uncle, and Derek could definitely handle that man.