Maybe it’s because I know my daughter is safe here. Maybe it’s because, after seeing Clementine rattled, I don’t want her to be so lost again.
The bell rings and I walk out of the room to find Mere and Clem standing at their bedroom doors.
Jesus, their pale faces!
It’ll take some time for both of them to get back to normal.
“It’s all right. It must be one of the guys.” I open the door and find Lukas with four cups from the diner.
“It’s our new neighbor.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood, ladies.” Lukas bows lightly before stepping inside.
He hands Clementine a cup. “Cinnamon latte for you, miss. I have heard this is your oxygen.”
The shy smile that plays on her lips releases some of my tension.
“And for you, my pretty lady, strawberry slush. I had to place a special request for this.” He hands Merida the pink drink in a plastic mug.
“It’s not cool that our new neighbor already knows us so well.” Mere takes a seat at the dining table. “What do you say, Clem?”
“As long as he brings my oxygen, I don’t mind.”
The girls giggle, and it feels good to see them smiling. I made the right decision in moving us here. I now just need to keep them safe until we catch this fucker Lebedev.
Lukas sits on a chair, asking them what they would like for dinner. I know he’s trying to keep them distracted.
He lives in the only other apartment on this floor, and I wouldn’t trade this guy with anyone else for a neighbor.
There’s no one I trust more than him when it comes to my girls’ safety. He’s a dare devil who won’t think twice before risking his life for others.
23
KEITH
My eyes open and I glance at the clock. It’s five in the morning. Like every day, my gaze turns to the wall next to my bed and it feels weird to not see Mel smiling at me.
My thoughts are broken by the sound of running water. Clementine is making coffee.
No. Not coffee. Cinnamon latte. The sugary excuse for coffee.
I smile, remembering the day she made me drink that monstrosity at the café.
How angry I was at her later that day and so many other days. My mood sours, thinking how I’d treated her in the beginning. In return, she’s brought back the only happiness left in my life—Merida.
I lie on the bed for a few more minutes, just imagining what Clementine might be going through this morning. But when I hear opening and closing of the kitchen drawers, I know she’s searching for something.
I climb out of the bed and just before leaving the room, put on my T-shirt. I remember her telling me not to run naked in the house.
This girl.
My feet come to a halt when I see her standing on her toes, trying to take a coffee mug out of the high cupboard. As usual, she’s not wearing pants, and her milky-white thighs and white panties with pink kisses are on full display.
My eyes close and visions of her from the night when she lay on top of me, barely dressed, float in my head.
“Keith. Sorry, did I wake you up?” Her whispered words force me to look at her.
She peers at me over her shoulder. Her hands rest on top of the coffee machine. Thank God her T-shirt now covers that perfect ass.