“I want to stop…chasing a ghost, Clem,” I say. “I have to accept that Melanie is not here.” Before she can say anything, I continue with a pounding heart, “But I might never be able to completely forget her. She’s Merida’s mother. She—” My throat chokes, making it difficult to speak more.
“I don’t want you to forget her, Keith. I’ll never ask you to do that. I…just can’t compete with her. For your love. You have so much history with her. I fear I’ll fall short.” She repeats her words from the previous day. Her voice laced with suppressed guilt, and I hate myself for making her feel this way.
“You aren’t competing with anyone, angel. Every love is different.”
She gasps for breath before asking, “What about me being twenty-five, being closer in age to Merida than you? Those things have still not changed.”
“I only care what you want, Clem, and I’ll wait for your decision.”
I end the call, hoping I haven’t messed things up too much and she’ll say yes.
* * *
“Thank you so much, Mr. Adams. Based on your intel, we raided three sites. On two, even before the kidnappers arrived. All the girls will sleep safely in their bedrooms tonight.” The police chief shakes my hand before leaving the conference room with his men.
Connor turns to me after Lukas has closed the door. “You don’t look pleased.”
“We might have stopped the abductions, but we’re not an inch closer to catching that fucker.” I point to the scant evidence board with a rough sketch of Mikhail Lebedev.
“Mikhail Lebedev remains elusive to us as ever.” Gavin leans back in his seat.
“Exactly. We don’t even know where he operates from. Is he in St. Peppers or is he sitting in a hole in another part of the country?” I rub my forehead in anxiety. “Also, the fact that he fucking knows about us. He might even be monitoring us.”
“Keith, Mere is safe here,” Connor comments.
“Yes, but how long can we work like this? Every time someone leaves the campus, they either need a backup or a security detail. It’s been a month since we’ve taken any new clients. We can only manage existing ones and Lebedev. Everyone is working around fourteen-hour days, which I worry will lead to accidents.” My stomach tightens at the thought of someone getting hurt saving my family.
“I can pull in more shifts,” Lukas states, leaning forward in his chair.
“You’re one of the people I worry about.” I throw him a pointed look.
As always, he waves his hand in indifference, giving no shit for his safety.
“Let’s meet back after lunch and we’ll think of something.” Connor rolls out from the desk.
When I come back to my office, I find Mere playing on her cell phone, sitting on my chair. Her unexpected presence uplifting my mood a bit.
“Hey, Merry belle! How come you’re here?”
Her eyes go wide as she puts a finger over her lips. “Dad! You haven’t called me that in years.” Glancing around, she says, “And don’t call me that again in public.”
I bite my lip, suppressing the growing smile. “Why not? I just remembered you used to love it.”
“I was four then and now I’m fourteen.” My daughter throws her hands up in the air.
“What does age have to do with that?” I’m enjoying this game too much.
She gets up from my seat and shakes her head. “Whatever.” But she doesn’t repeat the request for me to not call her that again. “Do you have time for lunch?”
I notice her school notebook on one corner of my table. “Were you working here?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to sit alone in the house. It’s okay, right?” Mere packs her stuff in her bag.
“Of course, it is. You used to always do that.”
“I know.” She smiles with a twinkle in her eyes. “That’s why I was wondering if we can go to Tiki’s for lunch. But only if you have time.”
“Definitely.” My chest puffs with joy. Mere and I have gotten closer over the last weeks, but it’s been years since she willingly came into my office, wanting to spend time with me. “Let’s go.”