Page 41 of Protecting Clove
An old man stepped out from behind a dumpster. It wasn’t her. He ran more and called out for her again. She had to be around here somewhere.
He had gone another two blocks when he called out and saw a woman turn toward him. He called out again. “Clove, it’s me, Bud.”
She froze, and he kept moving toward her. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open. She took one step, then another, before she ran to him, jumping into his arms.
Her arms were tight around his neck. “You found me.”
“I found you. We need to go home and get you warmed up.”
“Bud, you came for me.”
“I’ll always find you when I can.”
Her lips dragged across his in a sloppy kiss that spoke of her exhaustion. She melted against him, not quite dead weight, but almost there. He held her up as they walked back to his car. The cops were there, and it took thirty or so minutes for Clove to give her statement. The police took Keith into custody, which made him feel a lot better.
It took them about twenty minutes to drive home. The rain had stopped, and the sun was out in the time it had taken to talk to the police and drive home. Clove didn’t say much but kept her hand on his leg. When he told her about Kevlar heading to their house to keep Neo and Remi safe, she squeezed his leg. They pulled up outside the house, and her tears flowed freely. She opened the door. He moved fast and got to her as she was scrambling up the walkway.
The front door opened, and Neo raced to her. He would be lying if he said he didn’t have tears leaking down his face as he watched Neo and Clove hug each other. Clove reached back and pulled him to her. He hugged his family, glad they were all safe.
Kevlar and Remi were there after a moment, hugging them before they stepped back. Clove laughed and pulled Remi close.
“Thank you for keeping Neo safe.”
“Anytime.”
Clove turned to Kevlar. “Thank you for coming here and making sure Neo and Remi were safe.”
“Anything for family. I’m glad you are okay.”
Clove’s throat squeezed, so she nodded. She wasn’t able to speak because there were too many emotions running through her. After a few swallows, she got out another thanks.
She held Neo and carried her inside. It was a relief to assure Neo that Keith was in jail. While Remi cooked them breakfast, Clove showered and dressed in something warm. The food was great, and Neo kept the conversation flowing. It seemed like she was okay, though Clove was still shaken up from the experience.
Kevlar had fixed the back door with the help of other SEALs, and sitting in the kitchen, she couldn’t even tell that the door had been kicked in. She appreciated everything they’d done.
After eating breakfast, Kevlar and Remi left, and Bud went into the bathroom to shower. Neo was still clinging to her, so she couldn’t go chat with Bud while he showered.
She loved spending time with Neo, but it wasn’t until after Neo passed out before she had time alone with Bud. She walked into his arms and clung to him.
“You are freaking amazing. I love you.”
He kissed her cheek and then gently brushed his lips over hers. “I love you so much. I can’t stand the thought of losing you. When Kevlar woke me up, I almost lost it. I hope they put him away for a long time.”
“Same. I hope they put him away for life.”
He kissed her again. “We’ll deal with it as it comes. For now, how about I take you to bed and hold you?”
She chuckled and kissed his neck. “Maybe more than hold me.”
“What were you thinking?”
A shiver slid through her at the thought of him making love to her. “Maybe some kissing.”
“Just kissing?”
“Touching.”
“So touching and kissing.”
