Chapter 6
“I don’t care if I never see her in person again. She is mine. No one will love her as I do.”
As she walks through the building, I refuse to blink.
A second without eyes on her is too much.
I need to make sure that she is safe within the walls of her new apartment before I dare to move.
Every floor she crosses brings a small release of tension in my shoulders.
While I know that the elevator and subsequent floors are empty, I also know how quickly people move.
One.
With one screen focused on my flower, I toggle the other between the camera on the floor as she passes them by.
Two.
Every moment of her being exposed is like sandpaper rubbing my skin raw and bloody.
Three.
As the elevator comes to a stop, I hold my breath, not wanting to move.
Slowly, I exhale as Eva steps in front of Claire, defensive and ready to take down anyone in her path.
Eva is a predator in a world full of prey.
A content smile crosses my face, knowing that it was worth every dollar that I spent for her to be Claire’s security detail.
Each step that she takes is calculated, and her eyes never stay in the same spot for more than a moment.
My eyes ache from the dry air being pumped into the room, however, I refuse to blink until I know that she is safe.
Each step that she takes is a breath of fresh air for me.
She ushers Claire into the apartment, keeping her eyes open for any potential dangers, just like I would be.
As the door shuts behind them, I look down and see the whiteness of my knuckles.
I switch gears from the building’s security cameras to the internal hidden ones that I have placed in the apartment.
They are not as robust as the obvious cameras, but they allow me to keep an eye on my flower.
She is mine. I will be damned if I cannot keep her safe, even if I cannot touch her again.