Chapter 15
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
MONROE
"Monwoah?" Kaleigh’s tiny voice called from upstairs.
By the time I reached her room, she was sitting on the edge of her bed, hair sticking up in every direction from her nap and a sad little frown on her face.
“What’s wrong sweetie?”
“I had an accident,” she cried. “My bed is all wet.”
“It’s okay. Let’s get you cleaned up first, then I can clean up your bed. Okay?”
Kaleigh nodded, but her little bottom lip still trembled. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” I knelt in front of her and brushed her messy hair away from her face. “You don’t have to apologize for that. Accidents happen.”
“Okay.”
One quick bath, an outfit change and one freshly made bed later, Kaleigh bounced her way downstairs ready to watch Moana again.
As we walked in the living room together, she grabbed my hand. “Monwoah?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you sit with me?”
The question was so simple, so innocent. Yet, it still squeezed my heart.
“Always.”
How was it possible for someone so small to take up so much space in my heart?
A few weeks ago, she was a stranger.
Now I couldn't imagine walking away from her. From them.
Halfway through the movie, while Kaleigh was busy performing every song, my phone buzzed on the coffee table.
Clay: How are my girls?
My heart did something ridiculous.
…my girls.
I stared at those words longer than I probably should have. He probably didn't mean anything by it. Probably just a typo. I knew he was just checking on Kaleigh. But still…there was a part of me that wanted to hold onto the way it felt.
Me: Your girls are surviving. Someone had a small accident after her nap, but she's okay. Currently being captivated by the sights and sounds of Moana.
A few seconds later, the typing bubble appeared.
Clay: Sounds about right.
I smiled.
I locked my phone before I could overthink it. Before I could convince myself that I was reading too much into everything, because this was dangerous.
I was wanting something I had no right to. Wanting a man who had already given me more than enough pieces of a life I thought I had lost the right to have.
A soft sound from the floor pulled me from my thoughts.
Maverick was no longer relaxed.
His head had lifted.
His ears stood straight up.
Every muscle in his body was suddenly alert.
I frowned. “What is it, Maverick?”
He didn't look at me.
His eyes were fixed on the front window.
A chill slid down my spine. I knew that look.
I had seen it before, that day at the grocery store. The motorcycle. The feeling of being watched.
"Maverick?"
This time, his head turned slightly toward me. Then back toward the window. And when the low growl rumbled from his chest, I knew…Maverick wasn’t just worried. He was warning me.
“Hey, Kaleigh-girl.” I found to keep my voice even. “Can you come here for a minute?”
“I’m dancing!”
Maverick growled again.
Unsure of what else to do, I stood and scooped her up in my arms. “I think I need to pause the movie for a second, silly girl. I think Daddy tried to call me and I need to call him back.”
“Oh. Okay!”
“I bet he needs me to get something from his bedroom. Why don’t we go up there for a second?” I didn’t know why I suggested it but all I could think about was getting her as far away from whatever was standing on the other side of that front door.
I sat her back down on the floor. “Race you,” I teased, praying that she couldn’t sense how scared I was.
Kaleigh took off. I moved quickly but carefully behind here, already dialing Clay’s number on my cell phone.
It rang once. Twice. A third time.
My heart pounded harder with every second.
Come on, Clay. Please answer.
The call went to voicemail.
I swallowed hard.
No. Not now.
I hung up and immediately hit his name again.
Maverick stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his growl deepened.
My stomach dropped.
Because the dog who had walked beside Clay into war zones wasn't scared easily.
Whatever danger he sensed, it was real.
I reached the top of the stairs just as my phone started ringing. I answered without even looking at the screen. For half a second, relief flooded through me.
“Clay.”
"Monroe?"
Not Clay. My stomach twisted.
"Sloane."
“Monroe. Get Kaleigh and get in Clay’s bedroom as fast as you can. Lock the door behind you and do not open it.”
“What about Maverick,” I whispered, trying not to let Kaleigh hear me. “He’s at the bottom of the steps growling. He won’t come up here.”
“Mav knows what to do. Leave him and do exactly what I said.”
“It’s him, isn’t it?” My voice cracked.
The line went silent for half a second.
“Clay’s on the way.”
“Okay.” I took a deep breath as Kaleigh came out of her room, Glitterbutt in her arms.
“I’m ready!”
I put a finger over my mouth. “Shh. It’s a secret, remember?” I whispered.
“Hey, Monroe, I need you to tell me if anything changes." Sloane said still on the other end of the phone.
“Yep. You got it,” I faked confidence.
I ushered Kaleigh into Clay’s room and looked back at Maverick one last time.
Dear God, don't let anything happen to that dog.
Kaleigh immediately crawled up in the middle of Clay’s bed and had the remote in her hand. “Can I pick the secret movie?”
“Great idea, kiddo.”
With her distracted, I covered my mouth with my hand and whispered into the receiver, "Sloane?"
"Yeah?"
“It’s Kael, isn’t it?”
This time he didn’t hesitate. “Yes and he appears to be armed.”
No. No. No. No. Nooooo.
I did this. I brought danger right to Clay’s doorstep and now his little girl is in harm's way.