“Where is she?Can we go get her?”She looks up at me with her doe eyes.
I cup her little face.“I wish I could, darling girl, but she’s in heaven,” I say, not sure if she even knows about heaven yet.
“That’s not fair,” she cries, and I pull her into my chest, a tear running down my cheek.I’ll do whatever I can to take this pain away from her.To protect her from ever feeling this again.
“I know, Cleo.I’d do anything to bring her back, but just know Mommy will always be looking over you, and I’m here to protect you now.”
Cleo nods.“You were always my favorite friend, Zee,” she says, and my heart beats harder.
She’s my everything, and I’ll protect her forever.It’s my full-time job now, and I won’t let anything come between us.
Cleo falls asleep, and we lie like that for an hour, her soft snores filling the room.When she wakes again, she sits up, rubbing her eyes.“Can we go play?”she asks, and I smile.
“Grab your dolls, and we’ll go find the others,” I say, and Cleo rolls off the bed, running to her little bag.
I need to get her more clothes and things from the charity store to make her feel comfortable.We’re only staying at Bear’s until the dust settles.Until I’ve got enough money to buy a bigger home for us.My trailer isn’t good enough for her.I want her to have everything.Right now, it’s safer to be together.I just need to keep her away from Bear’s creepy rooms.They’ll give her nightmares.
We head into the living room, where Bear is laid out on the couch, one hand down his pants and the other wrapped around his phone.
I pick up one of the pillows and throw it at him.He curses before noticing Cleo behind me.He sits up and waves.“Hey there, kiddo.Whatcha got there?”he asks, pointing at Cleo’s dolls.
Cleo stays hidden behind my legs, peering around at Bear with a curious look in her eyes.
I don’t blame her for being shy.
Bear, with his bleached-blond hair, bright-green eyes, and colorful, mismatched tattoos, does look scary.And he is.But deep down, he is a big cuddly bear to those he loves.Those who understand his crazy ass.
He and Kai are the only people I’d trust around my daughter—and Natalie.She looked after her when I couldn’t.Lauren trusted her, and so do I.
Bear shuffles off the couch and onto the floor.“Wanna play?”he asks quietly, and Cleo hesitantly moves around me and sits down in front of him, passing him one of her dolls.One with bright-red hair that’s all over the place.
“This is tomato,” she says, and Bear laughs.
“Because of her red hair?”
Cleo nods, smiling.
The door to the outside opens and shuts.Kai walks in carrying a six-pack of beer.He passes me one, and I take it, sitting back on the couch.After offering Bear one, which he refuses, Kai places the rest in the fridge.
As Bear and Cleo start playing together, Kai sits down next to me.
“Good?”I ask, and he nods.
“Nothing’s happening yet, but it won’t be long.The clock is ticking.We need to figure out our next move,” Kai says, then takes a sip of his beer.
I knew this was coming.The wholewhat’s next.We need to make a move.All I want to do is be with my daughter, but that’s naïve of me.War is knocking on our door, and we need to put an end to this.To make a claim and have more than what we’ve got here in the Hood.Create redemption for what they’ve done to us.Who they’ve taken from us.
“What are we going to do with Amirah?”I ask.Now that I have my daughter back, there isn’t really a reason to keep her here.Apart from all of us having fallen for her.
What happened yesterday, in that bedroom, I don’t even know how I feel about it.There’s something between us.There’s no denying that.Plus, she didn’t flee when she had the chance.She stayed to protect my daughter, and that’s everything to me.
“We need to hit them where it hurts.Do something big,” Bear says, completely ignoring the Amirah question.
“But without weapons and ammo, we still can’t do much,” I say.
Kai leans forward, bracing his hands on his knees.“I’ve got an idea,” he muses, a smile playing on his lips.
“Spill it out, sweet cheeks,” Bear says.He continues playing with Cleo, and it’s funny watching him with her, the way his whole body relaxes.He’s enjoying this.
