Page 18 of Protecting Clove (Loved by the SEAL #5)

B ud got in contact with Tex and decided to stop by Thario’s place after talking to Tex. They’d missed something, and now Clove and Neo were at risk. He was almost at Thario’s place when his phone rang. He answered, seeing Clove’s name pop up on the display.

“Hey, you answered,” Clove said, surprise sounding in her voice.

“Yeah. I just got back. I wanted to warn you that we don’t know where Keith is.”

“Oh, I know where he is. He showed up at my work.”

“What?”

“Yeah. He was run off by one of the security guards.”

“Crap, Clove. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“But I said we would keep tabs on him, and we?—”

“Hey, it’s okay. I knew he would show up, eventually. I just wished I didn’t have to deal with him.”

“I’ll see what we can do. I’m headed to Thario’s place. Maybe you should come over here.”

“I’m picking up Neo.”

“Bring her. Thario’s dog will get a kick out of meeting Neo. He likes kids.”

“Oh, okay. Is the dog safe?”

“Very. Frog is the best. He is very good with kids.”

“Send me the address, and I’ll be there.”

“Okay, I’m pulling over and sending it now. Be careful.”

“I will be.”

He was excited to see Clove but also worried for her. How had her ex found her? Now, Clove and Neo were at risk. He would have to work to keep her safe.

Clove pulled up at the address Bud had sent. The place was one story, and there was a ramp out front. The door opened, and Bud stepped out along with another man with a huge dog. Neo gasped, and for a second, she worried that her daughter was afraid of the dog.

“Oh my goodness, look at that sweet doggie.”

“Neo, remember to be careful around dogs.”

“I will, but he looks so sweet.”

By the time she made it around to open the door for Neo, Bud was beside her. He pulled her into a quick hug before opening the door, letting Neo out.

“Bud! I did great on the test. I got all but one correct, but I did that on purpose so they didn’t think I cheated.”

“Oh, wow. That’s great.”

“Hello. I’m Thario.”

“Clove, and this is Neo.”

Thario shook her hand and then bent at the waist so he was closer to Neo’s level. “I’m Thario. It’s nice to meet you. This is Frog. He’s gentle, but if he gets a little too much, just tell me, and I’ll make sure he leaves you alone.”

“Hello, Thario.” Neo narrowed her eyes. “Your legs look different.”

Heat washed over Clove. “No, don’t say that.”

Thario chuckled. “She’s not wrong.” He pulled up his pants and showed them the metal. “I lost my legs in a battle.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve never met a person who lost their limbs in a battle.” Neo leaned in. “What material did they use to make those?”

“Neo, be kind. You don’t have to ask him every question that comes to mind.”

Thario met Clove’s gaze and smiled. “It’s okay. I’d rather answer honest questions than hide the truth. This set is a mixture of carbon fiber and aluminum.”

Clove kept her eye on Frog, but it was like the dog understood he had to be different around Neo.

It amazed her still that Neo could have a conversation with anyone willing to actually talk to her.

Frog stood next to Thario as he and Neo talked about the different types of material used to make prosthetic limbs.

The conversation was interesting, but Neo was asking questions Clove would have never thought to ask.

“Are you okay?” Bud asked.

She nodded. “I will be.”

“I’m so sorry we weren’t able to keep you safe.”

She put her hand on his arm and squeezed.

“I’m good. And I know I’ll be fine because you guys are at least trying.

All he knows is where I work. He didn’t follow me here, so I feel safe.

And school ends in a few days. The security guards at the school know he is a nuisance, and they’ll get rid of him if he shows up again. I’ll be fine.”

“We’re going to make sure you are okay.”

They were inside, and Thario turned to face her. “I have an idea. You can say no, but I think it’s a good idea.”

She wanted to approach this with an open mind, but she didn’t know Thario. His dog was good and seemed to like Neo, but that wasn’t necessarily an endorsement for the man. “What is it?”

Thario glanced down at Neo and then at Bud. She noticed they both gave an almost imperceptible nod before Bud lowered so he was eye level with Neo.

“Hey, Neo, why don’t we get a snack? Then you can tell me about how you did on that test.”

Neo glanced up at her, and she nodded her approval. “Sure. Just don’t eat junk food.”

“I won’t.”

Bud led Neo into the kitchen, and Thario moved closer and spoke in a low voice.

“I have small devices that can be used to track people. I know you don’t know me, and having me track where your kid is may seem weird, but honestly, I would never abuse the trust people put in me.

The device can go in the bottom of her shoe, and no one would know about it.

You can wear a piece of jewelry with the tracker in it.

It’s one of those just-in-case situations. ”

She bit her lip, her mind tumbling over the information.

Would she want this stranger to be able to track Neo?

She didn’t know these people, but Bud was someone she trusted.

He’d given her a key to his house, and though she didn’t like to snoop, she looked through a few closets and drawers, not finding anything suspicious at all.

“I don’t know you, but I need Neo to be safe.”

Thario glanced over to the kitchen, where Bud and Neo were talking animatedly.

“You’re right, you don’t know me. Before my injury, I was an asshole.

I slept with a lot of women, sometimes giving fake names so they couldn’t ever find me again.

I was a jerk and a flirt. I admit I was the type of guy I would say you should never trust. Then I was blown up, and while I was lying in the hospital wondering if I was going to live or die, it changed me.

I realized how shallow my life had been before.

Sure, I was a SEAL, but I didn’t extend the commitment to my personal life.

Bud is the real deal, though. He was never like I was.

He’s not a saint, but he didn’t use women like I did.

I can say with absolute certainty that you will be safer with us keeping track than you would be without the technology being used.

Your ex may come after you, but we’ll have a lead, which could save you both. ”

She studied Thario, noticing he had a few scars on his face. He held her gaze, never looking away or flinching under her scrutiny. She didn’t like giving up control, but she needed to be safe, and she needed to keep tabs on Neo’s location.

“Okay, so how does this work?”

“I just need her shoe, and I’ll put the tracker in. When she needs new shoes, we can transfer the tracker to the new pair. Does she have multiple pairs she wears during the week?”

Clove shook her head. “No, she gets stuck on a pair, and that’s what she wants to wear.”

“Okay. If you could get me those shoes, I’ll get started.”

Clove blew out a breath. “She’s going to ask questions. I don’t want her to know how much danger she’s in, but she’s not the type of kid to sit back and let the world spin around her.”

“How much does she know about your ex?”

“Very little, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“It’s up to you how much you tell her.”

Clove headed into the kitchen and sat next to her daughter who was in the middle of telling Bud about a boy at preschool who tried to hug her. Neo didn’t like being confined. She gave hugs, but didn’t like being forced into one. It was just one of the little quirks about her daughter.

“Hey, Neo, I need your shoes.”

Neo turned to her and narrowed her gaze. “Why?”

“Because Thario is going to put something in the bottom, so I’ll know where you are.”

Neo studied her, then turned to Bud and watched him for a few seconds before turning back to her. “Is this why you two were out there talking?”

“A part of it. This is just to keep you safe.”

Neo rolled her eyes. “You’re overreacting. I will be fine, but here you go if it makes you feel better.”

Sometimes, she felt like Neo was the more mature person in their family.

There were times she wished her child wasn’t so smart.

If Neo just blindly accepted what Clove wanted, it would be easier in some aspects, but then again, raising Neo had been easy once Clove learned to explain everything to her.

If Neo knew what was going on, she calmed down.

Thario stepped into the kitchen and took both shoes. He turned to go back into the other room, but Neo hopped up and followed him.

“Show me what you’re doing with my shoes.”

Thario nodded. “Okay. I’ll walk you through the steps.”

Clove sagged in the chair as she watched Thario lead Neo over to a table against his far wall.

“You okay?” Bud asked.

She shrugged. “I keep wondering when I will get a break. I love having Neo in my life, but I wish I wasn’t tied to Keith.”

Bud nodded. “I think you should share your location tracking information with me until we figure out how much of a problem he’s going to be.”

Clove hadn’t ever shared that information with anyone, but she would gladly share it with Bud. “Okay.”

“Wow, you didn’t even have to think about it.”

She met his gaze. “I know you won’t abuse the privilege.”

“I won’t. And hopefully, we can discourage him from staying in California.”

She glanced at him, her eyebrows raised high. “How could you do that?”

He lifted one shoulder and made a face. “Some men understand brute force, and some men understand words. We can try both methods.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”

“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us.”

“But—”

“No, really. Don’t worry. If we end up having to help him see the light, no one will know it was us.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. I don’t want you sleeping alone in your place until you get a good alarm installed. We need cameras and every window and door monitored.”

“But—”

“I’ll sleep on your couch.”

“No. That will be uncomfortable.”

“Where do you think we sleep when we’re on missions? A couch is a hell of a lot more comfortable than the rocky ground.”

She hadn’t thought about where they would sleep on missions. “So you don’t stay at a hotel?”

He threw his head back, laughter booming through the house, drawing both Thario and Neo’s attention. He pulled her into a loose hug as he shook his head before leaning in close and whispering in her ear.

“The places we go don’t have hotels we could stay at. Plus, we don’t want them knowing we’re there.”

He let go, and she wished she was still in his arms. The idea of Bud being in her place, sleeping on her couch, sent a shiver straight through her. She would have to control herself because having that man so close would wreak havoc on her libido.