CHAPTER 19:  MY PROTECTOR

Kalisa stirred beneath the sheets, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The room smelled faintly of jasmine and gun oil.

She reached out instinctively to the other side of the bed, but it was cold.

Her eyes drifted across the room and settled on Caleb. He was seated in the armchair by the window, his gun resting against his thigh. His jaw was clenched, his posture stiff, like a soldier still in the field.

His eyes were open. Bloodshot. Tired.

Kalisa spoke softly. "You didn't sleep."

Caleb looked up. The hard lines of vigilance softened just a bit when their eyes met.

"I didn't want anyone slipping through that door while I was dreaming," he said.

She sat up slowly. The sheets slid down to her waist, revealing the faint scar on her shoulder. Her heart ached watching him. He was tough, unbreakable most days, but now he looked hollowed out by worry. For her.

His eyes went directly to her boobs, her nipples still seemed pointed and that beautifully carved breast looked back at him.

"I'm still here," she said gently."Safe. You need to rest. Just a couple of hours. Let me watch over you for a change."

Caleb shook his head.

"I just… I just need to be awake a little longer. I've got work soon. Two hours. That's all I need. Just two."

Kalisa got up and walked to him. She knelt in front of the chair and wrapped her fingers around his hand. It was warm but tense, like he'd been gripping that gun all night.

"You stayed up all night protecting me," she said. "Don't you trust me enough to guard the morning?"

A tired, crooked smile tugged at Caleb's lips. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath.

"It's not about trust," he said, "It's about knowing who's out there. I've spent nights tracking men like the Swordsman. They don't sleep. They don't stop. They just… come."

Kalisa lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles.

"Then let him come," she whispered. "But when he does, you'll need your strength. And I need you whole."

He stared at her for a moment, like he was memorizing her face in case he never saw it again.

Then, finally, he nodded.

"Alright. Just two hours. But if anything—"

"I'll wake you before the wind can change direction," she said, cutting him off.

That made him chuckle, just a little. He pulled her close and kissed her gently. Then he lay back on the bed, his gun within reach, his body still coiled like a spring even with his eyes closed.

Kalisa sat beside him, alert and quiet, her eyes scanning the shadows.

She would watch over him now.

And in that brief hour of silence, with morning stretching over the city, it felt like they had won a little peace.

But deep in her chest, she knew.

It wouldn't last.

Not with the Swordsman out there.

Not with the wallet still hidden.

And not with the truth still buried between her and her mother.

Kalisa walked softly, her bare feet barely making a sound against the cold tiles. The morning light filtered through the lace curtains, catching the dust in golden streaks. Caleb was finally asleep, his breaths steady, the gun still within reach beside him.

In the kitchen, she found her mother by the counter, quietly rinsing a bowl of soaked beans. The air smelled faintly of ginger and warm bread, a comforting scent that masked the tension Kalisa carried in her chest.

"Mom," Kalisa said softly.

Lisa turned, her eyes a little tired, her nightdress covered by a faded apron. "You should be resting," she said, voice low.

Kalisa leaned on the table and folded her arms. "I can't. There's something I need to tell you."

Lisa's eyes narrowed. "What now?"

Kalisa took a breath, the words heavy on her tongue. "I've run out of money. And gigs. There's a price on my head, Mom. Someone wants me dead."

Lisa froze. Her hands still wet from rinsing the beans, water dripping onto the floor. "What do you mean, someone wants you dead?" Her voice cracked, but she masked it with a deeper tone. "Who is it? What is happening, Klaisa? I deserve to know something at least."

Kalisa nodded once. "Yes. I know you do."

Lisa turned back to the sink, trying to hide her face, but Kalisa could see the slight tremble in her shoulders.

"I think you should go to Sherly's safe house," Kalisa said cautiously. "Stay there. It's safer. I can't protect you and myself at the same time."

Lisa shook her head immediately. "No. That woman has her hands full. And she's not a nurse, Kalisa. I can't expect her to manage my medications or get me to the clinic. I'll be more of a burden than a guest."

"You won't be a burden," Kalisa argued, moving closer. "She owes me, Mom. You'd be safe there. Please."

Lisa turned, her eyes sharp and strong again. "Kalisa, I didn't raise you to throw me around like some weak piece on a board. I've lived through things you can't imagine. I'll be fine here."

Kalisa's voice broke slightly. "But I won't be fine if something happens to you. I can't do what I am supposed to do with one eye always turned toward this house."

The kitchen was silent for a moment, only the distant sound of traffic humming through the window.

Lisa sighed and reached for a towel to dry her hands. "Alright," she said finally. "If not Sherly, then what?"

Kalisa hesitated. "Maybe… maybe we can reach out to Steve."

Lisa blinked. "Steve? My sister's son? That Steve?"

Kalisa nodded. "He runs a freight company in Brooklyn now. And last I checked, he's still got a couple of safehouses in the city. He might be our best bet."

Lisa looked away, thoughtful.

"We haven't spoken to him in years," she said quietly.

"I know. But desperate times…"

Lisa wiped the corner of her mouth and nodded. "Fine. Reach out to him. But Kalisa—" her voice lowered, "don't tell him too much. Not about the wallet. Not about anything you've got going on. Not yet."

Kalisa gave a small, exhausted smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm not planning to tell anyone more than they need to know."

Lisa stepped forward and cupped her daughter's face gently in her hands. "I don't like where all this is heading. And I hate that you're in the middle of it."

"I didn't ask for it," Kalisa murmured.

"No," Lisa said, brushing a thumb along her cheek. "But it came for you anyway."

They stood there, quiet for a while. Mother and daughter, on the edge of something bigger than either of them could name.

Finally, Kalisa pulled away. "I'll message Steve. See if he can meet us tonight."

Lisa nodded. "I'll pack a few things. Just in case."

As Kalisa turned to leave the kitchen, her phone buzzed again.

And when she saw the message, her heart dropped.

Unknown number: "I'm closer than you think."

The Swordsman was not done.

Not yet.

Caleb stirred as the soft scent of freshly brewed coffee reached him. The morning light filtered gently through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. He blinked, slowly rising from the bed, and saw the steaming mug waiting for him on the side table. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

He reached for the cup, took a sip, and let the warmth settle into his chest. Just as he reached down to pull on his shirt, he heard soft footsteps behind him.

"Leaving already?" Kalisa's voice was a gentle tease, barely above a whisper.

He turned, and she stood there, wrapped in a light sheet, her hair tousled from sleep, her eyes full of something deeper than desire, something vulnerable, intimate.

"I have to get to the station," Caleb said softly. "You know that."

Kalisa stepped closer, her fingers reaching for his arm, stopping him. She took the cup from his hand and set it aside. Then she leaned in, pressing a slow kiss to his lips, one that lingered—full of heat, longing, and unspoken words.

"I need more protection," she whispered against his mouth, "my protector."

He looked into her eyes and saw a storm of emotion behind them: fear, want, resistance, and the need to feel something other than the chaos that surrounded them.

She pulled him back toward the bed.

There was no rush this time. Their movements were slow, deliberate, as if time itself had bent around them. Fingers traced scars and stories. 

Breath mingled with breath. The quiet sounds they shared, moans stifled by kisses, whispers against skin were less about lust and more about needing to feel alive in the middle of danger.

"Are you up to this?" Caleb asked.

"I am stronger than you think," Kalisa whispered.

"Get up," Caleb ordered silently.

Kalisa stood up gently as Caleb turned her back towards him.

"I thought that you were injured," he said.

"Do you want to fuck, or do you just want to keep talking," Kalisa whispered?

"Argh …. Ah," She moaned as he entered her gently, as if he was minding her wounds.

"That's better," she whispered.

He used his legs to spread her legs as he raised her hips towards him, then grabbed her fleshy rounded boobs.

"Mmm," he moaned.

"Don't come now," she begged.

The thrust was slower and rhythmic. Her hips shift up at every pull.

She was all wet and that sound 'TWAT' was heard at every entry as his dick clashed with her pussy.

There were silent moans, as both respected that Lisa was in the house. They did not want her to come and disturb them now.

Kalisa could not take it anymore and was making Caleb stop now. Every time his hand slipped out of the grip of her breast, she placed it back gently.

Caleb stopped. He placed Kalisa on the bed and started playing with her clit.

Kalisa could not hold back as she moaned. 

"Arrrgh.'

'Come on, Caleb, please don't stop.

At this point, Caleb's breathing was faster. His thrusts were hard and fast, and his body was shaking uncontrollably.

Kalisa held him tight.

It was his turn to moan.

"Arrrgggg, Arrrgg, Arrg," he moaned as he reached climax spilling cum on Kalisa's body.

As they lay together afterward, tangled in sheets and silence, Caleb ran his fingers through Kalisa's hair.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

"But we did," she replied softly. "And I don't regret it."

Neither of them said what they were both thinking: that outside those four walls, danger was waiting. But for a moment longer, they allowed themselves to stay in the quiet of each other's arms.

Kalisa was enjoying the fuck but more especially she was enjoying using the good detective to achieve her cause.