Page 84 of Dying Without You

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At the front door,Tristan removed his aviator sunglasses, and in front of him, Chelsea giggled.

“Whatever you guys are in here doing, you've had all month to do. Let us in. We're hungry.”

Laughter rose from Malik, Tina, Derek, and Eden, who stood behind them. Langston opened the door wider, and they strolled inside and headed straight for the kitchen.

Today, the group was enjoying lunch on Langston's terrace, and it was the first time since the rescue that they'd gathered—mainly to give Langston and Lisa some space to reunite.

After the rescue from The Collective’s hideout, the men left alive were arrested. Some took their own life, unwilling to be apprehended by a hostile foreign government. The leader had been taken down in a hail of bullets at Dunes Café.

Because of Langston’s stern oversight, the Café didn’t have patrons—the people inside were, in fact, all law enforcement.

When everything began to unroll, there was nowhere for The Collective and their team to run. Once they’d realized Langston’s double was not him, a fight broke out, and the leader attempted to issue a direct order through a walkie-talkie. Later, it was discovered the hideout was rigged with explosives that would ignite on the leader’s command with a code word. Thankfully, that code word was never spoken because of their swift takedown.

All was well and good in the Clark household, but of course, the incident had been traumatic for all involved. Langston preemptively arranged therapy sessions for Lisa just in case she needed them. And after a few sessions, she felt like her old self again.

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A lunch spreadwas set up on the table. The aroma of grilled meats and vegetables wafted through the air while fresh fruit, lemonade, and a bottle of chilled rosé were arranged on the side. They all settled into chairs, laughing and chatting, as they piled their plates high.

They joined hands in prayer before they dug in, and Langston cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

“Ladies, the fellas and I have spoken about something that has been on our hearts, and we hope you approve of our decision.”

Lisa, Tina, Chelsea, and Eden peered at the men as Langston continued.

“Usually, we would ask your advice on decisions that included you, but for this important matter, it is going to happen whether you like it or not.”

The women’s eyes widened and their expressions ranged from skeptical to amused.

“Look at their faces,” Derek whispered. Malik and Tristan laughed while Langston suppressed his smile.

Eden spoke to Derek. “You better tell me what's going on right now.”

Derek guffawed. “Why? You don't trust my decisions, baby?”

“Don'tbabyme. You know that’s not how we make decisions.”

“But do you trust that it's for a good reason if I decide without you?” His teasing voice grew solemn as he gazed at her, looking for a solid answer.

“Of course. That's not the point.”

“Oh, okay.” Derek gave his attention back to Langston. “Continue, brother.”

Eden stared at Derek in disbelief, but she reined in her shock to hear Langston out.

“As you know, three of us hold government positions. As we've all gotten to know and fall in love with one another, it's become painfully obvious that our enemies are not reluctant to seek vengeance on us by attacking our family. That includes the three of you.”

“All of you have been threatened in one way or another, and we can't stand by with no precautions in place, knowing this could very well happen again. For that reason, each of you will have a security detail from here on out. Six men and women who will be with you, every step you take.”

“Six!” Tina shrieked.

“I know it sounds like a lot,” Malik added, his voice soothing, “but you won't notice them unless you're looking for them. Two of them will always be with you or in the car, covering you as you walk. But the others will blend in with the public around you. This precaution is in place so they would notice and take the necessary measures before anything could happen.”

Eden's shoulders relaxed. “I already have security, babe.”

As the triplet sister of another celebrity family in Chicago, Eden Alexandria Rose-Clark employed a personal security detail, as did her sisters and brothers.

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