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"Thanks," I said sincerely. "Honestly, I couldn't imagine anyone else standing by my side when I marry Justice."
His smile softened at that. "You're very lucky. I would marry her in a second."
"I know."
A smile slipped onto his face at the admission. "Well, at least you know I won't try to steal her away."
"Who says you could?" I shot back, feeling the familiar comfort of our banter fill some of the empty spaces in the otherwise grim morning. There was a moment of silence before Zane responded.
"Nobody needs to say it." He paused, then added, "She already has her fair share of men."
We headed back to the car, where my phone was ringing on the dashboard. "Weird," I said, then cast the call on the car's speaker. "Hassan? You okay?"
"I'm fine. Listen, Justice was just here..." Hassan's voice crackled with urgency.
"What?" My heart pounded like a war drum in my chest. "What happened?"
"She's fine," Hassan reassured me quickly. "She left, and right after...I saw a laser sight, Bash. Someone followed her here. I think they're watching us."
A chill ran down my spine, cold dread pooling in my stomach. This wasn't just about sending us a message anymore. They were making their move.
"A laser sight?" Zane asked incredulously. "Like in a spy movie?"
"Exactly like in a spy movie," Hassan's voice wavered, and I could tell he was trying to keep calm, for both our sakes.
My grip on my phone tightened as I tried to process the information. My mind raced with possibilities. Could it have been...
"A reflection? A prank? A goddamn hallucination?!" Hassan snapped angrily as if he could read my mind, his frustration palpable. It wasn't directed at me; we both knew that. It was the situation, the helplessness we both felt. "No. It was a laser sight. And whoever it was, they're gone now."
Zane and I exchanged a glance filled with concern and determination.
"Stay put," I ordered Hassan, my voice firm. "Double check your security system, and make sure you're not alone tonight. Is Skylar with you?"
"No," Hassan said, his voice tinged with worry. "He's at the harbor. We were due to get a huge shipment of cars last night, but the vessel was delayed."
“And the baby?”
“Justice said the nanny was on duty tonight. If the laser sight had been at your place…”
He didn’t have to finish that sentence.
We had to act fast. Time was running out, and our enemies were closing in.
And I wasn’t sure but I didn’t think I had ever been this scared in my life.
Chapter Twelve: Hassan
Icracked my knuckles as I started to run down the asphalt. I could've exercised in the building, but it was a beautiful day and I wanted to feel the sun on my face. My mind was a tornado of thoughts, spinning faster with each step I took. The laser sight…someone was watching us.
Maybe it was stupid to go for a run when we were being surveilled–and when there was almost definitely a target on our backs–but I was done hiding. They’d already tried to take me out, had destroyed one of my favorite cars, and they were terrorizing my family. They thought they could get to us that way. But what they didn’t know was that I’d been through hell and back, and Justice was the one thing I had to hang on to.
I wasn’t letting her go.
I wasn’t letting anyone put her in danger.
And if I had to get my hands dirty, I would.
I pulled off my sweat-soaked shirt, tying it around my waist. The sun felt good against my bare chest, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to forget the danger looming over our heads and just enjoy the feeling of freedom. My burns were healing up better than I’d expected, Zane having gotten to them fast enough that I was able to recover with barely a mark. A week ago, the sun would have burned my skin, but right now I felt free.
