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"Our main concern at this point is their next move," Shayne said. "As I told you when I arrived, Ayid and Aman are already accusing you and Abram of being part of the capture of the D. C. cell. That was too important to them, Khalid. They're going to come after you. "
Of course they were. Sooner or later. They may even get lucky and manage to kill him this time.
Not that they hadn't tried hard before. Unfortunately, they were limited in the funds Azir allowed them, as well as in the freedom he gave them. And they would never be satisfied unless they could drive the stake into his heart themselves.
"I'll be prepared, then. " He gave a short, brief nod to the three men watching him. "And I'll make sure Marty's protected. "
"There is no more that I can do here, then. " Abram removed the baseball cap to run the fingers of one hand through his hair before replacing the cap. He gazed back at Khalid regretfully. "I must go now. "
Khalid moved to him, embraced him, and damned if he didn't also feel regret tearing through him. They had made a pact so many years ago, to always be a part of the other's lives. Now, not only distance separated them, but also the evil whose blood they shared.
"Kiss your lovely woman for me," Abram said softly as he drew back. "And watch your back, Khalid. "
"Abram, I'll see you back to your hotel. " Sebastian stepped from the small private bar, his black eyes in contrast to the dark blond hair that grew thick and long to the collar of his black shirt.
"Once again, I am in your debt, Sebastian. " Abram nodded as Shayne also moved forward.
Extending his hand, Abram shook Shayne's firmly. "Watch out for my little brother. " His lips quirked with amused fondness as he glanced back at Khalid. "See you soon. "
Leaving the room, Abram didn't look back. He never did. Khalid saw his big bodyguard, Mohammed, step forward to lead Abram from the building. And then the door closed behind him and his brother was gone once again. Turning to Shayne, Khalid gave a weary sigh. "I must make a few calls. If you don't mind meeting me in the bar later?"
Shayne gave a quick nod and an amused grin as he strode to the door before turning back. "Tell Zach I said hi. "
The panel closed softly behind him, leaving Khalid alone with nothing but his thoughts and his fears.
The fear that his past was rising against him now, and the fear that despite the battle he had waged against it, Marty would be smack
in the middle of it this time.
Jerking the cell phone from the holster at his side he flipped it open and placed his call.
"Zach. " The FBI director answered on the first ring.
"We have a problem. "
Chapter 4
A week. Khalid managed to stay away from the tempting little vixen one full week. He'd never realized how often he'd sought Marty out over the years.
When he had spoken on the phone with her godfather, a hunger--a need to bind her to him--rose inside him like a fever that couldn't be cooled. It had tightened his body and torn at his soul.
He felt like an addict needing a fix. In the past, just the sight of her had been enough, or perhaps a dance, a flirtatious remark, or a heated little exchange. But always there had been the knowledge in the back of his mind after those occurrences, that she was still his. That she still belonged to him.
Until the full seven days had passed with no sight of her and no small comments or tidbits of information from her normally too talkative father, Joe. And suddenly he needed all those things desperately.
Thankfully, Marty had shown no interest for any man other than him. So there had been no threat that she would be taken from him. But his past had always been the reason he couldn't reach out for her, either. Why he couldn't possess her.
As he stood, staring out the window of the room used to meet with his brother, Khalid watched as Shayne walked through the wide French doors leading from the bar to walk into the confines of the garden below.
His past was about to rise again with a vengeance. It was also the reason Shayne was in D. C. It was the reason Azir had sent Abram on his hasty trip from Saudi.
Azir was desperate to regain Khalid's favor. Favor he had never possessed, and never would. The man who had bought, raped, and tormented Khalid's mother was a monster to him. The only reason Khalid had agreed to go to Saudi just after he turned eighteen was to find a way to destroy Azir.
Azir hadn't been destroyed, though. Abram and Khalid had been the ones to suffer.
Staring out into the flowering gardens below, it wasn't the beauty of the perfect blooms he saw.
He saw his past.
