Page 49 of Sheltering You

“The thing is, I planned to get both of them, the brother and the sister. But I only got the kid. I’ve been watching the news, and there’s nothing yet, but I’m afraid there’s gonna be an Amber Alert or something. I’m thinking we should just go back to the airport and fly out.”

“No. Stay where you are.” Michael’s voice had that big-brother authority Derrick used to find annoying. Right now, he was happy to have help. “Where were you headed after you got them?”

“No idea. Basma didn’t tell us where her cousin lives.”

“And there’s been no indication they reported anything to the police?”

“Not that I can tell. I thought you might be able to learn more.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Sit tight until you hear from me. We need to move you someplace safe until we figure out what to do with the kid or hear from the sister. Do you know the family’s name? You said they’re diplomats?”

“That’s what Jazz said. Last name is Ghazi.”

“Ghazi? I’ve heard of him. Never anything bad. What about this brother she’s afraid of? What’s his name?”

“Dari.”

A beat, then, “Did you say Dari? Dari Ghazi?” The tone of Michael’s voice, surprise mixed with worry, had Derrick’s heart rate ticking up.

“Yeah?”

Michael muttered under his breath something that sounded very much like a curse word Derrick hadn’t heard from him since he was a teenager.

“What is it?”

“If it’s who I think it is,” Michael said, “then your girlfriend’s right. He’s dangerous. We’ve been on the lookout for him.”

Well, that was something. At least Derrick’s big heroic deed wouldn’t be for nothing. Wasn’t going to get him the girl, but maybe he could save two people some grief, assuming Basma could escape.

“Put Jasmine on the phone.” Michael spoke the words like a command.

Now that Derrick had calmed down, he didn’t want to face her again tonight. He needed to process everything that’d happened that day, and everything she’d said.

He figured Jasmine needed that too.

“Can it wait until morning?” he asked. “She’s in the other room with Rabie. She’s probably already in bed.”

“It’s important, Derrick.”

“I get that. I’m just saying…a couple of hours. We just had a…” It was stupid. They were dealing with big international issues. People’s lives and futures were at stake.

What difference did Derrick’s feelings make in the grand scheme of things?

“You had a what?”

“Doesn’t matter. The point is, she’s not my girlfriend, but I can get her up if you want me to.”

“Ah. Sorry, man.” The big-brother do-what-I-say voice was gone, and Derrick wasn’t a fan of the pity he heard now.

“It’s fine.”

After a long pause, Michael said, “I have plenty to keep me busy tonight. I need to figure out what’s going on with the Ghazis, see what they’re doing to locate you, find out if they’ve alerted the police or the FBI. And I’ll get you a place to hole up.”

“I can fly anywhere, just⁠—”

“Don’t go near your plane. If they are watching you, it’ll lead them right to Portland, which is way too close to home.”

If they saw the tail number, but how would they?