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When Tally came round she was no longer in the palace garden by the fountain and pool. She was in a plain room somewhere, hands and feet tied, tethered to a chair. It was dark in the room and even though the shutters at the windows were closed, she knew it had to be dark outside. In the desert sunlight always penetrated the shutters and blinds but the room was eerily dark, almost black, and Tally felt fear. But also calm.
Tair would come. Tair would find her. Tair would save her before it was too late.
It was a long night but she did sleep for a while and when she woke again light outlined the square windows and poked through cracks and holes in the weathered wood shutters.
Tally glanced around the room and discovered she wasn’t alone, either.
“So you’re awake,” the man said.
It was a different man than last night, and blinking Tally stared at him, wondering where the other one had gone, wondering what would happen next.
“How is your throat?” the man asked. “Sore?”
She swallowed, her gaze holding his and nodded.
“Sadiq wasn’t to hurt you. He’s been punished.”
Tally just continued to hold his gaze and looking at him, she made a point of pulling on her hands, showing him she was tied, showing him she didn’t like it.
“It’s for your safety,” he said almost apologetically. “This way you will be protected.”
“From whom?” Tally finally spoke, her voice, rough, bruised, but her words were bitter and they betrayed her anger. “I certainly wouldn’t hurt myself. So who would hurt me?”
He didn’t answer her question, he merely shrugged and offered her an affable smile. “I am Imran. I want to help you.” He extended his hands, demonstrating his friendliness, trustworthiness. “Tell me where you want to go. I will personally see you there.”
“Tell me what you want first.”
“Details about Sheikh el-Tayer’s home. His travels. Future plans.” Imran paused. “Things of that nature.”
“I don’t know any of that. He doesn’t talk to me—”
“You’re his wife, aren’t you?”
“Yes but he’s Sheikh el-Tayer. He doesn’t confide in women.”
Imran regarded her steadily, his gaze unwavering. “We just want him. We don’t want to hurt you.”
But they would hurt her. They’d do anything they could to get to Tair.
Tair was in trouble.
And she, somehow, unwittingly, was going to make it worse for him. Because she knew Tair and he would come after her. He wouldn’t leave her, not behind, not even to save himself. Her Tair would risk himself to save her.
And she had to do the same. Something to help Tair, to protect him. “And if I help you, you’ll send me home? You’ll let me go?”
Imran smiled. “I’ll take you to the airport myself,” he answered.
Yes, she thought, in a body bag. Because now she knew just who and what she was dealing with. And Tair had been right. They were lawless men. Men who’d do anything to further their cause.
“We’re returning to the desert late tomorrow,” she said. “Going back to his home at Bur Juman.”
“You know the way there?”
“But of course. I’ve spent the past few weeks there.”
“You can show us?”
“Yes.”
“I hope so. Because if anything goes wrong, if you’re trying to be clever, you’ll pay. We’ll make you suffer.”
Tair took a deep, sharp breath, lungs expanding to allow the searing blade of pain to slice between his ribs, up toward his heart. Up to his ugly blackened, badly scarred heart.
He was livid. Beyond livid. He was close to violence.
His men hadn’t protected the palace or Tally. His men had fallen asleep on the job. Just as he had.
It killed him. Tally kidnapped. Taken. And he not being prepared. He felt worse than an amateur. He felt like a failure.
But he knew where she was, he knew who had taken her, knew that Tally’s hired escort had been working in conjunction with Ashraf who had poisoned her.
It was hard to trust anyone. Much less himself.
Remorse and recriminations would have to wait. He could inflict his damage later. First he needed Tally safe.
In the house where Tally was being held hostage, the door to the upstairs bedroom suddenly burst open and Tair was there, scooping her into his arms.
“Hania?”he asked, cutting the robes that bound her hands and feet.Are you well?
She nodded, slumped a little with fatigue against his chest, gulping in great breaths of air. As Tair walked out of the chamber she spotted a crumpled body in the hallway next to her door. She shuddered and looked away, not wanting to know if he was alive or dead, not wanting anything but to leave this godforsaken place.
