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I shake my head wildly and Malik snaps. “You have no say in this. You will be protected within the walls of my home, and you have my word on that. When my father meets with yours, they will come to an understanding.”
“But why are you doing this?” The tears slide from the corners of my eyes as I struggle to understand what good can come out of this, and he shrugs. “It suits me.”
“How?”
“We made a pact, and I am honoring my side of it. When we marry, you will be protected and then you will give me the name I seek, unless you’re inclined to give it to me now and stop this circus.”
I turn my head away and he sighs. “I thought not. Anyway, considering the urgency of the situation, we will marry in seven days, so you have time to decide what you want. Tell me what I need, and I’ll ensure your protection and set you free. If you prefer to wait until our marriage and still don’t give me the answers I seek, I’ll tell your father you weren’t a virgin and watch him tear you apart for my own amusement.”
“You bastard.”
My sob reveals how scared I am, and he hisses, “I am, and don’t you forget it. There is only one thing I want from you, Eliza, and you know what that is. Give it up and save yourself a shit load of pain.”
I turn away and bite my lip because I am in an impossible situation. All around me, the demons circle because each one is as dangerous as the other. In revealing my secret to Malik, I incur the wrath of another and then I will be tossed to my family to finish the job, and no world is big enough to hide me from any of them. What I need to work out is who bites the hardest because I need to choose the winning side or else my life will end in the cruelest of ways.
CHAPTER11
MALIK
Eliza was dragged kicking and screaming onto my private jet, much to the amusement of my soldiers. I ignored her completely as they strapped her into a seat at the front of the plane and gagged her to make our journey more pleasant.
The fact she won’t trust me angers me more than her disobedience because I am her best bet at surviving, and she doesn’t even realize it.
I sit several rows behind her with Ali to my side and we enjoy a service that would rival a top hotel. I have all the luxuries in the world, and nothing is too expensive but as I glance around at the considerable wealth I enjoy, it leaves me cold. What good is luxury when I’m broken inside?
Eliza asked me if I’ve ever felt fear. Only every day of my fucking miserable life because living as my father’s son is no privilege. It’s a curse and I close my eyes against the expression I know will be directed at me when he learns I intend on marrying an American. He will be disgusted that I am not bowing to tradition and taking a wife of his choosing. A power match that will be for the good of our family. Something he can use to control me even further. I’m not even certain he will agree to my request, but I have one ace up my sleeve that I’m counting on.I will lie.
Above everything, tradition included, my father craves power more than anything. He wallows in it as the chief advisor to the ruler of Dubai and he is feared wherever he goes. However, if I stand any chance of escaping him, I need to bring him down and that’s why I decided to marry Eliza. I am about to kill two birds with one stone, and it needs to be a direct hit.
My phone vibrates and I sigh when I see the barrage of texts heading my way. I click on the first one from Angelo.
Any information?
Alessandro’s is more brutal.
Fucking update me you bastard, because I’m going out of my mind here?
Then Winters breaks the remnants of what I have left of a heart as she types,
Please, Malik. I must know if Frankie is safe. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I need him.
Tossing my phone to the side, I exhale sharply, and Ali glances up in concern.
“Problem?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
I dash off a quick reply to all of them and merely type,
I’m working on it.
Then I grab hold of the whiskey and pour a glassful, chugging it down in one, causing Ali to raise his eyes, which makes me snap, “Fuck off, Ali.”
Then I storm to the front of the plane and stare into two red-rimmed eyes that glare back at me with defiance.
As soon as I rip the gag from her mouth, I get in her face and snarl, “Tell me where Frankie is?”
“Fuck you.”
