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Striding over, I rip it from his head, noticing the patch of red that now mars the black and white fabric. I grab a handgun, tucking it into my waistband, and a small knife off the table, using it to help me tear the fabric into strips as I stride back towards her.
“I am not fucking having anything that cunt has worn touching me!” she growls, although it lacks the usual heat, and worry about how much blood she’s lost, and the very real possibility that she’s in shock has me biting my lip.
“You will do what I say,Azizam,” I command her, my voice low and full of warning. She narrows her eyes, and I realize that she’s not disgusted with me for my actions, but is pissed at being told what to do.
“Fine,” she huffs, holding her left elbow as she attempts to stop her arm from moving. She’s still sitting down, and I quickly braid up the torn strips, kneeling before her and placing them around the wound. She whimpers again, and hatred flashes across my vision for the man who should have suffered more before he died, but I couldn’t risk her safety to take my time, who knows when someone else might come to check on us. I don’t even know if anyone else is here.
Using the spare strips, I bind the makeshift bandage to her, hoping it’s enough to at least help. Then use the knife I’d grabbed to cut the ties at her ankles.
“That should help until we find something better,” I tell her, pausing as my hands tremble with the realization that I could have lost her, something that would have made this victory bitter and hollow.
“JigarTalâ?” she murmurs, a hand cupping my cheek, and I can’t stop the moisture that fills my eyes as I kneel before the other part of my soul, my mind swirling with all the what-ifs. “Look at me, my love.” I do as she orders, her beauty astounding, even pale and drained as she is.
“I could have lost you,” I tell her, my voice barely above a cracked whisper. “And it wouldn’t have been worth it. It would have broken me so completely that I would have taken a gun to my temple. I’m so sorry,Azizam.” As I acknowledge the consequences of my actions, I hang my head and the moisture spills down my cheeks. Revenge blinded me, and almost lost not just my heart, but the beating heart of the men who are as close as brothers to me.
“Tarl, look at me, please,” her soft voice orders, a strained edge that I know is because of her wound, an injury that I am responsible for. As I lift my head, tears glisten at the edge of my vision and I gaze at her, my jaw clamped shut. “I forgive you,JigarTalâ. I know what it feels like, to be unable to see a path other than the one you set for yourself.” Her words flow over me and remind me that she was in a similar position not too long ago. “Don’t get me wrong, I was fucking pissed at you when you kept that pretty mouth shut, but then I remembered that you forgave me, not even knowing what I was about to do. And what that man did to your family, I get it, Tarl. I’d do the same for Rook, I can’t blame you. And so, I forgive you.”
“Lark…Kharâbetam,” I breathe, astounded at this woman before me, so young but so fucking wise. She smiles, and although it’s weaker than usual, it still lights up the entire world.
“I’m ruined for you too,Jigar Talâ,” she responds, and I can’t stop myself from taking her face in my hands and kissing the lips which continue to save me time and again.
“As much as I’d love to deepen this,Eshgham, we need to get out of here and to treat that shoulder,” I sigh against her lips, my entire body tingling from just that small touch. I would love nothing more than to fuck her stupid in the blood of my enemies, but unfortunately, until I know that no one else is coming for us, her safety remains my priority.
“Escape, wound, then sex later,” she replies, and I chuckle, loving how fucking perfect this woman is for us.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” I tell her, letting her face go and standing up, holding my hand out for her to take. She winces when she stands, putting a lot of her weight on me as I support her around the waist with my left arm, trying not to jostle her shoulder too much, but our height difference makes it tricky.
Gingerly, we make our way over to the doors that they dragged us through not so long ago, both of us covered in sweat by the time we reach them, and Lark gasps next to me, causing me to look away from the window and down at her. She’s staring at the rapidly growing patch of red on her shirt—well, Knox’s shirt—from my missing finger.
“Fuck! Tarl!” she hisses, her voice still low but full of scolding, which only makes me smile and, in turn, makes her growl as she glances up at me. “You didn’t even wrap it up, and you’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine,Eshgham,” I try to assure her, stopping short of rolling my eyes. Admittedly, losing blood is making me a little dizzy, but there’s not a great deal I can do about it right now.
“You’re missing a fucking finger, you are not fucking fine!” she whisper-yells back, and I have to bite my lips to stop from outright laughing at how adorable she is. The sight of her pale lips has all the mirth leaving me in a rush, like a plug pulled to let the bath water out.
“I’ll sort it as soon as we get to the van, I promise,Azizam,” I soothe, unable to stroke her hair from her face as I’d like, my right hand still clutching the small knife. Placing the knife in my belt, I take out the handgun, switching the safety off as I glance once more out of the window, seeing nothing and no one other than the van a few yards away. “Right, I’m going to open the door, check that the coast is clear, and then come and get you, okay,Azizam?” She nods, her eyes wide, and I steady her against the wall before pushing the door open slowly.
Surveying our surroundings, I see we appear to be alone, which I’m hoping suggests that this was a solo mission for Afshin so there will be no fallout. I take one last look and then walk back into the barn, placing my arm around her waist once more before helping her out into the early afternoon sunshine; the high position of the sun telling me the rough time. Also, it’s hot as fuck out here, although it was hot in the barn and my body has acclimatized somewhat.
More slowly than I’d like, we make our way over to the van; an old, rusted piece of shit, which is good for us as it’ll make hot-wiring it much easier. I help a trembling Lark into the passenger side, my gaze darting around the abandoned farm, making sure there really is no one around, as I make my way over to the driver’s side and hop in, placing the gun in the cup holder between us. I laugh when I see the keys dangling from the ignition, fucking amateurs.
“What’s so funny?” she asks, her voice quiet which only makes my heart pound as I take in her ghost-white face, sweat glistening on her brow.
“They left us the keys,” I inform her, reaching over and, as carefully as I can, buckling her seat belt.
“Rookie error,” she wheezes, and my brows dip further, wishing that they’d left some water or food in here too. A quick glance in the glove box shows no first aid kit either, which is a pain as the blood from my finger continues to drip. Knowing that I need to bind it, I use the knife tucked into my belt to cut off some of my T-shirt, utilizing that to wrap around the stump tightly, hissing at the pain that is a sharp throb now that I’ve acknowledged it. Fucking Afshin. “You okay,JigarTalâ?”
“Fine,Koshgelam. Especially now that we’re leaving,” I reply, turning the key and heaving a sigh when the engine starts over, spluttering to life. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”
“Sounds like a plan, Batman,” she says, her voice soft, and I glance over at her to see her eyelids fluttering. Panic makes my grip tighten against the steering wheel.
“Stay awake,Eshgham. Keep those beautiful eyes open,” I command, turning back to look at the dirt track before us, seeing what I’m hoping is a city in the distance. She makes a humming noise, and when I chance a look again, her eyes are closed and her head is resting on the seat. “Fuck!” I growl, knowing that without pain medication, she’s succumbed to shock and her injuries. “Just hold on,Eshgham.”
Aeron
“Okay” by Chase Atlantic
I pace the shitty hotel room we arrived at a couple of hours ago in Dogubeyazit after we read Tarl’s note. A fucking note, like a suicide note, telling us he had to get revenge for the death of his family and to look after Dove.
