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My jaw tightened and I hung up the phone. Slade would never understand why I had to do this. He didn’t live my life or see the things I had. Saul’s death deserved to be painstakingly slow. I wanted him to suffer. Just like his slaves had. Just like he hurt Lily. Bloody...brutal…
Sirens echoed in the distance and my arm shot out, hailing a cab. As I spouted off a road a few streets over from my house, I let my plan work out in my head. This had to work. It would. If it didn’t, I was fucked. And if something happened to me, they’d come for my slave. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
The blur of colors helped my mind race. So clearly, I could see what was going to happen. I wasn’t naïve. I knew things rarely played out like in one’s thoughts, but as different scenarios flashed, I embraced each one, letting them feed and burn into my mind so I’d be prepared for anything.
I closed my eyes, focusing on the pressure at my hip. My fingers pushed into my thigh and I could feel a smile pull at my mouth. This would be the last time I had to kill and I’d enjoy every moment of it.
The pull of the brakes had my eyes opening, I took out my wallet, paying the fare. The sound of the door closing had the new Zain retreating. The old one surged through me and my ears adjusted to my surroundings. Cars passed. Pedestrians talked and laughed as they went in and out of homes. I walked two blocks, letting myself just…feel. For what was about to happen, a calm sensation cloaked around me. Death had been my forte. I’d spent my life living it, and all I had to do was commit the act once more. There was a sadness mixed with my blood lust. The finalization to my past hit me hard and I pushed away the sense of grief I felt. This was for the best. For Lily.
I stepped onto my block and looked down at all the stairs aligning the connected homes. Potted plants rested by some doors. Others had welcome signs. When I got to my landlord’s, I peered up at his closed door. Was he alive inside? Dead?
My feet bounded up the concrete steps and I pulled out my keys, sliding one into the lock. From slow to fast, my pulse increased. I turned my wrist, unlocking it, and pushed the door open. In a quick turn, I put my back to the outside of my home and waited. The soft muffled sound of shots going off were almost undetectable. Just like my own—silent. I pulled my gun, crouched, and turned into the entrance. Bang.
A man fell at my shot and I moved back out of range. Two total and the other wasn’t my uncle. Shit.
“It’s him!” was shouted in Arabic. From the sound of the voice, I could tell he’d moved further toward the stairs where the bedroom rested. I spun back to the entrance and rushed inside, yanking the door closed behind me. Multiple shots rang out as I sprinted toward the kitchen. I only had to pull my trigger once to drop the last visible guard. Warmth coated my side and I cursed myself for not wearing the fucking vest. I hadn’t even considered taking it from the trunk of Lily’s car. I knew it wasn’t bad. More of a scratch than anything, but I’d been damn lucky.
“Saul!”
I flipped the table onto its side as I slid to a stop. Scraping sounded on the floor while I angled it to the front door and the stairs. If he came down, I’d have perfect view of his feet before he could even see me. But the big question was, if…
I switched to Arabic, hoping to at least get a response. The man had been yelling at someone. There was a chance my uncle wasn’t even here, but I wasn’t betting on that. Saul wanted me dead. He wanted my slave. This had to have been his plan.
“Saul, come down. I know you’re up there.”
The echo was loud in the silence of my home. If the guard wouldn’t have made it obvious, I would have assumed no one else was here. But…there had to be. I rose the slightest amount, peering at the open space around me.
“Saul!” A growl poured from my lips and I stayed low, running deeper into the kitchen. Weapons were spread around my house at random locations, but that wasn’t what I was after. I stood, swinging the cabinet open and grabbing the gauze. As I made my way back to the table, I took off my jacket and pulled my shirt open, not caring about taking the time to unbutton it. Button’s spun around the floor and in fast wraps, I circled my stomach. The scratch from the bullet was deep, but nothing I’d need stitches for.
Annoyance mingled with impatience and I looked back up at the stairs while I finished fastening the bandage. “You better be praying,” I yelled out. “By the time I get up there, you’re going to wish you would have.”
“Always so sure of yourself. Not this time, Zain.”
My hands dropped and I grabbed my gun, aiming it for the stairs. From my angle, I couldn’t see the top, but I kept it trained to where he’d first come into view. If he decided to do so.
“Really? Are you sure, because I think it is. Listen to your gut, Uncle. What does it tell you?”
A laugh was followed by footsteps from above. I glanced up, but stayed focused on the stairs. There was no telling whether he was up there alone.
“Zain, Zain…” Again he laughed. “You know, I have to admit, this is going to be rather fun. Had I known how much, I think I would have done this a lot sooner.”
What sounded like a soft voice had me tilting my head to get a better angle. Whispering buzzed and I couldn’t make out what was said. The sob that followed had me standing. It was feminine, making my heart drop. Slade had said Lily was at the hospital. She was supposed to be safe. If this wasn’t Lily…then who?”
I took a step, my feet seeming to weigh more with each inch I grew closer.
“No?” Saul laughed quietly. “You know, I’ve done this before. You’ll thank me, I promise.” The sobbing increased.
“Saul!” I placed my foot on the first step and gripped my gun tighter while I keeping it aimed above. All he had to do was peek his head over the side and I’d blow his brains out. But from what I could see, he wasn’t by the edge.
“Did you finally decide to join us?”
My jaw tightened and I hated that he knew I was approaching. I walked faster, my finger remaining on the trigger.
“Come on. Come say hello.” There was a drawl in his tone. Almost as if he were coaxing a young child. My head came to the top of the opening and I counted to three before I took a quick look. Time stopped as I pushed my hand to the wall for balance. So, that’s what he’d meant. He’d done it before. Rage had me seeing red and I felt almost disconnected as I took a step higher. My hand slid into my pocket and I pulled out my phone, hitting Slade’s number. I didn’t even raise the phone to my ear. I placed it on the top step, out of view, and walked the remaining distance until I was standing in the room.
Rope was strewn over the rafter above and Mary’s arms were bound high enough to where she had to stand on her tiptoes to stay balanced. Tears stained her face and blood was smeared along her mouth and chin. The swelling on her cheek had me circling the room for a clear shot. Saul was standing behind her, holding the knife to her throat, one hand on her slightly rounding stomach.
“Mary, it’s going to be okay. Just don’t move, okay.”
