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Why should I give him the satisfaction of knowing? I hated it, but I knew why. Because you love her and she loves him. “Lily was a gift from my father. A gift I couldn’t refuse. One I’m glad I didn’t. If I hadn’t taken her, she would have gone to someone else in my household. Have you seen the scars she carries from the girls there? That,” I emphasized, “could have been her if she hadn’t been mine. Girls died in her arms. So beat up and broken, there was nothing either she or I could do. I never once hurt your sister, but I sure as hell have killed a lot of men who’ve tried. Lily is my life and I love her, whether you accept that or not.”
“Slade, let’s go.”
Gaige and Blake were already by the door. Slade stepped back, not turning away from me. “If they have my sister, you better find a way to get ahold of me.”
“You have my word.”
His attention stayed on my face for a few more seconds before he nodded and turned his back. And like that, they were gone. My eyes closed and heaviness settled in my bones as I rested back against the pillow. Lily engulfed my mind and I let her take me over.
“What the hell is going on here?”
I never heard my father come in, but he was good at that. There was no one I feared more than the soulless man only feet away. I knew it was because of the impact he’d made when I was a boy. Lily had been right in one aspect—in my mind, I’d made him into something he really wasn’t.
My eyes opened. “Hello to you, too, Father.”
“Don’t hello, me. I just flew halfway around the world. What have you gotten yourself into, Zain?”
A groan left me as I turned more toward him. Fuck, how was I going to explain this without it sounding completely fabricated?
“I got mixed up with the wrong girl. I think she had a boyfriend. Let’s just say he wasn’t too happy when he showed up at my place and found us leaving.”
“A girl? That doesn’t sound like you.”
I twisted my mouth. “What, am I not supposed to date?”
Still, he stared, reading me. “It just wasn’t what I suspected.”
“What did you think I did to get shot?”
My father’s hand rose, his signal for he didn’t want to talk about it. He trusted nowhere but his home to speak openly. He was smart. Too smart.
“How did you know I was here?”
He exhaled deeply while reaching into his suit’s pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. “I called and you never answered. There was something I needed to discuss with you and when you dropped off of the radar, I had my people search. It didn’t take long for them to find you here.” He thrust the paper in my direction and I took it, reading the Arabic words before me. Amir is taking your place. You’re coming home.
A deep breath left me as I fought to think. The medication they had me on was fucking with my head. I couldn’t focus enough to decipher what I should do. If Amir was staying, more girls were going to be sold. If I went back, it very well might be because my father knew what I’d done to my uncles; possibly knew I’d been here for Lily the whole time.
“I’m okay, really. I can still continue.”
“No. It’s decided.” He kept it short and from his tone, I knew pushing the issue was pointless.
“Alright.” My eyes closed and I let them stay shut. It was time to come up with a plan. I couldn’t let my brother continue in my place. And my father wasn’t taking me anywhere. This was my chance to finally end things with him, once and for all. Away from his home full of guards. The three men ready to bring me to the ground were my only answer, but could I get to them before it was too late?
Chapter 14
Lily
Silence. The cocoon of safety my mind had slipped into left me in a weird state of being. I didn’t speak. Didn’t cry. My only solitude and peace of mind was seeing my Master play out as I slipped into a dream state. Awake or asleep, I stayed there, blinding myself to what surrounded me.
My crate was long gone, now replaced by four wooden walls and a white ceiling with peeling paint. The windows were boarded up. The smell of my new home, thick with mold. A mattress sat on the floor in the far corner and although it wasn’t an exact replica, there was something about this place that reminded me of where Zain and I had spent the majority of our time.
I’d been sleeping when footsteps woke me from my Master’s arms. I hadn’t wanted to return to the pitch black of my coffin, but the reality of what I was hearing had my hands flying up, ready to beat against my prison. Desperation begged me to scream for help. Instinct told me to keep quiet and wait. If I was dealing with traffickers or Zain’s family, again, I knew better than to react frantically. They’d feed from my fear—bask in it and beat me to shut me up. A task they loved to do.
At the splinting of wood, I kept my eyes closed, pretending I was asleep. My heart rate had my whole body trembling and I knew there was no point in pretending I was either asleep or dead. I couldn’t stop the jerks that left my limbs twitching.
Light filtered through and I squinted at the brightness, praying my eyes would adjust so I could defend myself against an attack if need be. It was pointless. Tears streamed down my face from the sensitivity and I was ripped out before I could see where I was being taken. My feet stumbled and I fell three times, but I never hit the ground. The hand held tight and didn’t leave until one of my abductors opened a door and threw me inside.
That was days ago.
