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The admission had my hands subconsciously clutching Zain’s shirt. Just imagining him returning to Afghanistan scared me more than anything. He wouldn’t come back if he did. Not if it came down to him versus his two uncles, his father, and all of their guards.
“You can’t go. I don’t want you to.”
“I’ll be okay. Here, come sit closer to me.” Zain’s arms wrapped around my shoulders, but I pulled back.
Again, I looked between my Master and Blake. “There’s no point in going to the deal. It’s ruined now. Don’t you see? The deal for the girls was between Jonathan and your family. He picked up where Julian Brighton left off. Now, they’re dead, except for your father. He’s going to know. He’s going to have people looking for you. If you go, you’ll be walking into a trap. You all will.”
“The trap will always be there,” Blake said, quietly. “He has to be taken out tonight. Just like I had planned to do anyway.”
Zain shook his head, angrily. “Amir is mine. I can’t just let you take care of my dirty work. I’ll do it. We’ll drop Lily off with Slade and head out.”
Tighter, my fingers held onto him, but I knew there was nothing I could do. Zain would leave me to do what he had to once we arrived home. I just prayed he came back.
Chapter 22
Zain
The hood sat low and engulfed Lily’s head, making it easy to hide her face as we headed for the elevator. If she’d just been the captive of a psychopath, no one would ever know. They’d never see the evidence of his abuse on her face. We’d made sure of that.
The elevator ride went too slow and too fast all at the same time. For the life of me, I couldn’t let go of Lily. Imagining leaving her now made me sick, but my father would have to die tonight. If I let him return, the chance of him taking me out or dealing in more girls was too great.
Ding. The elevator stopped at the entrance of the penthouse and Brace was already standing there, waiting with the door open. I swept Lily in, noticing that she reached out and gave the guard’s hand a squeeze before coming in. She’d always connected with people. It was one of the reasons I’d fallen so deeply in love with her.
Slade stopped pacing the moment he saw us.
“Lily.” He rushed forward and she broke away, meeting him with her arms outstretched. Their hug was brief before Slade pulled back, pushing the dark hood from her head. “Son of a bitch. God, look at your face. They bruised you up badly.”
“It’s nothing,” she breathed out. “I’m just glad to be home,” she said, giving him another hug.
“I told her she needed to go to the hospital, but she says she’s fine. I plan to do a check to make sure she’s okay before I leave.”
Gaige and Slade both stepped toward me. “Where are you going?” Slade asked, confused. “I thought you and Lily were headed to Washington.”
If only it were that easy. I sighed, pushing my hands in my jean pockets. My stare went to Gaige. I knew I didn’t have to hold back with him. He may have been an agent, but I knew his past. His wife had been a victim of human trafficking, tied to a huge drug cartel leader down in Mexico, before he came in and rescued her. The research hadn’t been hard as I waited for word on Lily.
“I have to take out my father. Jonathon Brighton was working with my family. My brother, who was supposed to head up the deal, and Jonathon, who was on the other side of it, are now both dead. Amir will know I’m behind their murders when they don’t show up. He’ll come looking for me or send people who will. I can’t chance it. He may already know if he’s tried to contact my brother.”
“Shit.” Slade’s hand came to rest on the back of Lily’s head and he stroked down her knotted hair as he stared down at the floor. A few second passed before he began talking again. “What if I told you I wanted you to stay and let Blake and Gaige handle it?”
My head tilted and I could see something going on behind his blank stare. When his eyes rose to meet mine, I couldn’t stop shaking my head.
“I have to do this,” I said, lowly.
“More than you have to be here for my sister?”
Lily’s eyes were filled with tears and I fought the emotions of what he was asking me to do. How could I just step back from something I’d spent the last twenty-two years planning?
“Lily needs you, Zain. Revenge doesn’t. I want you to hand over your anger to the ones who specialize in this sort of thing. Let them take care of your father. Let Blake take care of your uncles. Walk away from that family into this one and don’t look back. This could be a new beginning for you. It’s right here with Lily. All you have to do is come get it. Take her and clean her up. Pack her clothes and leave to Washington. Your past could disappear just as fast as the two of you can. Take my offer…and you’ll have my blessing.”
There were no words for what he was asking me to do. I stood there in shock, yet anger.
“No.” Lily broke away from Slade. “Don’t you dare threaten him. Zain has to do this. No one else. The time to protect me is over, brother. You don’t know how much I appreciate it, but this is beyond you now. I know his pain. I’ve lived it. Seen it,” she stressed. “He’ll never be able to get over this if you take the option away. And I won’t be a part of that sort of sadness, not even by association.” She turned to me, walking over. Her hands were shaking as she lifted them to cup my face. “Stay safe. I’ll be here when you return.”
Not once, not even through the beatings I’d suffered as a child, had I ever shed a tear, but hearing her stand up for me and knowing how scared she felt at seeing me go…tears burned my eyes until I was sure they’d escape.
“I love you,” I whispered, pulling her into my arms. “I do, so much.”
“And I love you. You promise to be safe?”
