Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Their families might.”
“Qadri, the videos aren’t for the public.”
She hoped not. She pressed her lips together to keep from protesting. She didn’t want him to leave. She didn’t like the idea of him being in danger.
“I won’t go if it’s too soon. You’re still very fragile right now, and there’s a lot going on. I have a five-man security team here, and you’ll have all six dogs. Sam is alert now as well. I’m not worried about your safety so much as your peace of mind, Shabina. You need to be honest with me. If you need me with you, I’ll stay.”
“I can handle the pressure, Rainier. It’s not that. I am feeling fragile, but I’m gaining strength and confidence. I know I can rely on my friends, and I’ve made peace with the fact that Larado is going to get all bossy.” She took a deep breath and admitted the truth. “When you’re gone, I’m so afraid something will happen to you, and you won’t come back.”
“I understand, Shabina. When I’m away from you, I will admit, I become anxious about your safety and well-being. If I didn’t have to go silent, I’d be blowing up Larado’s phone seeking assurance and giving him orders.”
She loved the fact that Rainier didn’t chide her, but instead admitted he was anxious as well. “I worry if my father finds out you’re gone he’ll try to see me or force me to talk to him.”
“Larado and the others have strict instructions not to allow him to get near you. You did block him from calling you, didn’t you? Both phones?”
“Yes. It was difficult because I know my mother can’t call either. That hurts,” she admitted.
“I’ll send you a text when I believe it’s okay to unblock your mother’s number, so she’ll be able to stay in touch with you.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked suspiciously.
“Sort it out.”
* * *
—
Jack Foster woke with a start. Beside him, Yasemin lay sleeping peacefully. It hadn’t been her that disturbed his sleep. Without lifting his head, he scanned the room while one hand found the drawer in the nightstand beside the bed. Carefully, he slid it open to retrieve the fully loaded gun he kept there. He moved his hand all around the drawer, only to find it empty. The gun wasn’t there.
A shadow moved across from the bed. It was impossible to make out who was there in the room with them, but he knew they weren’t alone. He sat up slowly, angling his body slightly to protect Yasemin.
“It took a minute for you to wake up, Jack.”
The voice came out of the darkness. Low. Amused. Arrogant. Jack winced inwardly. He knew that voice. He should have expected a visit.
“What do you want, Rainier?”
“I thought it was time we had a talk, so you clearly understand the rules regarding your daughter.”
“You can’t…” Jack began.
“I think it best you listen to what I have to say. I’m not asking, Jack. I’m telling you how it’s going to be. Shabina wants nothing more to do with you. You forgot, or didn’t notice, that your daughter is highly intelligent. You can’t hide the truth from her. She was always suspicious when it came out that I rescued her in the nick of time, that the sandstorm hit right after we got away and an assassin struck the camp. She wondered if you had contacted that assassin and taken a hit out on her. Unfortunately for you, she has a friend who can gather information from various sources, and it turns out, there was a connection. A transfer of money from you to an account known to be used by that assassin. She was also able to access your email, the one you use for encoded emails. Her friend can decode the emails. The correspondence between you and the intermediary was right there with your orders.”
Jack’s mind raced with the possibilities of putting a spin on what he’d done. The last thing he wanted was for Yasemin to know that he’d tried to have their daughter killed. He glanced down at her. Even though Rainier spoke in low tones, she should have wakened.
“You drugged my wife.” He made it an accusation, hoping to deflect.
“This is your one chance to hear me out before I take action. I am giving you this one chance to keep the truth from your wife and for you to stay alive. I don’t agree with that decision, but Shabina loves her mother and would like to prevent more heartache than she’s already experienced. The truth coming out or you dying would certainly cause Yasemin grief.”
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. His daughter was intelligent, but she lacked a killer’s instinct. She felt far too much compassion, just like her mother.
“Shabina is also aware you orchestrated an attempt to get her locked away in a mental hospital. She’s spoken with the two men you paid to frighten her into believing Scorpion was stalking her again. This had to be one of your more despicable schemes to force compliance and get your way.”