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?”
My lips pressed gently to hers. The roughness of them soaked into my memory. She was dehydrated and felt so tiny in my arms. How much weight had she lost? Too much. It only had my anger intensifying. This was what I needed—to feel the proof of my father’s evil right here, under my hands.
“You know I will. I won’t be long. Then, we’ll start our lives together.”
With one last kiss, I stepped back, meeting Slade’s disapproving glare. He was afraid for Lily, I knew that, but he wasn’t objecting. I had a feeling he also knew I had to do this, whether he liked it or not.
“Let’s go,” I said to Blake, quietly. Marcio began to accompany us when I shook my head. “Get everything ready for Washington. We’ll be back shortly.”
I didn’t look back as I headed for the door. Truthfully, I couldn’t. My heart ached. I just got Lily back and now I was leaving her. It tore me to pieces. The amount of time I’d had with her since I’d killed her kidnappers was almost nonexistent, and now I was going into a situation I wasn’t sure the outcome of. My father was guarded by at least four men that I knew about. Were there more? Were some of Jonathon’s men with him, too?
The elevator seemed to take forever, but the walk to Blake’s SUV was even longer. It was as if no matter how fast I walked, gravity was pulling me back, urging me to stay. I pulled at the collar of my black shirt, tugging at the vest underneath as I climbed in.
“We headed to the location you gave me earlier?”
Blake’s voice was deeper than usual. There was a killer next to me and not once since we’d been together had I forgotten that. I trusted the tracker, but I didn’t let my guard down completely. If it ever came between me and him, it would be one hell of a fight to the death. Seeing him slice and dice my brother’s guard while I took out my own blood was something to be admired…if one could praise such a task. Grace came with every slice of his blade. It was so fast and precise that I’d ended my brother’s life quickly, just so I could watch Blake work.
“The address he gave me is the only one I know. Lily was right, it’s probably a trap. Then again, he didn’t expect me to leave the hospital without him.”
“I’m sure he’s there,” Blake said, quietly. “It’s one of the fanciest hotels in this city. But they have cameras. That poses a problem. We can’t both just waltz on up there and knock on the door. There will be a trail.”
I gazed out the window while Blake pulled out of the parking garage and turned onto the road. My mind raced and I knew I had to end this as soon as possible. But what was the best way? That was the question.
“I’ll call him. Have him meet me.”
“You’re not that stupid. You’ll be target practice, exposed to all his guards. Does it have to be up close and personal for you?” Blake’s eyebrows drew in and he shook his head. “Stupid question. Of course it does. You’re not going to settle for a shot through the head from a distance.”
Hell, at this point, it was half tempting. I just wanted to get back to Lily. To hold her tight while we flew out on Slade’s helicopter to Washington. But he was right. My father looking me in the eyes as I killed him was important. He deserved to die for the pain he caused. Not only to me, but the families of the girls he’d taken and helped sell off.
My hand reached into my pocket and I pulled out my phone, running my finger down the screen. Fuck, what was I doing? Was there a better way than setting myself up for a bloodbath? If there was, it wasn’t coming to me. My heart raced and I let my slave’s bruised and swollen face push to the forefront of my thoughts. Amir had planned to give her to Saul, damn well knowing what would happen. He wanted her dead for my crimes. I couldn’t allow this to continue.
Angrily, I hit his number and brought the phone to my ear.
Ring.
Ring.
“Zain.” One word, spoken with hate. He knew I had Lily. He knew I killed yet another member of my family, his only other surviving son. It was laced thick with the disgust in his tone.
“I need to speak with you.”
“You know where I’m at.”
My head shook. “No, I know a place.”
“Where?”
I glanced at Blake, only to take in the surroundings of downtown. My father was roughly less than a mile away. We both needed time. Me, more so. Blake needed to get in position, prepare for what was to come.
“There’s a lookout right past the Golden Gate Bridge on the left. This time of night, it should be somewhat private. We’ll be able to talk there.”
“You mean, you should be able to kill me there,” he said in Arabic. “Don’t play me for a fool, Zain. I know your intentions and you know mine. Let’s cut the act and get down to it. You want to die? Is that it? Was this slave so important that you had to kill off your family? Did I teach you nothing?” he exploded. “Family is blood. You’re my blood. They were all your blood. We look out for each other. I’ve done nothing but take care of you since I brought you into my home. I treated you better than everyone and this is what you do?”
Lava could have been boiling in my veins for as hot as I felt from my anger. “You killed my mother and Jeff. You beat me. Scarred me. You destroyed everything I was. How is that treating me better? Lily opened my eyes. She showed me what it was to feel again. Where you ruined, she healed. So do
not
try to preach to me about the definition of family. You don’t understand the meaning.”
“Understand this,” he said, lowly. “Tonight, your slave will be the death of you. I hope she was worth it. I’ll be there soon.”
The line disconnected and I squeezed the cell in my hand as I lowered it to my lap.
“He believes I’ll die tonight,” I said, stuffing it into my pocket. “But he won’t show at the location. It’ll be his men who arrive. Head back toward his hotel. We’ll catch him when he leaves for the airport.”
Blake stayed quiet as he turned around. If I knew my father, he’d be leaving soon. After knowing what I’d done to Amir Junior, he’d want stability and he wouldn’t find it here. Not so far away from his guarded palace. And he’d never make it back there if I had anything to say about it.
Chapter 23
Slade
The dirt and grime were gone and the knots brushed out of Lily’s hair. She looked presentable and ready for work, dressed in a pair of black slacks, a black blouse, and heels. Aside from the swelling and bruises, it was as though my sister never left. The disconnect was back. The different Lily I had associated her with when she returned. Truthfully, she was only the old Lily when Zain was around. The composed business woman in front of me now was an imposter, a mask my sister donned to deal with being alone. Why hadn’t I figured it out before? She was so collected, so strong looking, yet I knew that wasn’t the case. It was all an act. My Lilian was scared and crying on the inside. She wanted Zain. She wanted to be happy. And she wasn’t.
“I’m not sure I should go over the details of Bethany,” she said, quietly. “Maybe I’ll just tell Mary she…” Lily took a deep breath. “I’ll just say…” Tears clouded her eyes and she looked toward the floor-length windows. The tears disappeared as she crossed her arms over her chest. “She didn’t make it. That’s what it boils down to. Not that she was raped and beaten to death.” A pause had a ragged breath escaping. “For fuck’s sakes,” she said, bringing her hand up to her forehead. “God, I can’t believe this happened again.”
“Shh.” There were no words I could offer for comfort. Sentiments were the last thing I was good at. All I could do was pull her into my arms while I held her. Still, she didn’t break down like I expected. For minutes, I tried to comfort my sister, but she was so rigid and stiff. I couldn’t help but feel like I was doing more harm than good. “Why don’t we go wake up Mary? She’ll be happy to see you. It’ll be best to break the news to her before Gaige gets back.”
Lily nodded, almost too happy to break away. My mouth twisted and I recalled how easily she molded into Zain’s arms. She was like putty where he was concerned. It was a good sign. She needed to be with someone she trusted enough to let her walls down, but apparently they weren’t where Zain wanted them. He said they had things to work on. What that was exactly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“He’s the FBI agent?”
“Yes. He’s been working under the radar with us since you went missing, but he got called in shortly before you all arrived. I have a feeling it may have been related to where you all just left. If that’s the case, I don’t expect him here for another few hours.”
Lily’s head lowered and she didn’t wait for me to head to Mary. I followed behind as she eased the door open and stood there, frozen.
“You okay?”
The moment my hand landed on her shoulder, she jumped.
“I’ve never really been afraid of the dark, but…I don’t like not being able to see inside.”
To me, I could clearly see the bed. It was further into the room that lay in pitch black. I nodded, walking past her and turning on the bathroom light. Mary immediately stirred. The action brought Lily forward, until she stood at the foot of the bed.
“Mary?”
Blonde hair flew over my wife’s shoulders as she bolted into a sitting position. She looked lost, confused for a few seconds as she stared at my sister. Then, as if awoken from some dream state, she crawled on her knees across the bed to meet Lily on the side.
“Oh, God, I was so afraid they wouldn’t find you.” Mary hugged Lily tight and Lily seemed more at ease than she had been with me. “How are you? Are you hurt?” Their connection broke as Mary squinted. I turned on the bedside lamp and the color drained from her face. “Oh…Lily.”
“It’s not as bad as it looks. Just a few bruises.”
Mary led her to sit on the edge of the bed, but I could see the horror in my wife’s face. The way her eyes searched Lily’s had me walking over to comfort her.
“Who did this to you? My sister called. Was…it her?”
Lily reached out, grabbing Mary’s hand. “Not really. I mean, Bethany thought she was a part of it.” Hesitation had my sister staring down at their connection. “Jonathon Brighton was the one behind it. He took over for Julian and began working with Zain’s family, like his father had before I killed him. Your sister…she was seeing Jonathon.”
Mary’s back straightened. “That’s why she left Charles? For Jonathon Brighton?”
“Yes. But he...” Lily shifted, “he had other plans for her. He was going to pin my murder on her. When he found out that Amir wasn’t going to let him kill me, he...” Again, she stopped. “I’m sorry, Mary. Bethany didn’t make it.”
Lily’s hand gripped Mary’s tighter and I let mine rest on my wife’s shoulder. The sniffling told me she was crying, but her head was angled to where I couldn’t see.
“I’m sorry they took you, Lily. I knew from the beginning that Bethany probably had something to do with your disappearance. It just…” again, she sniffled, “it saddens me to know that my sister harbored so much anger that she ended up having to pay for it with her life. If she would have let it go, if she could have seen how evil they were instead of being blinded by her own hate and greed...”
“It happened,” Lily said, hugging her. “We can’t change how or why. We just have to keep moving forward. I’m truly sorry for your loss, Mary.”
A sob left her while she shook her head. “I don’t know how you could be. My sister was trying to kill you, yet you’re the one sorry. You amaze me, Lily.”
As they hugged, I could tell my sister was emotionally and physically drained. Not to mention, my wife. It made the exhaustion I was experiencing even more intense. The last two weeks had taken their toll. I quickly cut in.
“I just wanted you to know she was okay. You both need your rest. We can finish this discussion some other time.”
“Yes,” Lily said, standing. “Why don’t you two get some sleep? I’m going to lay in my room and wait for Zain. I think I need to get some rest. Hopefully, he won’t be much longer. We can leave tomorrow. I’m not sure I’m ready to fly anywhere tonight.”
“Good idea,” I said, nodding. “I’d like you here, just until everything calms down. I’ll walk you out. I need to talk to Marcio real quick anyway.” I turned to Mary as Lily headed for the door. “You okay while I go talk to the men real quick?”
“Yeah. Hurry and come back to bed.”
The emotional pain was so deep that it made me not want to leave at all. Not in her condition. “Five minutes, tops. Then you have me for the rest of the night.”
With her nod, I turned and headed for the front door, making sure to shut hers behind me. Lily was already gone. I took out my phone and checked the time as I approached the entrance. One hour and five minutes since they left. My jaw clenched as I opened the front door. Marcio and Brace stood a few feet away, next to the small table where they kept their drinks. Both turned as I closed the door behind me.
“I’m headed to bed. Mary is pretty upset. Let Zain in when he gets here, but tell him I said he sleeps on the couch. He can let Lily knows he’s back, but in no way, shape, or form is he joining her in that bed with me under this roof. Clear?”
I could see Marcio trying to hold in his smile. “Got it, boss.”
“Lily is too tired to leave tonight, so Washington won’t be a go until the morning. Also, my phone will be on silent. Gaige might be coming back over. If I don’t answer, inform him we have Lily. If he wants to see her, he can stop by in the morning before they leave. Unless, knowing him, he insists. Only then, are you to come get me. I’m tired, I’m hung over, and I want one night in bed with my wife without being interrupted by something.
Like, morning sickness
. Fuck, it was driving me crazy to see her body under so much stress. “Good night.”
“Night, boss.”
Even as they said the words and I walked toward my room, I knew sleep wouldn’t find me. Not with Zain and Blake still out there. I talked a good fight, but Zain was quickly making himself apart of my family. And not just out of respect for Lily. I liked him. And I’d be restless until he walked through my door safely—or not.