Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
M oonlight filtered in through the window, sending large shafts of light over the floor. She should be exhausted. They’d stayed up late making love, then ended the night with a shower and tumbled into bed. She’d woken up a few minutes ago and couldn’t get back to sleep. Dana lay facing the window with her head on the pillow, Zain’s arm draped over her side and his breath warm on her neck.
Part of her wanted to stay in this hotel forever. To never return to reality. To forget that there’d once been a time without Zain.
But their days together were coming to an end. Once they caught the assassin and she was no longer in danger, Zain might not want her around. Dire circumstances often brought people together, and after that element dissipated, he’d probably move on.
Zain inhaled a ragged breath and stretched, his arm tightening around her waist and pulling her closer to his body. His lips found her neck, and he nuzzled her before a soft snore escaped his nose.
A vibrating sound suddenly had her on alert. She turned just as Zain bolted into a sitting position. “The hell—”
He picked up his phone and was on his feet as soon as he answered. “Yeah?”
A male voice raged through the speaker. The caller spoke fast, his voice loud and angry. Zain cursed a blue streak, and even in the darkness she could see how rigid his body was. Dana reached to the bedside table and clicked on the lamp. The clock read 3:57 a.m.
Zain stood buck naked. Thick, corded muscle stacked from his strained neck down to his calves. His glorious lines resembled those of Zeus, and his tattoos were as masculine as a Viking’s. She let her gaze wander over his body like a lost person finding a lake in the desert. Her legs tightened at the sight of the large, throbbing dick hanging from his groin. All the delicious things he’d done just—
“ What? Jesus Christ,” he breathed, dragging his hand through his hair.
She snapped her gaze to his face. Worry clenched her stomach. Zain paced the room, anger vibrating every contour of his body. Even his tight rear end looked furious.
“I’ll fucking kill them,” he spat. “Where is she now? ”
Ripples of unease shook Dana as she got to her feet and pulled on her clothes. He zeroed in his gaze on her and gave a sharp nod, seemingly indicating that getting dressed was a good idea. She ached to ask questions, to find out what had him so upset. But every instinct told her to wait. She made her way to the bathroom and brushed her teeth to give him some privacy.
A couple of minutes later, Zain appeared in the doorway. He’d dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. His scowl was even deeper than before.
“My mom’s house is on fire.” His voice was hollow. Grave. And so deadly her muscles quaked.
She gasped, then she flung her arms around him. “Oh my god. Zain, I’m so sorry.” A ragged sob caught in her throat. “Please tell me your mom is okay.” She wouldn’t be able to bear seeing another ounce of pain on Zain’s face. Wouldn’t be able to watch him suffer more tragedy.
He didn’t return her embrace. Instead, he cupped her elbows and pushed her away gently. “She got out.”
“When did the fire start?”
His jaw hardened. “Someone started it.”
She nodded quickly. “I know.” He didn’t need to tell her this was because of Afghanistan—because of her. The assassin hadn’t gotten Dana, so he’d gone after Zain’s mom. Disgust curdled in her belly, and tears misted her vision.
Rage sparked in his eyes. He appeared to be on the edge of losing it, and she wouldn’t want to be the monsters who’d done this to Greta. She also didn’t want Zain wasting away in a jail cell for the rest of his life. She just had to pray Zain didn’t find them—or that he wasn’t caught for carrying out his own form of justice.
Zain ran his hand over his face. “Fire department got to her house a few minutes ago. Rami’s on his way. I need to go there but I can’t leave you. Are you all right with coming?”
“Of course.” She followed him to the door of the hotel room, her heart high in her throat and her movements clumsy.
Zain’s mother could have been killed. Whoever was behind this had to be stopped. And she’d make sure that happened.
***
Rami’s vehicle was on the street, out of the way of the fire truck parked in front of their mother’s house. Pressure sat heavily on Zain’s chest, and for the tenth time since getting in the car, he rubbed the ache.
Dana sat in the passenger seat, quiet but comforting. He hated that he couldn’t reach out to her. Couldn’t reassure her. Not when he was so tied up in his own fucking head.
His mom.
They’d gone after her. Why? Christ.
He parked behind Rami’s truck and got out. Dana quickly came to his side. Her fingers curled around his biceps, and he caught her hand and kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry.”
Her tear-filled eyes gutted him. “You don’t need to apologize to me. None of this is your fault.”
He shook his head. “They came after you. My mom. It’s completely my fault, Dana.” The words came out rocky and uneven. As much as he wanted to continue the conversation with her—she had a way of soothing his jumpiest nerves—he couldn’t.
His mom stood on the front lawn, her shoulders shaking and Rami’s arm around her.
“Go,” Dana urged.
He broke away and strode across the lawn. “Mom.”
She turned at the sound of his voice. He pulled her into his arms, shielding her eyes from the blaze. Flames licked around the front porch, and the scent of smoke thickened the air. “How’d you get out?”
She sniffled. “My neighbor saw the porch on fire. He came with a fire extinguisher while his wife called 911. If he hadn’t, I’m sure the fire would’ve spread faster. All the racket woke me up, and I got out through the back. I don’t understand how this happened.” Her voice was thick with worry and guilt.
Goddammit. More than anything, he hated that she thought she’d done something wrong .
He gently pushed her back and caught her shoulders. “It’s my fault. Someone’s after me, and they thought I was here last night.” He flicked his gaze to the charred white porch he’d walked down only hours before. “It wasn’t an accident, and it sure as hell wasn’t your fault.”
Concern softened her eyes. “My god. Why would someone be after you? What happened, Zain?” The sadness in her voice made him lower his head.
He’d done everything wrong, that’s what’d happened. But he didn’t say those words. He couldn’t.
Since getting Rami’s phone call, Zain’s mind hadn’t stopped moving. Anyone working for Jaysh could’ve been sent to kill him, and Dana by default. Then there was Ali. He had unlimited funds, friends in high places, and the power to make an assassination happen on US soil.
The question of who wasn’t a huge mystery. But finding them would be a bigger problem. Which was where Ghost came in.
Rami approached. “Ma, why don’t you come stay with Ivy and me? I’ll help you call your insurance company, and we’ll figure this out.”
Zain gave his mom another hug and watched her walk to Rami’s truck. Dana hovered near the sidewalk with a crinkle in her brow he wished he could kiss away. She hugged and spoke briefly to his mom on their way to Rami’s car .
Pulling out his phone, he hit his colleague’s number. Rami had added him to the Backcountry group chat, so he had the numbers of all the guys now. Inhaling the cool, smoky air, he stared out at the large lots of the neighborhood. The sun had begun its ascent, and the pinkish purple hue of the sky promised a beautiful day. Nature lied.
“’Lo?” Ghost’s groggy, irritated voice rumbled in Zain’s ear.
“I need your help.”
He grunted. “Figures. The morning I try to sleep in for once. What’s up?” The rustling of covers echoed over the speaker.
Zain paced the lawn and explained what’d happened. Firefighters shouted as they moved over the property. Police showed up a minute later. The place was a buzz of activity.
He flicked his gaze back to Dana. She now stood with one arm drawn around her ribs and her head tilted down toward the phone in her hand. Her concerned eyes met his, and she gave a tight smile. He lifted one finger to tell her he’d come to her when he was finished on the phone.
“Shit. I’m sorry to hear that.” For once, Ghost had expressed an emotion.
Zain cleared his throat and paced another wide circle in the grass. “I know you’ve been looking into Ali and who he might have in the US. Any luck?”
“No, man. Guy’s squeaky fucking clean. ”
Zain grunted. “Bullshit.”
“Hey, I don’t believe it either. But I couldn’t find a single connection to any known criminals. Doesn’t mean he’s not behind it. Just gonna be a lot harder to narrow it down.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. A deep pounding sensation started behind his eyes. It was too early for headaches. And worrying about Dana and his mom would be an even bigger one.
“Had a bit of luck with the security camera in Dana’s apartment though.”
Zain lowered his hand. “Yeah? Why didn’t you say anything?”
The gentle tapping of fingers on a keyboard clicked in the background. “Well, I started running the scans yesterday. It was tedious. Found a shot with a glimpse of the guy’s profile. Plugged that into the system to run while I slept, and I just got the results now.”
“You got a name?”
Ghost snorted. “Nah, it ain’t that easy. I’ve got some matches—a lead. I’ll make it a priority to have a name by lunch.”
Zain didn’t need to look at his watch to know that was hours away, but what more could he do? “All right. Thanks, man. We’ll touch base soon.”
A firefighter jogged forward. Early morning shadows and large headgear concealed his face. “Are you Mrs. Mitry’s son?”
He pocketed his device. “Yeah, what’s up? ”
“Police want her statement. Is she still here?” He lifted his head an inch to glance over Zain’s shoulder toward where Dana stood on the lawn close to the sidewalk. He had a scar through his eyebrow.
“No, she left. She went with my brother. I’ll give the police his info.”
The firefighter thanked him, and then Zain made a beeline for Dana.
“Everything okay?” she asked. Her gaze hovered on him for a moment then drifted to the hustle and bustle around them.
“Yeah, I just need to speak to the police for a minute. I’ll be right back and then we can take off.”
She gave a tight smile. “Okay.”
He nodded and ducked in the direction of the cops. Some of the smoke had dissipated, and people now milled around on the sidewalk, gawking at the mess and chaos. At least the fire was under control and hadn’t consumed the whole house. If that was any indication, things might look up for them.
Plus, Ghost was onto something. They had a bite, and Zain wouldn’t let go until the bastard paid for everything he’d done.
***
Dana watched Zain cross the lawn to speak to the police officers in the driveway. A sense of uncertainty crawled up her spine. The fire seemed contained now, and hopefully there wouldn’t be too much damage. But the fact that someone had targeted his mom’s house in hopes to hit him made anxiety sit heavy on her chest.
Zain might feel this was all his fault, but she was the one who’d set this whole thing in motion. She’d gone to retrieve him. She’d put him into the position of having to kill many of Jaysh’s members and then Ali’s bodyguard.
She bore an equal amount of responsibility, and she’d help get to the bottom of things. It was too early to call any of her old colleagues, but she’d sent an email to Suzanne, a woman she’d worked with at the FBI. How much she’d be able to help was yet to be determined, but it was something. She just hoped the woman got back to her before it was too late.
“’S’cuse me, ma’am?” A firefighter approached. Ash and soot covered his suit and face, and his helmet concealed is eyes.
“Yes?” She tucked her arms close to her ribs.
“Police need to speak with you. Please come with me.” He gestured to the sidewalk.
Dana furrowed her brow but took a tentative step in his direction. “Oh, I didn’t see anything, unfortunately. I don’t think I’ll be of any help.”
“You can explain that to them. They need to talk to every witness.”
She blew a breath through her lips and followed the man. A cruiser sat at the end of the driveway, bubble lights flashing and the siren off. A couple of other cars were parked along the curb. A lot of the spectators had left, and the street was quieting down.
The man turned, stopping Dana in her tracks.
She stumbled. “What—” She jerked up her head. The angle and close proximity allowed her to see beneath the man’s visor. A silvery scar cut through his left eyebrow.
All the oxygen left her lungs, as if a bowling ball had hit her diaphragm. She opened her mouth to scream—
Something sharp pierced her side. A sizzling sound crackled in her ears. Her body jolted. Panic and pain combated inside her. A ragged, barely audible gasp escaped her throat.
Heat scorched her side as the man shoved her into the back of a car. Her body slumped against the seat, and spasms overtook her muscles. Her eyes rolled back, and darkness came crashing down.