Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
G reat, now she was a spy, working undercover for the U.S. government. The only problem was she knew nothing about espionage. How the hell was she supposed to find out what Amir and his cousin were planning?
They sure as hell didn’t trust her.
Why would they? You couldn’t trust someone you were holding captive. And with Riad constantly working to turn Amir against her, she was already living on borrowed time. If he had his way, she’d be stuffed into a black bag and dumped in the Potomac by now.
Pat had been right about one thing, though. They would kill her when this was over. Maybe Ryan, too. A chill shot up her spine. She’d been a fool to believe otherwise.
But as she left the coffee shop, she felt lighter than she had since this nightmare began. It made no sense—she was in more danger now than ever—but for the first time, she had an ally.
And Ryan was safe. Or as safe as he could be under the circumstances.
For months, she’d been carrying this burden alone. Since Adam disappeared, she’d had no one to turn to, no one to confide in. But she wasn’t alone anymore.
She had Patrick.
An interesting man, that. The more she learned about him, the more he intrigued her. It had been an insane risk, meeting her like that. What if Amir had seen them? What if she’d said no?
Would he really have arrested her?
But she’d gone along with his bluff because, despite everything, it suited her. She didn’t want to be part of this. She didn’t want Amir planting a bomb in a stadium or a nightclub. She didn’t want innocent people to die.
That was it. That was what this feeling was.
Hope.
For the first time since Adam’s death, she felt a flicker of hope.
And she was going to cling to it with everything she had.
Jasmine wandered up toward the Metro station, waiting for Amir to text her. He’d been gone for over an hour. Any minute now, she’d hear from him.
Then she turned the corner and spotted him. He was speaking to a woman in a traditional salwar kameez and headscarf. About fifty, she had a prominent nose and dark, slitted eyes. Riad was there too, standing a few feet away, scanning the street like a lookout. His back was turned to her.
They’d be furious if she interrupted a meeting, especially if she’d seen something she wasn’t supposed to, so she ducked back around the corner, heart pounding.
When she worked up the courage to take another peek, Amir and the woman were still speaking in hushed tones, their heads close together. The conversation lasted another five minutes before Amir nodded, and they parted with a respectful bow.
The woman disappeared into the Metro station entrance.
Who was she? A contact? Was she involved in whatever attack they were planning?
Amir pulled out his phone.
Jasmine hurried back to the coffee shop and stood outside, pretending to check her bag. A moment later, her phone buzzed.
Come to the station.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked around the corner.
Amir was in a good mood as they made their way home. Riad was as silent as ever, his expression unreadable.
“Did you have a good business meeting?” she asked carefully.
Amir’s dark eyes gleamed. “It went very well. What did you do?”
“I went to the library, got a new book. It’s on CBT, which I think will really help with?—”
He held up a hand. “Later. I don’t want to talk about that now.”
She shut her mouth.
At the house, Riad turned his back to her as he disabled the alarm system.
“After you,” Amir said smoothly. He could be charming when he wanted to be.
She stepped inside, shivering at the coolness of the house. The drapes were always closed, making it feel oppressive, airless.
“Have you eaten?” she asked as Amir followed her into the kitchen.
“Yes, we grabbed something while we were out.”
She nodded and reached for the ingredients to make a sandwich.
Busy slicing into a tomato, she didn’t realize he’d come up right behind her. “You’re a beautiful woman,” he murmured, in a husky tone.
She jumped, pulse racing.
He ran a finger down her arm. “It’s a shame to waste such beauty.”
Oh, God. No!
Her stomach twisted. “Amir, I don’t think?—”
His breath was warm on her neck. He spun her to face him. “I think you know how I feel about you.”
“Amir, don’t do this,” she pleaded.
“Do what?” A flicker of irritation darkened his eyes. “I’m not doing anything.”
Shit.
She ought to have known it would be pointless reasoning with him.
Almost subconsciously, her fingers clenched around the knife.
“I’ll take that.” His hand closed over hers, prying it loose.
She let him. There was no point in provoking him, especially not with Riad in the next room. His cousin wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. In fact, he was probably waiting for an opportunity.
Amir set the knife on the counter, then turned back to her. He was so close, she could feel his body heat. His hand slid up her neck, closing around her throat.
Then, he kissed her, his mouth pressing hard against hers.
She turned her head away, revolted. “Amir… please don’t.”
He scowled, gripping her face with his hand. “I will have you, Jasmine. It’s just a matter of time.”
Then he turned and strode out, leaving her frozen in place.
Jasmine sank down onto a kitchen stool. God, this was a disaster. She’d always suspected Amir had a thing for her, but she’d hoped he’d keep it under control.
Now she had to fend him off—as well as try to uncover whatever they were planning.
Hot tears threatened to well up, but she blinked them away. Well, she had to draw the line somewhere. She didn’t care what they did to her, she was not sleeping with the enemy.
A shudder rippled through her.
Maybe it was time to leave. But how would she get out?
Then, she thought of Ryan and shut her eyes. Would Patrick’s operative really be able to protect him?
If she stayed, she’d have to watch her back every second of the day.
The two men sat in the living room watching TV. She picked at her sandwich in the kitchen, but her stomach was in knots. She barely managed two bites before throwing it away.
She heard Amir’s phone ring. He answered, then walked down the hall, lowering his voice. Jasmine strained to hear.
“I’ll take care of it,” Amir said. “No, don’t come here. I’ll meet you at the park. Same place. Friday night. Not long now.” He finished with: “Allah ma’ak.”
She waited for him to return to the living room, but he didn’t. Then, suddenly, she heard ragged breathing.
Peeking into the hallway, she found Amir leaning against the wall, a hand to his throat.
“I can’t breathe,” he rasped.
Riad appeared from the living room. “What’s wrong?”
The gasping grew louder. “Can’t breathe.”
Riad’s head snapped toward her. “What did you do to him?”
She raised her hands. “Nothing. He’s having a panic attack.”
“Well, do something!”
Amir clawed at his shirt, his face red and contorted. He staggered into his study, then back out again.
Jasmine rushed forward. “Amir, come and sit down.” He let her guide him to the couch, still panting, his body trembling violently.
“Slow your breathing,” she said softly. “Don’t force it. Just in and out.”
Riad hovered, eyes darting between them.
She turned to him. “Go to his bedroom. In the nightstand you’ll find a bottle labeled Xanax. Bring it to me.”
Riad scowled, not happy with her ordering him around.
“Please, he needs it,” she added.
He hesitated, then disappeared, returning seconds later with the pills.
Amir’s entire body shuddered. He let out an animalistic groan and slammed his fist against the coffee table. “Why is this happening to me?”
“It’ll pass,” she said calmly. “Here. Take one of these.”
He swallowed the pill, still gasping for breath. Panic held him in its grip, but the Xanax was fast-acting. A moment later, his breathing evened out and the trembling faded.
“You have to help me,” he begged, gripping her hand. “I can’t live like this.”
“I’m trying, but you need to trust me.”
He nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
Riad scoffed. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He shot her a venomous look and stormed out.
A moment later, the front door slammed.