Previously…
Asma
I watched his reaction carefully for any signs
of fatherly worry, but I couldn’t get a flicker of feeling out of him. He was
like a numb robot that sensed nothing for anyone or anything, and I was
starting to wonder what kind of a childhood Alia grew up in.
I also knew whom the Rashid she mentioned was.
I was also positive about whom the anonymous kidnapper was.
A silent smile stretched across my face.
My 3bdulla had come for me.
_____________
3bdulla
He was insane. We had our leverage
and he didn’t need to “commit” to anything anymore. Apparently, the idiot
thought otherwise.
Sul6an: “Ma batifham. Elmhm, inteh weyaya wela la2?”
He refused to discuss it any
further. Damnation altogether. He was ruining everything. I groaned in evident
annoyance.
Me: “6ab3an ana weyak but… Inzain lai-”
Sul6an: “Bass. Hd el mow6’oo3 w turn around. We
don’t have much time.”
I heard some muffled protests from
behind me, and I signaled Rashid again as I started the engine. He gave her one
of his “threatening” expressions and she was instantly silent. What a brat. If
it were my Asma in her place, she would have probably glared right back at him.
I couldn’t endure alia for even a short ride, and that was when she was gagged
and tied. God knew how on earth Sul6an was even considering having to deal with
her and her father when he didn’t have to. I wonder how long it would take
before his temper breaks. Patience was not one of his virtues. I smiled,
imagining him and 3alia fighting, both too proud to surrender to the other’s
argument. Hell. She would be lucky if he didn’t loose himself each time she
opened her mouth. This should be interesting.
Sul6an: “W sho ele y6’a7ek inshalla?”
I grinned.
Me: “Mashay.”
Sul6an: “Hmm ashoofk mstanis, shakly lazim athakirk
inh Asma ba3adha weya ahmad. Who’s to say your ‘leverage’ would even work?”
My grin disappeared instantly and I
pushed on the gas harder, needing the speed to match my level or urgency. It would work.
It simply had to.
Asma
The call we were all waiting for
finally came. My heart skipped a beat as Ahmad’s phone vibrated within the hold
of his wrinkled fingers. It was time. As scared as I was, I felt a strange anticipation
as I thought of finally seeing 3bdulla again, finally having him hold me in his
embrace and taking me home. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in ages, and I
missed him dearly.
Ahmad: “Alo.”
I couldn’t hear what was being said,
or who was at the other end of the phone, but I tried to put the pieces
together as much as I could.
My stomach twisted in fear as I saw
Ahmad’s expression change. No, it was still the same, yet… it was different. I
didn’t know how to explain it or how he did it, but it was unnerving. There was
a certain edge to it, a mysterious terror in the pinprick gleam of his eyes
that sent me warning daggers.
Ahmad: “Mhmm… Inzain… La2 la2, inteh tra3f shroo6y,
ma ba8bal. La walla? Mayhimny, 5alooha, malha fayda mny.”
He hung up the phone. I stepped back
automatically as he looked at me in mischievous triumph. Anger exploded in me
as I kept my gaze in place. I refused to shrink back to his daunting looks.
They were all probably just bluffs anyway. The worst thing was, he was enjoying this. It was almost as if… as
if it were all a game to him, and he had
to win.
Not a minute passed before the phone
rang again. A wide grin stretched across his face, and he waited a couple of
seconds before he answered.
Ahmad: “Sho, 3’ayarto raykm?”
I stared in horror. They couldn’t
agree to… to whatever it was he wanted. They couldn’t! They had alia to use
against him, they ha-
His smile disappeared. He gestured
to the stranger whom I heard him refer to as 7e9a, and an unspoken conversation
ran between them. She nodded and suddenly stomped towards me, her face
terrifyingly expressionless. She grabbed me by the arm and pushed me towards
the route I had been staring at all day: my only escape.
***
3bdulla:
“ASMA!!”
I spun towards the deep masculinity
of his sweet voice. I was so happy to see him I was close to tears. I started
to run to him, when a firm grasp on my arm held me in place.
Me: “Goomy 3any!”
She only stared at me, and after an
exaggerated pause and a scrutinizing gaze, she answered me coldly.
7e9a: “Not yet.”
She wasn’t looking at me anymore,
but at the once empty space that now occupied my… my brother!
Me: “SUL6AAN!!! Omg inteh ehnee!”
He gave me a tight smile, and that
was when I saw her step up: alia.
The grip on my arm loosened a little
bit, and sul6an stepped forward, dragging alia with her. Why wasn’t she
objecting to him touching her?
I spoke weakly, my insides already
turned.
Me: “Sul6an?”
When he gave me no answer, I glanced
back at 3bdulla, who held a fixed composure. This time I managed to find my
voice.
Me: “Sul6an? Sho el salfa what’s going on?”
No answer.
I was about to batter them both out
until they spilled whatever was going on when the sound of footsteps
interrupted me.
Ahmad approached and stood a
finger’s length from me. His closeness made me shiver in panic, but I held my
stance. I wouldn’t allow myself to be the object of his amusement. I scooted
closer to 7e9a. Ahmad didn’t look at me, simply stared at sul6an and his
daughter.
Ahmad: “Salim tistilim.”
I stared at Sul6an as he nodded very
seriously. Something was very wrong about this. I could sense it in my bones,
in the air between us. Alia looked as confused as me for some reason. Ahmad
nudged his head towards the door to the hallway that lead inside their strange
farmhouse, indicating for Sul6an to follow, and turned to leave. My pulse
quickened as I saw sul6an move as well. He finally looked at me as he pushed
alia gently past me. He attempted another tight smile. When was he bad at
convincing me that ‘everything was alright’? What was he about to do?
Me: “Sul6an… you don’t have to do this. Hai mb mas2ooleetik,
hai mas2ooleyat… hai mas2ooleyat baba.”
I said it in a broken voice. I suddenly felt
anger towards my father as I said the last words. It was his responsibility. Why were we here taking the blame for what he did and paying for his mistakes? Sul6an shouldn’t have to
do this. Sul6an shouldn’t even have to think
about this. Baba should have dealt with this a long time ago. But he didn’t.
And here was my brother, the person I cared about the most in this world – even
more than 3bdulla, I had to admit – surrendering himself at my expense. I
couldn’t let him do it, I couldn’t-
I spotted a familiar devilish radiance in his
eyes. For one split second, he grinned at me widely.
Sul6an: “I’m offended that you’d think I gave up.”
He gave me a wink before his face
went expressionless again and he brushed past me, walking into the dark
hallway.
I only stood still, unable to stop the ramble
of thoughts and possibilities that raced through my head, when a memorable
touch gently tiptoed up my spine. He turned me towards him and stared at me
intently, his eyes cautious and agitated, yet I could sense the desire looming
under the surface. He tenderly pushed me closer to him very slowly until I had
to look up to meet his gaze.
3bdulla:
“Inte b5air?”
It amazed me how the slightest touch
from him managed to knock me out of my breath. He was even more mesmerizing in
his disheveled state of worried serenity.
I smiled at him tiredly, the
exhaustion taking over my body now that it was over. I stood on the tips of my
toes and put my arms around him as I kissed him as passionately as I could. Oh,
how I missed the delicious taste of him… I broke the kiss and met his surprised
expression. I pretended to make a very serious face.
Me: “What took you so damn long?”
He laughed then and kissed me again,
this time me being the one taken by surprise. His hand was still supporting my
back as his other free hand lifted my chin up, and he kissed me deeper. My legs
felt weak as pleasure roared through my body. Vivid memories of our intimate
night burst into my head, but instead of blushing like I always did, I found
myself clinging on to him tighter, returning his kisses with savage desire. I
found myself moaning when his lips left mine, and he laughed huskily as he lead
me to his car with one arm draped across the length of my shoulders.
3bdulla:
“Let’s go home.”
To be continued…
