Page 33 of Zain

“What the hell was all that about?” she whispered.

“Fuck if I know, but I don’t like it.”

She buckled her seatbelt, and Zain did the same. She hated being in the dark. There was more going on, she was sure of it now, but there wasn’t a single thing either of them could do about it. Like it or not, they were walking through a minefield of enemies and distrust.

“Do you think we’re even going to the airport?” she whispered.

His gaze slid toward her. “I think we need to be really careful,” he said, and his tone indicated he was referring to both the mounting danger and the need to watch what she said.

She closed her eyes, wishing she could wipe away the doubt expanding in her chest. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed her phone and then powered it up. She’d left the device and passport in her backpack with Ali’s driver before attending the protest two nights ago. Luckily, otherwise she wouldn’t have one right now. But with all that’d happened, she’d forgotten to charge it last night.The battery was at 17 percent.

She opened the Backcountry Protection group chat, which included Rami, August, Brick, Taschen, and her. Toth, Rami’s best friend and part owner of the company, was also in the group, as was Ghost, an enigmatic contract employee she’d met only once.

The chat group was typically quiet. Only the odd meeting reminder or event was posted. Right now, it was her best shot at getting out a distress signal.

Zain and I are in danger. We’re en route to an airport, but lots of red flags. Not sure if we’ll make it to the flight. If anything happens to us, you need to look at Ali.

The message wasn’t much. Hell, she might as well be sending a cry for help from a deserted island because the capable men on the receiving end were thousands of miles away. Dana, Zain, and possibly Brick would be dead long before Backcountry could do anything about it.

But if they happened to escape, at least help would be on the way. Or her brother would know where to find her murderer.

She placed her phone back in her bag after making sure the location was on. Cool air pumped from the vents in the vehicle, circulating the trapped tension. Agitation fermented in her gut. She had no way of knowing if they were headed in the right direction, as she didn’t know what airport they were going to.

She almost wished Zain would lower the divider so she could see out the front windshield. Having no view of where they were going only worsened her anxiety. He sat rigid next to her. His thick, jean-clad thigh touched hers.

He’d opted to sit in the middle, and his closeness made some of her fear abate. He was so large he seemed to eat up more of the oxygen in the vehicle.

Not that she minded. She’d breathe in his carbon dioxide all day. God, she had it bad.

At least he’d gotten his weapons back. Ali’s guards had handed them over before they left the house. She’d watched Zain stuff a pistol in the waistband of his pants and swing a rifle over his shoulder. Also not something she minded.

Turns out there were a lot of things about this mammoth of a man that she didn’t mind.

The vehicle started to slow. Not a lot, but enough that Dana anticipated a stop. Only the stop didn’t come.

Apparently Zain sensed it too. He hit the button for the divider and the window powered down. Ali’s SUV was well ahead of them. “Why are we so far behind?” he demanded.

“Just giving room, sir.”

Zain’s gaze shifted from the windshield to his window then Dana’s.

“What’s wrong?” she breathed. The question was moot. The energy in the vehicle was ascharged as a battery pack. A wave of foreboding chilled her skin. She reached for Zain’s wrist, but his arm was already belted across her.

“Something’s up.”

Her heart hammered in her chest and perspiration dotted her top lip. She circled her arms around Zain’s protective one, expecting a bullet to enter her head any minute.

A vise squeezed her lungs, making every breath an effort.

Zain jolted next to her. “Look out!”

Her heart lurched into her throat, and she shot her gaze to the windshield. Some kind of weapon was hurtling toward their SUV. A trail of smoke spiraled in its wake. Zain’s body crushed against hers, his heavy weight shielding her.

Bang!

The explosion burst against her eardrums. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound didn’t reach her ears. Her body was weightless as the vehicle lifted into the air. The screeching in her head intensified.

A thundering crash shook her body. The sound of glass and metal crunching was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

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