Page 7 of Zain

Zain’s senses fired.

Fuck.

***

Dana’s eyes burnedfrom lack of moisture. Shesniffed back the stinging pain in her sinuses as she pillaged the walls of her chamber with her gaze. Like a reel on repeat, she produced the same results: no escape.

The high ceilings came to a peak overhead and water droplets fell from the roof to splatter her head and the puddles at her feet. There was no window. No hole. No tools she could use to dig. Except her shackles. She turned her wrists over, and the chain leashing her to the wall rattled. The thin band of metal was secured with a lock.

She could drag the metal against the wall, but she’d probably tear off her skin and get nowhere. She swallowed and glanced at the man sitting across the cell from her. He didn’t move or speak. Just stared into nothingness as if he were comatose. She was envious, wishing she could escape to whatever alternate reality his mind had conjured.

A chill shook her shoulders, and she rested her cheek on her knees. A bucket sat a few feet away, and judging by the pungent fecal smell, it hadn’t been emptied after the last person who’d been chained in her very spot had been taken away.

Brick. Taschen. Somebody, please get me out of here.

She’d never been one to wallow in despair, but nothing short of an alien spacecraft zooming in and abducting her would get her out of this place. Even if she could find something to use as a weapon against one of the guards, she’d nevermake the long trek through the bowels of hell without getting caught.

Please, God. Just let my death be quick.

That was her only hope right now.

The tinkling sound of a key in a metal lock made her snap up her head. The chill in her bones spread to her fingers and toes. Her heart thumped against her eardrums, making her brain work harder to assess the threat. Maybe it was Zain...

Creak

The door swung open and Rakesh entered.

Dana’s stomach revolted. Thank god he couldn’t see her expression through her burka. But her spine molded itself to the stone wall at her back.

Rakesh didn’t smile, but his thin lips twitched, making his long beard move. He closed the door behind him and stopped in front of her.

Self-preservation kept her gaze on his shoes. He stood still, his energy radiating toward her like a nuclear bomb. Only the gentledrip,drip,dripfrom the ceiling echoed through the room.

“Take off your burka.” His broken English shattered the silence.

Dana closed her eyes.

“Now,” he commanded.

She brought her hands to the material on her head and pulled it off. Her long, dark strands got tangled in the black cloth. She shook them free and glanced up at him.

His lip curled, and he brought his hand down.

Smack!

Dana cried out and hit the ground. Her cheekbone screamed, as the tender flesh immediately started to swell. She blinked away the shock stealing her breath.

“Do not look at me, whore,” he said viciously.

Dana bit back the retort she wanted to hurl at the woman-beating bastard. A high-pitched wail sounded throughout the space. Dana shot her gaze to her cellmate. His knees were curled to his chest, his hands around his ears. He rocked back and forth, eyes closed, piercing sounds coming from his lips.

Rakesh yelled something and the man stopped blabbering. Dana swallowed and slowly pushed herself back to a seated position.

What the hell do you want from me?

The question burned a hole through her tongue, but she didn’t raise her gaze from the ground. Rakesh dropped into a squatted position, forcing her to focus on his body. Instinct made her want to look at his face. To read his expression. Search for his intention.

But she couldn’t.

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