Page 192 of Nemesync
Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision, and as soon as Elijah met my gaze, his eyes turned to ice. His hand left my back and the ghost of warmth he brought seemed so far away.
“You have no idea, Elias,” Elijah’s tone was low and serious. “If you dare to breathe the same air as her, I’m going to open your damn chest and burn you from the inside.”
“She’s my daughter, if I want to do something, I’ll fucking do it,” my father replied, taking a step forward. “Habibti, come back home. Our family misses you.”
LIAR!
LIAR! FUCKING LIAR!
My head hurts. I know he just wants to use me again; he doesn’t miss me. No one does.
But for the first time in my life, I saw fear flicker in his eyes when Eli closed the distance between them.
“You see,” Elijah continued, his tone calm, “I’ve been to places and done things that would make the devil himself flinch for less than that, Elias. But, if I catch even a hint that you’ve laid a finger on her, your existence will become a living, breathing nightmare. I made you a promise.”
My father threatened back, “You’re threatening the Lebanese Emir, are you sure about that?”
Elijah chuckled, looking down at him, “Oh, I’m very sure.”
Nikolai spoke for the first time, “Consider yourself at war with the Zennites, Elias.”
My father looked like he was on the verge of exploding with frustration and fear, muttering incomprehensible words in a futile attempt to save face.
“One day, you’ll come back and help your family, just as a good daughter should.”
Never.
I was not his daughter. I was his weapon. His own instrument of chaos. But never his daughter
Breathe Z, breathe.
Elijah didn’t look back at us, his eyes locked with my father’s. “Disappear from her life and be grateful to her that you leave with your limbs intact.”
With a final dark look, Elijah turned away, gesturing for Nikolai and me to follow him. I barely felt Niko’s grip on my arm until he released it and guided me with a gentle hand on my back.
We left my father standing there alone, furious, frustrated, silent. It struck me then; how similar I had felt like this all my life.
Humiliated, frustrated and angry.
Elijah’s features softened facing me. He tenderly cupped my face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. “Are you okay,Milaya?”
I nodded, leaned into his touch and hugged him.
I hugged the man who was ready to do anything for me. I hugged the only home I found when I thought I could never escape my own head.Him. Elijah was my home.
“This is madness. Eli one minute ago you threatened to cut open Elias’s abdomen and now you’re casually hugging Zanae.”
Elijah shot him a cold look, but when he heard my little chuckle, his lips curved into a soft smile. “You’re fucking impossible, Niko.” he muttered.
“I never thought I could feel more drained than I did on that ring today. But leave it to my father to add a whole new level of exhaustion to my life.”
“Let’s get out of here.” Eli’s voice feels strained and consumed by anger.
I could feel his protective arm around me as we went to the car. During the ride, I was zoning out again, thinking about the mission, about my father, about everything.
The perks of being an over-thinker...
The memory of my father’s words is haunting.
