Page 49 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
For the first time in a week, a small flare of hope breaks through my despair and sorrow. If I can get out of here and make it back to Cade’s camp… Surely someone must be looking for them.
As soon as Aadil unlocks my wrists, I have to stifle a scream of pain that rushes through my arms. Rolling over, my body aches in protest but I don’t stop, adrenaline and hope fueling me with strength to push through the pain.
I take Aadil’s hand and look down at him. “You have to come with me, okay? We are both going to leave here.”
“But what about the soldiers?”
Terror slices through me, thinking about Cade, but I also have to think of Aadil and I know Cade would want me to get him out too. “We will run and get them help immediately. I have an idea where to go, but you cannot stay here, Aadil. Your father and his men will hurt you and then you will not be able to help anyone.”
I feel bad causing the bout of fear to flash in his eyes, but I need to be truthful right now. He nods in agreement. “We will go through the kitchen and sneak out through the garden doors. My father and his men are in his study on the other side of the house, but they were coming for you soon, so we need to hurry.”
Opening the door quietly, he peeks his head out then tugs my hand and pulls me quickly down the massive hallway of the mansion I’ve been kept in for the last week. My heart pounds so loud with fear and adrenaline it’s all I can hear.
Just as we turn the corner, a maid walks out of one of the rooms and sees us. We both freeze and panic seizes my chest. Her eyes widen in alarm before looking at Aadil. She scolds him in Arabic and I have no idea what they are saying, but Aadil’s tone is pleading and desperate. The woman looks at me and sympathy flashes in her eyes before she shakes her head and turns away.
Aadil looks back at me, “It’s okay. She won’t tell.”
I let out a sigh of relief and follow quickly behind him, knowing we need to move a lot faster. After a long minute of weaving in and out of hallways, I’m just about to ask him how much further when a sharp pain slices through my scalp as I’m suddenly yanked back by my hair.
“Faith, no!” Aadil runs up to the guard behind me, and starts kicking and punching him. “Let her go!”
The guard starts shouting for help then punches Aadil so hard the blow sends him into the wall. A strong bout of anger replaces my panic. Managing to slip just enough in his grip, I sink my teeth into his forearm, that’s locked around my throat, and bite down hard enough that his blood fills my mouth. He howls out in pain, and as soon as his grip loosens I turn around and knee him between the legs.
The sound of a loud, piercing alarm going off has my panic coming back full force. Wasting no time, I grab Aadil and haul him up. He gains his footing quickly and we start running as fast as we can. I lift my long nightgown with my free hand so I can take quicker strides. Fear and desperation fueling our speed, but no matter how hard we try, we aren’t fast enough.
Just as we enter one of the wide, open rooms, Aadil’s hand gets ripped from mine as we’re both grabbed. “Faith!” he screams in fear, his hand reaching out for mine as he fights against one of his father’s men.
I struggle against the arms that hold me captive with every ounce of strength I possess. Spinning me around, the man backhands me across my already battered face and knocks me to the ground. Pain radiates through my head and black spots dance in my vision.
“What the fuck is going on?” At the sound of Aadil’s father’s furious voice, I struggle to my hands and knees and look up to see Aadil’s eyes wide with fear. His father’s expression is twisted with fury and betrayal. “You little bastard. You betray your own father for this whore?”
He rips Aadil out of the other man’s arms with lightning speed and grips him by the front of his shirt so his feet dangle off the floor. Fear no longer shines in the boy’s eyes, only determination and strength. “I won’t let you hurt her no more.”
My heart warms at his courageous words, but horror soon replaces it when his father slaps him hard enough that it sends the young boy to the floor. I get to my feet quickly just as Aadil’s mother comes running into the room, screaming. “Allah, no. Stop!”
An absolute heart-stopping terror grips me when I see his father raise his gun at him. “NOOOO!”
Everything happens in slow motion. I race toward his outstretched arm, but I’m nowhere near fast enough. Agony strikes my soul at the sound of the gun going off. The pain is so sharp it brings me to my knees as an agonized scream of despair rips from my chest, until my throat becomes raw from it.
“AHHHHHHH!” Waking from the sound of my scream, I shoot up and look around the bedroom. With my face soaked from tears, I clutch at my chest to try to ease the agony shredding my heart, while attempting to breathe through the painful sobs that wrack my body.
Not having the strength to stay upright, I drop back down, curl into a ball and sob into my pillow. Guilt and desolation rip through the air, shattering my soul all over again.
“I’m so sorry. So, so, sorry, Aadil.” But no matter how many times I chant this, I know nothing will ever ease the guilt that an innocent boy lost his life while trying to save mine.
CHAPTER 15
Cade
I pull up to the swanky piano bar and park in the last available stall behind the building then glance around at the busy parking lot. Dropping my head back, I release a heavy breath. What the fuck am I doing? I shouldn’t be here.
