“And you are the best friend I’ve ever had,” Zia says with a soft smile.
“Don’t say it like it’s goodbye,” Yuki responds.
“Then I’ll see you for breakfast,” Zia says instead, “when this is all done and over. We have our jobs to do. Yours is to keep our people safe, and mine is to keep us all safe, and I’ll do that. Besides, I’m not alone.” He looks at me.
“I’ll protect him,” I tell Yuki as I take Zia’s hand again.
Yuki looks us over before sighing. “Breakfast,” he orders, pointing at us. “I mean it.”
“See you then.” Zia nods and tugs me out after him. We walk back to my bike, and this time he drives. I wrap my arms around him, holding on tightly as we zoom through the city. Wherever we are going, it’s clear he doesn’t want this. He was hoping he could avoid it. Maybe that’s why he’s been so torn recently.
I saw the pain in his eyes.
The drive doesn’t take too long. We speed past the skyscrapers and closer to where Zia and his father live, on the rich side of the city. The apartments turn into sprawling mansions similar to castles, and at one of the driveways is an open gate he zooms through. He doesn’t stop until we are under a covered entrance. Taking off my helmet, I offer him my hand to get off, which he gratefully accepts.
Taking a deep breath, he stares up at the door as he pulls out his phone. His face pales when he reads something just as the door opens.
Two guards are framed there, clearly carrying, and I stiffen at their presence while Zia pockets his cell, tilting his chin up. He tugs me to his side as he stalks toward them. “Mr. Xander, I’m afraid Mr. and Mrs. Bardin are not available,” one of the guards informs us.
“Yes, they are now,” he orders as he barges past them, and they have no choice but to move.
We hear laughter as soon as we step inside a huge foyer covered in gilded paintings. Seeming to know where to go, Zia steers us to the right and down a corridor to an open door, where he steps inside of a dining room, only to freeze.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” Zia asks, his eyes wide with concern.
“Oh, Toma called me over for dinner.” He smiles brightly, but when he looks at Zia’s face, it fades. “What’s wrong, son?”
Zia looks at the couple next to his father, and his face goes cold. “Guards, take Father home.”
“What’s going on?” His dad thrusts to his feet, looking between the couple and Zia, putting the pieces together. I have no idea who these people are, but it’s clear Zia does. Worst of all, they seem familiar andfriendly. If this is who is behind the attacks on him, no wonder he was hurt.
“There have been attacks on me and the company. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Father, but I didn’t want you to worry. I finally found out who was behind it all.” Zia looks at them. “It seems so has your son. Faiz will be here soon. I didn’t tell him, but he isn’t stupid. Why?” He sounds so sad as he utters that word, and I stare at the couple once again. These are Faiz’s parents? Why would they hurt Zia? “Why did you try to kill me? Why have you tried to ruin my business?”
His father’s expression becomes blank as he turns to the couple. “You tried to kill my son?” His voice is deadly quiet.
“Nikko, please take my father,” Zia implores.
Nodding, I release his hand and walk over to his father. He snarls at me but lets me pull him away so we are behind Zia, who stares them down.
“I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out. I was hoping we would end it first,” Mrs. Bardin remarks as she dabs her mouth with a napkin and leans back, a wine glass in hand. “Let my son come. He should hear this too. After all, this is all his fault.”
“What is?” a voice snaps behind us, and I turn to see Faiz. He spares us a dark look as he stops at Zia’s side, making his loyalty clear. It hurts to see them standing united while I’m on the sidelines, but I understand. “Tell me it isn’t true. Tell me it wasn’t you. I checked the attacker’s history . . . Tell me it didn’t lead to you.”
I look at Zia, shocked, but he appears empty and cold.
“They can’t,” Zia says. “I want to know why. I deserve to know.”
They laugh, and the sound causes the hair on my neck to stand on end as I tug his father farther back. They were going to use him against Zia, and I won’t let that happen.
I don’t care who they are. Nobody hurts my family.
FIFTY
Iknew the moment Faiz found out tonight. It was why Yuki warned me on that call and why he was so panicked, but I didn’t expect my father to be here. I should have. Faiz’s mother and father are smart. They knew I would eventually find out, so they were probably going to use him as a shield.
Trying to kill me and destroy my business? I can forget that, but gunning for my boyfriend and father? I can’t.
“You think you deserve to know why?” his mother sneers. I used to call her beautiful. Although we were never best friends, I thought we were close. We had a meal here every week, and they welcomed me into their family, so what changed?
