“If I find out you’re up to something, I’ll have you stoned.” His spit sprayed her ear, sending chills up and down her arms.
“Saif’s waiting for you,” Aisha said, gliding down the hallway, her smile unwavering despite the scene in front of her.
Cameron let go of her arm, and his brown eyes sent one last blast of loathing at her before he brushed past Aisha toward Saif’s office. Aisha gathered her into a hug. The gesture was meant to be a greeting, but Laine fell into her embrace and clung to the kind woman’s shoulders. “Thank you,” she murmured, too afraid to utter more.
“The phone’s in the upstairs washroom behind the toilet. I’ll turn off the water in the one on the main floor and tell Cameron you had to go upstairs if he asks.”
Laine pulled away, unable to stop the tears misting her eyes. “If anything happens, I won’t tell him you helped me.”
“Saif is the one who got the phone,” she said with a wink.
Fresh emotion hit Laine as she thanked Aisha again and then made her way upstairs. She dragged her hand along the marble railing, her heartbeat pulsating in her throat. Reaching the second floor, she slipped into the bathroom and clicked the lock in place.
The large, ornate washroom boasted a double vanity, a claw-foot tub, a glassed-in shower, and a toilet, which was tucked behind a pocket door. She crossed the heated tile floor, moved inside the room with the toilet, and once again locked the door. With so much space and two doors separating her from anyone in the hallway, it was unlikely anyone would hear her if they came upstairs.
She got to her knees and reached behind the toilet. Her fingers closed around the smooth glass screen. Sitting on thefloor against the wall, she crossed her legs and powered up the device. A sense of urgency rushed through her.
Yesterday, she’d been so sure he’d come if she called. What if he didn’t? Couldn’t? Who knew where he was right now. The last time they’d spoken, he’d told her he was doing some kind of freelance work. He’d said he would tell her more when they met for coffee in London. She’d been pregnant with Emmy at the time.
She’d blown him off. A wave of regret crashed against her, making her sinuses ache with guilt. Cameron had forbidden her from seeing him. That should have been a red flag. She’d invited him to join Roarke and her, but he’d refused. She’d been too afraid to upset Cameron and had assumed he was under so much stress and was so eager for the baby to come that he wasn’t thinking clearly.
God, she’d been wrong.
Clearing her throat, she dialed the number she’d committed to memory years ago. The line rang in her ear, and a surge of fear hit her. What if he’d changed his number? What if he didn’t answer? What if he didn’t check his voicemail in time?
“Hello?” The thick, rustic sound of Roarke’s voice made a sob catch in her throat.
“Who is this?” he demanded, before she could respond.
“It’s me,” she squeaked. “Laine,” she said quickly, terrified he’d think it was a prank and hang up. “It’s Laine.”
“Laine?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, almost choking. “I’m so sorry about all of it. Ollie. London. I?—”
“Hang on. Take a breath and tell me what’s wrong.”
She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and inhaled. She had to pull herself together, tell him the necessary details as fast as she could and get back downstairs without signs she’d been crying.
For Emmy.
“I’m in Iraq with Cameron and my daughter Emmy. H-He brought us here six months ago, and he won’t let us leave. He’d said it would just be a two-week visit.”
“Jesus,” he grumbled.
Words fell out of her mouth. She told him she was unable to get to the embassy safely and that he’d killed Fatima and planned to marry her on Monday.
“I’m going to get you out of there, all right? I promise you.”
Tears soaked her cheeks. “He’s dangerous. We live in the countryside. He has bodyguards and staff. He keeps us in the basement, our window faces the backyard and there’s a door up a flight of stairs that leads to the side of the house.” Information rushed from her lips, desperate to tell him every detail that might help. “There’s another child there, too. Cameron’s other daughter.” The last thing she wanted was for anyone innocent to get hurt.
“Give me his name and your address.”
She obliged. “Roarke, I don’t want you to get hurt. If it weren’t for Emmy, I wouldn’t even ask ...”
“Lainie, listen. You don’t need to worry about me. I don’t know what day I’ll make it there. It could be as soon as tomorrow, it could be the day after. I’ll have part of my team with me, but getting you out without a passport will be the biggest challenge.”
She compressed her lips, holding back the sobs that wouldn’t be helpful. “I know it’s a lot. It might even be impossible. Just— Just get Emmy out.” The words came out broken and weak.
