“Okay, Mommy.” Emmy’s whispered words struck her heart. Her daughter was too observant and sensitive. She’d ask herabout Fatima again later—or worse, ask someone else in the house.
She placed a palm on her daughter’s cheek and gazed into her moss-green eyes. “Don’t mention Farad or Fatima to anyone, okay? We’ll talk about it later.”
She hated asking her to keep secrets. If Cameron found out, he’d be furious she’d asked Emmy to hide things from him.
Emmy gave her a tentative smile. In the months since moving to Iraq, her daughter had turned inward. Finding out she had a sister had been shocking for both Emmy and Laine. With great difficulty, Laine had kept her face neutral, in the hopes of protecting Emmy. Inside, she’d fought a maelstrom of emotions. But her daughter was wise beyond her years and had quickly learned her father wasn’t the man they once knew—thought they knew.
After countless tears and conversations, they now knew that here, they had only each other.
She waited until she heard Emmy’s little feet pattering up the marble steps. Turning back to the window, she watched as Cameron stalked across the backyard.
He reached Fatima and struck her across the face. “Eahira!” he spat.Whore.
Nausea billowed in her stomach. Fatima was the sweetest person. Mother to Cameron’s other daughter, she’d never hurt a fly. She’d been kind and welcoming to both Emmy and Laine, but the two women hadn’t gotten close.
Several times Laine had wanted to speak to Fatima about helping them escape, but she’d been too afraid the woman would tell Cameron.
Farad pulled out a whip.
Laine brought her fingers to her lips.No, please, God.
Fatima was struck over and over. The skin of her arms split as she shielded herself from each blow. A few times, the whip caught her cheek.
There was no door that led to the backyard near Laine and Emmy’s room. The closest one was upstairs, and if she tried to get outside, she’d risk alerting the children to what was happening. Yanking the blinds wide open, she slapped her palm repeatedly against the glass.
Cameron turned to face her. A smile twisted his lips.
Oh god. He brought Fatima here for a reason. He wants me to watch ...
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Cameron,” she mouthed. “NO!”
He pulled a gun from the waistband at his back, aimed at Fatima, and fired. The woman’s mouth fell open in shock a second before the bullet entered her forehead.
Laine cried out and covered her face. Sharp gasps ravaged her throat.
Taking a piercing breath, she lowered her hands. Fatima lay on the ground, a pool of blood around her. Farad and two other men approached with a sheet.
Cameron kept his gaze on her. His brow was pinched, and his eyes were glittering balls of warning.
He’d do the same to her the first chance he got.
Chapter
Three
“Here, take a plate for Emmy,” Aisha said with a smile, standing at Cameron’s kitchen island.
A couple times a month they all got together for dinner. Tonight, Laine and Cameron were hosting. Laine accepted the dish piled high with vegetables, sauces, and rice. Emmy loved Iraqi dishes but would never finish that much. “Thank you.”
She delivered the plate to the table then returned to Aisha’s side. The children were off playing, Emmy with her sister and Aisha’s children. Aisha and her husband, Saif, were kind, and good friends with Cameron. They’d been wonderful to Emmy and her.
Aisha came from a wealthy family. She’d gone to school abroad, and after teaching for several years in Vietnam, she’d returned to Iraq with her husband.
“Thank you for coming,” Laine said. “I know you and Fatima were close.” It’d been two days since she witnessed Fatima’s murder. Everyone pretended her death was some kind of tragic accident and not an assassination.
Aisha’s smile wavered. “Yes, she was a lovely woman. We’re very sorry to hear of her passing.”
“Zahra hasn’t been the same.” Laine’s gaze drifted around the kitchen and living room. The men were tucked in Cameron’s office.
