“Ready him. Now. You have one minute,” Zaman snaps. He shifts his hold to the back of my neck. Swallowing hurts, but I can breathe again.
Joey turns to my son and starts removing his IV. “You have to be very quiet now, Mateen. We’re going for a ride. Do you understand?”
He stares up at me, confusion in his brown eyes. “I want to stay here. Mama, you said—”
“I know, baby. Hush now and listen to Dr. Joey. Everything will be okay.”
I can only watch as Joey turns the various machines off one by one. She gathers Mateen in her arms and carries him to a wheelchair in the corner of the room. “Someone will notice his heart rate monitor isn’t working soon. We have to leave now.”
The gun presses to my side. “Anyone you ask for help will die,” Zaman warns and wraps his big fingers around my upper arm.
“I get it, asshole,” Joey mutters.
I cannot speak at all. Fear keeps me silent.
The hall is mostly empty. Where is the security guard who is supposed to be outside our door? Did Zaman kill him too?
Before we reach the elevator, a nurse rushes up to us. “Where are you taking him?”
Oh, God. Can she see the gun? Zaman could kill her right here and it would be all my fault.
Joey clears her throat and gestures to Zaman. “The doctor wants him to have an MRI. We’re going to radiology. Mateen didn’t want to be alone.”
How can she be so calm? My entire body is shaking.
“But Dr. Joey—” Mateen says.
“Remember what I said about these tests?” She crouches down so she’s eye level with my son.
I wish I could comfort him, but I am too frightened to move. Yet with a few words, she does what I cannot.
“They won’t hurt at all.” Peering up at the nurse, Joey shrugs. “It has to be so hard on them to have all these procedures one after another.”
“It is.” The nurse pats Mateen’s shoulder. “When you’re done, I’ll bring you some sugar-free Jell-O. Okay?”
Mateen looks up at me, as if he doesn’t know what he’s allowed to say.
“That’ll be great,” Joey replies. “Thank you.”
Less than a minute later, the elevator doors slide shut, sealing us inside. Zaman orders me to press the button for the basement. My stomach drops as we start to descend.
Will I ever taste freedom again?
CHAPTER SIX
Nomar
“I should go checkon Joey. I stepped in it this morning. Big time.” Ford rubs his hand over his hair. “I don’t deserve her, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy.”
Ford has been broken for as long as I’ve known him. Until today. He’s found a piece of himself that’s been missing since he lost Joey all those years ago.
“I’m happy for you, man.” My ass is falling asleep, but I sit up and offer him my hand. Pain slices through my side. “Fuck, that hurts.”
“Next time, don’t get shot, dumbass.” He grins like a damn fool and pushes to his feet. “Rest up. I’ll see you at the end of the week.”
“Ford? Do me a favor, will you?”
“Anything.” His expression sobers, and he shoves his hands into his pockets. “Anytime. For the rest of my life.”
