I pull away from Nomar, rushing so I do not lose my nerve. My shoulders shake with silent sobs. “I love you,” Nomar whispers over comms. “We’re coming for—”
The little device in my ear dies, and my heart shatters into dust.
Four men fall into step around me. They herd me under the brightly colored umbrellas lining one side of the market. “I need to go to the spice stall!” I protest. But one of them grips my arm so hard, my knees buckle.
“You go where we tell you,kuchnay.”
Whore.
They drag me deeper into the stalls. Under the metal roof. Behind tables stacked high with burkas and tunics. A curtain falls, hiding us from view.
“Check her,” one of them says. The man gripping my bicep shoves me against the wall, face first. Rough hands run up and down my arms, my back, and between my legs. He spins me around to squeeze my breasts.
I sway, the room starting to spin.
Raziq is the one who will kill me. Not these men.
The one giving the orders unzips a black pouch and withdraws a syringe.
Fear paralyzes me. My lungs refuse to draw in air. I can only watch as they push my sleeve up. The needle stings as it pierces my skin.
“What did you give me?” My heart races. I cannot feel my fingers. Their smiles terrify me. “Whaaa….ivvve…eeee?”
I slide down the wall, and as I hit the floor, I realize I never told Nomar I loved him.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Nomar
“I can’t see Lisette.Pritchard, tell me you still have eyes on her.” Turning in a circle, I clock at least five men watching me.
“They took her inside. I’m blind here. But Amelie and Philippe are headed your way. Zephyr?”
“Her GPS has been stationary for the past two minutes.” The hacker’s voice in my ear brings little comfort. Why would they hide her away if not to hurt her?
Griff swears under his breath. “Two hostiles coming in fast.”
“Four,” Austin says. “Leo, get in there.”
“No.” After a grunt, Griff adds, “He hasn’t made you or Leo yet. Keep it that way. I got this.”
I clench my hand hard enough my knuckles crack. “If you’re wrong…”
“Not…wrong.”
He’s too far away. The crowd presses in on me. People everywhere. A fist slams into my side. I pivot and drive the heel of my hand up into a bearded chin. The man’s head snaps back. Before he can recover, I sweep his legs out from under him.
“Help us!” a woman screams. Amelie. She’s close. A low whistle stirs the air, so close to my cheek, I feel the heat a second later. The guy on the ground jerks, and a knife falls from his hand.
Fuck. The blade was only inches from my femoral artery.
“You’re welcome,” Pritchard says over comms.
Amelie stumbles, practically collapsing into my arms. “We have to get out of here,” I snap. “Follow me.”
“The belt…he said he would set it off!”
“GPS is on the move,” Zephyr says.
