Page 78 of Warlord’s Empire

She nodded, unable to speak for fear her tears would break free. After she got herself under control, she said, “I understand and I’ll do what I can to make it easier for you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his chest, breathing him in. “It’s not forever, right? Therapy will help us sort this out.”

She was grateful when he returned her embrace, holding her tightly. She could bear almost anything as long as they were a team.

She tried smiling brightly as she leaned back to look at him. “I think we skipped supper with our extended afternoon nap. Should we grab something before locking you away for the night?”

“I should…” he started to say, but something in her face must’ve told him how much she needed him near, even if for a short while. “Of course we should have a meal together. Let’s get dressed and see if Nonna left something for us.”

Saskia reached for her jean shorts, relieved he was beginning to sound like his normal self. She needed a bit of normalcy in all this madness.

They went down to the kitchen together. It was 10 PM and the house was quiet. Saskia dug through the fridge coming up with a goat stew. “I knew Nonna wouldn’t forget us.”

Radik was quiet while she heated up bowls of the stew in the microwave. As the spicy smell of peppers and goat meat filled the kitchen, she glanced at him furtively. His expression was unreadable, his arms crossed over his chest. Despite his stony exterior, she could sense the riot of emotions on the inside.

She set each steaming bowl on the table and he silently slipped into a chair, staring blankly down at the stew.

Saskia blew on hers before tasting it. “Oh my god, this is so good,” she moaned. “Have some.”

Her order seemed to penetrate his haze and he picked up his spoon, dipped it into the stew and took a bite. There was a spark of appreciation in his gaze before it went blank again. “Yes, it’s good.”

They ate in silence, Saskia doing her best to ignore the awkwardness stretching between them. She hated it, wanted to escape from it, but at the same time was also determined to be as normal as possible. She needed to show him his attack would have no lasting damage… even if that wasn’t actually true.

She was shaken and she knew when she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, she would dream of his hands wrapped around her neck, squeezing the breath from her. By the time they sorted out his PTSD, she was going to need a good therapist too.

He broke the silence first. “I’ll make sure Shola stays near you tonight, in case you need anything.”

She almost told him not to do that but realized she would feel better having someone nearby.

“It’s crazy to me that she knows I’m in trouble and can react so quickly,” Saskia murmured. She knew there was surveillance but seeing it in action was wild.

“There are cameras and sensors in every part of the house. The software is designed to know when an attack is happening and to alert security.”

“That’s sounds like some sophisticated technology.” She doubted Guard Dog Securities had the equivalent.

He nodded, his expression serious. “I choose my contracts carefully, doing favours for the kind of people who can help me in return.”

“You got to know a software engineer who works in the field of security?”

“Not just one engineer, but an entire company of them. We have some of the best software technology on the planet here in Marifiya.” He wasn’t bragging, but it was an impressive statement. “None of it means anything though if the threat to you is coming from inside the house.”

She covered his hand with hers. “You can’t beat yourself over this.”

“Your voice is hoarse,” he said bleakly, pulling his hand away, as though accepting comfort from her somehow hurt him. He stood, leaving the majority of his stew untouched. “I’m going to bed now. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She watched him go, tears welling in her eyes. “Muhammed…” Her voice cracked.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Saskia thought long and hard before calling her sister.

On the one hand, Leeza was protective of her little sister and extremely deadly. If she found out what Radik did, she was going to lose her mind and try to fly straight to Marifiya where she would then attempt to kill him. On the other hand, Leeza was occasionally reasonable, so maybe not…

She probably shouldn’t call, but the only person she wanted sharing in her misery was Leeza, regardless of Leeza’s questionable temper.

She chose video format, even though it would be harder to explain away the bags under her eyes, hair in a messy bun with strands flying around her face, and general air of depression. She chose a shirt with a high collar and added a scarf to cover the bruises on her neck. It wasn’t her usual style, but Leeza probably wouldn’t notice, at least not right away. Sitting down at her desk, she opened her laptop and hit her sister’s contact information. She needed to see her sister, to look at her face and find the familiar safety that Leeza provided in times of need.

“Hey!” Leeza said brightly when she answered the video call. She was walking somewhere so Saskia’s view was a jiggling one of her sister’s face and the sky above her. “I wasn’t expecting a call until the weekend. How are you doing?”

“I’m… I miss you,” Saskia replied lamely.