Page 23 of Deadly Betrayal

“Do not cross the Hindu Kush at night if it’snot necessary. There is a guesthouse in Jabal-os-Saraj. It’s asmall town before the road enters the mountains. I’ll arrange it.And in the morning, we can leave early—”

Kaden choked on his tea. It was a shame too.This was some good stuff. “We?” he sputtered.

Setting his phone down, Shahram crossed hisarms, eyes narrowed. “What did you think? That I would let youleave alone with my sister, an unmarried woman?”

“But she’s a widow!”

Shahram shrugged. “You are not her husband.She cannot be alone with you.”

“I have documentation that says we are manand wife.” Kaden patted his duffel. “That should be goodenough.”

“It will protect her while you are on theroad. But what happens after you return to America? She will havebeen compromised. I don’t know for sure how Agha Khalid will react,but I can imagine.” Shahram’s shudder drove home his point. “Thebest we can hope for is that he’ll throw her out.”

“The best? Why? She’s done nothing wrong.”Kaden had been sure if they managed to keep a low profile so no oneknew he’d been alone with Azita, she could go back to her life whenthis was over. He’d anticipated the need to bribe Khalid orconvince him in some other way to take her back. He’d never thoughtAzita would end up on the street.

Shahram glared. “Are you so naïve? AghaKhalid made a deal with Khan Tariq. If you succeed in rescuing thegirl and the marriage doesn’t take place, Agha Khalid will lookweak. The warlord will demand restitution, and Agha Khalid willhave to act.” His eyes grew moist as he stared into his glass oftea.

“Do you think he’ll hurt her?” Kaden askedsoftly.

“I don’t know. A few years ago, I fell inlove with a beautiful woman who was, unfortunately, promised toAgha Khalid. When our relationship was discovered, my Jamila’sfamily stoned her to death. It is only my father’s money andinfluence that saved my life. And Azita, she was given to AghaKhalid’s family as restitution for my wrongs.”

Kaden gaped. No wonder Azita was desperate tohelp Laila. She’d been traded in much the same way herself. “So ifKhalid finds out she’s been with me, he’ll what? Have her stoned todeath?”

“He is her guardian. It is within his rightsto do so.”

“Fuck.” Kaden stood and dug his fingersthrough his hair. “Well, it doesn’t matter. She just won’t go backto him.”

“I’m not sure there is anything you can do toprevent it.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when and if we getto it.” All he had to do was make sure Khalid never found out abouthim. Besides, if Kaden had his way, no one at Tariq’s camp wouldever see her. He sat back down. “Now, none of this explains why yousuddenly need to come along. Whether you are with us or not, Khalidwill be pissed if he discovers our subterfuge.”

“My being there will give him a chance tosave face, at least with regards to my sister’s honor. As for thedealings with Khan Tariq”—he raised his hands—“there is no way AghaKhalid can escape the man’s wrath if we cause him to renege on thedeal. But I can be of use on the road. If you talk, people willknow by your accent that you are American. If Azita talks,especially in the more rural areas, it will appear suspicious.”

“Won’t Khalid come looking for you here assoon as he discovers she’s gone?”

“Yes, and that’s the main reason you need me.I will tell him that Azita and I have gone to Herat to visit ourfather’s sister. If he follows, he’ll be heading in the oppositedirection.”

What the man said made some sense; still,Kaden shook his head. “It’ll look strange. Why would a ‘married’woman need to travel with her brother?”

“Many people do. Besides, we can use the sameexcuse, we are going to visit our sick aunt.”

Kaden kept his silence, mulling it over.

Shahram leaned forward. “I appreciate yourcoming all the way here to help Azita. However, I must insist onthis matter. If Agha Khalid catches Azita alone with you, I believehe will be so angry that he will kill her. The shame to him and hisfamily will be too much.”

“Fine.” Kaden would let the brother tagalong. Not because he was afraid of Khalid though. If the mantouched so much as a hair on Azita’s head, Kaden would cut himdown. No, Kaden would allow Shahram to accompany them because hewould be a good distraction, and possibly, the only thing thatcould help Kaden keep his hands off Azita. Something that couldearn him a knee to the balls if she wasn’t receptive—or a deathsentence if she was.

Apprehension tickled Azita’s spine as sheclimbed over the security fence and dropped to the ground. Afterwaiting a few moments to make sure there were no guards, she movedaway from the fence surrounding the compound where she lived.Walking quickly, she began to cross the field that would bring herto the corner where she was to meet Kaden.

A figure separated itself from a copse oftrees. She froze in place, a scream welling in her throat. If sheyelled loudly enough, perhaps Kaden would hear and come to her aid.Of course it would bring the guards too. She took a deep breath inpreparation, and the figure hissed at her. “Shh. It’s me.”

Kaden. This time she recognized the smoothbaritone of his voice immediately. He reached her in a few largesteps, and as she had the day before, she fell limp into his armsand breathed deeply before pushing against his chest, still coveredin theshalwar kameezhe’d worn to the clinic yesterday. Shescowled. “You must stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” There was not a hint ofamusement on his handsome face.

She smacked his arm. “Scaring me half todeath!”

He chuckled, the sound sending tiny shiversof awareness through her body. “I’ll try to be less quiet. The caris over there.” He pointed to a white Corolla about two hundredmeters away.