Page 68 of Deadly Betrayal

“Get her back.” There was no hesitation. Hemeant it with every cell in his body.

Jake dropped to the floor facing them, hislegs folded under him. “Why?”

Kaden blinked. “Why what?”

“You need to be sure of your reasons, becauseyou’re the one who’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

Kaden looked away. His friend was right. IfKaden took Azita away from Khalid, she’d end up cast out, living onthe streets, or dead in a pile of trash. At least if she and Khalidgot hitched, she’d have a home and a husband who cared for her—asmuch as a man like Khalid could care for anyone. Someday, she’dhave children, a family of her own. And Kaden would be nothing morethan a distant memory. He bowed his head, resting it on hisforearms over his knees. “You’re right. She’s better off withhim.”

“Unless…” Nic’s voice trailed off.

Kaden’s head popped up. “Unless what?”

Nic stared, his gaze seeming to penetrate thebox in his mind where Kaden locked away his secrets, his hopes, andhis dreams. Dreams that for two years had included Azita. He shookhis head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Jake frowned. “I’m missing somethinghere.”

“I’m a washed-up vet.” Kaden banged his fistson his knees. “I’ve got nothing to offer her. Hell, I almoststrangled her last night when I had a nightmare.”

Nic shrugged. “I didn’t see her runningaway.” When Kaden remained mute, Nic plowed ahead. “You’ve got agood job, you have a home, and you live in a great country. With ayear or so of study, she could get her medical license in Canadaand start practicing. There are thousands of women in the Montréalarea who’d love to have a Muslim female doctor.”

Jake’s eyes bugged out. “Whoa! Are yousuggesting he bring her to Canada?”

Nic nodded.

“But that means he’d have to—”

“Marry her,” they all said in unison. Astunned silence hung between them as they stared at each other.

Something inside Kaden’s chest unlocked,letting through a ray of light, of hope. The torch he’d beencarrying for her since she’d saved him roared to life, fueled by somuch more than gratitude. Did he love her? Fuck yeah. He’d beenfalling in love with her since the day he got shot. Hell, he’d comeall the way to fucking Afghanistan, the armpit of the Middle East,on the basis of one help-me phone call from her brother. He couldadmit it now: rescuing Laila had been an excuse. Even his plan toinvestigate the ambush hadn’t been the real reason he’d come back.He could have done that any time in the past two years, right?

He did want to get Laila away from the oldpervert she was engaged to, and he would. And he did want to solvethe mystery of the ambush. But the real reason he’d come here hadbeen for the chance to see Azita again. To find out if his dreamsof her had been delusions, or glimpses of the future. Theirfuture.

He wanted her, and even his desire forrevenge, to discover who’d set up the ambush, paled in comparison.Decision made, he grinned at his friends. “I’ll do it.”

Nic slapped him on the back. “Congrats!”

Jake snorted. “Again, I say, ‘Whoa!’ You’reassuming she’ll accept.”

Kaden dropped back against the wall. Jake wasright. There was no guarantee Azita would want their solution toher problems. Maybe she’d refuse to leave Afghanistan and her workto help improve medical care for women and children.

Maybe she wouldn’t want him. Maybe she’dchoose Khalid.

“Yeah, yeah. He has to ask her,” Nic said.“But what woman wouldn’t jump at the chance to get out ofbum-fuck-istan?”

And didn’t that make Kaden feel like a tool?Here he’d been feeling allromanticabout marrying Azitawhen all he’d really be was a ticket out of here. Nic had it rightthough. This wasn’t only about love. It was about saving a woman’slife.

Having reached a decision, Kaden jumped tohis feet in one smooth movement and easily stepped over Jake.

“Hey!” the guy bitched.

Kaden ignored him as a plan continued to formin his head. “Asking her is one thing. I can take care of that.”He’d catch up to Khalid in no time. After all, he knew exactlywhere the man was headed. But there was a bigger problem. One hedidn’t have a good answer for. “How do I get her out of thecountry?”

“And how do you get herintoCanada?”Jake added. “That’s really the issue, since we could sneak her outif we had to.” Jake cracked his knuckles and grinned. He’d probablylove the chance to dive into a covert operation.

Nic made a face. “Christ, I hate it when youcrack your knuckles.”