Page 79 of Deadly Betrayal

“Why’d you do it?”

“To help my sister.” Shahram fired back. Hetwisted again, and this time Kaden let him go. Slowly,deliberately, her brother smoothed the wrinkles out of his jacket.When he was done, he turned in his seat and took her hands in his.“I haven’t been a good brother to you, Azitajan. I knowthat now. I understand how being forced to marry Agha Faroukh hurtyou. You won’t have to marry Agha Khalid, not unless you wantto.”

She stared at him, her eyes filling withtears. His own glistened back at her in the light from thedashboard. At last, he’d acknowledged what had happened to her,what was happening again.

He gently squeezed her hands. “Do you wantto? Because if you do, we’ll find a way to get Agha Khalid to takeyou back after we find Laila.”

Azita’s smile trembled as she shook her head.“I could never marry a man who sees so little value in a woman’sright to choose her husband.”

“It is the way of our society, my sister. Heis not a bad man. Think on it carefully.”

Against her will, her gaze shifted to Kaden.His head was tilted toward them, his posture strained. He seemed tobe waiting for her answer. Extracting her hand from Shahram’s grip,she patted his too-long hair. “I’m going to miss you.” Herwhispered words hung in the air. Until a long sigh from Kaden brokethe silence. Was she imagining the relief coming from him? Whywould he care one way or the other?

Tentatively, she touched Kaden’s shoulder.“My thanks, Kaden. Without your help, I would once again have foundmyself bound to a man against my will.”

He shrugged, but the dismissive gesture cametoo late to hide the tensing of his shoulders, or the tapping ofhis fingers on the steering wheel. Her stomach fluttered as sheconsidered what his reaction might mean.

“I don’t like bullies,” he said. “Peopleshould do things because they want to, not because they are beingforced or intimidated or threatened.” His passionate wordsresonated deep in her soul. He was speaking from experience. Hisown or that of someone close to him?

Folding his arms across his chest, Shahramhuffed. “You should talk. You are a bully yourself.”

“Shahram!” Azita said. “Kaden has donenothing but help us. Why would you say such an awful thing?”

“Are you so blinded by his looks andsolicitous manner toward you that you don’t see how he treats me?”Her brother’s irate expression melted into a scowl. “Your herothreatened me at the fueling station in Pol-e-Khomri after wepassed through the tunnel.”

“He did no such thing.”

“You were sitting right beside me! Hesqueezed my neck. I havebruises.” His angry eyes landed onKaden, who continued to ignore him as he drove through thedarkness.

“Kaden?” she prompted.

“I might have grabbed him a little hard.”

His amusement was obvious, and despiteknowing better, she shared it. “For all the good it did,” she saidlightly.

Her teasing tone did not have the desiredeffect, however. Shahram’s brows rose, and his eyes widened,looking like two moons in the night. “You think this is funny? Hehurtme.”

Sighing, Azita sat back and rested her achinghead against the seat. “After that disastrous phone call with AghaKhalid, I was ready to strangle you myself. Besides, Kaden’s threatcould not have frightened you too badly. You led Agha Khalid rightto us.”

Shahram muttered something while shiftingaround in his seat.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I said… I was just trying to help.”

“Maybe you should fucking stop trying,” Kadenground out. And Allah forgive her, but she agreed. If Shahramhelpedthem any more, the rescue was doomed.

The sun was rising over the Hindu Kush,bringing an end to a night of lonely travel along a dark anddangerous road. Kaden’s passengers slept soundly, Azita in the backand Shahram in the seat beside him. Her soft sleep sounds made himsmile, until he remembered the previous evening’s conversation withKhalid.Well played, you fucker.

With just a few words, Khalid had managed tosow the seeds of doubt in Kaden’s mind. He didn’t know what or whomto believe. Shahram had screwed things up, Azita had lied, andKhalid was playing games.

Why the hell am I even here?

Was this all some elaborate setup for thewarlord to capture him, or for him to fight the warlord, perhapstriggering an incident with the American military? Or maybe Azitawas just trying to get out of the marriage to Khalid and was usinghim to do it? And his biggest question of all: What part—if any—hadAzita played in the ambush?

He rolled his neck and caught Azita’sreflection in the rearview mirror. She was keeping something fromhim, he knew that for sure, but everything else he knew about Azitasaid that she was a decent person. A good person. If she had beeninvolved, he had to believe she’d been used. And regardless, therewas still Laila to consider. He couldn’t leave a helpless child inthe clutches of a warlord. Maybe if he saved this girl, it wouldmake up, in some small way, for his not being there for Thomas.

The phone in his pocket vibrated,interrupting his unwanted thoughts. He flipped it open and waitedfor the caller to speak.