Page 9 of Deadly Betrayal

Khalid broke the silence. “Where did you golast night?”

Azita’s entire body clenched. Fighting tokeep her voice steady, she kept her eyes averted. “I-I went to bed,my husband’s brother.”

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.“Do not lie to me.” The coldness of his tone sent shivers up herspine.

When she continued her silence, he appearedto decide on a different tactic. His grip on the wheel loosened andhis features softened. “My concern is for you, dear sister-in-law.You know it is dangerous for women to be out alone, especiallyafter dark.”

“I am aware,” she said softly, placatinghim.

“I cannot have you running around unescorted.It makes me look like a poor guardian. If you continue to putyourself in danger, I’ll have to keep you at home where you’ll besafe.” His patronizing smile made acid rise in her throat.

“You wouldn’t!”

“I would, and I will. What if a patrol hadseen you? They could have taken you, raped you”—his voice deepenedand shook with emotion—“killed you. I would not have known. I wouldnot have been able to save you.”

Azita stared at his profile. He was visiblyupset. Perhaps he really did care for her. “I’m truly sorry, myhusband’s brother.”

He gave her a curt nod, then returned hisgaze to the road. “I expect you to keep your word. I know howimportant your work at the clinic is to you. I also know about theshelter.”

Her mouth went dry. How had Khalid found outabout her visits there? She was always very careful not to be seen.No one knew about her work at the shelter, not even the otherdoctors at the clinic.

“What you may not know is that I have beenfunding the shelter. In your name, of course. I’d hate for you tojeopardize that.”

Azita couldn’t believe her ears. Khalid hadbeen donating money to the women’s shelter where she worked? Forher? How could such a generous and understanding man also sell hisniece to a warlord? It made no sense.

In an effort to look contrite and properlychastised, Azita kept her eyes lowered as she twisted the ends ofher headscarf. “I understand,” she whispered. Since her return toAfghanistan, her work at the clinic and the shelter was the onlything that made her life worth living. But she’d risk even that tohelp Laila, and hopefully, Khalid wouldn’t follow through on histhreat to terminate the shelter’s funding after Azita was gone.

They were almost at the clinic now, and sheneeded information, anything she could use to get Laila away fromTariq. “My husband’s brother—”

“Khalid. When we are alone, you will use mygiven name.”

What? “That is not proper.”

“I do not care. I like the sound of my nameon your lips.”

Heat flared and burned her cheeks. Herbrother-in-law was a handsome man. Of average height, he was slim,had relatively good teeth and clear, healthy skin. Moreimportantly, he was kind to his wives and provided well for hisfamily, and, until yesterday, she would not have minded if he’dsuggested they follow tradition and marry. But now… “You should notsay such things to me,agha.”

He laughed. “And why not?”

“Your wives, for one. Already they resentme.”

His brows lowered and he shot her a worriedglance. “Have they been unkind? Let me know and I will put an endto it immediately.”

Khalid had never treated her badly, despitehow she’d come into the family, but his attitude this morningconfused her. Did he truly care, or was he simply trying todistract her, cajole her into complacency after the trouble withLaila? If so, it wouldn’t work. She waved away his concerns. “It’snothing I can’t handle.”

“You will tell me if anything changes.”

“I will.” She paused and took a moment togather her thoughts. “Khalid, why did you agree to this marriage?Surely you see that it is a terrible match.”

“It was necessary.” Other than a musclejumping in his jaw, everything about him remained neutral.

“If the marriage was necessary, why did younot give me to him? Laila is far too young for marriage.”

“And you are far too old for a man of Tariq’stastes, not to mention far too headstrong. Men like him do not wanta woman; they want a girl that they can mold to their ways.”

“I could have pretended,” she counteredmulishly.

He snorted, his disbelief clear. “No, youcould not.”