Page 38 of Saving Jennifer
“That’ll cost extra.”
“Money is no problem,” Karim replied coldly. “Just get it done.”
He ended the call and returned to the table where his mother and brother waited expectantly.
“We have a name for Jennifer’s accomplice,” he informed them. “Noah Temple. I’ll have a complete profile within hours.”
Rashid smiled, the expression transforming his face into something predatory. “Excellent. And then?”
“Then we find them both,” Karim said. “I’ll handle it personally.”
Sayifa studied him, her eyes calculating. “Perhaps you are not as useless as I feared,” she said finally. “But remember, Karim, failure is not acceptable. If Jennifer discovers what we have hidden all these years…”
“She won’t,” Karim assured her. “I’ll make certain of it.”
As he looked at his aunt and cousin, a part of him was tempted to leave them to rot in this place. Sayifa had never been the woman he needed her to be when his own mother had died. Instead of being supportive and caring, she’d been cold, manipulative, always favoring first Tarik, then Rashid. But beyond these walls were his younger cousins, children who still needed their mother despite her flaws. And Rashid, for all his faults, had a wife and children depending on him.
Family was family, no matter how dysfunctional. And the Amir family secret had to remain buried at all costs.
“I will not fail,” Karim said, his voice hardening with resolve. “Jennifer Baptiste will never learn the truth. I promise you that.”
As he left the jail, Karim’s mind raced with possibilities. Finding Jennifer was only the first step. Eliminating her and this Noah Temple would require precision, discretion. If she ever discovered what the Amirs had been hiding from her and her mother, it would destroy not just their reputation, but their very freedom.
Whatever it took, Karim would ensure that never happened. Jennifer Baptiste, his father’s illegitimate daughter, had become a liability that could no longer be tolerated.
In his luxury car, headed back to his hotel, Karim felt a cold determination settle over him. “Noah Temple,” he murmured to himself. “Whoever you are, you’ve chosen the wrong side in this war, and it is going to cost you dearly.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rain lashed againstthe cabin windows like angry fingers trying to claw their way inside. Jennifer stood at the small kitchen sink, washing the last of their dinner dishes and staring into the darkness beyond the glass. It had been hours since Jonah headed for Noah’s family home, and they hadn’t heard a word. She knew Noah was getting antsy, though he did his best not to show any emotion. Before the rain started, he’d done several sweeps of the area outside the cabin, ensuring nobody had snuck up on them. He’d even insisted she keep on the vest he’d given her earlier, though the thing was uncomfortable. He’d waved aside her complaints, telling her comfort had nothing to do with safety.
But now, something felt wrong. The hair on her nape prickled with unease—the same sensation she’d had moments before the apartment in Jackson Square had exploded. After everything that had happened in the past few days, she’d learned to trust her instincts, and right now, they said something or somebody was outside.
“Noah?” she called, drying her hands on a dish towel.
He appeared in the doorway instantly, his muscular frame filling the space. Even after all they’d been through, the sight of him still made her breath catch.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Noah didn’t question her. That was one of the things she’d come to appreciate about him; he never dismissed her feelings as foolish or treated her like she was stupid. Instead, he moved to the window, peering out into the storm-ravaged darkness, his body tense and alert.
“Kill the lights,” he said softly, his voice barely audible above the thunder.
Jennifer’s heart hammered as she flipped the switch, plunging the cabin into darkness. Noah moved with practiced efficiency, retrieving his sidearm from the small of his back. She knew he’d also hidden another beneath the sofa cushion, the Glock she’d practiced with the past few days. Staying as quiet as possible, she moved to stand by his side at the window.
“There,” he whispered, pointing to faint movement in the tree line. “Three o’clock.”
Jennifer squinted, seeing nothing at first, before catching the subtle shift of a shadow that didn’t match the swaying trees. “I see it.”
“And there,” Noah continued, nodding toward the opposite side. “They’re trying to box us in. Coming in from the front only; they can’t get to the sides or the back, because of sheer rock faces.”
Fear coiled in her stomach, but Jennifer refused to give in to it. These past days with Noah had taught her that panic was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Instead, she took a deep breath, determined to be brave. All the training Noah had given her kicked in, and she moved on silent feet to the sofa, retrieving the Glock from its hiding spot.
“What’s the plan?”
Noah’s face was grim in the dim light. “They’ll expect us to stay put. Right now, we’re sitting ducks. They can take their time or try to flush us out.” He sighed. “I wish Jonah or Marcel had stayed, we could use them right about now. But we’re going to use the storm as cover and get to the forest.”