Page 39 of Beautiful Vengeance

But her demons ran deep, and they were headed to enemy territory tomorrow to take on the man responsible for all her suffering. He never wanted her to suffer again.

So if the worst did come true and Rahman managed to capture her…if Marcus had her in his sights…if he had a clear shot and it was the only way to spare her more terror and pain…

It was something he wished he could have done for his troopers. If it ever became necessary, he owed Kiyomi that final act of mercy.

“Aye,” he finally said, shaken even though he knew it would never come to that. They had an entire team going after Rahman. Marcus would make sure she was safe.

Kiyomi sighed and snuggled up to his chest once more. “Thank you,” she whispered, her fingers drifting lightly over his back.

Marcus squeezed his eyes shut and gathered her close to banish all the ghosts between them. “Sleep now.”

Chapter Twelve

Fayez hurried from his vehicle into yet another safe house—the third one he’d been moved to in the last twenty-four hours. His security team wasn’t taking any chances with his safety. If not for the last-minute tip the previous night, he would have been in that camp during the British assault and either be trapped in a cell or dead right now.

“Sir. In here.” His head bodyguard came out of the back room he’d just checked, holstering his weapon.

Fayez moved straight into it and stood in the middle of the floor as the door shut behind him. The metallic clang of it reminded him of a prison cell door closing. Fitting, since until the threat against him died down, he would be more prisoner than free man.

Someone had sold him out. And someone had saved him with that anonymous tip. Both needed to be found and dealt with accordingly.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. When he saw the number, his pulse jumped. Only one person had ever called him from that area code. It had to beher. He’d tried to find her, to no avail. It was like she’d simply vanished.

He activated a customized app that would record the conversation before answering in English. “Hello?”

“So you managed to dodge another bullet last night, did you?” the female voice said. His people had previously traced her calls and only found a general location—somewhere in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Never anything more specific, and no one knew who she was, referring to her only by her moniker. The Architect.

A mix of relief and excitement shot through him. It was definitely her. “Yes. And I’m guessing this call means I have you to thank for that?”

“Maybe.”

No maybe about it. “Why did you do it?”

“Because you and I have a business transaction that still hasn’t been completed.”

Kiyomi.

He paced the room, restless as a caged tiger. He hated being penned up like an animal. “Do you have any news on her?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.”

He stopped walking, his entire body drawing tight as a cable. “Tell me.” His heart thudded in his ears as he awaited her answer.

“I’ve just received an alert that she was spotted crossing the Turkish border into Syria. Facial recognition puts it at a ninety-two-percent certainty that it’s her.”

A wave of heat suffused him. “When?”

“Four hours ago.”

If it was true, Kiyomi could be anywhere by now. “Was she alone?”

“Yes.”

Mind whirling, he resumed pacing again. “What is she doing here?”

“What do you think?”

A slow, savage smile spread across his face. “She’s come back for me.”

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