Page 5 of Chasing the Past

She turned, startled.

He dropped his hand. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes found his. Something shifted there. Some small amount of recognition maybe.

“Here, take this.” He handed her his business card as the man in the car got out and headed their way. “Perhaps we can get together while you’re on the island and I can tell you about Sashi.”

She studied the card that had Hope Island Securities Services emblazoned across the top. After a second, she slipped the card into her pocket and turned and left him without responding.

As he watched her leave, Eli noticed she tucked her hair behind her ear . . . just like Sashi used to do. Everything inside of him screamed this could be no mistake. This was Sashi. But if she were still alive, then all sorts of awful questions demanded answers. They’d shared so many moments together. They’d fallen in love, and yet she didn’t appear to know him. Why didn’t she recognize him? The scar on her face assured she’d suffered a severe injury. Enough to wipe out her memories?

The man’s solemn expression never changed as she reached his side. They shared a few words before the man escorted the woman to the passenger side and held the door open while she slipped inside. Once she was ensconced, he rounded the front of the vehicle, his dark, angry eyes homing in on Eli. There was something familiar about him that sent shockwaves through Eli’s body. This was the same man who had taken Sashi hostage that night. The one that had tried to kill her.

Chapter Two

“Who was that man?”

Omar’s questions had lasted the duration of the ride to their rented home on the island. Asal hadn’t told him the truth about her conversation with the man who looked so familiar. She wasn’t sure why but something warned her to keep what Eli Warren had said to herself. She’d tucked the card Eli handed her safely inside the waistband of her jeans in case Omar checked her jacket.

At times, she felt as if he would suffocate her with his protectiveness. He watched her every move. Didn’t wish for her to be out of his sight for more than an hour. When she was at the flower shop in Cairo, he called her constantly claiming to miss her but there was always a hard edge in his tone.

Omar told her he was the son of friends of her parents. He’d met her in Egypt at the hospital following the explosion and had nursed her back to health. She had no reason to believe he wasn’t being truthful other than that gut feeling that had been with her from the beginning. It warned not to trust him.

She’d been amongst those fleeing Afghanistan when it fell according to Omar. She’d suffered a severe head injury and almost died. A doctor and his family who were friends had managed to get her on a plane going to Egypt. She’d been in a coma for months before finally awakening. Omar had brought her to his home and had others care for her. He told her they were engaged and yet he never showed any type of affection toward her.

Asal looked out the window of their pale-yellow cape cod rental house, past the lawn to the street beyond. She and Omar had arrived back at the rental house several hours ago. Since then, he’d continued to watch her with suspicion.

When they’d first arrived on Hope Island two days ago, Asal had loved the bright, airy openness of the house. The living, dining, and kitchen flowed together. The walls were painted pale blues and buttery yellows. Nautical touches were displayed throughout the home. In her room, there were photos taken from around the island at different times of the year. The winter scenes were Asal’s favorite.

Ever since they’d gotten home a few hours ago, she couldn’t relax. Her encounter with Eli Warren kept popping into her head. Why did he look so familiar? He’d called her Sashi. She frowned. She didn’t know the name and yet . . .

“I will be back in a few hours.”

She jumped and realized Omar was standing behind her. Asal waited for her heart to settle before turning to him.

“Business?” she asked and tried to keep her voice steady.

His brows knitted together as if he was trying to decide what she was hiding. “Yes. You should stay inside and rest. We wouldn’t want another episode.” His lips curled up almost as if it gave him pleasure to mention the seizures she suffered from still. They’d usually flare up after a particularly stressful time.

“I plan on doing some reading.” She held up the latest mystery novel she’d been staring at for hours, yet her focus was all over the board since she’d met Eli earlier and all sorts of strange images flowed through her head, none of which made sense.

Almost as if she was experiencing flashbacks.

He took the book from her and flipped through the pages as if expecting to find something more inside. Asal froze in place, her best blank expression glued on her face, the business card still tucked into the waistband of her jeans.

“Trash. But as you wish.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She tried not to cringe. Without noticing her reaction Omar moved to the door and stepped out.

As soon as the door closed, Asal blew out a relieved breath. There was always something about Omar’s presence that scared her even though he was polite and treated her with respect, she’d seen a darkness in him that was frightening. She’d asked to meet his parents to learn more about hers since they were deceased, but it was never the right time.

Asal brought out the business card. She wanted to speak with Eli more, yet she didn’t have a cell phone—Omar told her he didn’t believe in them though she’d overheard him talking on one before. If she wanted to contact Eli, she would have to go see him in person. The address of the security business Eli worked for was on the front.

She went to the window and looked out. The street in front of the rental house was empty. The waters of the ocean could be seen if she looked out the window at just the right angle.

Hurry!The thought chased through her head.

She couldn’t afford to leave through the front in case he was watching. Asal rushed to the back entrance and looked out the window. Nothing could be seen. She cracked the door and looked out. The silence of the October afternoon was all that greeted her. She slipped out and closed the door quietly.

What was she doing?She didn’t know this man who had caused so much turmoil in her life. Omar had helped her through one of the hardest times she’d ever experienced. She owed him her life. He was just looking out for her after everything she’d been through.

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