Page 39 of Taeja

Unfortunately, right now, Taeja had no other choice but to believe Zain. Even if it was half-heartedly.

Numb, she nodded, allowing him to lead her out of the house. Her lips quivered with each step toward the car. It felt like she was burning a bridge she hadn’t fully crossed.

Looking down at the folder that had all her identification documents, her tears fell harder. Taeja couldn’t help but blame herself. Her father had always warned her that one day she’d cross a line he’d never forgive her for, and she finally did.

But could she be blamed? The only time Jerry gave her attention was when she messed up.

She was in a shell when Zain opened the car door for her, then gently closed it behind her after she sat.

“What happened?” Kacian asked from the backseat.

Taeja couldn’t find her voice to answer. She loudly sobbed as she watched Zain jog around the car and sit across from her.

“What happened to her, Zain?” Kacian asked, her voice laced with worry.

“Mom, not now,” Zain said, his tone clipped as he reversed out of the driveway. “Take the car and go to the mall.”

“Okay…”

Taeja felt Kacian’s eyes bore into the back of her shaking body. She hated that she was loudly wailing in this confined space with them when she wished to be alone, but she had nowhere else to go.

Her cries died down to hiccups by the time they parked in front of a house. It wasn’t Damon’s; the ride was too long. Taeja didn’t care to take notice of anything as Zain helped her out of the car and into the house, but she did hear when a car drove off as soon as he closed the door behind them.

Her vision was blurry as Zain led her through the house, into a bedroom, and helped her into the bed. She rolled over onto her side, facing away from him, and clutched the folder to her chest. Zain threw a blanket over her, and the bed dipped behind her seconds later. She should’ve been happy Zain was staying with her, but her sorrow was a more overpowering emotion.

“I want to be alone, Zain,” she said, her voice hoarse.

He took a few seconds to reply, uncertainty in his tone. “You sure, Taeja?”

She nodded.

He left.

Uncontrollable tears fell.

8

Gently closing the doorbehind him, Zain pulled his phone out while walking down the hallway. He found his brother’s number and dialed him.

“Damon Stark,” Damon answered after the third ring.

Zain stopped walking. “Today’s your day off, Damon.”

Damon exhaled a heavy breath. “You’re right. What’s up? Is our girl good?”

Zain’s jaw clenched as he remembered how the man — Jerry, was his name — spoke to Taeja. The man even dared to try calling her a whore. In Zain’s presence, of all places. Zain wanted to teach Jerry a lesson. And he would. Not today, but soon. “She’s not,” Zain answered.

“What happened?” Damon asked, his tone clipped.

“She got into some shit with her dad.”

“What? Where are you?” Damon sounded angrier than Zain felt.

“My house.”

“I’m coming over,” Damon replied, his tone one of urgency. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”

Without a word, Zain ended the call. He gritted his teeth, looking over his shoulder at the closed door. He could hear her loud sobs, even from down the hallway.

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