Page 127 of Deadly Betrayal
“It wasn’t a bad dream?”
“No,azizam. I’m so sorry.”
Violent sobs shook the Laila’s body. Shecupped the girl’s wet cheeks. “We’ll get through thistogether.”
“What will happen to me now? Will Kaka Khalidsend me back to Khan Tariq?” Her wide, frightened eyes imploredAzita. “I don’t want to go back there. He’s a mean man. He hurt youand Agha Kaden. His men killed Maman. I saw it.” Fresh tearsspilled down her face. “I-I saw your brother’s body. If… if I ammade to go back, maybe Khan Tariq will kill me too.”
Azita bit back the remorse eating through herchest at the reminder that Shahram had not received a properburial. His body was at that murderer’s camp, probably tossed outwith the trash. She’d pray every day for Shahram’s soul. In themeantime, she had to focus on the living. “Laila, look at me. Noone is going to kill you. You are not going back to Khan Tariq orto Uncle Khalid. I will take care of you.”
Small arms wound around her waist, squeezingtightly. “I am so scared, Azitajan. Where will we go? Howwill we live?”
Azita stroked Laila’s back and her long blackhair. “I will figure it out, and we will both be safe.”
They would have had some money, if Azitahadn’t angered Khalid. When Khalid had sold Faroukh’s house, he’dtaken most of the money, but some had gone to Laila, Freba, andeven Azita. Freba had also inherited a portion of her bride price,which would go to Laila now. In addition, upon her father’s death,Laila’s inheritance had been put in a trust. If Khalid had notalready turned it over to Khan Tariq, she would have had that aswell.
Now though, they were penniless.
Khalid had disappeared, run back to Kabul. Ofcourse, he needed to check in on his family, and considering he’dordered her death, Azita had no plans to return to the capital.Perhaps she could borrow money from Kaden or from her aunt inTehran. Then after the funeral, she’d find a small room where shecould stay with Laila. They’d remain in Mazar-e Sharif to honor thefourteenth-day Islamic tradition, in which she would return to thegraveyard with Laila to bring new candles and light them beforegoing back to their room to eat a bigpalawin Freba’shonor.
Afterward, she’d take the girl and gosomewhere south. Some place neither Khan Tariq nor Khalid werelikely to follow.
Kaden would want to help. He might even wantto take them away with him. She remembered his words on thehelicopter:We’ll take care of Laila. Tell her mother. We riskedeverything to rescue this girl. We’re not going to let anything badhappen to her now.
At the time, he’d meant every word of hisvow. Did he still mean them, or had they been spoken in the heat ofemotion to appease a dying woman? She hoped with all her heart thatKaden really did love her, and that he’d want them to be together,a family with Laila. But if he didn’t, if he returned to Canadawith Jake and Nic, and left her behind, she’d find a way for herand Laila to survive. Even if it meant selling the one thing menwanted: her body.
Chapter 30
Khalid sat in a hard plastic chair at theairport and propped his elbows on his knees. He had two choices: gohome and see his family, or stay and make a deal with Khan Tariq toget Shahram’s body back. The first would guarantee he lost Azita,while the second almost ensured her compliance with his plans.
Almost, because the big American seemed tohave ensorcelled Azita. Why did she keep allowing him to touch her,to treat her so cheaply? Azita was a good woman, one who deservedfar more respect and restraint than the American had shown.
He dropped his head and gripped his temples,trying to rub away the image of Azita and the American, her handpumping his cock like that of a street whore. No man should engagein such activities with a woman who wasn’t his wife. Azita knewthat all too well. She’d been paying for her brother’s similarlapse in judgment for years. In less than a week, the American hadcorrupted her with his godless Western morals.
Could Khalid save her? If he married her,would it erase her sins? He chose to believe it would. Standing, hewent to a quiet corner and called Khan Tariq’s private number usinga phone he’d just purchased with money Agha Ali had sent him. Aftera few rings, Khan Tariq answered the call.
“Salaam alaikum. This is Khalid.”
“You!” Khan Tariq spat. “I should have killedyou when I had the chance.”
“I’m terribly sorry for any trouble at yourcamp. Please know I did not intend to stop the wedding.”
“And now? You will return my bride?”
Beads of sweat popped out along Khalid’sbrow. Sending Laila back into the lion’s den, even if he managed toretrieve Shahram’s body in exchange, would do nothing to endear himto Azita. There had to be another way. What else could he offer theman to assuage him?
Khalid gripped the phone tightly and steadiedhis voice. If he didn’t sound confident, Khan Tariq would refuse tonegotiate. “I am calling to make a deal. A different deal.”
“What do you want?”
“The body of my fiancée’s brother.”
“In exchange for?”
Khalid cleared his throat. “I am prepared tooffer you ownership of all mining rights in Fayzabad district.”
Tariq laughed, the sound like nails on metal.“Your kin’s body will be well-rotted by the time you have the powerto fulfill your part of the bargain.”
“No.” Khalid pursed his lips, hating himselffor putting so much land, so much power, into the hands of alunatic. “I have that authority now.” In fact, the minister hadgranted it to him only four days prior. Shame pushed down hisshoulders. Shame that he had proven to be as corruptible as hispredecessor.
