by Alta Hensley
“Father… Farrah… every… everyone…” Huge eyes turned towards him. “My family…”
“Shhh, don’t… not now,” Maddox said, recognizing her instantly, having watched her on the sundeck only a short time earlier. Knowing his words were useless. Knowing she could think of nothing else, but also knowing time was running out. “Adira, I’m sorry, but if we don’t get out of here, we’ll be joining them. You’ve gotta trust me.” When she didn’t respond, her body going totally limp in his arm, he cursed again and yet tightened his grip and began to swim with one arm back to the small boat, pulling her behind.
“I’ve got her,” Drake said, reaching to grab the young woman beneath her arms. Between the two of them, they got her on board, carefully laying her down on the deck. “She’s breathing but unconscious,” Drake said. “I suppose that’s a blessing really.”
Maddox nodded and gave the area one more look, his ears straining for any sounds of life and yet was conscious that time was running out. Other boats would be on them within minutes. Turning back, he scooped Adira off the deck and carried her below.
“What are you doing?” Drake asked.
“Help me,” Maddox said by way of an answer, his intentions obvious as he began to remove Adira’s clothing. Maddox shook his head as he gently disentangled a red high heel whose strap was wrapped around the woman’s wrist, remembering seeing the shoes dangling from her arm only a short time earlier. Drake removed the diamond bracelet, and a ruby necklace from around her throat. Only one earring had survived, the other now lying on the bottom of the gulf. Maddox stood and returned to the deck, once more diving into the water.
Reaching the floating, unrecognizable body he’d seen earlier, he pulled her to him, returning to the boat. He didn’t have to know the woman’s identity, her green dress and scarf told him this had been Adira’s companion on the sundeck. In silence, Drake helped him to get the deceased woman’s body aboard. Maddox didn’t hesitate to use his knife to slice through the dress she’d chosen for a celebration that had turned into a tragedy. Drake assisted as they slipped Adira’s dress over the ruined body. Once the shoe was strapped onto a small foot, lucky in that it seemed to fit, Maddox removed the charred floral scarf from her hair, dropping it over the rail.
“Give me the earring,” Maddox said. Accepting it, he threaded the post of the earring through the woman’s earlobe. About to reach for the bracelet, he hesitated. The jewelry had been around Adira’s right wrist which, with the injuries this woman had suffered, wasn’t an option. He took the necklace, running his finger over the large heart-shaped ruby. Fuck it, if the earring, clothing, and shoe weren’t enough, that was too bad. Handing the pendant back to his father, he then stood and lifted the girl’s lifeless body into his arms and gently slipped her back into the sea. Both men knew it was probably one of the worst things they’d ever do and yet both hoped that the woman’s soul would forgive them. “Liukann allah maeak—May God be with you,” he whispered. He hoped the ruse would serve as a red herring… assuring the authorities that Adira had indeed perished with her family.
Seeing multiple boats beginning to reach the area, Maddox turned to his father, knowing they’d stayed too long. “Running would only bring attention.” Handing him the khandoura, he waited until Drake pulled it on and wrapped the scarf around his head. “Pull in behind them and then turn on the running lights. Joining the search will keep attention away.”
Drake handed the remaining jewelry to his son, taking the wheel again. Turning away from what was now a mass grave, Drake drove through the debris field again, aiming for the back of the line of other vessels. “Go on below. There’s a first aid kit in the head.”
Nodding, Maddox scooped up his discarded clothing and the dead woman’s dress. Once he was in the cabin, he dried off and pulled on his clothing, tucking the jewels deeply into his jeans pocket. Grabbing the first aid kit and a rag, he sat on the berth. As the lights flickered on, he knew his dad was joining the search. Looking at Adira, he began to work, daubing at lacerations that were still oozing blood, picking splinters of wood and slivers of glass from her skin, going to the head to soak the cloth and grab another towel. He gently washed and dried her cuts, applying antiseptic cream and covering the worst with bandages. She still had not regained consciousness, though she moaned as he lifted her head carefully to find a pool of blood on the pillow. Probing gently through the wet tresses, he found a lump, the cut still bleeding. Rising, he grabbed some ice from the bucket, wrapped it in a washcloth and held it against the goose egg. She moaned again. “Shhh,” he said softly. It was only when he felt her tremble that he actually became aware of the fact that she was nude except for her bra and panties. Turning, he grabbed a blanket and was about to tuck it around her when she began to stir, twisting away, a horrid keening filling the small space.
“Shhh, it’s all…” He didn’t bother to assure her that everything would be all right because not only did he abhor lying, how could it be when she’d just witnessed the deaths of her entire family? Lifting her again, he wrapped the blanket around her and then sat with his back against the hull and pulled her onto his lap.
She turned in to him, a small hand reaching to clutch his t-shirt. It took him a moment to realize she was speaking, the word repeating again and again as tears slid down her cheeks. “Baba… baba…”
Understanding she was calling for her father, Maddox felt a surge of intense anger towards the men he’d seen in the fleeing boat. “Shh… Adira, you’re safe, shh,” he said, speaking the truth, for he and his family would not only make sure that she was, they’d not stop until the people responsible for the annihilation of her entire family no longer walked the Earth but twisted in agony within the deepest pits of hell.
Drake’s call had Maddox gently moving Adira from his lap, laying her on the berth once again. He’d been dimly aware of voices, his father occasionally calling out “la sha” in response to inquiries from other boats whether he’d found anyone alive. Even knowing the chances of any rescue were dim, each “no or nothing” Maddox heard fueled his anger. The questions had come further and further apart as he’d simply held Adira as she cried, glad when she slipped into sleep again, her calls for her own father wrenching his soul. Ensuring she was covered, and hoping she would remain asleep, he stood in the shadow of the doorway that led to the deck.
“It’s all right, we’re pretty much alone here,” his father said softly. Still, Maddox stayed low as he stepped onto the deck. He scanned the area, noticing a greater number of official boats had joined the search, crisscrossing the water. There was no sign of the once magnificent yacht. His hands fisted as he saw several fins slicing through the water, knowing the sharks had no concern as to what bounty they were enjoying, nor any thought of how fast life could be snuffed out… innocent lives… mothers, daughters, sisters… murdered.
“How are you doing, Pops?” he asked, understanding that his father could not help but be thinking of his own loss, that explosion twenty years earlier.
“I’ll survive,” Drake said, his tone grim. “It’s been two hours. No calls of any survivors found so far. The police are asking anyone not essential to leave the area.” He paused and swiped his hand over his face. “Goddamn it! This is going to destroy Adira.”
Maddox didn’t bother to counter his father’s words. Both knew the pain of having loved ones ripped from you… but not every member of your family in one fell swoop. Putting aside the emotion, as it would not help, he said, “Take us in. I’ll call Keith… we need a safe place and can’t take Adira to the hotel. We’ve done all we can for now. We need to get her home. Only then can we form a plan to find the bastards responsible for this.”
Drake nodded, turning the wheel, aiming the boat towards the mouth of the harbor. Maddox stood beside him, looking behind for a final time before turning to face forward. After a few minutes, he dropped into the cabin again and made a call.
“What the hell happened?” Keith said, “the news is c
laiming it must have been some sort of explosion…”
“You could say that,” Maddox said. “Not now. Change of plans. I need you to meet us at the marina and a safe place—”
“Done, what else?” Keith interrupted.
“We’ll figure that out later. For now, just be there. We should be back in twenty minutes or so.”
“I’ll be there.”
Maddox had no doubt Keith not only would be, he also knew that he wouldn’t ever ask for specifics… leaving it to the Steeles to share only what they felt necessary.
After retrieving the garments from his dad, Maddox removed the blanket from Adira, dressing her in the white robe which swamped her small frame but would disguise not only her sex but her identity. He gently pulled the diamond clips from the tangle of her hair and then twisted it high on her head before wrapping the headscarf around it. It was sloppy but did the job.
Though he’d already taken care of the fishing rods and most of the deck, he began to wipe down every surface and each item he’d touched, putting any cloth that had blood stains in a bag, including the entire pillow she’d laid her head on. Only then did he pull on his boots, and after attempting to put the sandals on her feet, had to admit they not only wouldn’t stay on due to the huge size difference, she’d also likely be unable to walk without assistance. Besides, the pink polish on her toenails would have to stay as he doubted any remover was aboard. The sandals went into the bag along with the green dress.
Feeling the boat slow as they entered the channel of the marina, he went back up top and wiped down the remaining surfaces, leaving only the actual wheel and boat controls for last. It was well past midnight by the time Drake slipped the boat into its slip. A shadow moved, putting Maddox’s senses on alert until he heard Keith’s softly whispered greeting as he caught the mooring rope to wrap it around the cleat on the dock. Handing the bag to his father, Maddox wiped the cloth over the wheel and controls and then went below for the last time.
“Can you walk?” he asked softly when he realized that Adira had awakened. She gave a soft nod and yet, when she stood, instantly swayed on her feet. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he scanned the cabin one last time and guided her up the steps to join the two men. Maddox grabbed his backpack, slipping it onto his shoulder as Drake immediately stepped to Adira’s other side, ready to offer support if needed. Though she often stumbled, her feet tangling in the robe’s hem, Adira made not a sound. It wasn’t until they’d walked the length of the dock and across the parking lot that her knees buckled. Maddox bent and scooped her into his arms as Keith opened the back door of his car. Maddox slid inside, settling Adira on his lap as she slipped once more into unconsciousness.
Chapter 6
Pounding, throbbing, sinking into unconsciousness with mere moments of light as Adira struggled to open her eyes. Her body, her mind, everything continued to slip into an abyss of nightmarish fog that threatened to consume her completely.
Was she walking?
Floating?
Sinking?
Yet, something… or someone… held her firmly in place, refusing to let her drift into the blackness forever.
“Adira,” a distant voice called out from the shadows of her mind, strong enough to encourage her to not drift away. “You’re safe right now, and we are going to make damn sure you stay that way.” The words were English yet not said in a British accent… they were said in a deep voice, rough, raspy, in an unfamiliar accent laced with edge. She wanted to see where the voice came from, but her eyes were so heavy. So very heavy. The man gave a reassuring squeeze as he held her in his arms tightly, so tight she could feel the warmth exude from the soft material of his shirt as her body shook against his. She wasn’t cold, and yet her body trembled as if it were freezing.
Adira heard a different voice asking, “Shit, what in the hell just happened?”
“Fucking Evil won tonight, and Good got its ass kicked. That’s what happened.”
A shutting of a door, and the gunning of the engine caused Adira to flinch out of fear of the unknown. What was happening? Who were these men she was with? She struggled to open her eyes, grimacing and moaning when the littlest movement sent pulsating pain through her limbs. As her eyelids fluttered open, she looked up into the deepest blue eyes, outlined in thick black eyelashes. She should panic, fight, run, scream, anything to escape his grasp. She didn’t know these men, and she was weak right now… vulnerable. A memory pushed through the pain… a face… a hat… a black hat… this man was a raei albaqar—the cowboy she’d seen at the auction. Her vision was foggy, but she sensed that he meant her no harm. Her body lay cradled in his arms and up against his chest. The pure size of his muscled arms and mass of his chest almost swallowed up her much smaller frame. Yet something told her deep inside that this man was all she had right now. He was the only one keeping her from fully slipping into the depths of hell.
“Where am I?” she rasped out.
“You’re safe. We are going to take you to a house not far outside of Dubai until we can figure out a way to get you out of the country,” the man said, never taking his eyes away from hers.
“My father? Farrah…” She struggled to recall how she had ended up in the arms of a complete stranger. Why did she feel like she had been beaten with a bat? Why did her head feel like she had been drugged? Where was everyone? Why did this man want to take her out of the country?
“There was an explosion. Several bombs.”
“Explosion,” she parroted, focusing on recovering her memory. “Oh, no. Oh, God, no. An explosion!” The memory of a bright light, loud noise, and a blast of energy plummeting into her at full force came rushing back all at once. She remembered the smile on her cousin’s face right before… right before the flowers had… what? Exploded? That made no sense. Flowers didn’t explode. But he’d said a bomb… no, he’d said several bombs. Why? What?
“Where is my father? Where is he?” she demanded as she tried to sit up, only to have this man’s hands firmly hold her in place. She needed to get to her father now. She needed to help her family. So many had to be hurt. What if her father was hurt?
“Adira,” the man said in a calm voice. “Relax. You need to stay calm. My name is Maddox Steele. Keith is up front, driving with my father, Drake Steele. He’s a longtime friend of your grandfather. Your grandfather brought us here to help you.”
She didn’t care about anything this man said. She only cared about one thing. “Where is my father?” she screamed—or at least attempted to—but her voice lacked the strength to do so. Panic set in, regardless if these men were here to help her or not. Where was her father? She needed him now.
When Maddox didn’t say anything, she dropped her stare from his captivating eyes down his face, past the faint stubble that ran along the sharp contours of his jaw line and noticed his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. She looked back up into his eyes that had seemed to darken and said so faintly, only he would be able to hear, “Why are you keeping him from me?”
“I’m sorry,” Maddox whispered, sympathy blanketing the azure of his stare. “You were the only one who survived the bombing.”
You were the only one who survived the bombing.
You were the only one who survived the bombing.
You were the only one who survived the bombing!
“No, no…” She clasped onto the fabric of his shirt as if clinging to a make believe hope that all of this could be one big awful mistake… a nightmare. Yes! She was dreaming! But the pain in her body, the throbbing in her head, the very fact that she was aware of the man’s arms holding her, the heat transferring from his body to hers, told her otherwise. Still… he had to be wrong!
“No! How do you know? He could still be alive!”
Maddox shook his head.
“My cousin? The rest of my family? Where are they?”
“Dead,” he said softly as he rubbed small circles with his palm on her back. “We were with the rescue team helping with the s
earch. I’m afraid there were no other survivors besides yourself. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “That can’t be. I can’t be the only one who survived. There were so many of us… my family, friends… the crew. There has to be more than me…”
“No.”
The one word was said in a tone that brooked no doubt. She felt her chest tighten, threatening to constrict her throat but she had to have answers. “How do you know?”
“I know.”
“No! You are wrong!”
“Adira, I was there. I saw the explosion, and I saw the aftermath. You were lucky to have survived. If I hadn’t seen your body being thrown from the ship, you would have died too.”
“I was standing with my cousin. If I survived, then she could have as well, please!”
Maddox simply shook his head.
“But you don’t know! Not for sure.”
“I know. I saw her.” He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”
“Her body? You saw her body?” Did she just ask that? Did she just say the word body when referring to Farrah, as if she had become some object rather than a living person?
“Yes. I saw her body. I recognized the green dress she wore on the ship. She had a floral hijab.”
“I don’t understand.” She shook her head, grimacing when the movement shot a pain straight to her temple. “Were you on the yacht? How did you see? What the hell is going on? Who are you?” she shouted, struggling to break free from his hold, only to have him hold her even tighter.
“Trust me, Adira. Just trust me.”
“Trust you! You just told me that my entire family is dead, and you want me to just lie in your arms and trust you?” She pushed against his chest with the same result being as if she pushed against a brick wall. “This can’t be!” she screamed. “It can’t be! This is a sick joke!”
“No.”
