Caged in gold

let himse

s. Not in war.

hesitation had become a gh

om of silence where most of his enemies had begged

oed with nothin

an has a

had done. She'd stepped on

-

olden room like a

desire fo

ive, that her limbs weren't broken

o this world of money and murder-but her mind was

sn't s

much her body

vo

cont

sile

intent, like every gesture was prem

terrifi

of her wanted

N

t

cu

stared back with rage, but behind the f

made Zayd

an into a ghost

she were the first woman t

-

massive window panels. Alina had no sense of

oor o

ime, n

a

ons undone. Clean-shaven. Fresh, but dangero

slept

get to ask

But I always

your em

ed closer, "yo

"Hostages don't get b

d. "You're not read

y m

water from the carafe on the

en't kid

ked. "Ex

a situation you didn'

night. The men at the bar. Th

e looking

t? W

ause your father made a de

ther's

epfather is dead. Your real fat

d backwards. "

te that operates across the Gulf. And the moment h

k. "What does that

nce. A favour

do us any

your father... he's the only man who e

"Why didn't he raise

d leaned down, brushing past h

re your

t run. Don't lie. And n

d him. "I'm

and twisted, gently but fir

her eyes, the

ting like you

lappe

choed throu

idn't

ed in his eyes-pleasu

er wrist and

ve," he said.

chest

me b

e turned and left, lo

-

, Amir returne

her wants

the device like

took

through. Deep

lin

fr

n't answer them all now. But you

me," she

I could. I've lived in hell

k this is

t's not war

come g

you until I deal with

uld I tr

y blood. And my ene

ne wen

the phone. Numb.

-

raining yard, Zayd

hed. "She ma

odded.

cry. She d

"Told you sh

etting di

foc

he

girl. She's a game-changer. And if I don

your

"Let's see wh

-

lina snuck ou

sn't locked

r, remembering the turns Amir took,

the libr

was quiet.

e moonlight, her heart racing. The back garden sprawl

le pathway-past rose bushes, down stone step

a

d around her wa

you not

kicking, punching, d

lessly off the ground

ke a wild anima

oor shut behind him and

, breathless. "

wled, "I'm don

"You want answers? Fine. You'll get them. But

at him. "Do i

, inches apart,

d, raw. "You make m

are you

d your father warned you about. The kind

s hear

n't to

es strippe

walked to the

w. And when you wake up, you'll find

oor c

e didn't cal