CHAPTER 63: SABA; EMPTY BARRELZahra's PovI rubbed my eyes absentmindedly as we stepped off the jet, the chill London air blowing towards our way, sending a shiver down my spine."My intel should be here in five minutes," Dashiell said, his stern tone cutting into my thoughts as he joined me in the black limo which was driven there for our use.I sniffed briefly, wrinkling my nose as the AC wafted its own artificial breeze in my direction. "That's good. He better not make us wait." The limo just sat at the private airport with Dashiell and I inside while Blazer, Gotham, and Adela stood outside talking about God knows what.While we waited a few minutes in silence, Dashiell received a phone call and immediately knocked on the partition."Drive. We can't meet up here, it's not safe." He said, and the driver started the limo.***********The limo pulled up to an old office building, almost hidden away from the busyness of London. Inside, we were quickly taken into a private room where
CHAPTER 64: MINA AL ARABZahra's Pov The quiet hum of the jet echoed in the cabin as we made our way toward Ras Al Khaimah. And I felt the tension in my body tighten even more as the pilot's voice sounded through the intercom that we were going to land in less than forty minutes.What made me even more tense was the fact that I was getting roped into something that I wasn't even a part of. I mean, my father set up a trust fund and built empires for my brothers while they were still very young, but because I was a girl, my father gave me nothing.In his words, he said, "Nothing for you, whore. When you are sixteen you're going to get married to Malek Kashem and I don't want any of my hard-earned money to sit in his pot-belly." I wouldn't want to imagine what would have happened if my mother gave birth to five daughters instead of four sons and one daughter. Dashiell sat across from me, scanning through emails on his phone. His expression, sharp and serious. "Ali's team purposely
CHAPTER 65: JOEL CASIOZAHRA'S POVI leaned back in the plush leather seats of the limousine, gazing out at the gleaming Mina Al Arab villas and beautiful waterways. Dashiell sat next to me, his eyes also scanning the beautiful city. "Do you remember this place?" Dashiell asked quietly as we drew closer to the Lumina."I remember too much," I muttered, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips as I felt a knot tighten in my chest. "My dad bought this part of town because he didn't want tourists or the police to stray close to the Lumina."The driver took us down a winding road that led to the beautiful Lumina mansion.Everytime I daydream of what would have happened if I hadn't left the UAE, it always ends up with me wrapped in a shroud. I scanned the towering gates followed by the manicured lawn and beautifully decorated walls that my father topped every year because he never wanted me outside the mansion.We stepped out of the car and Dashiell immediately took my hand, his eyes meeting mi
CHAPTER 66: TROUBLE O'CLOCKZahra's PovDashiell and I walked through the glass doors of Carlton hotel in Mina Al Arab. The cool air from the lobby enveloped me, allowing me to feel a little better about everything that had transpired earlier.I glanced at him, hoping to maybe read his mind through his hardened facial expression. He wasn't this stuck up a few minutes before Joel showed up, and now I had a strange feeling that this whole cold shoulder thing had something to do with Joel.We reached the elevator, and the silence between us felt like it was going to choke me. As we ascended to our suite, I turned to him. "What is wrong with you? You have been awfully quiet since we saw that fool, Joel."He sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor before meeting mine. "It's nothing...I just realized a lot of things," he paused. "We should have never come to the UAE."I swallowed thickly, still searching his eyes for a clearer response.We entered the suite and it was beyond magnificent. Th
CHAPTER 67: LATE TO THE MURDER PARTYZahra's Pov The bathroom was cold and silent, the only sound I could hear was my own shallow breaths echoing off the shower glass. I held my gun close, trying to focus, but my heart kept racing, the harsh beats sending goosebumps to crowd my skin.Straining my ears, I waited for a signal from Dashiell, but all I could hear was the sound of the door opening, footsteps, and loud pop music that was coming from a nextdoor room. Just when I thought the silence would last forever, I heard the sound of the hotel door clicking shut, and my pulse quickened.Then, Dashiell's voice filled the room. "Zahra, you can come out now."I stepped out carefully, finding him standing in the middle of the room, his expression darker than before. But it wasn't just his face that caught my attention. It was the piece of paper in his hands. It was folded neatly, into the shape of an envelope."What's that?" I asked, moving closer."Someone was here," he replied, his voi
CHAPTER 68: FINIR?Dashiell's PovThe metallic scent of blood still lingered in the air, thick and suffocating as Saba's sickening smile hovered above Joel's bruised face. But even with the ax in her hand, I still remained unfazed.Zahra and I stood in the doorway, our stance calm, but we still held our guns pointed toward her.Just then, about six armed men stepped out of the shadows and stood behind Saba."You are late, Godfather," Saba taunted, tapping the ax lightly against Joel's shoulder. "I have already won."I slowly tucked my gun in my pocket, motioning to Zahra to still hold hers. Stepping forward, I let out a small, almost pitying chuckle. "Won?" I said, my voice laced with sarcasm." You have no idea."Saba's expression faltered slightly as my eyes bore into her, unblinking, unflinching. Joel, who was barely unconscious, lifted his head enough to look at me, more blood trickling down his forehead. "Saba, don't be a coward," Joel rasped breathlessly. "Kill me and finish wh
CHAPTER 69: DEVIL IN MINKZahra's Pov The soft morning light filtered through the curtains of Dashiell's LA château, casting a gentle light on my skin. My eyes fluttered open, languid from exhaustion of the last 'hectic' few days. My body felt like it was sinking into the bed beneath me, the feeling of comfort almost unrecognizable after everything that happened in Mina Al Arab. The flight back from the UAE was so stressful, but it was something I was looking forward to- at least we went back home alive and well.Beside me, Dashiell's arm lay across my waist, his breathing steady and soft. For a moment, I wanted to stay still, but the birds chirping in the estate grounds made me so excited, and also because I was excited about brewing one of the middle eastern coffee grounds that we bought yesterday.Aside from that, my mind was racing with the thoughts of Christmas. Though it still felt like months away, there was so much to prepare. Malek never celebrated Christmas- at least not
CHAPTER 70: CÍRCULO DEL DIABLO (Devil's Circle)ZAHRA'S POVThe evening air was unusually still as Dashiell and I prepared to head to Lisa's birthday party. Images flashed in my head of yesterday when I received her invitation. I didn't want to go, but when I saw that I could bring a plus one, I immediately pitched it to Dashiell, who was hesitant at first, but agreed.We were in Dashiell's study, just about to leave for the party when he got off the phone with Gotham and Blazer. They would be at the party too, blending in with the crowd but keeping an eye on everyone there. "I don't trust her," Dashiell said, his tone low, pulling me closer as we stood near the door."Neither do I," I replied, smoothening the sleek black dress I had chosen for tonight. "But something about her seems...I don't know, magnetic. She's facially attractive and also has an attractive mannerism. I'm very curious to know more about her.""You're always curious." Dashiell smirked, brushing a strand of hair b