Page 69 of Fighting for Lucy
Anything had to be better than this.
Clamping her teeth together was the only way to prevent herself from calling out to him. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that Zander didn't want to talk to her, that he was only going to give her the absolute bare minimum of answers, and after a while, she’d just given up trying to talk to him.
Shifting slightly, Lucy tried to find a more comfortable position even though she knew in reality there was none. Her body was still bruised and sore from the crash, and sitting on the hard ground out in the cold all night long was the last thing it needed.
Still, when a door opened, Lucy curled tighter in on herself, much preferring the cold, and thirst, and loneliness to whatever came next.
She wasn’t the only one who had heard the door opening because Zander suddenly straightened and rose to his feet. The expression on his face was nothing short of fierce, and it made her shaking increase. She’d hate to have that look aimed in her direction. If ever there was a picture to go alongside the if-looks-could-kill saying this had to be it. In fact, she half expected daggers of fire to come shooting out of his eyes.
Half a dozen men came streaming out of the house, and it was only because Zander’s gaze immediately zeroed in on one of them that she knew who Zimraan Mostafa was.
Barely more than a boy, the young man was only nineteen years old, but it was clear he looked up to his older brother and had believed in Zafir’s fight because he wanted to continue it. Take over the reins and presumably attempt to carry out whatever the plans were once he finished on his personal mission of vengeance.
“You let the woman go, she has nothing to do with this, Zimraan,” Zander said, his confident voice sending spikes of fear through her.
No.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
She’d promised to stay by Zander’s side no matter what.
It was a promise she intended to keep.
Only when she shakily pushed to her feet to tell him that he couldn’t try to sacrifice his life for hers, he shot her such a hard look that she stayed right where she was.
Zimraan laughed like Zander had just said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “I don’t think so,” he said in accented English. “An eye for an eye, isn’t that the saying? You took away the most important person in my life so I will do the same for you. This is your woman, yes?”
When Zimraan turned to look at her, it took every ounce of strength she possessed not to cower before him. This man got off on inflicting pain and suffering, he wanted her to be afraid, wanted her to fear him and what he was going to do to her.
While she absolutely did, she also wanted to be strong for Zander, not make this any worse on him than it had to be. Already he was blaming himself, and if he had to witness her fear it would destroy him.
So, she stayed where she was, met Zimraan’s dark gaze, and refused to flinch.
The young man’s eyes narrowed in irritation, and he turned back to Zander. “My brother allowed me to watch what he didwith your team, so I could learn and one day earn my position as his second in command.”
“A real man doesn’t take his issues out on a woman. Are you not a real man, Zimraan?” Zander asked as though he were trying to provoke the volatile terrorist.
Stiffening, Zimraan took a few steps toward Zander like he didn't know he was taunting a lion waiting to pounce. “I am nineteen. I am a man. And because you killed Zafir, I am now the leader of the resistance. We will annihilate your country. You think you can dictate to the world how everybody should live, but you will be destroyed.”
With lightning-fast speed, Zander surprised her, Zimraan, and the others when he suddenly leaped, kicking out with his legs and sweeping the young man to the ground. Her warrior wrapped his legs around Zimraan’s neck and began to squeeze the life out of the young terrorist.
Then the other five men descended on Zander, hitting him, kicking him, striking him with the butts of their weapons, and attacking him like they intended to kill him right here and now.
January 28th
7:01 A.M.
Each blow feltlike success because it was one less strike Lucy would have to take.
As long as he kept Zimraan’s attention on him, Lucy was a little safer.
With his legs wrapped around Zimraan’s neck, it meant his arms were still free and he was delivering at least as many hits as he was receiving.
Wasn’t like he was going to win this fight, there were five of them to his one, and more men were spilling out of the houses, but at least he was going to deliver a message. Mess with what was his and suffer the consequences.
All night he’d ached to be able to hold Lucy in his arms, cocoon her cold body with his own, soothing at least one of her problems, but every time he glanced at her the realization that she was there only because of him hit so hard he could barely breathe.
In the end, he hadn't been able to look at her at all without his entire body freezing up on him.