Page 73 of Fighting for Lucy

“I'm here, you have me,” she whispered back.

Their eyes met.

Held.

So much flowed between them.

It felt like it was too early to even think about the L word, and yet she might never get another chance to tell Zander she was falling in love with him. Those weren't words she wanted to say with an audience, any audience, but especially Zimraan and his men, but they were alone now.

Just as she parted her lips to tell him how she felt, the doors to the houses burst open and at least three dozen men spilled out.

More men than had been out there before when Zimraan had taunted Zander, then had him beaten before torturing her with his knife.

Something was going on.

Something that had scared the young terrorist if the expressions on the faces of his men were anything to go by.

Since she didn't speak Arabic, Lucy couldn’t pick up much of what was being said, but then Zimraan began to speak and she learned what was happening.

“How did you do it?” Zimraan yelled at Zander. “How did you tell them where you were?”

Her ears perked up at that. Someone was coming? Could it be Prey? Had they somehow figured out where she and Zander were being held?

Was that too much to hope for?

Apparently, it wasn’t because the sounds of gunfire filled the morning, and Lucy cried out in relief.

Someone was coming and it had to be Prey.

Zimraan shouted instructions at his men, most of whom seemed to be scurrying around like chickens with their heads chopped off.

In the commotion, it was hard to keep track of what was going on, and she startled when hands suddenly began to undo the chains holding her on the table.

When she looked up into Zimraan’s cold, dead eyes, she knew that fate wasn’t going to smile on her today.

“I'm not dying here today, I'm getting out of here alive, and you're going to make sure nobody stops me,” the young man snarled before dragging her to her feet and pressing the blade of his knife against her throat.

January 28th

9:10 A.M.

Where was Lucy?

Zander couldn’t see her through the crowd of men filling the courtyard.

Something was clearly going on, from what he’d been able to pick up, a helo had just dropped a dozen men not far from the compound, and they were making quick work of approaching.

Although he had no idea how they’d managed to do it, the men had to be Prey. Somehow, they’d found the location of where he and Lucy were being held and mounted a rescue. It was the only scenario that made sense even if he didn't understand it.

All he had to do was keep himself and Lucy alive until Zimraan and his men were either dead or in custody.

He could do that.

Hehadto do that.

Because he wasn’t losing his girl.

If Lucy was able to forgive him for getting her abducted and tortured, then he was going to hold onto the happy ending they both wanted and refuse to let go. If she couldn’t find a way to forgive him, he’d completely understand and walk away without causing her any more pain.