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Azadeh knows not to touch Lev unless he initiates it. We all know that. Lev’s jaw ticks as he rubs the red mark marring his skin. I’m not sure if I’m more worried about Azadeh or Lev. Either could blow.
Azadeh turns to me, voice shaking from the tears I know she’s trying to hold at bay. She’s always been worried about appearing weak. Crying gives her enemies the upper hand and exposes her wounds. “Were you in on it?”
Azadeh is substantially more unhinged than Lev at the moment. I raise my hands, palms open wide. “I don’t even know what’s up. Whatever you’re mad at him for, it has nothing to do with me. I swear it on my good eye.”
Azadeh squints as she stares me directly in that good eye, assessing me, deciding if I’m being honest or pulling her leg.
“Az, I fuckin’ sacrificed an eye for you. You think I’d ever do anything to hurt you?”
She tilts her head and glares at me with her rich brown eyes. Fuck, I love those eyes. They’re so damn expressive, always telling on her even before her mouth opens. Those eyes made me jump to her rescue all those years ago. I still remember the first time I saw her, a scared little mouse hurled into a new world where she didn’t know anyone or understand anything.
Her eyes are still fixed on me as if she’s deciding whether to believe me. “I’m sorry, Zeke. I’m scared.”
My heart thumps with annoyance. “Fuck, Azadeh, this is me. You think I'd do something to piss you off like this?”
Azadeh nods and walks toward Lev. My shoulders relax. Maybe all this will blow over. Azadeh and Lev have always had a fucked-up love-hate relationship. They have a lot of love for each other but can’t seem to express it in a healthy way. It makes sense as neither had peaceful early years.
“Where is she, Lev?” Azadeh’s voice is cold. It’s the crazy calm tone that tells me I might find Lev’s head rolling by my feet if she doesn't get what she wants.
Lev glares down at her. “You ready to meet my demands?”
“No, Lev, I’m not. After this, you’ll never see me again. I’m taking my sister and getting as far away from your psychotic ass as I can.”
Lev nods. “It’s unfortunate we couldn’t reach an agreement, and neither of us will get what we want.”
Azadeh’s hand moves to her belt, and she unsheathes a sharp knife. Before she does something she’ll regret, I grab her waist and haul her toward me. I’m confident she won’t stab me with it. Well, I hope she won’t. My chances look a whole lot better than Lev’s.
Her scream is shrill, and she kicks out, narrowly missing my dick.
I sink my teeth into her shoulder to calm her the fuck down. “You know that’s a valuable appendage, right? I can live with one eye, but if you fuck my dick up, I’m not sure I’ll survive.”
Azadeh ignores my joke as she thrashes in my arms, pushing and shoving to wiggle free. “I’m gonna kill you, Lev. I’m going to stand over your body and laugh as I fucking slice and dice each of your organs until all that’s left is gutted flesh and bones.”
Fuck. She’s seething. I’ve never seen her like this. Azadeh leans forward, and the next thing I know, a wad of spit hits the corner of Lev’s mouth.
Lev’s gaze moves from me to Azadeh. Without a word, he lifts his index finger to the spit and slides it into his mouth. “You shouldn’t have stayed away this long.”
“Anyone want to tell me what the fuck is going on?” I demand.
Azadeh turns her head, eyes bloodshot and wild. “Why don’t you ask him?”
Chapter 4
Lev—Age 22
Hospital
Iwatched as Azadeh held her mother’s hand, trying to stay strong for everyone while pushing back her own fears. Her brother Dariyus was pacing, voice raised, speaking rapidly in Persian. I assumed from the reaction of their youngest sister, Mona, that his words were more in line with the vile nature of the language. Even while drowning in the depths of sorrow, Azadeh still held the radiance of the sun.
She rose from beside her mother’s bed as the nurse came in to administer medication not designed for healing but for comfort. My heart broke for my Beauty, another loss for a girl who’d already lost so much. I watched as she said something to her brother and turned to the door.
When Azadeh spotted me, she offered a shy wave and a small smile—a dim comparison to when she saw Cyrus or Zeke. My heart quickened with every step she took toward me, and I was reminded of how much power this girl held over me.
Usually, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a hospital. My earliest memories of the institutions were muddled with blood, loss, and devastation. But I’d overheard Azadeh speaking to Zeke about how the hospital would be filled with family and friends stopping by to lend a hand and provide an ear if they were in Iran. Her voice broke when she spoke about the sense of community in Iran she would never hope to find here. I knew that friends were a source of support in times of sadness and joy in Azadeh’s culture. Since her family didn’t have those bonds in America, I wanted to be that support, even in a small way.
“Thank you for coming, Lev,” she whispered.
I nodded, swallowing the tightness in my throat, unable to form words. Talking wasn’t my forte, but my brain forgot how to vocalize when it came to Azadeh.
