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Chapter 13
After driving around for what seemed like forever, they finally saw an old-looking cabin near a swamp. There was a van parked outside the cabin. Badir turned his head and looked at Bassem. They shared a look of suspicion and concern.
“Let’s check it out,” Bassem said to Badir.
“Yes sheikh.” Badir nodded as he rolled the window down and stuck his hand out. He gestured for the SUV behind him to go first.
The SUV behind them overtook them and drove up to the cabin first. The security guards jumped out of the SUV with their guns drawn and scanned the area first before they broke into the cabin. Badir drove up closer to the cabin and parked a few yards from it. He turned to face Bassem. The sheikh gave him a nod. Badir bowed his head and then grabbed his gun and rushed out of the car.
A gunshot sounded, causing the birds to fly away and Blake to inhale sharply. Bassem turned and looked at her. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
“Just shocked, I’ve never heard a gunshot in person,” she replied.
Suddenly some unfamiliar men walked out of the cabin with Bassem’s men pointing their guns at them. Bassem unbuckled his seat belt.
“Where are you going?” Blake asked him.
“I need to know if they’re my brother’s abductors,” he replied.
“That isn’t wise.”
“Stay here.” Bassem held Blake’s face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. It was a quick kiss but Blake felt how soft and luscious his lips were. She raised her eyebrows and watched Bassem getting out of the car. He had kissed her so easily, as if it was a reflex, as if it was something they did all the time.
Blake was full of mixed emotions. She was startled because of the gunshots. She was worried for Basil’s safety. She wondered if he was in that cabin. She hoped that he was there and unharmed. She was confused by Bassem’s kiss. It was their first kiss and it looked as though he had done it instinctively. He hadn’t thought about it, he had just done it.
She watched as Bassem approached the chaos. She saw him talking to the unfamiliar men. She wondered what he was saying to them. She could only assume that he was asking about his brother. There was one man that was doing most of the talking. Suddenly Bassem threw his fist into the man’s jaw causing him to stumble backwards.
Blake gasped at Bassem’s unquestionable strength. He had punched the other man without much effort at all but it had caused the other man to stumble. She wondered what he had said to Bassem that had angered him. As much as she wanted to get out of the car, she had to stay inside just like Bassem had asked her to do.
Suddenly one of Bassem’s men walked out of the cabin with Basil. He rubbed his wrists as he walked out. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway down. Blake gasped as she placed her hands on her heart. She was so glad to see that he was okay. He had been gone for a day, but it felt as though he had been gone for ages. She watched Bassem and Basil look at each other and then exchange nods.
A few words were exchanged between Bassem and Badir. Badir bowed his head. Bassem and Basil headed towards the SUV Blake was in. She opened the door and rushed out of the car. “Basil!” she cried out with her arms wide open. He looked at Bassem with a questioning gaze. Bassem shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
Blake wrapped her arms around Basil. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said to him. Basil pulled out of her embrace and held her shoulders.
“What are you doing here? This place isn’t safe for you,” he said.
“I tried to tell her,” said Bassem.
“It wasn’t safe for you either,” Blake retorted. She turned her attention back to Basil. “We were both worried about you. We couldn’t just sit at home and wait to hear back from Badir,” she said to him. Basil smiled at her and rubbed her shoulders.
“I’m fine, thanks for coming along,” he said. He leaned in closer to her and kissed her on the cheek. Bassem slightly crossed his eyebrows.
“Let’s go,” he said to them, interrupting their moment. Basil and Blake both turned their heads to look at him. “There’s no reason to linger around,” he added. He looked away and walked around the car to the driver’s side.
“You’re driving?” Blake asked.
“Yes,” Bassem replied. Blake never expected the sheikh to drive himself. She turned on her heel and just as she was about to get into the backseat of the car, Bassem stopped her. “Sit in the front,” he ordered.
“Um, okay.” Blake headed for the passenger’s seat and sat next to Bassem. Basil climbed into the backseat of the car.
“I’ll just sit back here by myself,” he said sulkily. Bassem looked in the rearview mirror.
“You’ll survive,” he said. The car key was still in the ignition. He turned it and the engine purred in response.
“How come you’re driving?” Blake asked. She looked outside the window as they pulled away from the cabin. “And what is going to happen to those men?” she asked.
“Badir will deal with it.”
