Page 147 of Sheltering You

Her feet felt leaden. She couldn’t move. Even if she could, what would she do? Her gaze flicked to the doorway that led downstairs. Khalid wouldn’t shoot her. He wouldn’t risk harming his child.

She could run. She could try.

He must’ve guessed her intention because he closed the distance between them and grabbed her, yanking her toward the door. She nearly tripped, but he held her up.

“Keep your feet, you useless, pathetic little mouse.” His words, spoken in Arabic, held nothing but malice. “You put all these people between us. You thought they could protect you.” He propelled her outside. The storm had passed. Snow covered everything, shimmering in the pale light of dawn. The waves crashed into rocks below, steady as time. Interrupted by occasional gunshots.

Beautiful and terrible.

There was a strange lump on the patio, a dark form.

In…a brown jacket?

No. No!

She gasped. It couldn’t be.

Derrick. Oh, Derrick.

“Move!” Khalid dragged her away.

She would have panicked or collapsed if she hadn’t seen the slightest vapor rising from Derrick’s face. He was breathing. He was alive.

Khalid pushed her to the stairs and down to the snowy yard.

As soon as their feet touched the ground, he said, “Now.”

She had no idea what he meant. But then…

An explosion shook the air. Glass exploded over her head.

Someone screamed.

A wave of heat followed.

A scream.

Shouts.

The other bombs had been harmless.

But this…this had been real.

He’d bombed the house. Her friends.

Bombed them.

Khalid pushed her across the snow-covered grass toward the top of the metal staircase that led to the dock below.

“Did you really think you could escape me?” His voice held scorn. “You’re just a silly little mouse. A coward.”

Was that what she was? She wasn’t the one hurling bombs at innocent people.

How dare he? How dare he presume to know anything about her? How dare he presume to take lives given by God?

They were just feet from the top of the cliff when she stopped and pulled away from him. “A coward? Is that what I am? Your silly little second wife? Good for nothing but birthing your children?”

“No more of this foolishness.” His tiny black eyes flashed. “You are my wife. You will come with me.” He pointed toward the metal railing. “Go, now. Go down and get in the boat.”