Chapter 65
Inara
MAIN VILLA
1:32 p.m.
“Where did you sleep?”
I’ve barely crossed the threshold of the villa when Khalid asks me this question as if he actually cares. Yet he’s the one who threw me out like a tramp.
He’s sitting at the central table in the living room with Hakim. They’re eating while barely hiding their smiles when they see
- me.
“I slept at a hotel since I was denied access to the villa.”
“You could’ve made an effort to change your clothes.”
I put on what I wore yesterday in my car to avoid raising any questions.
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
“What happened to you to come back in that state?” Hakim asks me.
“Mind your own balls, will you.”
Khalid shoots me a deadly glare.
“Inara, watch your language when talking to Hakim unless you want to end up in an even worse state than that.”
“He knows very well what happened to me given that hyena laugh of his, no need to pretend he cares about my condition.”
“I’m deeply hurt that you think that of me.”
“And I’m deeply hurt that I have to see your son–of–a–bitch face every day! So we’re even, right?”
I stormed up the stairs to my room.
3:45 p.m.
“Inara! Open the door! Quickly!”
I rush to the door to open it. Khalid looks at me, panicked. His hands are trembling and his face is drenched in sweat. I raise an eyebrow, seeing him in a state that’s so unlike him.
“What’s going on? A problem with a delivery?”
“Omar is at the main entrance of the villa. He’s looking for me because of the weapons money I stole from him during our trip to Brazil! He wants to kill me!”
I raise my eyebrows.
“What? What are you talking about? Who’s Omar? What weapons? What money?”
1/5
10:27 pm
Chapter 65
“I don’t have time to explain. He’s with five armed men who won’t hesitate for a second to shoot the guards!”
Scoci
I’ve rarely seen him so worried. I’m not stupid enough to believe he fears for the guards‘ lives–or mine. No, what terrifies him is that this Omar guy might go after all of us and manage to get to him.
“How did he get past security?”
“I don’t know! All I know is that he might start shooting if we don’t stop him immediately! There are only two guards today!”
“Where’s Hakim?”
“I don’t know, he went out!”
Never there when he’s actually needed, that useless idiot!
“Aren’t the staff outside? He could take one of them hostage to get in! Are they all okay?”
He glares at me.
“What do you want me to care about the life of a servant for! I’m talking about my survival and you’re bringing up
nonsense!”
I forgot the only person who matters to Khalid is Khalid himself.
“You need to go talk to him and avoid a bloodbath. If there’s a confrontation, we don’t stand a chance against him and his
men!”
He takes a step back.
“Are you crazy? If I leave the villa, he’ll blow my head off!”
“You need to act like the boss! We can’t risk other people’s lives just to protect you!”
“I’m the most important person in this villa. There’s no way I’m sacrificing myself for all the rats who live off my money! I won’t risk my life for guards and servants, make no mistake.”
I’m not even a little surprised by his legendary selfishness.
“How much did you take from him?”
“A lot.”
‘I need a number.”
“Six hundred thousand euros.”
Six hundred thousand–reason enough to want him dead.
“Why would you do something so stupid? You knew damn well he’d find you!”
“May I remind you that I’m your father, stop talking to me like that!”
A father only when it suits him.
“Do you have that money here? Just give it back and everything will be fine.”
2/5
10:27 pm
Chapter 65
“I don’t have that money on me, obviously I would’ve given it to him already! I sent one of my men to finalize the last transfers of all my bills to the Cayman Islands! Setting up that kind of transfer takes weeks, and Omar isn’t known for his patience.”
“You’ve put all of us in deep shit!”
OT
I walk to my bed and lift my mattress to grab my machine gun underneath. I grip it tightly and head toward the door of my
room.
“You plan to handle Omar and his men with one machine gun? Have you seen the state of your body and face? You look like you’re about to collapse!”
“You clearly don’t want to take responsibility. Someone has to.”
He looks at me without saying a word.
“Inara?”
I raise my eyebrows and look at him.
“If you have to sacrifice yourself to save me, do it without hesitation–I’ll be forever grateful.”
Classic Khalid.
“I’m not doing this for you. I refuse to let your employees become collateral damage because of your greed and cowardice.”
Khalid is really terrified. Omar must be dangerous to get him like this. And yet, the idiot still robbed him.
I step out of my room with my hand on my weapon. I begin descending the stairs, struggling because of how badly my ribs hurt. I make it to the front door, open it slowly, and walk toward the men standing outside the villa.
My gaze locks with the infamous Omar.
He’s a tanned man with dark brown eyes, tall, muscular, probably in his forties, with grayish–brown hair and bushy. eyebrows. Wearing a beige suit, he holds a weapon in his hands–a simple pistol.
He’s accompanied by five men standing behind him, all dressed in black suits and armed to the teeth. One of their guns alone could take down the entire villa.
I face him, keeping a few meters of distance between us. He smirks.
“Khalid’s so desperate he sends a wounded little girl to make me feel sorry for him? That’s pathetic.”
“I’m Khalid’s daughter, and I work for him.”
“He actually hires women in his shitty network–including his own daughter who looks like a corpse!”
I turn around to approach the two guards waiting for my orders.
“Go back inside with the others. I’ll handle this.”
They seem shocked. They look at each other hesitantly, then nod and head back inside the villa.
As soon as the villa door slams shut, I turn again to face Omar, who raises his eyebrows.
“You think you’re strong enough to face my men and me alone? That’s insulting.”
3/5
10:27 pm
Chapter 65
“Not at all. I just don’t want any collateral damage–those men have wives and children waiting for them tonight. Me? Not many people are waiting for me, you see?”
He looks at me, stunned.
“I admit, you’re braver than the man who calls himself your father. I’m impressed by such altruism and bravery.”
“I came to ask you to leave this property with your men peacefully. I want to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”
He lets out a bitter laugh.
“Either I leave with the bills your father stole from me, or I leave with his head. Either way works fine for me! You know how your father robbed me? He drugged me with GHB in my drink and took off with my money! He vanished with my seven hundred thousand euros!”
Why can’t Khalid be a normal person?
On top of that, he lied about the amount. He’s letting me walk into the lion’s den with half the facts.
“You’ll have it in a few weeks, just the time to make the transfer.”
“I think you haven’t grasped the situation we’re in. I don’t like waiting. I want my money–now.”
“You have my word you’ll get it, but we have no cash here.”
“Fine, then we go with option two!”
“I won’t let you inside this villa.”
“You’re not very threatening in your current state.”
He’s right. I feel absolutely awful, my body is burning and my vision is blurring. My legs are heavy and I feel like I could collapse at any moment. I’m not allowed to fall.
“By the way, what happened to put you in such a state? Those injuries are recent.”
My body’s about to give out. It can no longer keep up with my commands or my thoughts. I’m using up my last strength.
“You’re not entering my house.”
I start coughing; he begins to laugh.
“It’s adorable that you’re trying to protect your daddy, but he’s done for–and you won’t even be conscious to see it.”
“You won’t touch anyone in that villa–not an employee, not even my father, you hear me?”
“It truly surprises me you share blood with that son of a bitch Khalid.”
Dizziness fills my skull and keeps me from thinking straight. I feel like my whole body is going to hit the ground. I can’t fall. I have to do my duty and protect all the people who are part of my family.
I can’t show weakness. Not now. They’re counting on me.
I stagger closer to Omar, look him straight in the eye, and spit in his face.
“No one touches my family–especially not a clown like you!”
4/5
10:28 pm
Chapter 65
He wipes the spit and smirks. I try to grab my weapon from behind my jeans, but he grabs it first and points it right in the middle of my forehead.
“You’re as brave as you are stupid, little girl! For that highly disrespectful gesture, I’m going to kill you.”
I’m suddenly thrown backward.
I’m about to hit the ground and bang my head when a pair of arms catches me. I lift my head to see the face of the one who just stopped me from falling.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
But it’s real.
A smirk and a playful glint in the eyes.
Were you scared of falling? I’m here to catch you, doll.”
