“What?”
“We should swap hearts. You give me yours so that I can heal it. I’ll give you mine so that you can protect it.”
Zaida’s hair was drying in long, fuzzy curls. He gripped a fistful and lifted them over her shoulder. “If we do that, we won’t be able to live without each other.”
She smiled. “That’s kinda the point.”
He pulled her all the way up his chest, loving the soft feel of her nude body. “You are so much braver than I am.”
“I know.” She nodded sagely. “In this, anyway.”
He stared into her eyes until the humor left them. “Zaida Hussan, I give you my heart, to hold near your soul, to heal and keep forever.”
A big tear slipped from her eye and splashed down on his cheek. “Levi Jones, I accept your heart and give you mine, to guard and protect and keep forever.”
Levi choked on a strangled breath. His eyes watered as he brought her close for a kiss to seal their promises.
Never in his life had he felt so much joy.
19
Levi’s motion sensors alerted him to an uninvited arrival. A week had passed since the end of the county fair. Jack had given the all clear regarding the Tahrir al-Sham terrorist cells. Of course, that assessment wasn’t worth the time it took to say it, since they really never were out of the woods when it came to hate groups.
Zaida had spent most of the last week with him, working on her book while he worked the farm. They’d made love on his roof once, when they’d gone up to watch his sunflowers one night. Levi had had the locks updated on her apartment since it seemed everyone and their brother had a key. Life had settled back to a new normal.
Levi had been waiting for a group of sunflower seed buyers from Spain. They’d promised to come look at his hybrid crop of black seed and consider it for a gourmet line of sunflower seed oil they’d developed. He hoped they could make a deal. These buyers were offering a premium price.
He walked out of his greenhouse and headed toward his house. A man in a Lexus SUV pulled into the parking area. Jamal. Levi pulled his work gloves off and dropped them on the picnic table. He wasn’t entirely surprised that Zaida’s one-time-almost-fiancé had come out for a face to face.
Zaida was worth fighting for, and well he knew it. Levi was just glad that she’d stayed in town last night. Jamal didn’t need witnesses when he left with his tail between his legs.
Jamal walked over to greet him. They shook hands. He sent a glance around them at the walls of sunflowers, which were even taller than when this nightmare began.
“Zaida told me your place was beautiful,” Jamal said. “She was right.”
Not bad, as opening pleasantries went. Levi nodded, accepting the compliment, even though he knew where this friendly meeting was headed. It was the same, really, in any culture. Leave my woman alone. Get the fuck outta Dodge. Levi wasn’t going to comply.
“You’re a long way out of town, Jamal. What brings you out this way?” Levi asked.
Jamal took his sunglasses off and looked straight at Levi. Nice move. His gesture indicated this would be an honest and frank discussion—just the kind Levi liked.
“I wanted to thank you for helping Zaida. I wasn’t sure of your motives that night we met on the street.”
Levi kept himself from grinning. Fuck honesty; Jamal knew exactly what Levi wanted from Zaida that night.
Jamal looked down at his own neatly manicured hands, then at the greenhouses behind Levi, then at Levi, who became aware of the farm dirt under his own nails.
“And now that the crisis is over,” Jamal said, “it’s time for you to let Zaida move on with her life.”
Levi held up a hand. “Save your breath. That ship has sailed. Zaida’s mine.”
Jamal’s dark eyes hardened. Geez, he was so easy to read. “She isn’t part of your world,” Jamal growled.
“She’s part of whatever world she wishes to be part of,” Levi said.
“You confuse her. You take her from her parents, her people, her destiny.”
“No, I don’t, actually. Free will does none of that. Everything in her life is her choice. Not mine. Not yours. It’s her freedom code, you know.”
“I’ve known her all her life. I know what’s best for her.”
Levi did grin at that. “Says you. Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
Jamal glared at Levi. This wasn’t going to be a short discussion. “Coffee. Espresso if you have it.”
“I do. Come inside. It’s cooler there.” Levi held the door for Jamal. This meeting was a pivotal one if Levi wanted Zaida to have any harmony in her life. It was no secret her parents far preferred Jamal to Levi. Making peace with Jamal was a long shot, especially when so much was at risk. Levi knew Zaida had already made the choice between him and Jamal, but Jamal didn’t.
The professor had proved himself to be a man of honor, helping his student, helping his country, trying to keep the woman he loved and her parents safe from danger. Levi was glad Abdul had been exonerated. Jack’s team had confirmed the worm had come from the flash drive Hidaya had used on Zaida’s old machine; Levi was glad it hadn’t been Jamal who’d released it. And it turned out that the worm he’d crafted had become a boon to Abdul’s chosen country and its spy networks. The FBI had even rewarded him with a scholarship and an offer of employment upon graduation. The secrets Zaida had been keeping from her parents were all out in the open.
All in all, things had worked out well. But much depended on whether he and Jamal could make peace with each other. He wanted Zaida’s parents’ acceptance of him to be as frictionless as possible.
Beau came into the house from his dog run and silently approached Jamal. He got a good sniffing in before Jamal even became aware of him. When he looked down at the dog and Beau looked up at him, there was a tense moment, but then Beau wagged his tail and let Jamal scratch his head. That went a long way toward alleviating Levi’s concerns about the guy.
Levi washed the garden dirt off his hands then ground the espresso beans. The rich scent of coffee filled the air. He and Jamal talked about the beans and Levi’s espresso setup as Levi made the coffee. It seemed they were both connoisseurs of good coffee.
Jamal sat on one of the counter stools. Levi pushed his small espresso cup over to him, offering him cream and sugar. Taking his own cup, Levi leaned against the opposite counter and waited for Jamal to state his case.
Jamal sipped his cup. “That’s good.”
Levi nodded.
“The thing is, Levi, one cannot know a culture by making war with it.”
“I’m not at war with your culture. Or your people. Or your religion. I’m out of the war business.”
“No, you’re not. If you were, your government would not call upon you like it just did.”
“Our government, no?”
“Yes. Our government.”
“We are one people, Jamal.”
Jamal scoffed at that. “My people are a significant minority.”
Levi looked down at the counter. How easily an us vs. them mentality was to set up. And how difficult it was to resist that very thing. “You can consider yourself separate, unique, special. I consider myself human. I try every day to improve how I represent my humanity, but the truth is I am nothing more or less than a man, however well I do it. And this man is in love with Zaida. And because of that love, I gave her the freedom to choose me, you, or neither of us. I don’t presume to know what’s best for her, but I suspect she does. And she chose me.”
“And this is where your not being one of us causes everyone problems. This isn’t a choice she can rationally make. It’s a choice her parents, as her elders, and her suitor, as her superior, should make for her.”
“Why can’t she rationally make that choice for herself?” Levi asked.
“Because it is too emotionally charged, as she herself is right now. This will affect the rest of her life. She needs guidance.”
“Wow. That�
��s a whole bunch of bullshit. This is the Twenty-First Century. Get with the times. Zaida is the only one who can make this choice for herself…and she’s already made it.”
“Again, that is a mark that you do not respect our culture.”
“I walk a gray line, Jamal, which is the perfect balance between all extremes. It’s where peace is. Where hope is. Where joy thrives. I’ve fought my whole life to find that line. And now that I’m on it, I’m not going to lose sight of it.”
“What does that mean? What do you stand for, then, if you are in the middle of everything?”
“I stand for you. For Zaida. For her parents. Her friends. Peace. I’m not in the ultimatum business. I don’t know what’s better for her, for you. Only for me.”
“Then you care nothing at all for her, only for yourself.”
“You can twist my words all you like. We both know what I’m saying.”
“So you won’t withdraw your pursuit of her?”
“She has my heart.” Levi held his free hand palm up. “I can’t take it back. What she decides to do with it I will have to live with. And so will you.”
“I gave her my heart first.”
Levi slowly smiled. “And now we talk like twelve-year-olds.”
Jamal glared at him from narrowed eyes. He straightened and set his cup on the counter. “Thank you for the coffee. I will leave now.”
Later that night, Zaida came over. Since the fair, she’d been splitting her time between her place and his. He was glad she was here; he wasn’t himself when she was away from him. They were finishing their dinner, sitting at the picnic table. He was trying to think of a way to tell her Jamal had come out for a visit. He didn’t want to make drama, but he felt she should know that her old boyfriend was still carrying a torch for her.
“You seem distant, Levi,” Zaida said. “Is something the matter?”
“Not really. Jamal came out this morning.”
Her mouth made a big O. “What did he say?”
“That you were his and I should go to hell.” Okay, so he’d made a little drama.
“I’m sorry. He is tenacious. I will have another talk with him.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. He needs time. He’s thought of you as his for a long while. He has to ease himself into a new paradigm.” Levi had an idea. “Maybe he just needs to meet a new love interest. There anyone you know?”
She winced. “I can’t. He’s a sucky fucker, remember? I wouldn’t wish that on any of my friends.”
Levi laughed at that. “Right. I forgot.” He pushed his plate away. “So how did I do the other night at dinner with your parents? We seemed to get along. I’m trying very hard to get them to like me.”
Zaida put her hands on his. “I know. And I appreciate that. They’ll come around, sooner or later. Mom actually laughed at some of your jokes. I think I even saw Dad smiling a time or two.”
“I figured laughter was a good way in. I had to distract them from this.” He held up his scraped knuckles and waved a circle around his face with his finger. “It’s a big reminder of what we just went through.”
His phone rang. Levi took the call, recognizing the Nolan’s number.
Zaida listened to Levi talk to someone she assumed was a neighbor. She liked that he had a support network out here. It was such a remote place—the fact that he had friends near gave her a little peace of mind.
“Hey, babe,” Levi said as he got up from the picnic table. “Mr. Nolan’s working on the harvest schedule. We cost-share some equipment that we need to book. I know it’s late, but I’ve got to run over there.” He kissed her cheek. “I shouldn’t be too long. Wait up for me?”
“Of course.”
Zaida sat outside a little longer, but as dusk fell, the mosquitos got aggressive. She took their dishes to the house and cleaned the kitchen for Levi. Smiling, she thought she wasn’t utterly helpless; she could load and unload a dishwasher.
There was a knock at the door. Zaida looked at the clock. It was almost eight p.m. Levi had been gone an hour. She wondered who was knocking, then remembered he was expecting a Spanish delegation from a sunflower growers’ organization. It was a little late for them to come by, but she didn’t want to harm his business by not opening the door.
Beau growled. She shushed him and opened the front door. Four men were there. The porch light showed their Mediterranean features—fair skin, dark hair and brows. She smiled at them, wishing she spoke Spanish. They had to be the guys Levi was waiting for.
“May I help you?” she asked. Beau creeped closer to her, still growling. She frowned at him.
As soon as her attention was off the men, they shoved their way inside. Beau went crazy. He leapt at one of the men who had pulled a gun. She screamed and spun around, trying to run for the back door, but two men grabbed her. The last man also had a gun, and he was trying to get a bead on Beau, but the man and the dog kept twisting about, blocking his shot. His friend screamed frantically in Arabic, shouting at him to shoot the damned dog.
Zaida kicked at the man’s arm before he could, causing him to shoot his friend. The men were shouting at her, at Beau, at each other. She fought against them and managed to break loose in the mayhem; she charged toward the front door. Beau disengaged from the man’s arm and chased after her…as did the men. She ran straight into Levi’s sunflower field, seeking the only shelter immediately available to her.
Too late she realized the thick flower stalks would provide no real cover as the men fired into the field. Leaves popped all around her as bullets hit them. Someone was running after her. He was shouting directions back to his men. Beau was keeping up with her, thank God. She turned to the right and ran off in a different direction. She changed directions often, but always keeping to right angles, hoping that would make it harder for anyone to watch from the house and see where she was headed.
The flowers were so densely grown that it was hard to run in any direction other than an east-west axis. The spiky stalks slashed at her skin. The sun had set, so the darkness inside the field was complete. She slowed down, trying to judge how close the men were behind her. She seemed to have a lead. Maybe they’d stopped to get a fix on her location. She paused. She was breathing loud. They’d find her fast if she didn’t calm herself.
And then the gunfire started. She could hear stalks cracking after each round. Beau caught her hand and dragged her down. She hugged him close, burying her face in his soft fur. Someone was coming close. Beau didn’t growl, but he turned toward the threat.
Zaida was more terrified than ever in her life. She knew she was staring at her own death. These were going to be her last seconds on earth. The man was coming nearer. Had he located her? Or was he going to just pass right by? She forced her breathing to slow so that she could hear him. But it was another sound she heard that absolutely paralyzed her.
Rattles.
Two of them, flanking her. Too late, she remembered Levi warning her about the snakes in the fields. Oh. God. Hers was going to be a terrible death, riddled with bullets and snakebitten.
The man turned on his flashlight. The rows were too narrow for him to move through other than sideways. He kept ducking down to see what the light revealed. He stopped two rows from her, probably hearing the snake rattles.
With the benefit of his light, Zaida just moved her head slightly so that she could see the snake to her right. The triangle head had to be the size of her fist. Bigger, maybe. It was sitting atop its coiled body, its big rattle shaking behind it. She looked to her left to see the same thing, but from a slightly smaller snake.
It was then she remembered she still wore her security necklace. Levi had asked her to keep wearing it until the chatter on the dark web truly settled down. She freed a hand from Beau and reached for the slim plastic pendant, squeezing it over and over. A sob broke from her as she thought how Levi would take her death.
The man who’d been chasing her bent forward and shone his light toward her. He crouched down and grin
ned. “At last, I’ve found the bitch who caused so many of my brothers to die.” He started to crawl toward her.
Zaida whimpered. Her fingers dug into Beau’s chest. She could feel his growl more than she could hear it—her blood was thundering in her ears, fueling a flight or fight reaction she couldn’t yield to because of the snakes on either side of her.
She blinked. The man screamed and twisted back. She saw a snake attached to his neck and another at his wrist. He fumbled for his gun and shot willy-nilly into the dirt and air around him, but by then, the snakes were gone.
He screamed, “Help me! Help me!” in English and Arabic.
But no one came, for him or her.
20
Levi was already on his way back from the Nolans’ when the app associated with Zaida’s security necklace started to alarm. His phone rang. A glance at the screen showed Max’s number. He tossed the phone aside. Zaida was his only focus. He floored the gas pedal, flying the last mile down the long dirt road, slowing only enough to turn onto his property.
A man was standing beside the picnic table as Levi pulled onto the property. He pointed his flashlight at Levi, then started firing at his Jeep. Levi ducked as he accelerated, driving straight for him…and over him. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jeep to a stop. Of course, he’d left the house unarmed except for the knife in his ankle holster.
He walked behind his car to make sure the guy he hit was dead. He wasn’t moving, but he still had a finger on the trigger of his pistol. Levi took the guy’s gun and put a bullet in his head, just to be safe.
“Zaida! Beau!” he shouted. He heard a single bark out in the middle of the field directly in front of his house. Before he could start her way, two guys came out of his house and began shooting at him. Levi shoved his picnic table over, then dove behind it, only to be body-slammed as soon as he was down by one of the guys.
Levi struggled to get some leverage against his attacker. They were tangled up under the picnic table bench, which was freestanding. The other guy from the house was only steps away, but Levi had to keep his attention on the gun his opponent had in his hand. Keeping a grip on the man’s wrist, Levi waited until the guy from the house reached them before kicking the bench, flipping it up at the third guy.
Freedom Code Page 21