road for a split second to glance at him. Karim slumped in his seat, completely out of it. She wasn’t sure whether from the drug or blood loss. A hospital would have been great right about now, but they were clearly in a residential neighborhood.
And she had a feeling these residents were anything but ordinary. A row of palaces lined the road on each side, some traditional, some startlingly modern. She had to shift down. After some hesitation, she actually succeeded. Then she took stock of the front yards that were protected by stone walls and wrought-iron gates. There was no way she could just pull into a driveway and pretend to belong there. Especially not with the back window of Karim’s BMW being blown out.
She glanced into the rearview mirror, but couldn’t tell if they were being followed. She couldn’t see the dark sedan anywhere, but that didn’t mean the assassin hadn’t commandeered another car. Assassin or assassins. She wasn’t sure how badly Karim had hurt the one he’d shot. Could be they were both still out there, on their tail.
“Karim?” She reached over to shake him, couldn’t be too forceful with his bad arm. “You need to wake up now.”
The street she was on looked completely unfamiliar to her, all the signs on the buildings in Arabic. Blue, he had said. About every third house was blue.
He didn’t seem to care. His head tilted to the side. For the moment, he was completely out.
She was lost in a strange place, her only possible protection injured and unconscious and there was a better than good chance that they had an assassin or two following not far behind—serious bad guys whom she was too inexperienced and frazzled to even hope to spot.
If things were going to get any worse, she didn’t want to know it.
K ARIM STRUGGLED to open his eyes, struggled to remember where he was. Through a slit, he caught a glimpse of Julia next to him, her hair all messed up and wild, her eyes wide as she stared at the road ahead, her face pinched in concentration.
They were in danger, but he couldn’t remember why or from whom. He had to stay awake. Frustration pulsed through him, but he couldn’t sustain the urgency of it. He felt like he was diving, underwater, floating in the deep. His body seemed incredibly relaxed. All was peaceful inside. He could sense turmoil outside, but felt as if it had been somehow walled off from him.
He smiled at the mermaid in the driver’s seat. “You’re beautiful.” He slurred the words.
She barely spared him a glance. “Which house? You need to tell me which house it is.”
Where were they going? He could only think that someone was after them and they must get away. But he couldn’t keep focused on that for more than a second. “You shine like an angel.”
“Speak English,” she snapped.
Julia Gardner was an exceedingly beautiful woman. He liked her hair the most. And her eyes. Her skin glowed pink. Her lips were—
“Karim,” she snapped at him again. “I need you to tell me how to get there.”
Where were they heading? A long moment passed before he could remember. “Aziz.”
“Right. Which one is his palace?” She sounded exceedingly impatient. Might have even growled a little.
The sound made him smile.
With effort, he turned his gaze from her and realized that they were on Aziz’s street. He reached for the remote in his glove compartment, feeling darkness closing in. “Aziz,” he said one more time, then sunk into oblivion.
“K ARIM , WAKE UP ! Wake up, dammit.”
Julia took her right hand off the steering wheel, a move she could hardly afford, and shook him.
Nothing.
She grabbed the remote from his hand. What was this for? She pushed the top button. Down the road lined by modern palaces, a wrought-iron gate opened. She hoped there was a correlation between that and the remote. In any case, she had to get off the road. She had to hide.
Of course, the second she tried to shift down, she stalled the car. Damn. Okay.
And she had a feeling these residents were anything but ordinary. A row of palaces lined the road on each side, some traditional, some startlingly modern. She had to shift down. After some hesitation, she actually succeeded. Then she took stock of the front yards that were protected by stone walls and wrought-iron gates. There was no way she could just pull into a driveway and pretend to belong there. Especially not with the back window of Karim’s BMW being blown out.
She glanced into the rearview mirror, but couldn’t tell if they were being followed. She couldn’t see the dark sedan anywhere, but that didn’t mean the assassin hadn’t commandeered another car. Assassin or assassins. She wasn’t sure how badly Karim had hurt the one he’d shot. Could be they were both still out there, on their tail.
“Karim?” She reached over to shake him, couldn’t be too forceful with his bad arm. “You need to wake up now.”
The street she was on looked completely unfamiliar to her, all the signs on the buildings in Arabic. Blue, he had said. About every third house was blue.
He didn’t seem to care. His head tilted to the side. For the moment, he was completely out.
She was lost in a strange place, her only possible protection injured and unconscious and there was a better than good chance that they had an assassin or two following not far behind—serious bad guys whom she was too inexperienced and frazzled to even hope to spot.
If things were going to get any worse, she didn’t want to know it.
K ARIM STRUGGLED to open his eyes, struggled to remember where he was. Through a slit, he caught a glimpse of Julia next to him, her hair all messed up and wild, her eyes wide as she stared at the road ahead, her face pinched in concentration.
They were in danger, but he couldn’t remember why or from whom. He had to stay awake. Frustration pulsed through him, but he couldn’t sustain the urgency of it. He felt like he was diving, underwater, floating in the deep. His body seemed incredibly relaxed. All was peaceful inside. He could sense turmoil outside, but felt as if it had been somehow walled off from him.
He smiled at the mermaid in the driver’s seat. “You’re beautiful.” He slurred the words.
She barely spared him a glance. “Which house? You need to tell me which house it is.”
Where were they going? He could only think that someone was after them and they must get away. But he couldn’t keep focused on that for more than a second. “You shine like an angel.”
“Speak English,” she snapped.
Julia Gardner was an exceedingly beautiful woman. He liked her hair the most. And her eyes. Her skin glowed pink. Her lips were—
“Karim,” she snapped at him again. “I need you to tell me how to get there.”
Where were they heading? A long moment passed before he could remember. “Aziz.”
“Right. Which one is his palace?” She sounded exceedingly impatient. Might have even growled a little.
The sound made him smile.
With effort, he turned his gaze from her and realized that they were on Aziz’s street. He reached for the remote in his glove compartment, feeling darkness closing in. “Aziz,” he said one more time, then sunk into oblivion.
“K ARIM , WAKE UP ! Wake up, dammit.”
Julia took her right hand off the steering wheel, a move she could hardly afford, and shook him.
Nothing.
She grabbed the remote from his hand. What was this for? She pushed the top button. Down the road lined by modern palaces, a wrought-iron gate opened. She hoped there was a correlation between that and the remote. In any case, she had to get off the road. She had to hide.
Of course, the second she tried to shift down, she stalled the car. Damn. Okay.
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