“That’s not true. I’ve seen people die in terror and agony. Dying demands courage.”
“If I kill you now,” Filip said. “There is no revenge against Vince. He wins.”
“I think I have seen my revenge.” Khan looked at Jay, who stared miserably from Filip to him. “His only child despises him. From shame and disgust, she’ll learn to hate him.”
“No. He’s my dad.” But Jay’s cry wasn’t disagreement. It was despair.
“Take her and go,” Khan said to Filip.
“Vince is flying to Melbourne.” Filip lowered the gun. “He intends to kill you.” The men both knew it wouldn’t be a clean gunshot. When Vince caught up with Khan, he’d torture him.
“If he catches me…” Khan shrugged. “I knew what I risked with revenge.”
“Dad’s flying here to save me?” Jay struggled with hope. Rescue and heroism made her father one of the good guys.
Filip guessed he and Sara stayed silent out of compassion. Khan was brutal.
“Your father sent the djinni to rescue you. If he’s coming to Melbourne himself, it’s to kill me. Painfully.” He bared his teeth. It wasn’t a smile. “Vince Ablett has a reputation to maintain. I crossed him. He can’t afford to let me live.”
“But you haven’t killed me.” Jay was growing up tonight, growing old. “Your wife and son are dead. You’ve lost more.”
The abrupt slash of Khan’s hand said none of it mattered.
Jay scrambled to her feet. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to fix…if anything can make things right.” She rubbed her arms, shivering. “I don’t think I can stop Dad.”
“I have to take you home.” Filip cut the emotional atmosphere. He vanished the gun and held out his hand.
“I—” Jay surprised them all. She dashed a few steps forward and hugged Khan.
He stood frozen in her embrace, but a soul tremor twisted his face. Whatever he’d expected tonight, it hadn’t been compassion.
Filip relaxed his watchfulness. Jay’s impulsive sympathy had stolen Khan’s cold anger. He was back in the land of the living. It was a painful place to be, but it was where healing began.
Jay stepped back and accepted Filip’s hand. Her teary glance included Sara. “Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, Jay. Live with grace.” The angel blessing fell softly.
It turned Filip’s blood cold. “Sara?” He’d thought she’d return with them, with him. At the billabong he’d been her first lover. If she walked away now, he couldn’t chase her. Solomon’s damn curse held him. It was tugging him back to Vince’s property. He had to return Jay that night.
“I can’t leave yet,” Sara said.
He wouldn’t beg. Instead, he glared at Khan. “If you hurt her, I’ll rip your heart out.”
“It seems your heart is the one bleeding, djinni.”
Filip growled.
Sara stepped in front of him, stopping his impulsive move to strike Khan. She put a hand on his shoulder, stretched up and kissed his cheek.
He turned his face and snared her lips with his. He tasted her sweetness, the trace of salty tears. He let her taste his hunger and need.
Against his lips, she gave him the reassurance he craved. “Filip.”
Just his name, but it was a claiming and a commitment.
“I’ll wait for you,” he said.
“You’d better,” she threatened shakily.
He nodded and strode out of the room with Jay trailing after him.
***
Sara wrapped her arms around herself and listened to their fading footsteps. She felt the moment when they dematerialised and knew they were safe at Vince’s outback property. Filip had fulfilled Vince’s second wish.
Somehow she would find a way to be with him despite Solomon’s curse.
Khan swore, strode across the living room and opened a trunk under the window. He pulled out a gun and ammunition.
“No,” she said.
He ignored her. “I grew up fighting. I killed a man when I was fourteen. He would have beaten my sister, raped her probably, and do you know why? Because she knew how to read. A girl who could read and a
“If I kill you now,” Filip said. “There is no revenge against Vince. He wins.”
“I think I have seen my revenge.” Khan looked at Jay, who stared miserably from Filip to him. “His only child despises him. From shame and disgust, she’ll learn to hate him.”
“No. He’s my dad.” But Jay’s cry wasn’t disagreement. It was despair.
“Take her and go,” Khan said to Filip.
“Vince is flying to Melbourne.” Filip lowered the gun. “He intends to kill you.” The men both knew it wouldn’t be a clean gunshot. When Vince caught up with Khan, he’d torture him.
“If he catches me…” Khan shrugged. “I knew what I risked with revenge.”
“Dad’s flying here to save me?” Jay struggled with hope. Rescue and heroism made her father one of the good guys.
Filip guessed he and Sara stayed silent out of compassion. Khan was brutal.
“Your father sent the djinni to rescue you. If he’s coming to Melbourne himself, it’s to kill me. Painfully.” He bared his teeth. It wasn’t a smile. “Vince Ablett has a reputation to maintain. I crossed him. He can’t afford to let me live.”
“But you haven’t killed me.” Jay was growing up tonight, growing old. “Your wife and son are dead. You’ve lost more.”
The abrupt slash of Khan’s hand said none of it mattered.
Jay scrambled to her feet. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to fix…if anything can make things right.” She rubbed her arms, shivering. “I don’t think I can stop Dad.”
“I have to take you home.” Filip cut the emotional atmosphere. He vanished the gun and held out his hand.
“I—” Jay surprised them all. She dashed a few steps forward and hugged Khan.
He stood frozen in her embrace, but a soul tremor twisted his face. Whatever he’d expected tonight, it hadn’t been compassion.
Filip relaxed his watchfulness. Jay’s impulsive sympathy had stolen Khan’s cold anger. He was back in the land of the living. It was a painful place to be, but it was where healing began.
Jay stepped back and accepted Filip’s hand. Her teary glance included Sara. “Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, Jay. Live with grace.” The angel blessing fell softly.
It turned Filip’s blood cold. “Sara?” He’d thought she’d return with them, with him. At the billabong he’d been her first lover. If she walked away now, he couldn’t chase her. Solomon’s damn curse held him. It was tugging him back to Vince’s property. He had to return Jay that night.
“I can’t leave yet,” Sara said.
He wouldn’t beg. Instead, he glared at Khan. “If you hurt her, I’ll rip your heart out.”
“It seems your heart is the one bleeding, djinni.”
Filip growled.
Sara stepped in front of him, stopping his impulsive move to strike Khan. She put a hand on his shoulder, stretched up and kissed his cheek.
He turned his face and snared her lips with his. He tasted her sweetness, the trace of salty tears. He let her taste his hunger and need.
Against his lips, she gave him the reassurance he craved. “Filip.”
Just his name, but it was a claiming and a commitment.
“I’ll wait for you,” he said.
“You’d better,” she threatened shakily.
He nodded and strode out of the room with Jay trailing after him.
***
Sara wrapped her arms around herself and listened to their fading footsteps. She felt the moment when they dematerialised and knew they were safe at Vince’s outback property. Filip had fulfilled Vince’s second wish.
Somehow she would find a way to be with him despite Solomon’s curse.
Khan swore, strode across the living room and opened a trunk under the window. He pulled out a gun and ammunition.
“No,” she said.
He ignored her. “I grew up fighting. I killed a man when I was fourteen. He would have beaten my sister, raped her probably, and do you know why? Because she knew how to read. A girl who could read and a
Similar Books
