hadn't contacted Luke either until she knew for sure the CIA wasn't going to kill her. And that was before she'd known Nev's life was at stake.
Maybe her circumstances weren't all that different from Fahdi's. Wouldn't she do whatever she had to in order to ensure Neveah's release? And Fahdi had five children to think about. Six lives, including his wife. Nev was only one. Sam frowned. Did she have it in her, if it came down to it? Could she trade one life for another? She wanted to say she wouldn't, but the only way she'd know was to be confronted with that terrible choice.
She'd contacted Ben and the others for help, despite being terrified whoever had sent her the e-mail would find out. She'd made the choice to risk her cousin's life because she knew she needed help. Thinking of what Fahdi had done made Sam wonder what she would have done if she'd been ordered to sacrifice someone from her team. Some of her anger toward Fahdi faded. He'd been forced to make a terrible decision. Now he had to live with his actions for the rest of his life.
The desolate sound of his quiet weeping from next door hurt her heart.
Curling up tighter and laying her head on her arms, she supposed she should be grateful she hadn't been put in the position of having to choose one life over another. She'd hate to have her loyalties put to the test, because she could already guess what her answer would be.
Chapter Seven
When Rhys strode into the TOC office with Sam in tow the next morning, Ben was completely unprepared for the jolt of physical awareness that hit him when she met his gaze.
“Morning,” she said, then glanced away abruptly as though she couldn't stand looking at him.
Considering where he'd left her last night, Ben couldn't blame her, but he was glad Luke had taken her out of that prison.
“Morning.” She looked like she hadn't slept at all the night before. Her eyes were puffy, with violet shadows beneath them, dark beneath her porcelain skin. She was pale, too. The light scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose was more prominent than usual. His conscience squirmed. Dammit, he'd been the one to put her in that cell and walk away. It was his fault she'd been awake and probably afraid all night, not feeling much safer than she had for the week she'd been alone and on the run. He doubted it would make her feel better to know he hadn't slept either, thinking of her locked up.
Sam nodded at the computer screen in front of him. “Rhys said you have footage of Nev.” Her voice was husky. God, had she been crying in her cell all night?
“Yeah.” He looked at his twin, raised his brows. Was she going to be up to this after all that had happened? And what about her security status? Luke hadn't said a word about her case since last night's meeting.
“She's all right,” Rhys said.
It wasn't his show so he didn't get to call the shots, but if it had been up to him, Ben wouldn't have let her anywhere near the rest of them until her innocence was proven. “Call the boss and Davis in. Let's do this.”
Rhys disappeared, leaving them alone. The room seemed cramped all of a sudden. Sam stayed where she was, leaning a shoulder against the wall near the door, looking everywhere but at him, fingers playing with the veil covering her hair. The black dye in her brows was too harsh for her coloring, made her look pale and washed out. Or maybe it was because of what she'd been through and the fact he'd abandoned her in a high-security prison last night.
It made him feel an inch tall. “Fahdi give you any trouble?”
She met his gaze, the silent accusation there adding to his discomfort. “He spent a couple hours pleading his case, trying to get me to understand why he planted the bomb that killed Ali. He felt he had no choice.”
Pleasant bedtime conversation for cell neighbors. No wonder she hadn't slept. “And what did you say?”
“I told him we always have a choice.”
Ben flinched inwardly, but was saved from
Maybe her circumstances weren't all that different from Fahdi's. Wouldn't she do whatever she had to in order to ensure Neveah's release? And Fahdi had five children to think about. Six lives, including his wife. Nev was only one. Sam frowned. Did she have it in her, if it came down to it? Could she trade one life for another? She wanted to say she wouldn't, but the only way she'd know was to be confronted with that terrible choice.
She'd contacted Ben and the others for help, despite being terrified whoever had sent her the e-mail would find out. She'd made the choice to risk her cousin's life because she knew she needed help. Thinking of what Fahdi had done made Sam wonder what she would have done if she'd been ordered to sacrifice someone from her team. Some of her anger toward Fahdi faded. He'd been forced to make a terrible decision. Now he had to live with his actions for the rest of his life.
The desolate sound of his quiet weeping from next door hurt her heart.
Curling up tighter and laying her head on her arms, she supposed she should be grateful she hadn't been put in the position of having to choose one life over another. She'd hate to have her loyalties put to the test, because she could already guess what her answer would be.
Chapter Seven
When Rhys strode into the TOC office with Sam in tow the next morning, Ben was completely unprepared for the jolt of physical awareness that hit him when she met his gaze.
“Morning,” she said, then glanced away abruptly as though she couldn't stand looking at him.
Considering where he'd left her last night, Ben couldn't blame her, but he was glad Luke had taken her out of that prison.
“Morning.” She looked like she hadn't slept at all the night before. Her eyes were puffy, with violet shadows beneath them, dark beneath her porcelain skin. She was pale, too. The light scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose was more prominent than usual. His conscience squirmed. Dammit, he'd been the one to put her in that cell and walk away. It was his fault she'd been awake and probably afraid all night, not feeling much safer than she had for the week she'd been alone and on the run. He doubted it would make her feel better to know he hadn't slept either, thinking of her locked up.
Sam nodded at the computer screen in front of him. “Rhys said you have footage of Nev.” Her voice was husky. God, had she been crying in her cell all night?
“Yeah.” He looked at his twin, raised his brows. Was she going to be up to this after all that had happened? And what about her security status? Luke hadn't said a word about her case since last night's meeting.
“She's all right,” Rhys said.
It wasn't his show so he didn't get to call the shots, but if it had been up to him, Ben wouldn't have let her anywhere near the rest of them until her innocence was proven. “Call the boss and Davis in. Let's do this.”
Rhys disappeared, leaving them alone. The room seemed cramped all of a sudden. Sam stayed where she was, leaning a shoulder against the wall near the door, looking everywhere but at him, fingers playing with the veil covering her hair. The black dye in her brows was too harsh for her coloring, made her look pale and washed out. Or maybe it was because of what she'd been through and the fact he'd abandoned her in a high-security prison last night.
It made him feel an inch tall. “Fahdi give you any trouble?”
She met his gaze, the silent accusation there adding to his discomfort. “He spent a couple hours pleading his case, trying to get me to understand why he planted the bomb that killed Ali. He felt he had no choice.”
Pleasant bedtime conversation for cell neighbors. No wonder she hadn't slept. “And what did you say?”
“I told him we always have a choice.”
Ben flinched inwardly, but was saved from
Similar Books
