“The position you’ve put me in.” Issam paced toward the windows, fists clenched, jaw tight. “It’s up to me to keep everyone safe. And the best way to do that is to keep everyone together. Why are you all so ungrateful?”
Adira followed him. “No one is ungrateful,” she insisted. “But the tighter your hold, the more we want to escape. We’re jealous.”
“Who could you possibly have to be jealous of? You live in the finest palace in the Middle East.”
Adira laughed, and the sound scratched at his heart. “Mackenzie.”
“Mackenzie.” Her name tasted bitter on his lips.
“We all liked you better when you were around Mackenzie. You were more relaxed. You were more…levelheaded.”
“I’ve always been levelheaded.”
“You’ve always been zealous about your job. I’ll agree to that.”
“Yes, and it’s because—”
“You were calm with her. Or…when you were with her near us.” Issam turned to face her and found Adira’s eyes twinkling. “I don’t know what the two of you got up to at night, but in the daytime—”
“Don’t.”
“Why not? It’s the truth.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “When I was with her, nobody was going to war. Now there could be an invasion any moment. And that would be the worst thing to happen to any of us.”
Adira scoffed. “Hardly.”
He gaped at her. “What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “The worst thing to happen to anyone is a life without love. A life without happiness.” Adira took another step toward him. “Issam, I’m worried about the war. Of course I am. But I have all the confidence in the world in your abilities. I know you’ll work with the military to make sure we come out on top.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I want happiness for you. And you won’t have that if you let her go.”
Issam stared at his sister.
“Admit it. You’ve been missing her every moment. It eats at you. That’s why you’ve tightened security to a ridiculous degree and made everyone else miserable.”
“I did it for everyone’s safety,” he grumbled.
“Well, we were perfectly safe before, under your watch. And we will be again without all your—and I say this with love, Issam—ludicrous restrictions. You need to let us live our lives.”
He took another breath and swallowed his pain. “I might consider…relaxing some of them. But I need to see this through.”
“Fine,” said Adira. “But I’d rather you not spend all your energy on us. I think we both know what you should focus on now.”
He looked at the floor, but all he could see was Mackenzie’s face. She had fought to be heard, and he hadn’t listened. And now she was the only one he couldn’t keep safe.
All the security in the world wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t by his side.
It was a punch to the gut.
That would be the worst thing—to lose her for good. As long as she was still in the city, Issam could be angry at her. He could fume by his window and pretend that she’d walk in the door any moment. But if she left for good, or worse, if her death sentence was carried out? He’d never forgive himself. And no matter how good a job he did, he’d regret it for the rest of his life.
“See? I told you.”
Issam raised his head. Adira grinned at him, satisfied. “I didn’t say anything.”