But it would be nice to grab a beer with him later, and then go back to his place and f**k wildly all night… Tariq stretched his arms above his head, realising he’d been sitting in the same position for hours. And he was hungry. A pre-dinner snack of bread and olives would be perfect…
He ambled into the modern kitchen, with food on his mind, and his eyes scanned over the tidy work surfaces. Samira had great taste in interior design – Tariq knew she loved her colourful glass fruit bowl, her designer coffee machine, and her wooden block of expensive chef’s knives. The sun was flowing through the frosted glass of the backdoor and casting a rainbow pattern on the marble floor. It made Tariq feel happy and light. He opened the huge refrigerator and pulled out a tub of olives, then popped one his mouth, before grabbing a tub of hummus.
His muscles tensed as he heard a clunk at the backdoor. Tariq slowly closed the refrigerator and saw the outline of someone standing on the back step. Worry seeped through him. Shit… had those shady people finally tracked him down?
“Who is it?” Tariq called.
“It’s Craig.”
Tariq relaxed. They weren’t supposed to be seeing each other for another hour, but he’d probably got the time wrong. He could be a bit ditzy at times, which only made him more endearing.
Tariq abandoned the olives and walked over to open the door. He prepared himself to give Craig a kiss, but shock sliced into him like a butcher’s knife as he saw Craig standing there off-balance and petrified, in front of a smartly-dressed stranger. The guy had one brown eye and one green eye – as well as a grey streak in his jet-black hair. But that wasn’t actually the thing that grabbed Tariq’s attention. It was the fact that he was holding a gun to Craig’s head.
“What the f**k!”
Craig’s voice was full of terror. “I’m sorry, Tariq. He said he’d kill me if I didn’t comply.”
Tariq stared at the tableau before him, trying to calm his thrashing heart. Shit, where the hell was Samira? What if they’d got to her, too? He poised himself to fight.
“What the hell is going on?”
The man with the gun smiled sinisterly. “Good evening, Tariq. Sorry to intrude. You mind if we come in?”
The man didn’t wait for an answer. He pushed Craig forward and walked him through the door – pressing the gun firmly to his head. Tariq stepped backwards into the kitchen on legs full of fear.
His voice came out a whisper. “Who are you?”
The gunman shrugged. “I think you’ve guessed...”
Tariq held out his hands. “No one wants to get hurt here, okay. Just cool it. What do you want?”
“You know what I’m here for,” the guy said. “And I’m not leaving until I get it. I don’t want to shoot your boyfriend, but I will.”
Tariq’s mind raced with panic. How the hell was he going to get out of this? And what if Samira came home and got hurt, too? He needed to deal with this situation… but how? Play dumb? It was worth a try…
He didn’t take his eyes off the gun. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you want with me and Craig? Who are you?”
“My name’s Jeremy, and don’t act innocent. You know exactly what I want from you. And well, as for Craig… now he’s helped me inside, I’ve finished with him. Shall I kill him?”
Jeremy ran the gun barrel down Craig’s sweating face. Tariq’s mind blurred with possibilities, but he had no idea what to do. How could he save Craig without accidentally causing this madman to blow his head off?
He gazed into Craig’s eyes, willing him to give him a sign. Craig stared back with eyes full of fear. But then something clicked inside Craig; his expression changed. He grinned.
Then he stepped away from Jeremy. And they both laughed…
Chapter Fourteen
Samira stood on the doorstep and kissed Ivan. Her body was still tingling from that mind-blowing orgasm on the beach, but her hair and dress were now full of scratchy sand, and she was keen to jump in the shower… maybe they could scrub each other clean…
Ivan kissed her in the sunshine. “Let’s make some food. I bet Tariq hasn’t eaten yet – chained to his desk as he is.”
“Good plan. Come on, let’s find him. Then we’ll shower.”
The backdoor wasn’t closed, so she turned and kissed him once more before pushing it open and striding inside. She halted suddenly and Ivan almost crashed into her.
“Whoa, Samira!”
But then he saw it, too...
Tariq was tied to a kitchen chair; his shirt was undone. There were two guys standing over him. What the f**k?
? Also By Julie Farrell
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