Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

T here was nothing left to say.

Derrick had waited his whole life for Jasmine.

And he couldn't have her.

It was as simple as that.

She'd grown quiet after their talk, messing around on one of the burner phones for a while, then eventually falling asleep, leaving him with his thoughts, which turned darker than the starless, predawn sky.

If he hunted down Khalid and killed him, then Jasmine would be safe.

As he drove steadily east, Derrick considered all the ways he could do it. Michael could help him find the guy. They could set a trap.

Derrick couldn't tell his brother what he planned, of course. Michael wouldn't approve.

But Derrick had killed two men already—the second had died of the gunshot wound earlier in the day.

What was one more? If anybody deserved to die, it was Khalid.

If he was dead, then Jasmine would be free .

But would Derrick?

Killing those men to protect Jasmine and Rabie was one thing. Killing Qasim in cold blood—so he could marry the man's wife? That was a different thing altogether. And no matter how he tried to justify it, that was his true motivation.

A real David and Bathsheba situation. Well, at least Jasmine wasn't pregnant with Derrick's kid. No, she carried that terrorist's spawn.

Spawn?

The word felt like sawdust in his mouth.

She carried a baby . An innocent child, regardless of who his father was.

Derrick really needed to change the direction of his thoughts.

Finally, the sun lightened the horizon ahead, and though the traffic was moving at a good clip, there were sure a lot of folks headed to New York City at five thirty in the morning, especially this close to Christmas.

He followed the line of cars down into the Lincoln Tunnel. He'd never been a fan of tunnels. Put him at thirty thousand feet in the air anytime, but knowing there were thousands of pounds of saltwater just a handful of yards above his head gave him the heebie-jeebies.

He smiled at the childish expression.

But there was nothing childish about where his mind had gone for the last hour. Not that he'd ever actually do it. Well, he wouldn't plan it and execute it. He wasn't exactly the premeditated-murder type.

Unless he knew he could get away with it. And then, maybe. He could envision it. And there was a small, terrible part of him that wanted to see the man's face, watch him…

He shook himself. What was he doing? What was he thinking ?

Was this the kind of man he was?

No. No.

He wasn't a killer.

Cars made their way through the tunnel, their headlights and taillights reflecting off the shiny walls, giving the long, narrow space an almost cheerful feel.

All the cheer in the world didn't take away from the fact that they were in a tunnel. Without all the artificial light, they'd be in pure darkness.

And there was just a little too much truth in that. Because Derrick had followed his thoughts just like he'd followed the traffic, right into hell.

Lord, Forgive me. I didn't actually commit murder, but it's probably not okay to plot it, either.

Probably? Right.

I want to be holy like Jasmine is. No, like You are. And, to be honest, I'm not there. I like thinking about killing him. It keeps my mind off the things I don't want to think about. So… I want to want to… be holy. I know Jasmine and I can't be together. He sighed, hating this. Hating it. If there's ever a chance, I want to be worthy of her. And worthy of You. Please fix my want-to.

Weird prayer, but God knew what he meant, even if he couldn't quite figure out how to put it into words.

By the time Derrick's car emerged from the tunnel, the sun was peeking over the horizon, barely visible between Manhattan's skyscrapers. And Derrick was able to focus his thoughts on what would happen next.

He followed the map to their destination, then searched for a parking garage, finally finding one that would cost slightly less than his right arm.

It was probably all the tight turning as he searched for a space that woke Rabie and Jasmine.

"We are here?" Rabie asked .

"We're in New York." Derrick put some enthusiasm into his voice. "You hungry?"

"Starved."

Derrick parked, climbed out, and opened Rabie's door. "Bring all your stuff. We'll go straight to meet your sister after this."

Rabie climbed out and shoved his arms through the backpack straps while Jasmine walked around the car to join them.

They rode the elevator down. When they emerged onto East 45 th , Rabie froze, gazing up at the buildings all around. He said something in Arabic, and Jasmine laughed.

"You're right, it is amazing."

Derrick always felt a little overwhelmed in this city, with the buildings and people and cars and beeping. As if that weren't chaos enough, Christmas wreaths and bows and lights and trees seemed to adorn every available space. The city had exploded with holiday decor. Music played from who-knew-where, and a Santa standing on the sidewalk across the street was jingling a bell.

"So many people!" Rabie looked from her to Derrick. "Can we go to the Empire State Building?"

"Maybe we can see it," he said, "but we can't go to the top. It doesn't open for tours until later."

Jasmine gave him a curious look. "You checked?"

"Thought he might like it. None of the cool tourist stuff opens early enough, unfortunately."

They found a restaurant and ordered. After taking their time to eat, they joined the throng of pedestrians and made their way to the Empire State Building. Derrick enjoyed watching Rabie and Jasmine take in the art deco structure. He'd spent a lot of time in Manhattan, since it was one of the more common destinations for his business-minded clients. Not that he always came into the city. More often than not, he found a hotel in Jersey near Teterboro Airport and hung out. He'd spent a whole lot of time in hotels by himself over the years. And going to movies by himself. Shopping, jogging, and taking in sights by himself.

Which was fine. He liked his life.

This morning, though, he was enjoying seeing Manhattan from the perspective of people who'd never been there before. Not just people, but these people. Rabie, with his open-mouthed surprise, and Jasmine…though Jasmine was more reserved than usual. She'd shown more wonder when he'd taken her to Super Target than she did seeing the skyscraper.

Perhaps their conversation had affected her like it had him. It wasn't very nice, but a small part of him hoped so. He'd practically proposed to her. He'd hate to think she could discard that—discard him—so easily.

They headed back the way they'd come, Rabie chattering all the way. A couple of hours in New York, and he'd decided he was going to live there and build an even taller building and live on the very top floor, and wouldn't that be amazing?

Derrick and Jasmine nodded at all the right spots. He couldn't speak for her, but he was thankful the kid didn't seem to expect any actual feedback because, as they neared their destination, his heart rate ticked up, his eyes catching on everybody who glanced their direction.

Was Dari here? Was he looking for them?

But they stepped into Grand Central Station at quarter till eight without incident, and even Jasmine was wide-eyed as she gazed at the main concourse. People scurried in all directions, their voices and clatter echoing off the tile floor and walls. Images of the constellations in the zodiac stretched across the green arched ceiling that towered overhead. Today, there were extra lights along the edges, thanks to the coming holiday.

"It's so big," Rabie said .

"Amazing," Jasmine added.

Rabie looked around. "My sister is here?"

Derrick glanced at the iconic clock that stood above the information deck in the middle of the space. If the stories were true and it was a minute fast, then they were right on time. "Come on." He took Jasmine's hand so they wouldn't get separated—and he wouldn't think how perfect it felt in his. She held Rabie's, and Derrick led them past the harried travelers to the market at the far end of the blocks-long building.

He'd never been in here before, and as soon as they stepped inside, he knew he'd been wise to avoid it. The space was narrow—or felt narrow, anyway, with all the vendors lined on either side. Everything a person could want. Baskets overflowing with brightly colored produce. Racks of sweatshirts and hats and keychains—and more food, packaged and fresh and prepared. So many colors and flavors. It was a cacophony of sounds…and sights and smells. Was that a thing? A cacophony of smells?

He was glad for his height as he peered above heads, searching for the shop Michael had told him about. He almost missed it because the place was decked out in red and green and looked more like the kind of place you'd buy a Christmas ornament than a box of candy.

"Over here." He tugged Jasmine's hand. "Come on."

They made it to the chocolatier, and he found a spot at the end of the glass case. "You two pick something out. Take your time."

Jasmine gave him a narrow-eyed glance but did as he'd asked, perusing the selections with Rabie.

Derrick hadn't shared the plan with her because he hadn't wanted the kid to know. Paranoid? No question, but the last thing he wanted was for any more of Dari's thugs to show up. Not that Rabie could've alerted his brother but …

Yeah. Definitely paranoid.

At least he wasn't alone in that.

A man about six inches shorter than Derrick approached, Hispanic with a beard and mustache. He nodded at Derrick. "You ready for Christmas?"

The secret phrase Michael had told him to expect, like he was some sort of spy.

Relieved he wouldn't be making this handoff alone, Derrick gave him the expected answer. "Got a little more shopping to do."

"Me, too," Michael's friend said. "Saw some good stuff near the door."

Which Derrick figured meant Basma was on her way.

"I'll check it out."

The man moved along but stopped on the opposite side of the candy shop.

Jasmine told a clerk what items she wanted while Derrick kept his gaze on the people moving past the many stalls.

There were a handful of women who wore hijabs, most traveling in packs or with men or children. Derrick studied their faces. He hadn't gotten a long look at Basma, but he thought he'd recognize her.

But when he caught sight of Rabie's sister, she wasn't wearing a hijab or a headscarf but a knit cap, a worn wool coat, and blue jeans.

She saw him, and then her gaze skimmed past him, and her face lit up. She seemed as if she wanted to break into a run. She didn't, though, just continued at the same pace.

Derrick didn't miss the tears in her eyes when she walked by him. She reached Rabie and tapped his shoulder.

The boy turned, and Basma dropped to her knees and opened her arms .

Rabie stepped in, and they held onto each other for a long, long time.

Over their heads, Jasmine caught Derrick's eyes, and in her expression, he saw gratitude and tenderness and…

And things he couldn't bear.

Basma stood and hugged Jasmine. They spoke quietly and quickly, their Arabic remarks lost on him as the Hispanic man approached.

Jasmine handed her friend a piece of paper, which the woman shoved in her pocket before hugging her again.

What was that? Derrick wanted to find out, but Basma turned to him and took his hand in both of hers. "Thank you." She squeezed. "I cannot say how much I thank you."

"I'm just glad you're safe. My friend here is going to take you to the train to meet your cousin." He nodded to the shorter man.

Jasmine hugged Rabie goodbye, speaking to him in Arabic. He smiled at her before focusing on Derrick. He seemed unsure what to say.

Derrick lifted his hand for a high-five. "We did it."

Grinning, the kid smacked it hard. He turned away, then turned back and, almost like he was embarrassed, said, "Thanks."

"Happy to do it. Take care of your sister." He winked. "And treat her right."

Basma took Rabie's hand, and they followed the other man back into the Grand Central concourse, disappearing into the crowd.

And just like that, it was over.

Soon enough, Derrick and Jasmine would be in Maine. Safe and sound. Which was what he'd wanted, more than anything. Except it wasn't just this adventure that had ended.

It was also the end of Derrick's hope for a future with the woman he loved.