MAFIA COLLATERAL (Mafia series #2) SAMPLE

Chapter 12

Moments passed.

No one made a move.

As if time had stopped.

One was rooted to his place, his body stiff and his mind blank as his eyes stared into space.

And the other on the group, weeping in silence, not from the pain that was radiating in her leg because of the graze wound but rather from what had just come to pass.

What....the hell just happened? Zameer thought. She....wasn't suppose to get....shot. He thought bleakly, feeling his buried emotions surfacing. Zameer felt his body shake so he quickly squeezed his eyes shut as his jaw clenched.

So what? He tried to think rationally but it wasn't of any use. She's our hostage. She's the enemy's daughter. She's collateral for God's sake. She was bound to get hurt. He thought to himself as he tried to collect his disheveled thoughts but he couldn't stop himself from listening to Sadia's pain filled sobs and that became his undoing as his locked emotions ran free and once again trapped Zameer in a whirlpool as guilt slowly started to gnaw at his heart as he looked at Sadia's small delicate body quivering on the dirty ground, her sobs echoing off of the walls.

No, she didn't have to get hurt. It's all my fucking fault He mentally shouted at himself as his brain kept commanding him to move. He needed to move, Sadia needed aid. But more then that, he felt an intense urge to hold her close and....comfort her?

Again, what was with all these confusing thoughts? Zameer was strict man and he always kept his emotions out of his work then why were his wmotions getting so provoked and that too by his own hostage? Why?

Nonetheless, he needed to move and treat Sadia's wounds. But he couldn't bring himself to move, not after what had happened. He felt so pathetic, all his efforts going to waste. It wasn't suppose to turn out this way. He hurt Sadia himself so that Shehryaar wouldn't have to but he should've known how unpredictable is boss was. He should've seen it coming. And now, he couldn't stop himself from feeling this guilt. And that led his confusion to grow.

Sadia was in utter shock. She couldn't believe how brutally she had been treated just now. And what was even more worse, her father had to witness what was happening to her. The look that her father gave her, that utter look of horror, for her, it was burned in her memory. She feared that if she were to close her eyes, she would relive that moment.

How could they do this to her? She was their hostage. Why would they harm her? Wouldn't that jeopardize the whole purpose of kidnapping her in the first place?

Sadia jerked out of her thoughts when she felt her arm being tugged up rather gently.

"You need to get up," Zameer said lowly. Sadia couldn't do much except to silently comply, the pain from her injury was getting too unbearable but it was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling in her heart.

But as soon as Sadia moved, a shrill cry ripped through her throat. Zameer flinched.

"What's the matter?" He inquired, genuinely concerned.

"It hurts!" Sadia cried as her hands gripped around her leg more tightly. Zameer sighed and didn't speak another word as he scooped up the crying girl in his arms. Sadia was so caught up in her misery that she couldn't care less that Zameer was holding her.

As soon as Sadia was in his arms, he couldn't help but feel her warmth as his arms tightened around her. She was so light and her shaking body wasn't helping him feel any better but strangely enough, he felt warm inside, his heart beating fast as he carried her back to the infirmary. On the way, he couldn't help himself from relishing in her warmth. It took everything in him to control his urge to keep holding her. But why? again, why was he feeling this way? and that too towards this little girl?