Unleashed (Mr. Black Series Book 1) by Penelope Marshall

Dakar screamed as he stole one more swift kick to my leg as he walked out. “Stay here and make sure he stays alive long enough for me to come back and kill him.”
    “Yes, Dakar,” Nasima said, lowering her head as he passed by and slammed the door shut.
    Nasima fell to her knees and ran her fingers through my hair. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, nothing a few shots of tequila wouldn’t fix,” I groaned as I rolled over onto my side and grabbed my ribs.
    Nasima cupped her hands over her mouth and started to cry.
    “Don’t cry,” I said as I reached over in complete agony, not caring about my own comfort to wipe the tears coming from her eyes.
    “I hate them for doing this to you,” she said as she unveiled herself. Her heavy hair fell and swayed back and forth before settling down the length of her arm as she used the material to wipe my face of the dirt and blood that covered it.
    I grabbed her hand. “Nasima, put it back on. I don’t want you to get caught without it. I can’t imagine what I would do if they hurt you.”
    She swatted my hand away. “Stop worrying about me, I know what I am doing,” she said confidently as she continued to wipe my swollen face clean. “What were you thinking, trying to escape?”
    “I was thinking I wanted to get the hell out of here,” I replied.
    “Not like that,” she said, shaking her head.
    “Then like what? All you have proposed was for me to sell out my country, and even then, my chances of escape are slim to none,” I said, irritated with the situation, but then saw some slight disappointment in her face. I caressed the side of her cheek. “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”
    “I’m a big girl, you don’t need to tip-toe around me,” she said as she shifted my hand from her face and proceeded to wrap her veil back around her head. She pushed herself off of her knees and stood up. She leaned her back up against the wall adjacent to me with her hands clasped in front of her. “What is your next move?”
    “I hadn’t planned that far ahead. I feel like making it through the night is a good plan,” I said sarcastically.
    “Is this how you Americans are? Always sarcastic and deflecting with jokes?” she asked. “I’m trying to help you, but you trying to escape is only going to make them mad. Killing Amadi was the wrong move, because if you thought he was bad, his brother has even more evil in his soul.”
    She made her way back over to me.
    “I can handle it, and if I can’t, then at least I will finally get some rest,” I said as I laid my head back on the cold ground. Every part of my body ached for some reprieve.
    Nasima cradled my beaten body in her arms and started to hum a sweet melody as she slightly rocked back and forth. The tenderness she surrounded me with lulled me to sleep.
    I woke up to Nasima screaming as she was dragged across the floor by her hair.
    “Let her go!” I screamed, trying to reach out to help her, but my broken ribs kept me from being of any use.
    “No, Elijah…stay there!” Nasima screamed as Dakar slammed the door behind him.
    The stare he had given me before the door shut completely was one of revenge. I knew Dakar had caught her holding me and now he was going to take out his anger on her.
    I pounded my fist on the ground as Nasima’s screams grew fainter the further she was taken. Gritting my teeth to bear the pain, I pushed myself up from the ground. The excruciating pain filled my body as I positioned my back on the wall, contemplating how I could possibly save her in the condition I was in. I hung my head, the feeling of weakness not something I was accustomed to.
     
    ***
     
    Nasima
     
    “Stop, Dakar!” I screamed as Dakar dragged me down the hall by my hair. Elijah’s door disappeared from sight as I was dragged toward the torture room.
    “Stop struggling―you brought this on yourself. What the fuck were you doing holding him like that?” he screamed as I struggled to get out of his