Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66062 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Why can’t you just tell him to keep a low profile until Oxford?” Aiden said. “Surely he isn’t suicidal?”
Rahim looked out the window again and said nothing. His silence spoke volumes.
Jesus. This was a whole new level of fucked up.
“Then he needs a therapist, not a fuck toy,” Aiden said.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
Aiden scoffed but didn’t say anything. It was pointless. This man didn’t see him as a person, just a thing to serve as a distraction for his brother.
“How old even is he?” Aiden finally asked, breaking the tense silence.
“Just turned eighteen.”
Aiden’s eyes widened. “You’re forcing someone this young to marry?”
“The marriage isn’t my idea,” Rahim said. “Our families arranged it more than a decade ago.”
Aiden’s gaze dropped to Rahim’s hands. They were good hands, with strong, capable fingers. There weren’t any rings on those fingers, but Aiden knew it didn’t necessarily mean anything. Muslim men didn’t have to wear wedding rings, if he remembered correctly. “Are you in an arranged marriage too? You’re older, so you should be married by now, right?”
For a moment, it looked like Rahim wouldn’t reply, but at last he said curtly, “I’m not married.” From the finality in his voice, it was clear that was all he would say on the matter. “And that’s not relevant for you. Only Gadiel is.”
Aiden took a deep breath before letting it out loudly. “I feel sorry for your brother, I really do, but his problems aren’t my problem, and you’re kidding yourself if you think I’ll be fine with being his sex slave just because you’ll supposedly let me go next year.”
“Stop using that term.”
Raising his eyebrows, Aiden said, “What term? Sex slave? But that’s what you bought me for, no matter how you dress it up. You might be a good brother who wants to protect his sibling, but you’re still a shitty human being. I have a brother too. I have a family too, and they’re probably freaking out of their minds, because I’ve been missing for months.”
Aiden almost thought he saw a flicker of remorse on the asshole’s face, but it was gone so quickly he was sure he’d just imagined it.
“I’m not the one who kidnapped you.”
“No. You’re just the one who bought me. At least my kidnappers did it for money. You bought me to use me, just because you could.”
A weird sort of hush fell after his words.
Aiden’s face felt a little hot as he held the other man’s gaze, an odd, uncomfortable feeling tightening his stomach. The tension already swirling in the air between them turned thick and ugly with… with… Aiden wasn’t sure with what, but he knew he wasn’t the only one feeling it. It was an almost tangible thing.
He breathed out only when Rahim looked away. “Thanks to me, you’ll get to return home eventually,” he said stiffly. “That wouldn’t have been the case if I allowed someone else to buy you. This is a glass-half-full situation.”
Rationally, Aiden knew it. He knew that dealing with a harmless teenager for a year was far better than being mistreated by some disgusting old pervert for decades. But god, this situation—this infuriating, haughty man—angered him so much.
“And you’re not a slave,” Rahim said, still not looking at him. His Adam’s apple moved. “You were an impulse buy. I knew you could be the solution to my problem, but I’m not interested in ending up in jail. If you cooperate, you’ll be rewarded handsomely.”
Aiden’s brows furrowed. He eyed him suspiciously. “And if I refuse to be your brother’s sex toy?”
Rahim shrugged. “You’ll enjoy my hospitality for a year. You won’t be forced into anything.”
“Right,” Aiden said, scoffing.
“You’ll see.”
When they finally arrived at Zain Rahim’s house, Aiden understood what he had meant.
The huge, sprawling house was located on an island dozens of miles away from Dubai. They’d arrived here in a helicopter, and the more Aiden looked around, the lower his heart sank. The beauty of the sprawling, white mansion didn’t even register, nor did the immaculate landscaping surrounding it. The manicured lawns, sculpted shrubs, and colorful flowerbeds couldn’t distract him from the glaring, stomach-wrenching fact: the house was the only one on this island.
Zain Rahim most likely owned the island—possibly had even built it, given the popularity of artificial islands in the UAE. There wasn’t anyone on the island except for Rahim’s people. There was no way off of that island.
If he refused to cooperate, there was no escaping it—or him.
Chapter Four
His room was in a goddamn basement.
It was actually a pretty nice room, but it had a big flaw: it didn’t have any windows. While Aiden wasn’t exactly claustrophobic, he’d never liked staying in a room without windows. He couldn’t imagine being locked up here for a year. But then again, that was likely the point.
It was now glaringly obvious how the asshole intended to avoid getting in trouble with law enforcement. If Aiden refused to help him and then tried to report him when Rahim let him go, what would he even accuse him of? The bastard could claim that he’d saved Aiden out of the goodness of his heart and allowed him to enjoy his hospitality without putting a finger on him. The fact that Aiden had to stay in a windowless room for a year was a small detail.