Free Captive- Veiled Desires by Clarissa Cartharn Page B

a better night’s sleep.”
    “You know, I’ve always liked that about you. You don’t give a damn about what people think of you. I don’t know if it’s because you weren’t born here…” Basel quieted. “Keeping our face, honor. It’s a part of the reason why we’re all so fucked up.”
    “They’re proud qualities to have, Basel.”
    “Not when they hinder us from progress. We send our young people to jail, should they god-forbid fall in love. If they had pre-marital sex, then the sentence is greater. Because the mothers are in jail, our children are born in jail. Fathers are ashamed of their daughters because they muddied their honor. They’d willingly put a bullet in her rather than face society. And why? Because of what their neighbor down the road will think of them?  It’s a cruel cycle that wheels round and round until it puts everyone in a spin, dizzying them with madness. And the only way out of it is to throw ourselves under that wheel. It’s the only way out of this misery.”
    Adam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “If you manage to part a little of those principles to your children, you will have done your share in achieving some progress for our country.”
    Basel spurted a chuckle, shaking his head.
    “Oh come on,” Adam encouraged. “You have what- seven kids. That’s more than half an Afghan football team.” He stood up and began folding his mat away. “Basel.” His tone changed to a serious and concerned one. “Just don’t repeat those words to anyone else, okay? You never can trust who might sell you out for treason.”
    Basel stood up and stretched himself. “I won’t. But here’s another that might put me into prison. Why are you here when you got that beautiful woman sitting in your bedroom?”
    Adam twisted his mouth in deep thought. How could he answer that one without sounding frigid? “We aren’t married yet.”
    Basel sneered. “It’s never stopped you from having a woman in your bed when you wanted one. What’s different with this one?”
    “Uh…” Adam scratched his head. “She’s feisty. It would be better if I waited until we’re married.”
    “Where’d you find her?”
    Adam glanced about uncomfortably. Of everyone in this damned house, Basel was the last person he’d wanted to tell that Nora was the result of a kidnapping and not love. The man thought too highly of women, making him completely unpredictable as to how he would react once he did learn she was held against her will. “Paktika.”
    “There are rumors she is a white woman. I heard the women talking. And unmistakably, that was she screaming all day yesterday. No one here speaks English that fucking good. Well, other than you. Did you kidnap her?”
    “There are reasons, Basel. I just can’t discuss it.”
    “I figured. I never knew you to have a fetish for forced marriages.” He looked in the direction of Adam’s bedroom. “I don’t like them too, Adam. And the only reason I’m not playing knight in shining armor is because I trust you.” He grew quiet, thinking deeply for a while. “I think I’ll go wash up and catch some breakfast before it’s all gone.”
    Adam watched him closely as the man strolled out of the room. Basel was one of his loyal few who would gladly sacrifice his life for him. He wasn’t at all surprised that he had stood up for Nora. He had done so more often than he could remember for other women too. 
    He sighed. He silently prayed that no one else would bring up the subject of Nora. This was getting more precarious than it already was. Nora had better be worth the breath he was risking for her.
     
     
     

     
     
     
    He glanced down at his watch. It was almost eleven in the morning. How much longer was he going to avoid facing her? Sooner or later, he had to do it today.
    He braced his neck and let out a puff of breath as he paced the length of the garage. Was there another way? There must be a goddamned alternative. Maybe if he thought real