Saving Mr. Khan

Family Ties

I cursed for what felt like the millionth time and let out a terse breath as the machines continued to beep, signalling the infrequent beat of my sister's failing heart.

I shook my hands to stave off the pins and needles, keeping my gaze on the familiar path I was pacing in the small waiting room we had been ushered into upon arrival. The window to the operating room where Eden lay kept us from forgetting the nightmare of our reality, but I was grateful for it. At least we knew they were trying to help her, that she was still alive.

My mother stood in front of the rectangular window, right in the middle, with her hand placed on the glass. The gesture is pointless, since Eden wasn't even aware of anything at the moment, but I think it helped her feel closer to her youngest child. Her baby, she often called her.

My father sat across the room, as far away from the chaos of the operating room as possible without actually leaving. His head rested against the wall, his eyes closed even as his mouth moved in silent prayer. He was covered in Eden's blood, from his neck down to his black cargo pants. His hands were still stained with it. Why he didn't wash it off…

After the explosions, the rest of us had made it to the other side of the manor, coughing and limping. Doc and Tomas had been among the many who were unconscious, and a lot of the staff had been seriously harmed or killed.

While Percival and I were tending to the worst of the injured with the few supplies on hand, Garcia had received a phone call from Dominic. There had been something in Serrano's tone that had alarm bells going off in Garcia's head. It was at his insistence that we grabbed what we could and ventured to the cabin on the other side of the property. Percy, my parents, James, and I had filed into two of the remaining vehicles and hightailed it to the cabin.

We had arrived to find track marks all over the property, the front door splintered open at the hinges. My father had gone in first, his rifle aimed and ready to fire at anything that moved. He always took the lead, with my mother following closely behind him. I'd stayed outside to watch the perimeter, but had immediately rushed inside when I heard my mother scream.

I'd caught a brief glimpse of Eden on the floor, her body riddled with bullet holes, the large pool of blood beneath her slowly growing. The fear I felt, the sorrow that tore through me, was reminiscent of a similar experience I'd been through years before. I could only watch in horror as my father pressed two fingers to her neck and checked for a pulse. Those few seconds had been the longest of my life, and the relief I'd felt when Baba gathered Eden's body against him before running out of the cabin was incomparable.

In a justified fit of rage, my father had forbidden any of the Serranos from touching her and threatened to kill anyone who dared follow us to the hospital. My mother had been too distraught to argue the point, her gaze fixed on Eden's bloodied face.

I drove. I managed to keep my emotions in check the whole way to the hospital and remained calm while the nurses asked us all the necessary questions. That had taken almost an hour, and after pleading with management, we'd been allowed in here to watch the surgery.

With Eden on the table, my biggest concern now was getting all of us out of here without running into two cops. We knew they were here. Baba's second had confirmed their presence before my father urged his team to scatter. And since the local police were here, it was only a matter of time before the ISA joined as well. They would have shown up ages ago, but with the explosion at Serrano Manor and the mass shooting at Mansior Khan…

My heart leapt in my chest and my bottom lip quivered with emotion for a second before I managed to rein them back in.

He can't be dead.

Like Serrano, they probably waited until he was home before they snuck up on the mansion and shot everyone inside. What if Michael was slowly bleeding out right now—

"He's not dead, Ima," my mother said. She was watching me pace, her eyes narrowed slightly. "They didn't find his body."

My father peeled his eyes open and addressed Mama's announcement with a flat, emotionless tone. "He could be. And if I'm being entirely honest, I'm not sure it would be a bad thing."

My father cut off abruptly when my mother cleared her throat. Baba glanced at me, and his dark gaze lost the coldness of his previous anger. He sighed softly and asked, "What is it with you Bello girls and these goddamn sociopaths? You couldn't just fall for a nice accountant who has a healthy relationship with the law?"

I scoffed, amused that he of all people thought he had the right to judge anyone. My mother, her voice quiet, said, "I guess they look for qualities that are familiar to them."

She folded her arms over her chest, thinking on the subject for a bit. At my father's arched brow, she replied, "Emotionally complex, mentally scarred, murderous sociopaths with near-extreme possessive tendencies. They obsess over the objects of their affection and use whatever means are available to them to secure a relationship with the woman they want. You fell in love with me the very first time we met and chased me until I finally gave in. Michael Khan was near obsessive in his pursuit of Imani, even going so far as to track her down and then blackmail her into working for him. Dominic Serrano literally paid Eden to sleep with him until she had no choice but to acknowledge the attachment between them. The problem, I think, is us, sthandwa sami. They're just following the example we set."

She was not wrong.

Michael had cornered me in an alley days after I'd sold his car. Scared out of my mind, I'd listened when he presented me with an ultimatum. I either worked for him to pay off the debt I now owed him, or he'd get me arrested for grand theft auto.

Eager to avoid prison, I'd chosen to work for him. I hated every second of being tied to an entitled brat, but the cash from that gig had come in handy when Mama left. The steady income paid for a new apartment, groceries and clothes. I wonder how we would have survived were it not for the fact that I was stealing cars for a living.

"You knew the circumstances surrounding that job and you still walked out on us."

Baba sat forward. "Your mother didn't have a choice. With the target on her back–"

"Oh, bullshit. That excuse didn't work when you used it on us and it sure as s**t won't work with her. I was barely eighteen when the two of you went off to live la vida loca in Amelo, leaving two minors in my care, as if I knew how to parent. You have no idea the harm that s**t caused those two."

While the emotional and psychological scars of their abandonment ran deep, there was physical damage we could have avoided if our parents had been around.

"You abandoned each other as soon as Eden turned eighteen. How is that any different?"

I was so disgusted at Baba's statement that the words left my mouth before I could stop them. "The difference is that you are our parents. We were forced into this situation because of the decisions the two of you made before we were even born. You clearly hated having kids so much that you bailed the first chance you got, then came back for the one person you actually gave a f**k about. And she was so sick of us at that point, she jumped at the chance to go with you. If you really cared, neither of you would have ever left us."

I stared my father down, hoping for some kind of reaction from him. A denial, a rebuke, an outburst of some sort. Anything to prove that he actually cared and that my words had no basis of truth at all. But he turned away, sat back in his chair and resumed his position from earlier.

With his eyes closed, he didn't see the pain that flashed across my face or the tears that gathered in my eyes. My mother opened her mouth to speak, but I turned away from her, pulling my walls back up.

The door opened suddenly.

"Bello family?"

I turned to face the nurse who stood in the doorway, my anxiety reaching astronomical highs at the expression she wore.

"Yes?"

"There are some agents here who have asked to speak with you regarding the events surrounding Ms. Conteh's shooting."

And so it begins.

"We're not speaking with anyone at the moment, please. Maybe after my sister's–"

The nurse suddenly stepped aside as a tall, dark-haired woman pushed past her. She moved with the ease of someone confident in her abilities, who was used to being obeyed where she went. Her gaze swept over the three of us briefly before locking on my father, who she began to move towards.

"You'd better keep your distance from me, Agent Varma. I'm not in the mood."

She stopped. Reconsidered. Then, as if my father's icy tone hadn't scared the s**t out of her, she said, "Unfortunately, I can't afford to nurse your feelings, Mr. Bello. What happened today is serious, and we need to figure out who was behind this."

My father said nothing, silently dismissing her. With my mother once more plastered against the glass, she had no choice but to — finally — address me. With a neutral expression, she announced, "Special Agent Varma. This is my partner, Agent Barish. We're with the organised crime division of the ISA."

I kept my face as blank as possible, but I had no doubt she knew just how pissed off I was to see her and her partner here. Ever the professional, Agent Varma resumed speaking without any acknowledgement from me or the rest of my family.

With a glance at the window, she said, "We have reports that Eden Conteh was brought here after sustaining several gunshot wounds, rumoured to be fatal. Do you know what happened?"

I said nothing. I kept my arms folded over my chest and stared at her. My parents kept their mouths shut too, and the older guy snorted in disgust at our silence.

"Typical. Look, you might think that allying yourselves with the Serranos is going to work out in the end, but they're going down. And since he named that woman in there his donah, we're rather inclined to toss her in jail too. Bullets and all."

"You can't do that. The law prohibits you from interfering with her healthcare, especially in the condition she's in," my father argued, his voice quiet. He didn't move to stand beside me, so I figured he was still sitting in his chair.

Varma's gaze darted to him, and she made a move towards him. I stepped in her path, keeping her away from my father. I might not have been able to protect my baby sister from Malice and Ben, but I would definitely keep this nosy narc away from the rest of my family.

"Ms. Bello, we are simply here as investigators. A bomb tore apart Serrano Manor no more than six hours ago. Dozens of people were killed, and nearly a hundred injured. We know this was mob-related and we're doing our best to get to the truth. That's all."

I would laugh if I had it in me. Instead, my amusement cracks through in the form of a smirk. I took a deep breath and regarded her silently before I said, "We both know you're here for the Serranos. I'll save you some time. They're not here and they're not coming. You could threaten us or my sister and it still won't conjure them. So," I said, letting my exhaustion show, "Would you please leave us alone?"

Agent Varma opened her mouth to speak, but no sooner had she done that before the door opened once again. I peered over her shoulder and tensed with indignant fury. My face must betray my anger because Varma glanced over her shoulder at the latest arrival.

I heard my father rise from his seat, the heavy pounding of his footsteps as he took his place on my left, reminding those present that he was head of the family. My mother peeled away from the window, moving to flank him on his left. We stood together, and glared daggers at Jeffrey Black.

"If he takes another step towards my little girl–"

Jeffrey's gaze had swept to the glass immediately upon entering, and remained there until Agent Varma and her partner stepped aside, their curiosity getting the better of them. My father roughly cleared his throat to get Black's attention. His expression hardened at the sight of us, but his demeanour remained relaxed and arrogant.

"Can we help you, asshole?"

He almost grinned. His eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as his gaze zeroed in on my father. A quick once-over concludes his assessment of him.

"Silas Bello. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you had disowned your last born child. But I see you have finally come to your senses. I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

I rolled my eyes. "We can't say the same, unfortunately. You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here, especially after all the s**t you put my sister through."

Eden had shared the details of her and Black's relationship with the family while Serrano was attending the sit-down. She hadn't told him everything for fear of what Dominic would do to the other man if he ever knew the whole story.

Jeffrey had the gall to look ashamed. He spread his hands outward, gesturing at all of us, then said, "All exaggerations, I can assure you. Eden and I have been at odds for a while, and despite her refusal to return home, she means the world to me. That's why I've come all the way here to reclaim her."

Black smiled, and I immediately knew something was wrong. He obviously knew something we didn't and I had a feeling it was about to cost us a great deal.

Black gestured to the group of men who'd followed him into the room and one of them peeled away from the rest with a large envelope in hand. Black took it and calmly stated, "Before you all start threatening me with murder, I would like to remind you that there are law enforcement officers present. Should anything happen to me, they serve as witnesses."

My heart drummed in my chest, my hands flexing as we waited for the man to get to the f*****g point.

"Get to it, Black. My daughter is–"

Black handed the envelope to my father with a blank expression. With a scowl, my father took the brown package and opened it. His frown fell away as he read, his features morphing into an expression I'd never seen on him before. Shocked, he handed the documents over to my mother.

Her gasp had me reaching for the paperwork, scrunching up the corner in my hurry to read it. My blood ran cold when I saw the heading and my breath caught in my chest when I realised what I was looking at. My gaze flicked back to Black's and the smug satisfaction on his face was undeniable.

"This is fake. There's no f*****g way this stands!"

"So take me to court. I'm certain you can find some way to argue against the validity of this document, but for now, Eden is mine. It says so right there."

I broke away from my family, intent on slitting the man's throat where he stood, consequences be damned. But my father's firm grip closed around my forearm, keeping me in place. He knew I didn't care that Varma and Barish were there, but an attack on Black now would bring the law down on our heads.

I stepped back in line.

"Let's not forget that without Serrano, Eden is vulnerable. She still has a bounty on her head and it's risen considerably after Serrano made her his donah. You think nobody will try for that fifty million simply because of who she was f*****g?"

Goddammit.

"So if she's publically chosen another man over you, why bother to get her back? Shouldn't you want her dead for the embarrassment she's caused you?"

Varma and Barish quietly peeled away from the drama and walked out of the room. We were all so stunned by this latest development that we barely noticed their absence.

"I appreciate your concern, Ms. Bello, but Eden is mine to protect. Even the law will acknowledge that. This thing with Serrano was just an attempt to make me jealous, so she could have some bargaining power upon her return. While I appreciate everything you've all done so far, you are no longer needed here," Black announced, already turning to the window.

"And how do we know she would be safe with you?" I spat, my nails digging into my palms. It hurt like hell, but if I let go, I'd bury a knife in his throat.

"I suppose you don't," he replied, not even looking at me. "I can at least promise you that she won't end up in the hospital as long as she's under my care."

My mother let out a shaky breath, her concern written all over her face. Baba touched my wrist, his fingers skimming over the skin to calm me down.

"It's fine. We'll get her back. I promise."

I fought back tears. Tears of rage, of anguish, of helplessness. My sister was on the brink of death mere metres away and I couldn't even save her from Jeffrey Black's clutches.

"Whatever happens next, I promise I'll be fine. Just get yourselves to safety and gather what allies you can. It's the only way we'll win this war."

Eden had been the one to say those very words to us. But I doubt she had any idea that it would possibly come to this. A part of me knew my father was right, that we'd get Eden back soon enough, but another refused to surrender her to this piece of s**t.

"You're not taking her," I announced. "Eden belongs with us, her family. That document you have is a fake and I'm certain any court will rule in our favour. Eden stays with us."

My father's grasp tightened in warning, but the challenge had already been announced. Slowly, as if he couldn't actually believe what he was hearing, Black turned to face us, his dark eyes gleaming with a malicious glee and barely concealed irritation. As if I was the one suddenly intruding on him.

"Really? Or what, Ms. Bello? What could a tiny little thing like you possibly do to me?" he asked.

It's my turn to grin with satisfaction. I had been hoping he would ask that very question.

"Imani…"

"Do not let him bait you, child," my mother cautioned. "It's a fight we cannot win. Not here."

But even as she spoke, Black waved a command at his team and they reached for their weapons immediately. I had both my custom pieces in my hands a split second later, with my family following suit. We stood facing each other, ready to shoot and draw first blood.

We were terribly outnumbered. With the cops nearby and Eden a glass away from catching another bullet…

Fuck. This will not end well for us. If we lived through this, I'd start listening to my parents more often.

Then, as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, Agents Varma and Barish stepped back into the room with a piece of paper in the former's hand. As soon as they saw our guns, they drew their weapons immediately and they blocked the door behind them with their bodies. Barish aimed at my family and me, while Varma's weapon pivoted frequently between all of us.

"All of you, put down your weapons. Now."

Nobody moved.

"For f**k's sake, that woman in there has six of Britu's best doctors trying and failing to remove a bullet from her brain! If anything happens, and they need to stop what they're doing because you all got a little trigger happy, she will die! Do you understand that?"

Varma's logic penetrated to the more stubborn parts of each of our brains. My mother was the first to lower his polished Glock, with me following suit. Black's gaze darted towards Eden in the operating room before he lowered his leather-covered hand. His team obeyed in unison, allowing my father to lower his guard as well. I slid my babies back in their holsters and adjusted my coat to conceal the guns.

The only weapons still drawn were Barish's and Varma's. I thought they would at least lower them or put them away, but I noticed that their shiny muzzles were now squarely aimed…at me! I blinked in surprise and took an alarmed step back. This time, when they advanced on us, their strides were purposeful and their expressions marked with determination. Barish flicked off the safety and Varma removed the handcuffs from their place on her belt.

Her voice firm and steady, she said, "Imani Bello, you're under arrest for the murders of Steven Hudson, Tatiana Silva and Hakim Etienam."

Well, f**k me…