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• Amir •

"Hello," whispered a soft feminine voice peeking around Amir's corner.

He looked up from his desk and smiled at Raima. He'd been sitting at his computer for thirty minutes, studying the blueprints of St. Matthew's Darren had obtained for him. The man hacked into the firewall of the institute and faxed Amir a copy of them. Amir was steadily observing the building to figure out the best way to smuggle Luna and Cami out of there.

"Ms. Malik. Hi, I wasn't expecting to see you," he said, waving an arm for her to sit on his couch. "How have things been at the hospital?"

She took a seat and laid her handbag over her lap.

"It's been good. I'm still in my residency, and the workload isn't bad. It's more of the hours and how the emergency room is on the graveyard shift."

He chuckled. "I understand. I worked there years ago. So, what brings you by?"

He sat down in the chair in front of her as she gave him a kind smile.

"My father is with Faisal and the other chemists in the laboratory. I thought I'd drop by your office and see how you're doing."

"Thank you, Raima. I've been busy with work. There's a lot going on at the moment." Amir looked down and cleared his throat, then brought his gaze back to her. "I'm glad you came by. I wanted to speak to you about something."

"Me too, Amir. There's something I wanted to tell you."

"Were you thirsty? Would you like for me to run to the break room and grab a beverage for you? I should have asked you a moment ago, but we started talking."

Raima and Amir chuckled.

"I'm okay. I just had lunch with my father, and I can still taste the prune juice."

"Only Raima Malik can enjoy prune juice."

She giggled. "See? I like when we can talk and be friendly toward each other. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Amir."

"Yeah. Go ahead. I want to hear what you have to say first."

"Well, I've told my father today to not get his hopes up on arranging anything for us. I had explained that you've always been my friend and I can't see us being compatible. If you feel differently, I'm sorry I told you this."

"No, don't apologize, Raima. It's fine. I was going to say the same thing to you. I know our parents like each other and have high hopes for us merging our families, but in the end, it's our decision. I'm sorry if you held out for me when there might have been someone else better suited for you."

Raima inhaled a breath and nodded. "There was somebody, but I couldn't see the spark I was looking for. I guess I'm too picky."

Amir shook his head. "Not at all. You know what you're looking for. I hope you find happiness with somebody."

"And you as well. I'm sure there's a Mr. Right for me. My father won't be too happy to find out we've ended things, but he's not the one making a life-altering decision."

"No, he isn't."

Raima chuckled. "By the way, how are things going with Luna? That was her name, right?"

Amir nodded. "She's in a difficult place in her life. She's going through something, and I'm trying to find the best possible solution to help her." 

"She's lucky to have you in her life."

"Thank you. She and her fiancé had broken up."

"Oh, you're a home-wrecker. I see how it is, Amir."

"Should I be offended?" He snickered and turned his gaze toward his computer, then back to her. "I didn't do anything. Her ex did something to her that's unforgivable and she's going through a healing stage."

"Poor girl. She gave so much of her life to this one person and he wrecked everything for her."

Amir nodded, slightly tensing in his seat from the mere thought of what Chase had done to Luna.

"Hey, bro!" Adnan said, standing at Amir's open door. 

"Adnan. Hey."

Adnan looked down and noticed Amir wasn't alone in his office. "I'm sorry if you were in a meeting. Mom and Dad are in the greenhouse, and I thought I'd surprise you."

"I'm not in a meeting. This is my friend, Raima Malik."

"Assalamualaikum. I'm Amir's brother, Adnan."

"Walaikumassalam. It's nice to meet you." She gave both brothers a soft smile and turned back to Amir. "I'm going to meet my dad. I hope everything works out for you."

"Likewise, Ms. Malik," Amir said, earning a snicker from Adnan.

As Raima stepped out of the office, Adnan took a seat on the couch.

"Why do you call people by their surname?"

"It's polite to do that, brother."

"Ha. Okay."

Amir chuckled and shook his head. "I have my way of being friendly, and you do too."

"Raima is pretty. Isn't she the one Aunt Nasrin arranged for you?"

"Yeah . . . Why?"

"Have you two set a date?"

Amir sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, Adnan. Raima and I have come to a mutual agreement we're better as friends. But I have settled down with somebody. I just can't be with her right now."

"Finally," Adnan said, looking up at the ceiling. "Wait. Did you just say you've met somebody?"

"Yes, I did. That's all you're getting."

"Why can't you be with her? Her family doesn't approve of you?"

Amir made a face. "It's a little more complicated than that. I can tell you that you don't know her, and our family doesn't know her family."

"Mm. Okay. Vague as hell, but I should get used to it by now."

"She's not from Pakistan, Adnan," Amir told him, catching his gaze.

"Oh, the Turkish girl. Great choice."

"Why would you think I chose someone from Turkey?"

Adnan shrugged. "Because Aunt Nasrin had a picture of a Turkish woman pulled up on her phone showing Mom yesterday. Isra-something."

"I know who you're talking about, but my girl is not from Turkey. She's from America."

"An American! Do you realize the shock you're going to bring to Mom and Dad? I can't wait to see their faces when you tell them."

"I'm sure our parents wouldn't have a problem with my choice."

Adnan looked over at his brother and opened his mouth. "Is she a Muslim?"

"No," Amir replied flatly.

"Then, Mom and Dad will have a problem."

"No, they won't. They'll accept her and her daughter."

"She's a mother, too?" he asked, his jaw dropping.

"Yep, and I love both of them. They are my girls."

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It was eight in the evening when Amir took off from work. He was relieved he and Raima could settle things mutually, and there wasn't any ill will towards the other. It hurt him to know he could've broken her heart, and he didn't want to do that.

Sitting at the table with Faisal, Darren, and Cassie, Amir sipped his can of Pepsi and took a bite of the rice he had prepared earlier. 

"Did you have a look at the hospital's layout, Amir?" Darren asked him, sitting across from him. 

Amir nodded his way.

"What layout?" Faisal asked, eyebrows raised.

"Darren sent me the blueprints of the facility Luna is in," Amir told the table. "I've surveyed the exits, but until I see the building in person, I won't get a grasp for an extraction plan."

"How did you get the blueprints, Darren?" Faisal asked.

"I hacked into the system. I couldn't access the files on Cami or Luna, though," he answered.

Amir knew breaking them out had to be planned precisely, with no room for mistakes. All he could think of to do was to throw a bomb on the facility once it was cleared out.

"How are you feeling?" Cassie asked Amir, a frown on her lips.

"Worried about Luna," he replied, glancing at her.

"Do you know where she is now?" she inquired, taking a sip of red wine from her house.

He closed his eyes for a moment and connected to Luna. "She's lying on her bed with Cami. They are comforting each other, and Luna is heartbroken. Cami received transfer orders for another facility in Louisiana, and she leaves before the end of the month."

"That's horrible. They can't split them," Cassie remarked.

"What do you think we should do?" Faisal asked Amir with a mouthful of half-eaten biryani.

"I don't know, Faisal. There is a void inside Luna. A deep void of distress and heartbreak about losing Cami if she gets released from Orange Security. Cami would be gone by then."

"I know how you feel, Amir."

"Faisal, the only thing that I live for in this world is in that facility, and I will be damned if they hurt her again. The love of my life is about to be taken away from me for who knows how long, and her best friend won't be there for her, either."

Amir clasped his arms behind his head before he ended up smashing the wall into the pieces. "We need to come up with a solution, and fast."

"Couldn't Luna be transferred to Houston?" Faisal suggested. "That's where her sister lives, right?"

"Or she could come to Canada. I mean, that's where I am," Cassie offered. "I can guarantee none of the hospitals are like St. Matthew's here. That place needs to be shut down."

"Dr. Kim keeps writing ridiculous notes about Luna, so that's why she's there. Maybe I could ask Vikram for help since he knows the truth about her."

"How does Vikram know about Luna?"

At the sound of Faisal's voice cracking, Amir turned around. He didn't mean to out Vikram, but there was no going back now.

"Tell us what Vikram knows, Amir." Faisal stood to his feet and walked near him, but Amir threw his hands up. "If he knows something, he can help with a solution."

"Vikram doesn't know anything. Forget I said that."

"Amir?" Darren said, breaking him from his thoughts. "If he knows a way to help Luna, and possibly Cami, please talk to us. I care about Cami and what happens to her. I may not care about her the way you do with Luna, but she's still my partner. She and I are a team."

After hearing his plea, Amir pulled out a chair and sat down, and explained what he'd learned recently.

"Vikram is a Tethered Soul," Amir murmured as his cousin's eyes bulged. "He saw me, and Faisal, as we were visiting the ladies. He lost his partner, a man from France named Javier, in a car accident. He later developed a talent where he can cloak himself. He can mentally block himself from connecting to other Tethered Souls, and he can remove any discomfort from them, too. He's a healer of sorts."

Amir narrowed his eyes and sniffed, wishing he could remove the torment Luna experiences. That gift would come in handy for him.

"Amir?" he heard from behind him and thought it had to be his imagination. "A?"

With Luna calling him that, it captured his attention. As he turned around, she was standing in his hallway with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and wearing clothes she borrowed from Cami. A white top with purple lounge shorts that have the words "Spank Me" written on the back of them.

"Hi," Cassie said, waving to Luna.

Luna waved back and walked over to Amir.

He jumped up from his chair and took her hand. "You can see Cassie?"

"I can. And I can see Darren, too."

"That's great," Amir said. "You're making progress, Luna."

"Yeah. It feels amazing to see who Cassie and Darren are."

"It's good to meet you," Cassie said in Luna's direction.

"Same here," Darren muttered, smiling at her.

"Guys, I'll be right back," Amir said, stepping backward and bringing Luna into his room. "We probably don't have long. I just wanted us to be alone for a moment and talk."

"We have a minute before they come to our rooms and demand for us to take more medicine," she said, standing in her bathroom. "Once I take them, I don't know where I'm ending up at."

"Oh, God, Moon. I'm getting you out. I promise you."

Her eyes welled up as he snuggled her. "I don't want you to destroy everything you've ever achieved, Amir."

"Don't worry about me. I care about you and your well-being more than my own." 

Luna sniffed in his arms.

Seconds later, a loud bang was heard on her bedroom door, interrupting them.

"Ms. Carlyle?" Sergeant Decker shouted. "It's time for your medication!"

"Okay. I'll be right out," Luna said, shifting her gaze back to Amir's. "Don't leave yet." 

"Never," he whispered, cupping her cheek. "I'm right here."

He stood back and watched Luna open her door, then bring out her hand to Nurse Smith. She quickly swallowed one pill, then turned her gaze to her left, slightly jerking in her spot. 

"SWALLOW YOUR MEDICATION, TAYLOR!" 

Then a crackling sound boomed in the hallway.

Luna glanced behind her shoulder at Amir as he balled his fists at his sides. He could sense something horrible was going on and couldn't wait to get her out of there.

"Open your mouth, Luna. I have to make sure you didn't just place them under your tongue," Nurse Smith said, holding a light bulb in front of her.

Once she was finished examining her mouth, Luna closed her door and paced toward Amir, sobbing against his chest. 

"What happened out there?"

"They tased Cami because they thought she was faking her cough. She wasn't. She couldn't swallow what they gave her."

"This place is going down," Amir fumed. "You have my word."

"I hope that never happens to me."

"Don't think about that. You only have a few minutes until you fall asleep. Then, I'm gone." 

"I may have to shut you out, again, and I don't want to. But it's the only way you won't feel . . . anything." 

Cupping her cheeks with his hands, Amir whispered, "You never have to worry about me leaving, Luna. I'll never leave you."

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