∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 8

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• Amir •

Staring at Dr. Kim, a shiver of unease traveled up Amir's spine and across his shoulders. Turning his attention to the room, he watched as a patient gave a faint cough from a dim corner. "I . . ."

The doctor turned his way and said, "That's bold of you to say, Amir. You're still new to learning everything we're doing here. It's understandable that you have certain . . . uncontrollable emotions flowing through you. Especially for Mrs. Khan."

Sucking in a deep breath, not believing a word he was saying, he squared his shoulders. "I think it's a little extreme to believe my wife is like the defectives. She's anything but defective."

"You think so?" He paused, sounding offended. "Look at the world now. History has proven that most nations on the planet have tried to take over other nations. In our case, it's a race of people trying to take over. The defective and Tethered Souls' mentalities are no different from regular humans. It's how everyone is wired."

"Survival of the fittest," Amir murmured, and for a moment he could understand where he was coming from, but he still had his guard up. From what he'd seen on TV and in newspaper articles, the world was in complete disarray, and the defectives could take over if they wanted. They were that fierce.

Closing his eyes, he shook his head. The doctor was screwing with him again. The defectives couldn't be as bad as he portrayed them to be. They did have a heart, just like every other human. "How do you know what a defective person will do? That they don't have a conscience? Namely, my wife."

"You're right. Aside from the fact that you can't remember who she is, you don't know what she's capable of. She has abilities that could go beyond science, and we've got to test them out the second we move to a compound."

He took a deep breath, and his stomach dropped. "Compound?"

"We can't do any testing here." The doctor snorted, then laughed. "I don't want to mess up my house. I've worked too hard for it."

"You're seriously worried about the state of your house in the middle of an apocalypse?" Amir asked, tensing. "I'm sure Luna has her abilities under control. Luna is a . . ." Good person. But he stopped because he realized it wouldn't matter what he said. None of them cared.

A few minutes passed before Dr. Kim continued. "Luna's abilities aren't the only thing our organization is concerned with. Having everyone who was with you here would be great, but that's not what we're focused on."

He looked at him sharply, and his heart rate picked up. It was subtly hinted that they were planning something big and focusing on using Luna to lure them in. That would mean his cousin, their friends and family, and Sarah.

His fists balled up at his sides.

"We have your wife," he said, then arched his back. "And we have you. The most powerful duo in the world."

It felt like the floor shook underneath Amir's feet. "Excuse me?"

The doctor's expression was neither friendly nor sincere. "There are Tethered Souls in your group, and we need them. When they unlock their full abilities—and they will—we need to find out everything we can about them. We need to save humanity as quickly as we can. People without superhuman abilities have been at war with others like yourself for centuries, and it's time we end this."

What the . . . ? Amir was pretty sure he'd slipped into an alternate universe, one where they weren't trying to use his family to settle some score he knew nothing about. His brain felt like it had imploded.

Dr. Kim guarded him closely. "The question is, will you stand with us, or will you help your kind? Because there will be a time when you'll make a choice. An impasse, if you will. Between the defectives, Tethered Souls, and humans. You will have to choose a side."

• • •

Turning around, Amir pivoted on his heel and left the room. He didn't like the sound of that. No one in the house could be trusted. But not having his memories of who they were didn't stop him from uncovering the meaning behind their actions. Each person was slowly revealing their nature and what they stood for. He was onto them.

How could Dr. Kim ask him that? Who would he stand beside in the middle of a war? Just thinking about those questions rattled him. He knew no good could come from here, but he really didn't have the brain cells to deal with them on top of what waited upstairs.

He didn't bring Luna into that room.

Sergeant Trent did, and he would've chosen the room across from her, one with a beautiful view of the courtyard. He knew she enjoyed gardening and would love to go outside and dip her hands into the soil.

When they held hands, a memory of her digging into dirt flashed through his mind. He was sure that was the answer to bringing his memories back.

Amir needed to be with her.

He needed to be around his wife.

His feet led the way. Third floor. Last bedroom on the right.

Framed photographs of Dr. Kim and his family adorned the walls. He was standing next to a petite Asian woman, a tall teenage boy, and two kids under the age of ten. Amir hadn't seen them since he'd woken up, but he was sure they were kept somewhere secure. The agency had resources.

The upper floors were almost empty, and no one was walking about. His steps were faster than he intended. As he continued strolling down the wide hallway, with paintings of different bayous covering the area, the hum and chatter faded, almost like it was just him. Almost.

Thrusting a hand through his hair, Amir's breath caught in the back of his throat once he spotted the last door cracked open.

Did they take her somewhere?

Possibly. His hand fell to the side as he drifted forward, and then his heart throbbed against his ribs when he reached out, cautiously pushing it open.

Bright light spilled out of the window, shining down on her bed.

But someone was bent over her body, nearly blocking her view.

There wasn't a single thought in his head as he ticked off like a cobra, bringing his hand up and flinging the person across the room.

His body smashed against the bathroom door, making it fly open. Luna lay still and quiet, sound asleep.

Getting a better look at who they were, it was a male scientist, whose name was Isaac. Not that Amir gave two craps about his name.

"Where did you—"

Amir didn't give Isaac a chance to finish his sentence. His fist crashed into the man's ribcage, causing him to double over. Before he could straighten his body, he gripped Isaac by the neck and tossed him into the hallway.

The man bounced against the wall, the impact rattling the paintings hanging on it. Isaac's bright green eyes flashed red, but Amir exploded forward and slammed his fist into the man's face. "What the hell do you think you're doing to Luna?"

Moving backward, his lips pulled back into a smirk. "I don't have to answer to you, Amir."

"If you don't want to find out how it feels to have your eyelashes peeled off one by one, one lash at a time," he replied, his fingers burrowing through Isaac's shirt, "you will."

Issac chuckled. "Why do you care so much? You two are separated."

Fury whirled through him, mixed with rage and a shitstorm of a thousand other emotions. Amir wanted nothing more than to pummel this douchebag into next week, but he controlled himself. "That's where you're wrong, Isaac. And if you ever think about coming around her again, if you even breathe the same air as her, you won't live to breathe another second. You hear me?"

"I'm not scared of you." Isaac's gaze moved over Amir's shoulder, toward her bedroom. Amir gripped his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "Are you pretending your memories are gone, Mr. Khan? If so, then I'll have to report it."

"Luna is my wife."

He wrangled himself free and then laughed as he tipped his head back. "You've been playing us all along. You're very emotional about who gets to be with her. You don't think none of us can see that?"

Amir's lips turned into a sinister smile. "You've got to be a special kind of stupid if you think I haven't lost my memories. She's my family, so stay away from her. I'm warning you."

Isaac swallowed as he met Amir's stare. Whatever he saw in his gaze had him backing away and turning toward the staircase. "I'm telling everybody about this. Your ass is grass."

Snarling, Amir replied, "So is yours. I've had it with you people."

Stepping away from the wall, he opened the door, then closed it. Locking it was pointless in a house full of snakes, but he had to so he could keep her safe. He didn't trust Isaac; not for a second. The man would come back.

Closing his eyes, Amir ran his hands across his face, suddenly exhausted on a bone-deep level. Showing Isaac how much he cared for her might not have been the smartest idea, but there was no way he couldn't. Not after holding her. Not after sharing a kiss with her. From the moment he walked into the office next door, he was drawn to her room. The lure was just as powerful as it was from the first moment he saw her downstairs, the moment she fought everybody.

She was strong, and she had claws.

He loved knowing he had a courageous woman by his side.

Looking at her, he had his veins dancing inside his skin. His walls were down, and he tried desperately to keep his thoughts empty, but he couldn't anymore as his eyes traveled down her limbs. Amir stood still as if suspended in the air. Three hours had passed since he last saw her, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

And it had been a lifetime. The world was different, and they had a future they were planning—a future he couldn't remember.

Sitting beside her, Amir scooted close and took her hand in his, placing a soft kiss on her palm. He could sense how tired she was, and it felt like she hadn't slept in days. Maybe she hadn't. The light was still pouring into the room, but a late afternoon nap was what she needed.

She turned and snuggled against his body, then threw an arm over his waist, squeezing him with her grip. He didn't know what to do, but he stayed still and did not get up.

Dirty socks were on Luna's feet, and that disgusted him. They couldn't even provide clean clothes for her. Her leg was bent at the knee, while the other one was tucked underneath his. The knees of her blue jeans were stained with dirt and filth, and the oversized shirt—one of Dr. Kim's—was pulled up a little, exposing an eyeful of bruised skin. Then his eyes traveled to her nightstand, where he spotted a bottle of pills. His hands curled inward, clenching the blanket so tightly that his knuckles ached.

Had Isaac been doing something to her as she slept? Was she given medication to make her fall asleep? Amir hoped not, because if that were the case, he was about to find the snake and make him regret ever laying a hand on her. No one took advantage of his wife and lived to see the next day.

He was out for blood.

Closing his eyes, Amir lowered his head and inhaled a sweet, sensational scent that was solely hers. Then he leaned down and kissed her parted lips. Emotion flooded through him, a jolt of something familiar, but yet, foreign. He almost felt like he was taking advantage of her, but then she opened her eyes and kissed him back.

He lifted his head and stared into her coffee-colored brown eyes, then brushed a strand of soft hair away from her face.

Carefully tugging down the hem of her shirt, he grinned, feeling better that her reddish-purple bruise wasn't showing anymore.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem," he said, watching her lips turn into a soft grin. "I didn't mean to wake you, Luna. I was . . ."

She giggled. "Wake me whenever you want, Amir. I'm glad you're here."

"So am I."

Yawning, Luna turned away and shook her head. "Sorry. I'm so tired. I want to stay awake."

He kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep, Luna. I'm not going anywhere."

She nodded and then looked up. "But wouldn't everyone worry about where you are?"

"Screw them," was all he said. He wasn't going to leave her side. Not after what he'd seen and learned. Not after what happened moments ago.

"What was that commotion about? I was in and out of it."

Amir narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "Just someone I needed to take care of. They'll think twice before entering your room again."

She bit her lip. "My man was saving his damsel in distress. But you sure do have a death grip on me. I can't even feel my toes."

His laugh shook the bed. "Sorry. I guess I'm a little overprotective of you."

"Just a little, Amir?"

He chuckled and nodded toward the chair in the corner. "I can sit over there if you want."

Luna shook her head instantly. "Don't move an inch. Stay still."

"Well, only if you insist." She nodded, her eyes crinkling in the corners, and he continued. "I just—I'm beginning to understand what you mean about these people and what goes on around here."

"It's bad."

"It is." Amir let go and sat up. "I caught a man in here while I was downstairs. I took care of him."

"What was he doing?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I walked in on Isaac hovering over you like you were a blow-up doll."

"Oh, God."

"Luna, look at me," Amir mumbled, bringing her gaze to meet his. "I hate not remembering us. But that's okay. I know we are married, and you're my wife. You'll always be my wife, and I will not let anything come between us. I promise you."

She looked down and then met his gaze. "Wife," Luna whispered, her lips trembling.

"Yes, Mrs. Khan. You're my wife, always and forever." He swiped a tear from her eyelid. "I've learned so much over the past four hours. These people are sadistic animals, and I'm planning to get us out of here. Before they can do more damage to you."

She gulped and pulled him in, her arms wrapping tightly around his waist.

There were a hundred ways all of this could play out, but Amir knew they needed to escape. He didn't want either of them to be used more than they already were. And this agency had plans for them and humanity. He wanted both of them to go from there.

But all he could do now was sit and wait for the right moment to flee. Hell will freeze over before he lets them do something worse to her.

And he didn't want to chance it.

He was now seeking vengeance.

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