But if she didn’t give him what he wanted, she might lose him. He might tire of waiting and go to some other-

She was doing it again. Trust. Why could she not trust that he would not leave her?

Because it would mean lowering her guard and letting herself become vulnerable. Yielding that part of her that she had fiercely protected all her life.

How could she be more vulnerable than she was to Kadar right now? She could think of nothing else but the stupid man.

Her eyes were stinging again. She would not cry. She was not one to weep and moan when she could take action to find a solution.

But, dear God, the solution to this problem was agonizingly hard. She was not sure if she even knew how to go about it.

“You understand the message?” Ali Balkir asked.

Kadar nodded. “It’s what I expected.”

“You promised Sinan you’d come and do whatever task he set you. He’s summoning you now. You will obey, of course.”

“Will I?” Kadar smiled. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Panic tore through Balkir. It was what he had feared when Nasim had given him this mission. As a boy, Kadar had walked his own path, and he had even defied Nasim by leaving him. “You’ve got to come.”

Kadar’s smile faded. “I said I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t be a fool. It’s Sinan who sends for you.”

“I’ll let you know my decision in three days.”

“We leave tomorrow. Sinan wants you at once.”

“Then he’ll have to wait.” Kadar moved toward the gangplank. “And have your men stay on board the ship. I want no raping or violence here at Montdhu.”