Sorry for any mistakes! Hope you enjoy it! Stay awesome :)



As the sound of a key in the front door reached her ears, Rana bolted up from where she had fallen asleep on the couch, and as Rami came into view, she rushed towards him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh habibi!" she exclaimed, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground.

"Salaam honeybee." He said kissing her head, and she put her hands on his face.

"I was so worried about you. I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Um, I have to tell you something."

She ignored him, pulling his arm towards the living room.

"I mean I know it was silly to worry since everything went okay, but I still was!" she leaned forward to kiss him, and once she had pulled back, he ran a hand through his hair in agitation.

"Um honey, there is something you should know. Where's Jenna?"

"I think she went back to bed. Hey where are Hud and Muhsin? Are they coming up?" she asked, and he gripped her hands in his.

"Rana, please just listen for a second. Something happened."

Her face paled, and she gripped his arm.

"What's going on?!"

"Okay, I need you not to freak out."

"Rami, you're scaring me. What is it?"

"Hud's gone."

She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"No! Oh my God Rami what happened!?"

He shook his head.

"Jamaal. I don't know the details, but I had just reached my post, when all of a sudden this alarm sounded in my ear, and Muhsin's voice came in saying that they couldn't reach Hudayfah. I went back down to the car, and called Hud, and of course Jamaal answered saying that Hudayfah had broken the grounds of the deal, and everything was called off."

"What does that mean?!"

"It means not only did he take Hudayfah, but we aren't getting Emma back either. I don't know what to do Rana, I'm alone in this. There is no one to trust!"

"You aren't alone habibi. I'm here." She said, and he put an arm around her.

"Thank you beautiful." He sighed. "I don't know how to tell Je..." he trailed off as footsteps were heard on the staircase, and they both turned around as Jenna appeared.

"Oh! You're back! Alhamdulillah!" she exclaimed in relief, and when Muhsin walked into the room, she hugged her brother tightly. "I was so worried about all of you! Is Hud coming up?" she asked, and Muhsin squirmed uncomfortably.

"Um, hi Jen." He said quietly, patting her on her back, and Jenna released him.

"Well where is Hudayfah?" she asked, looking between the two men, and when no one answered, she folded her arms over her chest. "Muhsin?"

Her brother widened his eyes, looking very much like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, he um, Rami?" he said turning towards him, and Jenna followed suit.

"Rami, where is Hudayfah?" she asked again, and he raked a hand through his hair.

"Jen,"

She took a step forward.

"Where is he?"

Rami lifted his hands in the air.

"Jamaal got him."

There was silence in the room as Jenna stared at him in shock, before she fell to the ground.

***

Jenna sat on the window seat in her and Hudayfah's room, rocking back and forth slightly. She still couldn't believe it.

Hudayfah was gone.

He was gone, and she was left alone.

But he had promised her.

He had promised he would come back to her.

The shock of hearing he was gone had been too much for her to handle. Apparently she had been out for close to an hour before they were able to revive her, and it had taken three sedatives before her hysterics had stopped. After she had slept of the medication, she had been sitting and staring out the window for close to two hours now, not even able to cry anymore.

She had called his cell phone about a hundred times, and each time it just rang and rang and rang. She was hoping that Jamaal would answer, and maybe, just maybe he would let her talk to Hudayfah. She picked up her phone, dialing his number again, and when it rang seven times she hurriedly hung up before his voicemail picked up.

She couldn't hear his voice again.

She just couldn't.

"Jenna?" Came Maria's voice from the doorway, and she glanced up as her sister and Rana came in the room.

"How are you holding up habibti?" Rana asked, and Jenna shook her head.

"He promised me." she whispered, and her sisters exchanged a glance, before Rana sat down beside her.

"What?"

"Hudayfah," she said hoarsely. "He promised he would come back to me." She buried her face in her hands. "And he didn't."

"Oh Jenna. He wasn't planning for this to happen." Rana said softly, and Maria sat down behind her, rubbing her back.

"You know he adores you. He wouldn't have promised you anything if he didn't think he would come back."

"He shouldn't have promised me. He shouldn't have!" she choked out before she collapsed into sobs, and both Rana and Maria put their arms around her. After a few minutes, Jenna sat up, leaning her head against the window.

"Can we do anything for you?" Maria asked, and Jenna just continued to stare blankly into the room, as if she couldn't hear her.

"I didn't even tell him I loved him." She whispered, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeves. "I had him in my arms. He said it to me, and I didn't even say it back."

"Jenna habibti you can't beat yourself up like this. It's not healthy." Rana said and Jenna turned to look at her.

"Your husband came back to you. Mine didn't. Don't tell me how to feel."

Rana's eyes widened in surprise, before she sat back against the wall.

"I won't take that personally since I know you're upset."

Jenna sighed.

"I'm sorry Rana, I'm just..." she trailed off, staring out the window again, and Rana put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. Please let us know if we can do anything."

Jenna nodded, but didn't say anything, and after a few seconds, her sisters left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She continued to stare out the window, before suddenly she got an idea, and she hurried to pull out her phone, dialing Emma's number.

"Well hello there Jen!" Came Jamaal's voice, and she swallowed hard.

"Let me talk to him." She said, and he laughed.

"No hello?!"

"Jamaal, let me talk to him." She said between clenched teeth, and he gave a huff of annoyance.

"I don't like your tone love."

"I don't care what you like. Let me talk to my husband!" she exclaimed, and after a few beats of silence he cleared his throat.

"What makes you think he's still alive?"

She gripped the phone, the room spinning around her.

Jamaal was just trying to rile her up.

There was no way Hudayfah was...

No, she would have been able to feel it.

"Stop trying to mess with my mind. Just let me talk to him." She said, a bit annoyed that her voice came out choked up.

"Fine. But only because like I said before, I am a sucker for teary women." He teased after a few moments of silence.

She waited anxiously as the only sound she could hear was his footsteps, and when the sound of a door opening and closing reached her ears, she clung tightly to the phone.

"You have two minutes." Jamaal said.

"Jenna?"

At the sound of Hudayfah's voice, she lost it, bawling so hard that she couldn't even breathe.

"Oh darling. Don't cry. Please don't cry."

"Y...y...you promised m...m...e!" she managed to get out, trying to get air into her lungs. "You promised me that you would come back!"

"I know. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Please stop crying." He whispered, and while she knew that she was wasting the two minutes by crying, she couldn't stop. After another few seconds, Hudayfah spoke again. "Darling, please don't. You're breaking my heart. I'm so sorry." He said again, and when his voice broke, she let out a fresh wave of tears.

"Hudayfah, come back to me. Please." She pleaded.

"I'll try darling. I'll try."

"Hudayfah?"

"Yes darling?"

"I lo..."

"Okay that's enough." As Jamaal's voice filled her ear, she gripped the phone in a panic.

"No wait! Please wait!" she shrieked, and he huffed in annoyance.

"I gave you two minutes. That's enough."

"Please just put him back on! Please! I have one more thing I need to say!"

"Sorry love."

As he hung up the phone, she slumped to the ground, weeping hysterically.

"Jenna! Jenna what is it!?" Maria exclaimed as she rushed into the room, and Jenna clung to her sister.

"I talked to him! I talked to Hudayfah!"

"What!?" Maria asked in surprise and she nodded, wiping her eyes.

"I didn't get to say 'I love you'. I didn't get to say it."

***

Emma lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

The last time she had seen Hudayfah was when he was being led away at gunpoint, and she was so worried about him.

And not just because he had been her last hope of getting out of there.

Jamaal came to see her every day, and she had no idea why.

What did he want from her?

She called him all kinds of names, tried to hurt him, and he just took it! He didn't even scold her, or withhold her meals or anything. He would simply call her 'love', and touch her cheek, or brush her hair back. He tried to kiss her head once, but she had gripped his wrist so hard that the next time he came, it was wrapped up. She didn't understand him.

Was he trying to make her trust him?

Fall for him?

Whatever the case was, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle being in there any longer.

Suddenly the doorknob turned, and as one of the men stepped into the room, she hadn't bothered to learn their names, she sat up, glaring at him.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, and he put a hand up.

"I'm not here to hurt you, just bringing your breakfast." He said setting down the tray in front of her, and when he just stood watching her, she huffed in annoyance.

"May I help you?!"

He watched her for a few more seconds, before reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a key.

"Take this, and hide it somewhere." He said extending his hand, and she glared at him suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"It's a key to your door."

She raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

He nodded.

"Hurry, take it before someone comes."

"What's the catch!?" She demanded, and he shook his head.

"There is none."

"Of course there is. You're trying to get me into trouble aren't you? I have two guards outside my door, even if I have a key there is no way I could leave."

"Wait until Saturday at nine at night. There will be no one outside your door. Get out of here as fast as you can, and take a cab, but go to my apartment at this address." He handed her a paper and the key. "Don't go home. Here is cab fare." He said handing her a wad of bills, and she took it suspiciously.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because I'm all you have."

***

He yawned widely as he drove his car down the street, blinking to clear the blurriness from his eyes. It was barely eight in the morning. Why Jamaal had summoned him this early, he had no idea.

Especially considering Jamaal didn't usually wake up until noon.

Soon he had approached the building, pulled up to the curb, put his car in park, and got out, pulling his hood over his face as he walked up to the front doors. He pressed the intercom for Jamaal's apartment, waiting for the buzzing sound before pulling the door open.

As he rode the elevator up to the penthouse, the sinking feeling in his stomach grew stronger. What could Jamaal possibly want?! Did he want to rub it in his face again that he had Emma captive?! As the doors opened, he knocked on the apartment door, wringing his hands anxiously as he waited for someone to answer.

"Hello there red snake." Issam smirked as he opened the door, and he gave an uneasy smile in return.

He didn't like Issam.

Actually he didn't like any of Jamaal's men. They were all rude and callous and slightly intimidating.

Okay very intimidating.

Perhaps the only one he didn't have a problem with was Laith. At least he could be nice when he wanted to be. Everyone else was mean all the time.

"Um hey. Jamaal text me to come?"

"He will be right out. Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable!" Issam said, taking a bite of the donut that was in his hand, and motioning towards the living room. "Can I get you anything?"

"Um, no thanks."

Issam took another bite.

"Alright, let me know if you need anything." He said before leaving the room.

Well that wasn't good.

Issam was being nice to him.

That was almost as bad as Jamaal being in a good mood.

He perched himself on the edge of the couch, nervously fiddling with his phone, and soon Jamaal appeared in the doorway, his grin so large, that he looked like the Cheshire cat.

"Ahlan! Ahlan! Welcome!" Jamaal stepped forward, pulling him into a hug, before letting him go, and patting him on the back. "Thank you for coming so early!"

Oh great.

Jamaal was in a good mood.

"Um, no problem."

"Please sit back down." Jamaal said motioning with his hand towards the couch, taking a seat himself. "Now, I am not one to beat around the bush, so I am going to be upfront with you. I am questioning your loyalty to me."

His face paled.

"What!? Why!?"

Jamaal shrugged.

"Well let's see. You didn't tell me Rana and Rami were getting married, you didn't kill them like I asked you to, you didn't get me Jenna or Omar or Muhsin. I'm beginning to wonder if I can even trust you."

"I've given you other information! I'm betraying all of my best friends! I come at your beck and call! What other proof do you need that I am loyal to you!?"

Jamaal ran a hand over his chin, before smiling.

"If I asked you to take care of someone for me, would you do it?"

He felt his blood race.

Take care of someone!?

That meant...

"You mean kill someone?"

"Mhmm. I know you failed before, but it was stupid of me to start you off with those two. Rami is too intimidating, and well, we all know how pretty Rana is, and it can be hard to off a pretty young lady."

He winced.

Well at least that meant Emma would be safe.

He hoped.

"Well who are you taking about?"

Jamaal rose, and motioned with a finger.

"Follow me."

They walked silently down the hallway, and as they began to approach the door that Emma was behind, he felt his pulse begin to race.

Jamaal wanted him to kill Emma?!

To his relief, they took a right turn, and walked a few more steps before they stopped at another door, and Jamaal folded his arms over his chest, nodding in the direction of the door.

"Go in. It's unlocked."

He hesitated before opening the door, and at first, he didn't recognize who the bound and blindfolded person was. But after he took a few more steps inside, and he recognized him as Hudayfah, he gasped, and stepped backwards, trying to back out of the room.

"Oh no." Jamaal said, catching him by his arm. "You aren't going anywhere." He said as he slammed the door behind them. At the sound of the door closing, Hudayfah glanced up.

"Have you come to torture me some more?" Hudayfah spat out, and Jamaal laughed.

"Oh Hud. I know it was hard talking to little Jen, and don't worry, I'll keep it a secret that you cried." He gave a snort of laughter. "But this is going to be a different kind of torture for you. Believe me."

As Jamaal removed the blindfold, Hudayfah blinked a few times, before looking up, and as his gaze landed on his friend, his eyes widened in shock.

"W...w...what?!" he stammered out.

"Now I would make introductions, but I assume you two already know each other?" Jamaal crowed, and Hudayfah shook his head.

"No. NO! It can't be! It's you?! It's been you this whole time!?"

"Hudayfah I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry!" he pleaded as he came closer, and Hudayfah scooted away.

"How could you!? After everything I've done for you! Everything we have been through together! I trusted you with my life! With Jenna! You've betrayed all of us!? Those of us who see you as their own brother! And it means nothing to you! How could you?!"

"I'm sorry Hud! Please, you don't understand! I needed the money and he offered me a lot!"

"When have I ever not helped you out when you needed it!? When have I ever accepted any payment in return!? And this is how you repay me?!" Hudayfah exclaimed.

Jamaal made a 'tsk' sound, and sat on the edge of a chair.

"How sad. Betraying your best friends like that! People you see as your own brothers! All for money! Oh that must hurt Hudayfah!" he exclaimed gleefully, and Hudayfah shook his head.

"I can't believe this. I just..." he trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Hudayfah please, you have to forgive me!" he said taking a step forward, and Hudayfah pushed back until he was in the corner of the room.

"Get away from me! Just get away!" Hudayfah exclaimed, and as he backed away, Jamaal grinned.

"As touching as this little reunion is, we came here for a reason. Right red snake?"

His eyes widened.

No. Jamaal couldn't want him to kill Hudayfah!?

Could he!?

"No, you didn't mean Hudayfah did you?"

Jamaal smiled, before he pulled out a gun from his pocket, extending it in his direction.

"Are you ready to prove your loyalty?"