Sheikh had no intention of testing Jackson’s patience further.
The threat in his boss’s voice had been more than enough.
He quickly barked orders into his radio and summoned a cleanup team.
The cleanup crew sprang into action immediately under Sheikh’s supervision.
Two men moved to the intruder’s body, checked him briefly, then prepared him for removal.
Others spread absorbent pads over the blood and began scrubbing the floor.
Throughout the entire cleanup, Mariam couldn’t bring herself to look.
The sight of the dead man and the blood splattered across the room made her stomach churn.
It was too horrifying, too appalling for her to bear.
She kept her head lowered.
Once the cleanup was finally finished, the crew quietly gathered their equipment and left the room.
Jackson looked toward her.
“Get some sleep.”
Then he turned and headed for the door to leave.
Mariam’s eyes followed his retreating figure, and a fresh wave of panic washed over her.
What if there was another intruder lurking somewhere in the compound?
What if she fell asleep only to wake up with another hand wrapped around her throat?
The thought made her breathing quicken.
No, she couldn’t stay alone tonight—not after what had happened.
The sudden movement sent a sharp stab of pain through her injured ribs—the same ribs she had hurt during her escape attempt, but she ignored it.
“Jackson…”
He stopped.
His hand was already resting on the doorknob when he felt a strange softness against his waist.
It was as soft as smooth cotton candy.
He glanced over his shoulder.
Mariam was standing behind him, her arms hugging his abdomen.
For a moment, he simply stared.
The sudden contact sent a jolt of electricity through him.
“What?” he asked.
Mariam lowered her gaze and bit down on her pink lower lip.
The request she wanted to make felt absurd.
Humiliating, even.
She hated that she was about to say it to him of all people.
Several seconds passed before she finally found her voice.
“Stay.”
Jackson became gentle almost imperceptibly, though his tone remained as cold and flat as the winter winds.
“Huh?”
“I know I hate you. I know I blame you for a lot of things. But..I almost died.” She hated how small she sounded.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Her grip wasn’t strong, but it was desperate.
He reached down and tried to pry her arms from around his waist.
Mariam misunderstood his intention.
Thinking he was rejecting her, she tightened her hold with all the strength she could muster and shook her head rapidly.
“Please…don’t leave…Stay with me tonight.”
Jackson’s eyes shone with amusement.
His lips curled up.
“Fine.”
The answer came so quickly that Mariam almost thought she had imagined it.
Slowly, her grip loosened.
Only after hearing his agreement did she finally let go of his waist, her trembling hands falling back to her sides.
“You will stay…?”
“Yes,” he replied, turning around to face her.
“But there’s one problem…”
“What problem?”
“One of us will have to sleep on the floor,” Mariam hesitated before continuing, “It should be you.”
Jackson stared at her in disbelief.
He looked incredibly annoyed—furious, even.
“You have to be joking!”