Something hot and dark overcame Asadullah - a feeling that was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He didn't have time to ponder on it for his legs were spurring him into action towards the grinning abomination of his family.

"Yaar (friend), have you ever seen such a pretty girl before?" His dad-blamed brother asked, his hand reaching for her golden curls with a lustful look. The girl shrunk away from him, tears brimming in her painful gaze at his touch. Asadullah narrowed his eyes at her inflamed cheek that peeked from behind her prairie colored hair.

He had always known Khalid to be extreme but never had he expected him to raise his hand on the weaker sex. Somehow, the knowledge of this and the anguish in her grassy eyes sunk Asadullah's heart. And set it on fire at the same time.

"You couldn't find a more able person to use for your display of strength?" Asadullah scorned, his lips turned in a grave frown. At his words, the girl's eyes enlarged - as if she had not expected him to be there or to say such a thing.

Khalid, however, flushed with immense embarrassment. "She struggled, bhai (brother)!" He moaned as if it was a justifiable answer. Asadullah almost marched over and throttled him, but something held him rooted to the spot. Perhaps it was the pronounced fear that the girl was practically emanating. She seemed more frightened now that he had appeared in the picture.

So she remembered him from their previous encounter. Just as he had too. He didn't know how to feel about it.

Fahad, uncharacteristically quiet spoke with no hints of amusement in his normally chirpy tone. "Perhaps, you wanna try us, Khalid bhai (brother)? Or do you prefer fighting those who are not even half your strength? Does that make you feel powerful? Does it make you forget how pathetic and weak you are?"

His response was the click of a gun being pointed at his head. "Bakwaas band kar apni! (Shut your mouth!)"

Imad did not wait for approval from Asadullah to take a stand for his brother. With an eagle-like aim, he lifted his sniper rifle and shot Khalid in the tendons of his hand. The man dropped the gun - a fountain of blood spurting from his hand. He stepped back - his grip loosened on the girl allowing her to crawl away - her eyes fixed upon the distant figures of her tribe.

Asadullah knew it was cruel and perhaps unnecessary, but he could not allow her to leave. "Do not move." He commanded, bending to her level and fixing her with a promising glare for retribution if she dared to rebel against him. He only had a few moments to gaze in her green eyes, but they would certainly come to plague him for the rest of his life.

Khalid, now in an unfavorable situation scrambled away madly - his demeanor that of a fallen sinner who was about to face a reckoning. Asadullah was certainly in no mood for clemency, but never had he thought that foolish Khalid would suffer his wrath today.

"I warned you, Khalid." He began, picking up his fallen handgun on his slow walk over. "I warned you and I warned Baba too." Those words were the same he had spoken yesterday after he had precisely shot half his bicep off. Today, however, there was something grim in Asadullah's black eyes. As if Khalid would never be allowed to err ever again.

"But you chose not to listen." He said, suddenly clamping his hand around his neck. Khalid spluttered in shock - leaving his bloody appendage to tug his neck away from the cruel grip. But Asadullah merely brought him to his feet before he began to tug his tie off.

"You fucked up, Khalid." He was clutching his hands - watching as blood seeped into his black shirt before roughly bringing them behind his back. Khalid roared in pain not liking the stress the action brought to his bullet contained hand. "You fuck up everything, Khalid. Everything that should have been mine from the start is now up for a fucking competition. And should I not be offended that the one I am competing with is a brainless buffoon?"

"Harami (bastard), I am telling Baba everything!"

Asadullah chuckled darkly at the barely audible words. "Oh, but a corpse doesn't speak does it, Khalid?" Then directly in his ear, he hissed. "Once I am done here, I will bury you someplace in this valley. Even these bumpkins won't be able to find your pieces. Just wait."

And with those final words, he chucked him away as if he was nothing. As if he was worthless. Nazli's eyes widened at the sight - yesterday, he had thrown her away with the same lack of concern. If this man could do this to his supposed brother then she could only imagine what he could to her and her people.

She shifted slightly, watching with keen eyes as he directed to his two companions to get rid of her attacker. When his entire back had turned away from her, she let the raging adrenaline in her to take the course. The hill was only a few leaps away - she would be home soon - Shahrazad must be ripping apart the village in search of her. Even Hamza and Baba Zaman must be worried. That's what she always did - worry all those who had the burden of looking after her.

But fate was against her since the day she had been born. Nothing ever happened according to how she wished, but rather at the will what others would want.

Asadullah had understood the element of speed early on in his life. His father had many enemies - some of them rightfully so and they often targetted him - the most capable offspring of Sikandar Khan. So it was not a hard feat to catch the stumbling girl before she went hollering down to those who wanted his head.

The last time they had been in this position, he had not realized that she was perhaps the slightest woman he had ever seen. His earlier preconception that women of rural areas were tall and challenging went out at the window.

Still, she struggled violently against the hard clutches of his arms. Something akin to mercy blossomed in his heart and he considered whether letting her go would not be the least he could do. She was innocent and harmless - an unneeded piece on a chessboard yet Khalid's cruelty had befallen upon her.

But now she was the centerpiece.

Winning her trust and treating her with kindness may put in a good word for him. Maybe Shah Zaman's heart would sway when she would tell him that Asadullah had rescued her. Of course, he would have to play the nice guy for a bit. Fucking Khalid and his stupidity.

"Why do you run?" He asked, his normally flat and gravelly voice taking a honeyed and silvery tone. She relaxed slightly, her arms fighting less powerfully now. He was glad that she understood him - he was surprised how many people had an excellent command of English in this region.

"My brother is much cruel, yes?" His finger touched the side of her burning cheek. She wrenched away frightened and her severe struggles returned. "I will punish him severely - you will see." At his words, she froze and her panicked eyes enlarged. He wondered what it was he had said to make her quiver like a leaf.

Before he could ask her, Imad returned. "Asad - we need to get out of here. They heard the shot I fired and are coming." A violent kick landed on his legs at his words. Clearly she had caught on that her family was close. Asadullah sighed - his streak of impatience returning. He did not want to hurt her, but she was testing the last of his nerves.

Imad turned his impassive gaze to her. "What about her?"

He chose his words carefully. "What Khalid has done is unforgivable. And I cannot let her go till I am sure she has seen he is punished."

His companion's eyebrow lifted lazily and Asadullah knew that Imad had caught on. He was too intelligent - always had been from the start, yet he clung to his pacifistic morals like a moth to a flame. Asadullah had never understood the kind of man Imad was - only that he would trust him with his life.

"Clearly she isn't fussed." He said, flicking her hair out of her face. Before she could move her face away, Imad had clutched it and was analytically scanning her cheek. "He has a strong hand - a little more force and her cheekbone would have cracked." Asadullah had no doubt about it - Khalid was sick in the head from the start. Growing up, he had enjoyed torturing anything weaker than him - dogs, cats, birds, and then slowly humans too. Their father had considered it as a mark of strength, but Asadullah saw it differently.

"I wonder if putting one between his eyes would not be easier." He ignored the small body that stiffened under his hand, before turning to Imad. But his companion's eyes were still focused upon the girl - a strange softness in them that Asadullah had only seen once before. Hmm.

"Imad?"

He snapped his brown eyes back to his own onyx - the steeliness in them present as if it had never dulled momentarily. "Take her back to the hotel."

Pain exploded in his hand and he was wrenching his appendage that was resting on her neck away. She had bitten him! Him, Asadullah Sikandar Khan. Imad watched his face while simultaneously seizing the fleeing woman by a quick swipe. She now faced him - her forest colored eyes promising him a worse outcome if he so dared to act upon his words.

His lips twitched - a strong desire to laugh at the expression on her face. Had she looked upon Khalid with that same burning rage? He had mentioned that she had struggled and the thought that she had caused his sick bastard of a brother some pain brought great pleasure to him. But mostly it was the display of sheer strength that both allured and amused Asadullah. She was brave - even though she had little muscle to show for it.

"Little girl, you certainly have sharp teeth." He smirked uncharacteristically, leaning down to her height. She dug her head back into Imad's chest - the terror glimmering from her small face. Asadullah reeled back then, disgusted at the implication. Did she think he would strike her as Khalid had? Did she really think he was the same as that bastard?

"I only wish to talk . . . Nazli." Both Imad and the girl snapped their faces to stare at him. The attention made him uncomfortable - he didn't like the look of surprise on their faces - as if Asadullah was soft. Anyone who thought him soft would be making a detrimental mistake.

"Imad, take her back to the hotel." He repeated, turning to walk away. This time she did not struggle, only watched him with distrust. "When we have talked and Khalid has been punished, you will be allowed to leave. Till then, you are our guest."

With those final words, he was walking away. Just before he moved to disappear in the foliage, he spotted a team of villagers approaching. Rather than worry, he spotted anger and hostility on their faces. And it made sense to him when he saw what they dragged behind them.

Dozens of bodies. Of dead horses and sheep.

Asadullah felt his chest constricting with dread. His brother had not just kidnapped a girl from the villagers.

He had also destroyed their entire livestock.