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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

There’s movement that draws my eye down by the beach, near the path leading to Lam’s little suite. A head of lustrous hair catching the sunlight.

Four men round the bend and head straight for the beach house, a smaller target than the larger hotel.

Then I’m moving, rushing out of the room, down the stairs, and onto the path leading to the beach house. A hotel porter tries to grab my arm, but I shake him off. As I get close to the house, I hear men whispering to one another, see them move forward. They all seem to be armed. One of them is most definitely the protester Dao had slammed into the wall. The protester leads the pack—they’re about to try the door, when there are a series of shots.

Coming from inside.

Then all hell breaks loose.

41

Sprinting to the back gate, I see Dao emerge from the house. He’s backing up, holding Lam by the scruff of the neck in one large hand, and in the other is a pistol. Ivan emerges from the house after them, bleeding from a wound in his arm—but he’s still holding a gun.

“Don’t move,” Dao says to Ivan.

That voice is a dagger to my spine. Immobilizes me. Weakens my knees. It is the voice that haunts my dreams.

Once, a long time ago, when Ray Zhang’s son, Kai, attacked me and they thought I was near death, Dao had told Kai to get rid of my body, not knowing or caring that I was still alive. Though I didn’t hear it the second time, I can imagine him on the phone when he sent those hit men after me in Detroit. Telling them that yes, he’ll pay the price for my murder. Maybe he even haggled a little.

Ivan’s gaze flickers to me. Just a small movement, but it’s enough to cause Dao to shift slightly, still keeping Lam in front of him and Ivan in his sights.

Dao looks at me. So does Lam. They are the same size, both very tall men, but Lam doesn’t stand a chance.

“I told you,” Lam says, his mouth bloody. “I told you she was here!”

“So what do I need you for?” Dao says.

He sounds different. Now that the first shock of his voice is past, I notice something I should have seen as soon as he started to speak. He’s so hoarse he’s almost wheezing, and his posture is bent. As though there’s some kind of injury he’s being mindful of. An image of Ivan disappearing into the plane’s restroom crosses my mind as I see the same thing in Dao. His heightened energy. His aggression.

I see the moment Lam becomes expendable to him.

The shift of Dao’s finger on the trigger.