Forever His

Chapter 49: Heartache

Mahnoor's POV:

The cliffside trail is quiet, save for the sound of the waves crashing below. Shahmeer and I walk side by side, enjoying the breeze, the sharp scent of salt in the air. The view is stunning, but even as I look out over the ocean, I can't shake the feeling of being watched.

Suddenly, a man steps out from behind a rocky outcrop, a bit too close, his presence unsettling. He's tall, scruffy, his eyes darting between Shahmeer and me with a disconcerting intensity.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" he says, voice slick and calculated. He holds up a handful of bracelets. "Care to buy a souvenir?"

"No, thank you," Shahmeer replies curtly, instinctively shifting closer to me. But the man doesn't move. His eyes linger on me, and there's something predatory in his gaze that sends a shiver down my spine.

"Come on," he persists, his smile fading, replaced by something darker. He glances at me. "Or maybe the lady would like to decide for herself?"

I step back instinctively, but the man mirrors my movement, closing the distance again. My stomach twists. There's a tension in Shahmeer's posture, a cold calmness to his expression that I haven't seen before.

"I said no," Shahmeer says, his tone dropping dangerously.

"Relax, man. Just trying to make a sale," the man says, but his hand shifts toward something at his waist, something I can't see but that makes my pulse race with alarm.

Then Shahmeer steps between us, blocking me from the man's view entirely, his broad shoulders cutting off the man's intense gaze. I can only see the back of his head now, but I sense the tension in every line of his body, the set of his jaw. He doesn't move, and I barely catch him saying something in a low, firm tone to the man, words I can't make out.

The man sneers, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Didn't expect you'd bring your wife out here without protection. Not smart."

"Sweetheart," Shahmeer says suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. His voice is quiet but authoritative. "Cover your ears."

"What?" I ask, confusion laced in my voice, my heart racing faster.

"Just do as I say," he says, his tone unyielding, not breaking eye contact with the man. His gaze flickers back to me, colder than I've ever seen. "Now."

The tension in his eyes is enough to make me obey. I raise my hands to my ears, feeling my breath catch, not fully understanding what's happening.

A single, deafening crack splits the air. Even with my ears covered, the sound makes me flinch, and my hands fly down. The man's form crumples to the ground before my eyes, a look of shock frozen on his face as he slumps forward, lifeless. I stare, heart pounding in my chest, trying to comprehend what I've just seen.

Shahmeer steps back from the man's body, his expression unreadable, gaze cold as he slips the gun into a hidden pocket within his jacket. He stands there for a moment, steadying himself, then turns to me, his face as calm as it was before, though his jaw is tight.

"Let's go," he says, voice a little softer now, and reaches out for my arm.

We walk in tense silence, each step pulling me further into disbelief. I can still hear the echo of that gunshot, see the way Shahmeer fired without hesitation, like he'd done it a thousand times before. He barely even looked at the man before he pulled the trigger. And now, he's striding ahead, his grip on my wrist firm, dragging me along without a backward glance.

"Can you slow down?" I snap, pulling my arm from his hold. My skin feels raw where he's touched it, like it's been tainted somehow by his callousness. "Or are you just going to keep hauling me around like I'm some kind of... possession?"