The Grip of Lions and Veils

A terrorist. Two hostages. a desert lair in Yemen. Appearances can be deceiving... Captive inside the terrorist's lair, Kelliana Coleman screams at Assad, "the Lion": "I'm not supposed to be here!" Ripped from her husband and children in a deadly explosion, Kelliana is trapped in Assad's vendetta against Jesse Fairway, an evangelist she despises. Her cries, "But I'm not his wife!" go ignored as she is thrown with Jesse into a brutal den of abuse and hatred. Kelliana is determined to barricade her heart from further pain. An advocate for coexistence, Kelliana spurns Jesse, blaming him for her situation. But the hut they share is small and home is far away. Then Assad's sister enters their lives, hinting that all is not what it seems. As children play in dusty alleys and village women drop their veils for afternoon tea, Kelli and Jesse settle into a tolerable routine. Their relative peace is short-lived. Swallowed by mounting village tensions, rival terrorists prepare to collide. One claims Kelli as his wife, vowing to make her a Muslim. Pregnant and ill, Kelliana narrowly escapes with Jesse across the Saudi border. But the couple has yet to learn that their greatest challenge awaits at home.