A strange tension was building. The general and Tarin stood almost nose to nose. Was something going on there? Talia wasn’t sure. She looked between the men, startled by their bristling, confrontational demeanor. Earlier this morning, the general had been grimly determined to find the best counter attack against Padar as possible. He’d said that he only wanted to save lives by not showing any weakness that might think that Padar had gotten away with the attack on Izara, but…what in the world was going on now? Was the general somehow involved in this mess?
As soon as she’d thought that question, Talia dismissed it. That was completely ridiculous. General Connaught had been in the Izara military all his life. He’d grown up in the military, his brothers and cousins were all military members as well.
Sensing the rising tempers, Talia laid a gentle hand on Tarin’s arm. “I think we know enough about this spot to be sure that the missiles were launched from here,” she announced, breaking the staring contest. “Perhaps we should head back to the village and figure out what to do next. We need to warn Amit as well,” she added to Tarin.
Tarin reluctantly turned away from Connaught. With a jerky movement, he nodded his agreement. “Yes. Let’s talk with Amit and Gaelen. We need to figure out our next move.”
Talia glanced over at the general, noticing that the man looked…a bit pale. Nervous pale? Was it because of the close confines of the ancient fort? Or was there something more going on?
They climbed out of the fort through the small, mostly hidden doorway and Tarin ordered two of his guards to stay behind and keep watch. He promised to send reinforcements soon. He helped Talia back into the SUV, although he didn’t toss her in this time. She took that as more evidence of his distracted thoughts and not as a sign that he was becoming a sweet, sensitive big brother.
The rest of their entourage silently loaded up into the individual vehicles. Only when Tarin and Talia were alone with their personal guards did he speak. “What’s going on with General Connaught?” he demanded with a harsh tone, including his guards as well as Talia when he asked.
Talia kept her gaze forward, looking straight out through the windshield, shaking her head. “I don’t know, but his reaction seemed…off.”
The guards in the backseat nodded their agreement. One of them spoke up. “I don’t know, Your Highness, but he was definitely reluctant to go into the fort. While you were climbing to the top, trying to evaluate the lookout points, General Connaught offered several reason why we shouldn’t go in there.” He paused for a moment, then sighed. “None of them made sense. It was pretty obvious that he didn’t want us to look inside, but at the time, I took it as an indication that he was looking out for your welfare,” he said to both Tarin and Talia.
“He also said that he knew of the fort before today,” Talia added.
“I got the distinct impression that he didn’t want the focus of our investigation to move away from Padar,” Tarin said, stating what everyone else was thinking but too wary, or too respectful, to want to say out loud. After all was said and done, the General had been with the Izara military for decades, devoting his life and his loyalty to the country’s welfare.
Unless he hadn’t.
Those ominous words remained unspoken.
Silence permeated the SUV as they drove back across the desert. When they arrived, Tarin and Talia stared at each other as they stood beside the SUV, their guards surrounding them.
“Something is going on,” he whispered. “I need to get back to Amit and brief him, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
Talia laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “Go,” she urged. “I can’t leave here just yet. I have to stay here and help out. These people need our help.”
“Talia…?”
Her hand tightened on his arm and she leaned forward slightly, “No, Tarin. You know I’m right.” She could see the truth in his eyes, and he didn’t like it. “Look,” she said, ignoring the real issue in her mind, that she wanted to see Santos again tonight. “I need to be here, to help the villagers. But you’re right, something is going on with General Connaught. Why not bring him back with you? Keep an eye on him and find out what’s going on. You know that we don’t have the technology, the radar and satellite images here to discover what’s happening. It’s all back at the palace.” When Tarin still hesitated, she smiled gently. “Connaught needs to be tracked. If he’s done nothing wrong, then tracking him and evaluating his movements and his phone records will exonerate him. If the security team finds something that indicates otherwise, then we’d be fools to ignore it.”
Tarin ran a hand over his face, frustration and tension evident. “What you’re saying makes sense, but damn it, the man’s been loyal for so long!”
“I know,” she whispered, looking around to see if anyone might be watching the two of them conversing in the big desert-equipped SUV. But the others had already headed back to the village. “So bring him back with you, but instead of trying to prove he’s hiding something, go back with the intention of proving his innocence.” She watched him carefully, sensing his relief when she rephrased the investigation. “Take it from a different angle, but do the job that has to be done, and find out what’s going on. It might not be that he’s guilty, but he might be protecting someone who is. Maybe he’s not even aware of what he’s doing. Either way, we need to find out. His reaction today was telling and you know it.”
“Yeah. I know.” With a sigh, he shook his head, resting his hands on the steering wheel. “Fine. I’ll bring him back with me.” He looked down at her, his eyes hard and unyielding. “Be careful, okay? Don’t do anything stupid!”
She grinned. “Like what? Maybe running off into the woods to have a sexy liaison with the ruler of Padar?” she teased. Sort of teased, she corrected. Especially since that was exactly what she was hoping would happen tonight.
“Don’t be a brat,” he groaned, giving her a hug. “Fine. I’ll drop you off at the village, then head back to talk with Amit. I’ll find some excuse to bring Connaught back with me and get him talking. If he doesn’t reveal anything that satisfies my curiosity, then I’ll get our security teams to look into his life a bit more carefully.”
“Good,” she replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Be careful yourself, okay? He’s an old, experience fighter and you’re a weak, annoying slob.”
He snorted his disdain at her insult, which made her laugh, and they drove back to the village.
An hour later, Tarin had eased the general’s fears and the two of them were flying back in a helicopter to the capital. Talia watched as it coasted over the hills, worried for her brothers. Then she looked around at the destroyed buildings. This whole situation was such a huge mess!
Turning, she went back into the village and was immediately surrounded by people needing guidance and assistance.
She grabbed a bite to eat and headed towards the disaster zone, keeping an eye on the horizon the whole time, wondering if Santos was still watching. She smiled, thinking about the previous night. Would he come again tonight? Would he dare to sneak into her tent and…yeah, she thought as she grabbed a drink of water. She knew him well enough now and shivered with anticipation. He’d dare, she thought.
In fact, that was one of his better qualities, she thought with a new spring to her step.
Chapter 12
Santos paced the perimeter of the small town where he and his generals had set up base camp. The country was braced for war, but he knew that something was wrong. Thankfully, he’d had a message from Gaelen, sent through secret channels this morning, asking for time to investigate.
Because the message had come from Gaelen, Santos restrained himself. That, and the fact that Talia was in Izara! He couldn’t do anything when she was there in danger. Somehow, he had to get her out of there! He couldn’t seem to think beyond the need to grab her and get her to safety. Why had he let her go yesterday morning? Why hadn’t he simply kept her in the SUV and driven off, taking her back
to Padar where she would be safe?
Several hours later, Santos was ready to rip someone’s head off. Running a furious hand over the back of his neck, he started to lift the binoculars, only to grunt with irritation. It was dark now. Binoculars were useless until there was light. He needed night vision goggles, but they were back in the command center.
He’d gotten only about three hours of sleep last night. Things were quiet and he’d assured Gaelen that there would be no counter attack, as long as Izara didn’t attack in response to what they perceived as an unmitigated attack from Padar.
So both countries remained braced for war…a war neither wanted. Both countries wanted peace…a peace that had always seemed so elusive until he’d met with Gaelen back in Manhattan…so what the hell was going on?
While Santos prepared his country for war, doing the best he could to remove any threats, a second team was secretly digging deeper into the warehouse break-in and a third was investigating if weapons were stolen from another military base. Because there was no doubt about it, the missiles that had been fired into that small village in Izara had been from a Padar cache of weapons.
This was ridiculous!
Santos paced again, then glanced at his watch. It was time!
Getting into the SUV, he drove out of the base camp, heading over the border.
Talia had risen before dawn this morning and was already showered and dressed, pacing back and forth across the length of her tent. Waiting.
Would he show up today? Had he gotten her text? She desperately hoped so. She needed to see him. She needed to explain what they’d discovered yesterday. Was she committing treason by telling him? Possibly. Was she going to do it anyway?
Yes. She loved him. Twisting her hands together, she sighed, accepting that her feelings for Santos were much deeper than she’d realized.
And that was a lie. She’d known that she was in love with him for a while now. But she’d told herself that they’d hadn’t known each other long enough for her feelings to be love.
Was she crazy?
Yeah. But she didn’t care. Not anymore.
A small scuffling sound caught her attention and she stopped, standing still and listening. There! She heard it again. Turning, she faced the tent wall that was still loose. A second later, she saw Santos slip under the tent flap.
For a long moment, he stood still, startled that Talia was waiting for him. But before he could adjust his thinking, she threw herself into his arms.
“You’re safe!” she whispered, hugging him with all her strength. “Thank goodness, you’re safe!”
He held her close, silently reassuring her that he was alive and safe.
Pulling back, she looked up at him. “I have to…”
He silenced her with a kiss. She kissed him back with all of the love in her heart, showing him with her actions how she felt even if she couldn’t tell him with words.
When he lifted his head, she felt her body tingle, wanting more, but also aware of the danger he was in by being here in her tent.
“Come with me,” he ordered, taking her hand and leading her back out of the tent
As soon as they reached the SUV parked in the same place as yesterday, Santos turned and swung her around, pressing her back against the door of the vehicle. “Why are you with Prince Tarin?” he demanded.
Talia was so startled, she almost laughed. “Tarin?”
“Yeah,” he growled through clenched teeth. “I saw you hugging him yesterday, laughing with him.” He stepped away from her and started pacing, too furious to hold still. “Why? Are you…”
Talia smiled, her heart swelling with love. He was jealous! Surely that meant he had feelings for her, right?
“Do you love him?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, savoring the moment. “Yes. I love him.”
Santos swung around, glaring at her in the darkness. “You…?”
“He’s my brother, Santos,” she said quietly.
Santos froze and stared at her, not sure he’d heard her correctly. There was a long, painful silence. Finally, he inhaled and said, “Could you repeat that?”
She laughed and moved closer. Santos watched as she leaned her head back, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “He’s my brother.”
For a long moment, there was relief. Brother! Damn, her brother! That would explain the interactions he’d witnessed. Her brother.
He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. “Damn it, Talia, I just about lost my mind yesterday when I saw you hugging him!”
She laughed, snuggling up against him. “He’s a good guy, but also the one that teases me the most.”
The one that…!
Santos froze, stunned as he connected the dots. Pulling back, he looked at her with new eyes. With his hands on her upper arms, he let his gaze move over her. “If he’s your brother then…?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I’m a member of the royal family. Princess Talia Ermenia Agusta el Raminar, at your service,” she announced with a mock curtsy.
A painfully cold sensation formed in his chest. She looked like the same person he’d made love to last week and yesterday morning. But seeing her now, hearing her admit that she was a member of the royal family of his most hated enemy…that cold expanded.
“Were you spying on me last week?” he asked in a deadly calm voice. Dropping his hands, he stepped away, needing some space as the repercussions of their affair hit him. “Did you play me, Talia?”
The hurt in her eyes increased the ache in his chest.
“Play you?” she echoed in a strained whisper. “Spy on you?” Shaking her head, he watched the moonlight dance in her hair and gritted his teeth against the need to wrap his arms around her and tell her he didn’t care what she’d done as long as she loved him.
But that was wrong! If she’d spied on him, then…what was she? What did their time together mean? For him, their lunches and dinners together had been precious, tender interludes that had helped him get through the tense negotiations.
Negotiations with her brother! Damn it! Why hadn’t he seen the resemblance? Looking at her now, the hazel eyes, the nose, the chin…they were Gaelen all over! In his defense, Gaelen was a massive brute of a man, while Talia was small and delicate, about as feminine as a woman could be. Hell, she painted her toenails a soft, delicate pink!
What the hell was going on?!
“I wasn’t a spy!” She snapped. “I don’t spy for my country or anyone!”
He grunted, wanting to believe her. But what was the truth? If she’d spied for her brother, he’d been a sucker, hadn’t he? Santos paced along the dirt, running a hand through his hair as he tried to think back. They’d walked, talked, and dined on food that he couldn’t even remember eating, drank wine he hadn’t tasted, simply because Talia was with him. He’d had become obsessed with her, with drinking in the sight of her, the scent of her soft perfume and enjoying her smiles.
He’d been a fool! And she’d been the puppet master.
“I have to go,” he snapped. He turned, one hand on the handle of the SUV. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “Talia, if you did this, if you revealed something to your brother last week, just tell me now.”
But because of that painful ache and the need to know the truth, Santos had to see her. That’s when he saw the stricken look in her eyes, which cemented his doubts. She’d done it. The look of horror in her eyes proclaimed her guilt.
“Go,” he snapped. “Get back to the village.”
Talia stepped forward, her hands open, pleading with him. “Santos, I…!”
“Go!” he roared, not giving a damn if he woke up the village. At this point, he’d enjoy the fight! He needed to release his fury at Talia’s betrayal, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t, fight a woman. He’d never hit a woman in his life and he wasn’t going to start now.
“Santos!” she gasped and he heard the hurt in her voice but willed himself not to react to it. “Please, don’t d
o this! Talk to me!”
He heard the words, but focused on the desperate tone in her voice. She wanted to talk about her spying on him? Not a chance.
“Talia, get back to the village. Now!” he growled, turning and glaring down at her with black hatred in his eyes.
Still, she stood there, obviously unsure what to do. She looked as if she wanted to come to him, but his rigid stance warned her away.
In the end, she turned and trudged slowly back towards the village. He muttered several expletives and reached for the handle of the SUV again, but at the last moment, he stopped himself. Turning again, he watched her walk away. His body ached as he saw the stiff, defiant set of her shoulders, the proud angle of her head.
She disappeared from view and he wrenched open the door to the SUV, telling himself to just get away from her.
He jerked himself into the driver’s seat and reached down to start the engine. But he couldn’t do it.
Several more expletives tore through the cold, morning air and he swung out of the SUV, slamming the door as if daring the world to come at him.
Hurrying through the trees, it took him only a moment to catch up with her, but still, he hung back. This was only to make sure that she got back to the village safely, he told himself. It had nothing to do with wanting to see her one last time. Still, his throat tightened with the effort to keep from calling out to her, telling her to stop so that they could talk it out.
There was no talking to spies, he reminded himself. And as a member of the royal family, her loyalties would be to Izara. Not to him. He couldn’t trust her.
He watched as she headed into the camp, not bothering to sneak under the back flap of her tent. Instead, she regally walked to the front and swept in.
The Sheik's Scandal (The Raminar Family Book 3) Page 9