by Leslie North
To her surprise, he chuckled and raised his hands. “I wasn’t judging you. I’m only trying to help.”
“I’m sorry. I’m getting punchy. I need some sleep.” Closing her eyes, she reached up to massage the back of her neck. The sleeve of her shirt fell away, and she heard Riyad hiss. Looking down, she saw that bruises were already showing.
“Get some sleep,” he growled. “I’ll have Tahira check on you in the morning. She’s one of our servants and a good friend of my sisters-in-law. She’ll be kind to you.”
As he turned to go, Danielle realized that this was probably as strange for him as it was for her. She had a feeling that softness was a trait Riyad didn’t often show. “Riyad. Sorry,” she added as he turned back to face her, “should I call you Sheikh Riyad while we’re here?” she asked anxiously.
“Riyad is fine.”
“I want to say thank you for saving my life. I know this complicates things for you. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll be gone.”
“No strings attached?” he asked, an odd note in his voice.
“Exactly,” she agreed with a firm nod. “No strings attached.”
He stared into her eyes a moment, returned the nod, and turned again to leave.
As he eased the door closed behind him, Danielle set out to explore the suite. She stopped at the bathroom. Turning on the hot water in the marble-lined shower, she stripped down and stepped inside.
What she’d told Riyad was true. Her abductors hadn’t hurt her as much as they might have, but she could still feel the ghosts of the prints of their grimy hands on her skin and their rancid hot breath in her ear as they’d breathed their threats.
She’d never been so terrified in her life, and now that she was relatively safe and alone, she felt overwhelmed. As the hot water pelted her, she sank to her knees and wept.
Running away from her embarrassing situation had only made things worse. Now she was pregnant, alone, and hiding from a group of men who wanted her dead.
Domestication was really not for her.
6
Tahira was waiting for Riyad the next morning when he left his suite. She curtsied and smiled politely, but he could see the troubled look in her eyes. Immediately, he tensed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Your Highness. I was told you wanted an immediate report. If you’d like to eat first….”
“I don’t want to eat first.” Although coffee wouldn’t be beyond reason. He waved a hand in frustration. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“As you asked, I checked on Danielle several times last night. She took multiple showers in the night, and once when I came in, she was in the middle of a nightmare. I thought if I woke her, she might be even more frightened since she didn’t know me. She’s up now, showering again, and the doctor is waiting.”
Riyad frowned. Obviously, Danielle wasn’t handling the aftermath of her abduction as well as she’d appeared. “Thank you, Tahira. Please prepare her for the doctor. I want him to examine her in her room, and I want whatever she needs brought up as well.”
“Is she to stay in her room all day?” Tahira asked, frowning.
“Of course not!” Riyad turned and cringed to see his two sisters-in-law, Natalie and Amy, hurrying down the corridor toward them. Of course they would get involved, and it wouldn’t be long before they ferreted out the fact that Riyad had slept with Danielle.
He loved them, but they did make his covert operations more difficult. He forced himself to put on a relaxed air. “Good morning, ladies,” he drawled.
They were both clearly irritated with him. “I am not speaking to any of you Karawis,” Natalie snapped, her eyes flashing. “You brought a terrified woman into the palace last night and didn’t wake us? She went through a traumatic situation, and you left her alone! It’s a wonder she got any sleep at all.”
“What? I thought she needed to be left alone to process,” Riyad protested. “What did you expect me to do?”
“Men.” Amy shook her head. “I know that you three are smarter than this, and frankly, I’m disappointed.”
At least they weren’t blaming him alone, but that meant Iman and Bahir would be even more pissed at him. “I’m sorry?”
“You should be! And you are not going to treat the poor woman like a prisoner!”
“Now wait one moment,” he began, holding up his hands to stay the flow of words. “She’s in danger and needs to be protected. She can’t leave the grounds,” he added defensively. “And if any of you try to take her out, you’ll be targets, as well.”
“Fine.” Amy waved dismissively. “So we won’t leave the grounds. There’s still plenty to do in the palace, and I figure from my own experience that she’ll want to stay busy. We’ll go introduce ourselves, and if you or your brothers try to intervene, we will make you suffer. Endlessly.”
Tahira smiled crookedly, and Riyad shook his head. “I need coffee,” he growled as he pushed past them. Secretly, he was glad that they wanted to be involved. If Danielle was having a rough time, she would need friends, and Riyad wasn’t the man for that particular job.
When he entered the dining room, he was happy to see coffee already on the table. He also wasn’t surprised to see Bahir and Iman waiting for him. “First of all, you can’t blame me for your wives. You could have told them yourselves,” he growled as he reached for the pot.
“It was past midnight. Of course we didn’t wake them,” Iman countered grumpily. “You’d think me letting my wife sleep would be a good thing, but no. She yelled so loudly, I’m surprised she didn’t wake the whole palace.”
Bahir opened his mouth, presumably to complain as well, but they were interrupted by the sound of scurrying feet and laughter. Riyad barely had time to put his steaming cup down before two little girls launched themselves into his arms. “Uncle Riyad!” they exclaimed in unison.
He wasn’t one for children, but these two little girls had captured his heart from the very beginning. Hoisting one under each arm, he grunted at their weight and whirled them around. “You two are getting too big for this.”
“Again!” Iris demanded.
Riyad obliged before setting them down. Although it felt like the girls had always been here, their introduction to the family had been recent. Iman and Bahir had both fathered children without knowing. Natalie, Iman’s wife, had tried to tell Iman that she was pregnant after a one-night stand, but Uncle Salah had intervened. He’d done the same with Bahir, although Aisha’s mother had died, and Bahir had found his daughter in an orphanage under the care of Amy, who was now his wife.
Upon realizing that he had a second niece, targeted by the rebels, Riyad had sprung into action and risked his cover to save them. Now his brothers were asking questions, and Danielle’s appearance would only strengthen their resolve to learn the truth.
“Aisha,” Bahir sighed. “I thought I told you to stay in your room.”
The sassy little thing crossed her arms. “Iris got to come out.”
“Against my wishes,” Iman muttered. “Where are your mothers?”
“With Danielle. They decided to lecture me first,” Riyad muttered as he sat the girls down and sank into his chair. “Where is Mother? I’m surprised she hasn’t joined in on the fray.”
“She left yesterday to visit a friend in Al Asad. She should be back tomorrow, and yes, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to know that we have another visitor.” Iman glared at Iris, and the girl dropped her arms and pouted.
“Sorry, Daddy,” Iris muttered as she bounced up again to deliver a peck on Iman’s cheek. “But we don’t get to see Uncle Riyad very often, and you wouldn’t let us go to the party.”
Riyad chuckled and stroked his fingers through Aisha’s hair. “Ladies, if you’ll go back to your rooms, I promise I’ll join you for lunch.”
“And a tea party with Beetle?” Iris asked with a clap of her hands. The little white dog was never far from his mistress, except for mealtimes in the formal dining room.
“And a te
a party with Beetle,” Riyad promised. Both girls squealed with excitement and hurried back upstairs.
Now alone with his brothers, he faced them. “You have questions?”
“What the bloody hell is going on, Riyad?” Bahir demanded. “A year ago, you were a party boy, and now you’ve got contacts in intelligence and can dismantle rebel cells.”
“Apparently not dismantle,” Riyad sighed and rubbed his temple. He chugged coffee and grimaced as the hot liquid burned him. “They’re still alive and well.”
Bahir tapped his fingers on the table. “And targeting random foreigners? I looked into her, Riyad. She hasn’t been in the kingdom long enough to attract trouble.”
“Not so random. I spent a few nights with Danielle after the party,” Riyad admitted. “She was targeted because of me. They mistook her for my girlfriend and demanded that I publicly denounce Iman’s rule or they would kill her.”
“Your girlfriend? They must not know you very well,” Iman grunted. “So you were targeted because you’re a Karawi. That still doesn’t explain your connection to the intelligence agency.”
The room was quiet while Riyad debated what to say. Finally, he sighed. “Atif recruited me three years ago.”
“Recruited?!” Iman’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “You are a member of the royal family! You’re supposed to be protected from danger, not running headlong into it. Have you lost your mind?”
“A month ago, you said I was aimless and not doing anything worthwhile with my life, and now I’ve lost my mind because I’ve been protecting the family. Do you have any idea how many assassination attempts on your life have been intercepted?”
“You should have told us,” Bahir said quietly. “We’re your brothers, Riyad. Why couldn’t you trust us with this?”
Riyad chuckled dryly. “Your frequent and usually public disappointment in me has been a great cover.”
“Your reputation for womanizing is no different,” Iman pointed out. “We now have a stranger living in the palace as proof of that.”
Just then, the doctor entered the dining hall and bowed in reverence.
Riyad cleared his throat. “How is she?”
“The lady is bruised, but there appear to be no wounds, and the baby has a steady and strong heartbeat.”
“Baby!” Bahir blustered. “You got the woman pregnant?”
“First of all, as we established less than five minutes ago, Danielle hasn’t been here long enough for me to get her pregnant. She came that way, and second of all, why the judgment, brothers? You both conceived your children out of wedlock, or have you forgotten?”
“So she’s carrying another man’s child? I assume you’ve notified the child’s father?” Iman said, his voice tense, the words clipped.
Riyad quietly thanked the doctor and dismissed the man, waiting until the door closed before he stood. “The child’s father is none of my business. Thank you for the coffee. I assume you’ll keep my involvement in the agency quiet?”
“Yes. We’d prefer that you don’t die,” Iman grumbled. “I assume you didn’t know of the woman’s condition before you bedded her? And now that you know she’s carrying another man’s child, you’ll keep your hands off her?”
Riyad wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but he knew himself that he needed to keep his hands off Danielle. She had enough to worry about without his interference, and he was never going to be a family man.
“Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “I won’t touch her again.”
“Are you leaving? Don’t forget your promise to the girls,” Bahir reminded him.
“I’ll be back for lunch,” Riyad said as he walked out. He wanted to go check on Danielle, but the thought of her being with Natalie and Amy intimidated him, and the doctor had already said that she was fine. In any event, he needed to head back to the warehouse and see if the rebels had left anything behind.
The sooner he dismantled the rebels, the sooner Danielle would be gone, and they could both move on with their lives.
7
“You’re pretty,” the child said as she reached up and stroked Danielle’s hair. Natalie’s daughter was a real beauty herself. She had those unmistakable Karawi dark chocolate-colored eyes and her mother’s blonde hair.
The child was also as blunt and sassy as her mother, and her little white dog, Beetle, was never far from her side. Or, rather dragon. Evidently, Beetle was a dragon in disguise, according to Iris.
Danielle had been at the palace for two days now. She hadn’t seen or heard from Riyad, but the royal American wives hadn’t given her much time alone. When they were busy, the maid, Tahira took their place. For that, she was grateful. It was nice to be busy.
“You’re pretty, too,” Danielle said hesitantly. She felt strange around the girls. She’d hoped some form of motherly instinct would kick in, but so far, nada.
The doctor had assured her that the baby was fine. He wanted her to come by his office for regular visits. It hadn’t even occurred to her that she’d need a doctor.
Suddenly, escaping didn’t seem like such a good idea.
“Mommy says there’s a baby growing inside you. Can we play with him when he comes out?”
Unable to help herself, Danielle laughed. “That’s going to be awhile, but if I’m still around, I’m sure you can visit.”
“Iris,” Iman suddenly appeared. “You’re supposed to be with your tutors. I’d told you not to bother our guest.”
Danielle stood, driven to her feet by the tension that was all too clear. The two royal brothers were obviously not happy about her. They never visited, and when she crossed paths with them in the palace, they avoided eye contact. “She’s not bothering me,” she said softly.
“She’s not supposed to be here at all.” Iman’s voice hardened as he stared at his daughter. “Go. Now. And we’ll talk about this later.”
The child’s face fell as she left, dragging her feet. “Come on, Beetle.”
Danielle waited until she was gone before she took a deep breath. “I’m not here to corrupt your children, Sheikh Karawi. I promise.”
“I understand that, but we’ve had traitors in this palace before, and we don’t know you,” he pointed out.
“Iman!” Natalie came out of the bedroom, a sweater in her hands, and her husband immediately took a step back. “What has gotten into you!”
“Natalie was just letting me borrow some clothes. I didn’t really pack for air conditioning.” Danielle looked uncertainly at Iman. “If my being here is going to be a problem….”
“It’s not a problem.” Natalie glared at her husband. “Don’t you have better things to do than bother our guest?”
Iman’s stern expression turned contrite under his wife’s withering gaze. “I didn’t mean to bother her. I’m trying to look out for everyone. That is my job.”
“You have a kingdom to worry about. I will worry about your palace, and as far as I’m concerned, we have nothing to worry about here. Now off you go!” Natalie made a shooing motion with her free hand, and Danielle fought back a grin at the look on the Crowned Sheikh’s face.
Iman hesitated, but he nodded and left.
Alone, Natalie rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry. Everyone is a little jumpy since the rise of the rebellion. And the traitors among the palace staff. It’s made things uneasy around here, and my husband carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.” She handed Danielle the sweater.
“You don’t have to explain. Really. I’m a stranger, and he’s looking out for his family. Thanks for the sweater. I didn’t think I’d get cold in the desert.”
“Sometimes, I think the kids are in control of the thermostat,” Natalie joked. “Give it five minutes, and you’ll be so hot you’ll want to run around naked.”
As Danielle pulled on the soft, creamy sweater, Natalie sat on the bed and made it clear she had no intention of leaving. “Danielle, if you’re trying to protect Riyad, you don’t have to. Iman and Bahir would be
the last men to judge Riyad for getting you pregnant.”
“What?” Automatically, Danielle put a hand over her stomach as she leaned against the small desk. “I promise, I’m not covering for anyone. I just met him. I didn’t track him down or anything.”
The other woman cocked her head and reached out to take Danielle’s hand. “I’m sorry, Danielle, for everything you’ve been through. I promise that our kingdom isn’t usually so dangerous. We’ve all noticed how jumpy you’ve been. I had hoped it was because you were nervous around Riyad, but obviously it’s because of your kidnapping. Amy and I are here when you’re ready to talk.”
“It’s not the kidnapping,” Danielle said without thinking. Natalie’s eyebrows went up, and Danielle pulled her hands back and started to pace. “I mean, it’s not only the kidnapping. I’m still trying to figure things out, and it feels like every choice I make pulls me in deeper. I made the unfortunate decision to sleep with my boss, who turned out to be married, and I got pregnant. I decided to run away to some faraway exotic place, and I got kidnapped. I think I’m having a one-night stand with a nobody to help me forget about my boss, and I end up sleeping with a royal sheikh. Every choice ends up blowing up in my face.”
Natalie’s face lit up with delight. “You did? You slept with Riyad?” She immediately cringed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that, but you and Riyad had a night together? I mean, it doesn’t surprise me because he’s such a womanizer, not that I’m trying to discount his night with you because you’re here and he never brings women home. I mean, I know he brought you home because you’re in danger, but….”
Unable to help herself, Danielle laughed and held up a hand. “Breathe,” she chuckled. “You need to take a breath before you pass out.”
“I’m so sorry,” Natalie said, her chagrin clear. “Riyad has always been such a mystery to me. I know he’s my brother-in-law, but he’s never around, and when he is, you can tell he’s keeping something to himself. Iman told me last night that he hasn’t exactly been partying like we thought, but my husband certainly didn’t mention that you and Riyad had gotten to know each other…intimately. Do you want to talk about it?”