Ryan prodded her thighs apart and kneeled between her legs. He hugged her around the waist, pressing his head to her chest and breathing in the scent of jasmine and lemon. A familiar aroma from her favourite perfume.
Looking deep into her eyes, he prepared to get his words in the right order. “Aziza Hampton, will you do me the honor of marrying me, staying by my side, having my kids ... “ his lips curved in a grin, “and generally being where you say you’re going to be when you say you’re going to be there?”
Her lips twitched and for a second he thought she was going to laugh, then her eyes went liquid and she hugged him, kissing his forehead and cheeks. Aziza sniffed, then cleared her throat. “I don’t know about always being where I should be one hundred percent of the time but, of course, I’ll be your wife.”
Ryan wanted to jump up and roar, like he did at football matches when his team was winning, but the thought of frightening the child in the next room stopped him. He released the happiness bubbling inside him by grinning wide and hugging Aziza. “Say no more, my love.”
He opened the jewelry box, removed the ring, and slid it on her finger.
While Aziza studied the diamond, he brushed a tear from her cheek.
“Did you come prepared or what?” She rested both hands on his shoulders as she looked deep into his eyes. “How did you know you would find me?”
“I came to do what I should have done the last time we were together, and I wasn’t about to be denied.”
“So, why didn’t you ask me then?” she said softly, massaging his shoulder muscles.
“I was being a fool, I guess, thinking we had all the time in the world when I could have lost the best thing in my life.”
While her agile fingers eased the tension from his shoulders, Aziza asked, “So you’re saying if I wanted to keep my job, I don’t have a choice?”
He chuckled. “I’m not saying any such thing, but the one thing I know is that wherever I go, you go.”
She cupped his face and delivered a steamy kiss, swirling her tongue around his and making him want to undress her. When she pulled away, Aziza wouldn’t look at him, as if she was keeping a secret. He gripped her around the waist, moving his thumbs back and forth. “How about you cough up whatever is bothering you?”
“There’s something I want to ask you.” She stroked his beard with gentle fingers. “It’s about Sunita, but it will keep for now.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I chewed her out for not keeping her promise, but Akbar chasing down Aziza helped us.” Ryan glanced at the men in the room and those linked by satellite. “Things could have turned out differently for her if he had a mind to harm her in that room.”
This Monday morning found them deep in a brainstorming and wrap-up session inside Khalil’s headquarters. They sat around a horseshoe conference table that faced the massive screen, which was segmented among the Kings participating via satellite.
“True.” Daron spun his hat before setting it on the table. “He was the last piece to the puzzle that none of the other guys spoke about, although he was the cornerstone of their business.”
Dro grinned, “I guess you could say there is indeed some kind of honor among thieves.”
“Not when you dig deeper under the surface.” Khalil chuckled. “Nobody mentioned him because they felt they had a leg up on you by withholding information.”
“That sounds right,” Bashir said. “They knew it was possible that you wouldn’t make the connection since his role wasn’t obvious.”
“Right.” Ryan tapped his notes. “If women were missing from the hotel willy-nilly, someone would have eventually made the connection.”
Bashir stroked his beard, frowning. “I do not understand this term willy-nilly.”
“It means random or haphazard.”
He raised one brow. “Haphazard?”
“Oh, boy,” Ryan said, “Think about it like—”
“The way Ryan wanted to forget the niceties and beat up the bartender because he knew the location of the women and chose not to tell us,” Dro explained.
“You’re wrong for that,” Ryan said, as the others, including Bashir, laughed.
When Shaz stopped grinning, he said, “My cousin has always been a hot-blooded rabble-rouser. I remember the time when—”
Ryan cut him off with a glare. “This meeting is not the forum for family jokes.”
Still grinning, Shaz held up both hands. “You win, but at some point we will adjourn this meeting. At that time … ”
Ryan gave him another quelling look. “So like I was saying, Akbar had a hand in selecting victims from among the hotel staff and guests. He was smart, too.” After a glance at the file in front of him, Ryan continued, “In the five years he’s been at the hotel, just under fifty women have gone missing. Calvin, Daron, and Nicco have been through the surveillance tapes provided by the hotel, which covered the timelines in which they disappeared. He was in contact with all of them, and every one disappeared from Encounters.”
The tapes, which Daron had cut and spooled together, played on one side of the screen. Each slide supported Ryan’s statement.
Sheikh Kamran broke his silence. “Does this mean that the police have all the parties involved in custody?”
“Most of them. Aside from submitting a report on the arrests that resulted from our efforts, the police haven’t done much of anything. Ryan shot an amused glance in Dro’s direction. “They picked up Akbar this morning, as well as the man who invaded my room.”
* * *
The police chief and his assistant had been invited to this meeting and entered the room at the Sheik’s bidding. They approached as if walking on eggshells and stopped shy of the table.
The Sheikh did not invite them to sit.
Ryan’s gaze went to the assistant commissioner. “I have my suspicious about who sent him, but anyway, the bartender and his partner in crime are under arrest. We established that the container driver and his assistant were not involved, but the owner of the plant has been held without bail.”
The police commissioner cleared his throat and shifted from one foot to the other. “Greetings. We owe you gentlemen for your help in bringing two sets of criminals to justice.”
The Sheikh held up one hand and growled, “Silence. From the beginning, the two of you were given the opportunity to carry out the roles you were entrusted with, but you failed miserably. Aside from the loss of your pension, you can be sure charges will be brought against you for negligence.”
The men quailed under his words.
Then Sheikh Kamran turned his attention to Jai. “Who are we missing in this equation?”
Ryan focused on Jai, who sipped from a glass of water, then said, “The business of organ harvesting and human trafficking is lucrative. It extends from the lowest levels of society to the highest. There’s a little girl under Aziza and Ryan’s care who inadvertently helped us crack this case.”
No one moved as they waited for him to continue.
He recounted Sunita’s history and as his words dropped, Ryan thought the term ‘deafening silence’ was apt. Not even the men attending the meeting via The Castle’s secure satellite system moved a muscle.
Jai explained the role of El Zalaam and added that despite the nationals’ protest, the place had been shuttered.
The two officers shifted on their feet, as if they thought the other men would blame them for El Zalaam’s existence, but everyone understood it was an unsavoury and long-standing part of Durabia’s culture that needed to change.
“Sunita was hysterical when she saw a certain doctor at the clinic,” Ryan said. He scanned the men’s faces, then added, “You know the rest of that story.”
Chaz and Jai exchanged an uncomfortable glance that Ryan understood. Jai still felt some kind of way about being associated in any way with that deviant, through no fault of his own.
“Although I fired Dr. Butala on the spot, we kept tabs on him, knowing that in his pa
nic he would try to cover his ass.” Jai tipped his head toward Daron. “Not only did he like little girls, he was one of two masterminds involved in organ harvesting. His surgery was set up in the belly of that meat-packing plant. We suspect they were shipping out the women in the delivery truck, before taking their organs, because they knew we were on their trail. Not only did they trade in murder, but also misery. Misery for the women who had to live with being sold into slavery.”
The officers looked at each other, then stood at attention.
“The thing is,” Daron said, looking directly at the Assistant Commissioner. “To facilitate certain procedures and get through roadblocks and across borders, they needed official help.”
“Like the kind provided by the police,” Sheikh Kamran said, placing a narrow-eyed gaze on the officers.
The former Commissioner balked, as if outraged by the accusation.
His portly assistant sprouted beads of sweat on his forehead and lowered his head.
The Sheikh shot to his feet, and his voice thundered through the room. “Please do not tell me that the organization meant to protect our citizens has facilitated this criminal activity.”
Again a lull fell over the room.
Then Dro said, “It is not as bad as you think.”
The Sheikh sat, still focused on the officers. “Please, continue.”
“Only one of your commissioners is involved.” His gaze shifted to the man who now dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. “From Daron’s spyware, we have established that Dr. Butala and Assistant Commissioner Handal know each other and are in business together.”
“This is not true!” Officer Handal shouted, only to lapse into silence when the screen came to life. He stood talking to Dr. Butala with a small igloo between them. Several others had already been loaded into an SUV. The doctor flipped open the cover and although the container with the body part was shrouded in ice, Angela had translated their conversation relating how the harvesting had been done.
At that point in the film, the policeman had reassured the doctor that the escort was waiting to transport the remainder of the body and the harvested organs across the border into Nadaum. With the evidence disposed of, no one in Durabia would be any wiser.
Daron lips quirked in approval. Before the arrival of the officers, he revealed that Angela and Nicco had spent the rest of their time in Durabia shadowing Dr. Butala at Jai’s request. Their diligence had paid big dividends.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Sheikh Kamran said. “I promise you, you will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Officer Handal dashed to the door and disappeared before any of them could move.
None of them chased him.
He reappeared a few seconds later, escorted by Nicco, who asked, “Going somewhere?”
“Like a speeding bullet, no less.” Ryan chuckled at his joke.
His smile vanished when the Skeikh asked, “Do we know how and why they chose the women?”
“I’d say they did their selection based on observation and using the opportunities presented to them,” Ryan said.
The Skeikh and the former Commissioner glared at the shorter man, whose attention was fixed on his shoes.
“I’ll hold these two until you make transportation arrangements,” Nicco said to the Sheikh, who leaned toward his assistant.
The attaché got to his feet while Sheikh Kamran turned his steely gaze on the Commissioner. “Get out. You are a disgrace to your uniform, and to the Durabia Constabulary Force.”
He opened his mouth, but one look from the Sheikh had him moving toward the door in Nicco’s firm grip. The Sheik’s assistant followed them and closed the door.
In an inclusive gesture, the Sheikh opened his hands toward the men at the table and those on screen. “I would like to thank the Kings and Knights for their good work. There are more tentacles to sever, but we have to find them first. You cut one off and another replaces it in a short time.” His gaze settled on Ryan. “In view of your part in this case, I’m asking that you think about staying in Durabia. It is my intention to set up a permanent task force to eliminate this scourge, which is part of the underbelly of Middle Eastern countries. With help from the Kings, I am certain you can do more good.”
The offer surprised Ryan and left him speechless. When he recovered, he said, “What I’ve seen of the country, I like, but if I want to stay alive, I’d better discuss this with my fiancée before saying yes or no.”
The room erupted in laughter. When their merriment subsided, Ryan sent a sideways glance at Bashir. “I want to thank Bashir for his dedication to duty. He stuck with us every step of the way. Sometimes, I didn’t trust him, but I know he’s one of the good guys.”
Bashir acknowledged his thanks with a nod.
“He can be the first member of your task force if you say yes,” the Skeikh commented. “I would also like Hassan and Rahm to be part of that unit.”
The strapping man saluted him across the table and Ryan bobbed his head in return.
“I will graciously accept that offer if I can make staying in Durabia a reality. There is one more item I would like to mention before we close,” Ryan said. “Aziza has fallen in love with Sunita, and I have, too. Sunita feels the same way about Aziza. Is there a way we can become foster parents to her and eventually adopt her?”
The Sheikh considered that for a moment. “If I read the details correctly, her family sold her to a businessman in El Zalaam. Since that is the case, it is unlikely her parents will welcome her back. If we send her home, they will only sell her again, or she may face a worse fate.
“I would like my wife to speak with Sunita to ensure this is what she wants. After they talk, I will contact the social services division of our government and make that happen. It is the least I can do to thank you for your service to Durabia.”
Ryan smiled, relieved that he had good news for Aziza. “Thank you.”
Weeks ago, Ryan would have thought it impossible for him to become a ready-made father. He was neither prepared nor willing, but this was his new situation and he’d do anything in his power to keep Aziza and Sunita happy.
“If there is no other business on the agenda,” Khalil said, “could someone move for the adjournment of this meeting?”
All the men shouted a resounding, “Aye.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aziza didn’t think it was possible to love Ryan more than she had a day, hour, minute, or second ago. But it was.
They stood in the gardens of the royal palace in the middle of a fairy-tale wedding. Ryan was handsome and debonair in a white suit, paired with a navy shirt and white silk tie.
Shaz stood by his side, dressed similarly. He had flown in for a director’s meeting with the Kings of the Castle, and according to him their wedding was the icing on the cake.
Aziza was delighted to see his wife and their daughter, who represented home. An obviously pregnant and radiant Camilla made Aziza’s mind veer off to what she would look like in the same state, and how soon that might happen.
They spent another week in Durabia. Much of the time, Aziza was in the company of the Royals—the Sheikh’s wife and her niece, Blair—organizing their wedding. Once Ryan floated the idea of them marrying in Durabia, the Royals were on board, putting every aspect in place in the shortest possible time. For Ryan’s part in the rescue, they insisted on footing the bill for the wedding.
Aziza spent the rest of her time at the crisis center with Amanda’s team. They worked feverishly to reunite the women she had been confined with, with their families. Some cases were more challenging, as their families had sold them. Those individuals opted to stay in Durabia, if they could find jobs and shelter.
Rae and Linda, both colleagues of Amanda, dedicated themselves to making that happen.
The way Ryan had explained their extended stay was that he and the Kings were closing the assignment given by the Sheikh. He also insisted that it made sense for them to get
married now, since there wouldn’t be a better opportunity. They conversed for days about how they would divide their time. When they left Durabia, she would return to Paradise Island with him. They still had to make plans to accommodate Sunita, who was burrowing deeper into Aziza’s heart by the day.
Ryan asked Aziza’s parents for permission to marry her via a video call and promised they would also have a reception in Evanston. Now, both families viewed their wedding via the Internet.
Aziza stopped musing when Khalil Germaine Maharaj spoke in his quiet but authoritative voice. “I understand you have written vows for each other.”
Ryan smoothed the back of Aziza’s hand with his thumb. “Yes, we have.”
While the breeze ruffled the white hair at his widow’s peak, Khalil said, “Please, speak your hearts to each other.”
Ryan faced her, and joined their hands. The affection in his gaze made her feel as if she was the only woman in the world.
“Aziza Mariah Hampton, from day one you made an impact that no one could erase. Time and distance have affected us for years, but having you forever means it’s been well worth the wait.”
His earnest confession brought tears to her eyes as a few “Aaaawws” came from their guests.
“No matter where you go in this world, I’ll be by your side. I promise to love and cherish you until death separates us.”
Aziza tipped her head back to avoid smearing her makeup and breathed through her mouth to prevent an undignified sniffle.
“Dorian Emory Bostwick, I didn’t know what it meant to be in love until I met you,” she said, “You’ve taught me how to love selflessly, to act for the higher good of our loved ones, and to function as part of a team. My experience in Durabia has taught me that you’re a keeper.” At this point she chuckled. “I’m giving you fair warning that you’re never getting rid of me.”
Khalil and those around them laughed after her declaration.
With her fingers, Aziza caressed his palms. “Thank you for loving me, even when I drive you to distraction.”
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