I was once again sniffing and sobbing and Omar was leaning in to kiss me when I heard a far off shout. Initially I thought it was part of their rituals to have people on boats hailing from afar, but then I heard a shout of warning and then, gunshots. People were screaming and suddenly Omar was on me, flattening me to the ground. I heard the gathered all begin to flail and fall to the ground as well. I also heard the sound of speed boats or maybe jet skis’, and much louder gunfire returned from our area.
Omar gripped at my head and suffocated me with his weight. He kept muttering, “Anna, it’s okay, okay, it’s okay; be still. I will protect you.” The whole scene felt as if it lasted ten times longer than it actually did, and by the time Omar began to move off me, I was afraid to open my eyes.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Someone shouted in Arabic in a frantic tone and both Omar and I looked that direction in the same moment. Armand was on the deck and one of the guards was pressing his hand against Armand’s left shoulder. Even though I didn’t understand the exact words, I knew what he was saying to Omar’s second; hang on, it’s okay, help is on the way.
Omar touched me and again said, “Stay down Anna. Do not move!” And then he ran towards his downed man. He hunched his shoulders and ran in a protective crouch and then fell to his knees next to the immobile Armand. He leaned down and put his ear to Armand’s mouth and then he checked for a pulse. He said something to the man pressing the flat of his hand to the bullet wound and they quickly switched places and the other man scuttled off. His hands were soaked in blood.
My hearing was wonky from all the gunshots in such close proximity and everything took on a surreal, slow motion sort of landscape. I heard others sniffing and weeping and more shouts from men. Within a few seconds and more men appeared and together they picked up Armand’s inert body and fled the scene towards the helicopter pad. Omar remained with the flat of his hand tightly to Armand’s chest and then they were gone.
I obeyed Omar and didn’t move other than to crawl towards the edge of the stage and then slide down to the more protected side. One of Omar’s brothers dashed towards me and threw my red cloak around me and then asked if I could walk. I suddenly seemed incapable of speech, so I just shook my head, indicating I wasn’t sure if I could walk or not. It hadn’t registered yet in my brain that I was either already in shock or well on my way there.
Zahir didn’t miss a beat and scooped me up into his strong arms and dashed for the back entrance of the house. As soon as we were safely inside, he set me down on the couch and looked into my eyes. He asked me something, but his voice seemed far away and distorted. He shook my shoulders and repeated, “Anna, stay here!”
I nodded and he fled. Alath was next and Yasser was helping her over near me on the couch. She had a gun in her hand and was vehemently shouting in Arabic. It appeared as if she were enraged and wished to chase the infidels all by herself. Yasser took her gun and in a stern voice he pushed her to the couch next to me and he pointed at her, commanding something. She continued to shout and scream and pump her fist in the air, but she didn’t move from her seated position, or even look at me as her brother disappeared back outside.
When she did acknowledge me, her eyes were furious and again I didn’t comprehend her words. I think she was mad at me, but I was really out of it and at this point I was so dizzy even my vision was blurred. I leaned forward and dry heaved a few times, but I’d been too nervous to eat anything so thankfully my stomach was empty. Alath continued to shout. If it was at me or just at anyone, I was unsure. I leaned back against the couch and then I tried to lay down with my head on the arm. It was then that the tooth rattling shivers began vibrating up my spine. I closed my eyes and must have passed out, because I don’t remember anything after that.
My next lucid moment came when Omar carried me to the chopper and held me as we took to the air. Then the next thing I knew, I was in our bed at the penthouse and my same nurse from a month earlier was sitting in a chair reading a book. The second I groaned, she came to me and petted at my cheek.
“Mistress, do not be alarmed. You are safe in the Master’s Palace. You are safe. Can you hear me Mistress? Do you know what day it is? What is your birthday?”
I answered her questions and asked for water. After I drank a few gulps, I sagged back against the pillows and sighed. I felt really off and I asked, “Did you drug me?”
“Yes Mistress, you were given a sedative. You should rest if you can.”
“Where is Omar? Is Armand okay?”
“They are still at the hospital. Sir Armand nearly lost his life. The bullet was not far from a major artery near his heart. The last information delivered said he was still in surgery. His Highness is with him.”
“Good.” I replied and then asked for my phone. I hadn’t been using it much since Omar and I had mainly been together all these past weeks, but it was soon found and I texted Omar.
Anna : I’m awake, but drugged. Going to back to sleep. Don’t worry. I love you.
Within seconds he responded;
Sleep love. You are safe. I will return tonight. I love you.
I held the phone to my chest and let my eyelids slide shut. Within seconds I was once again engulfed in the black void of sleep. My dreams were once again haunted with not only the day’s incursions, but also the abuse I’d endured from my abduction six weeks previous. My parent’s concerns flooded my mind and my mother’s plea that I return home—if nothing else than to finish my last few credits at Harvard—rattled around inside my head.
As much as I wished it weren’t true, I feared I was not safe here in Dubai, and as much as Omar continued to tell me I was, I didn’t feel it. Maybe if I never left the penthouse, but that would in essence make me a prisoner in a lavish prison, and I didn’t wish to spend my life contained like a princess in a turret, wishing to the see the world and live a real life.
I had some important decisions ahead of me. Was the life of a princess really for me?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Omar paced in the hall of the hospital, waiting on word about Armand. He knew the gunshot wound was bad, as he’d seen how much blood his friend had already lost and knew it had been a near miss. He had the best surgeon on staff at this hospital, and hopefully they could repair the damage and his right hand man would make a full recovery.
He’d just heard from Anna via text and was assured that she was safe and in good hands while he waited at the hospital. He was livid at the incursion of the infidels to his private gathering and in this moment all he saw was red. He wanted to personally kill each and every one of the bastards that had once again threatened the life of his future wife, never mind the thought that one of his most trusted friends was near death. For this, he would indeed inflict severe revenge.
He already had men out searching for the infidels and word had come back that at least one of the speedboats had been located. As soon as a man was apprehended, they could begin the interrogations and he would find out who were involved. He personally would see to it that retribution would be dealt in full.
His heart had been its fullest ever at the sight of his fiancé at the rehearsal. What she was unaware of was that the ceremony had been legal and official and they were technically now man and wife. She’d spoken the words in his language, which had affected him in a much deeper way than he could have ever imagined. She thought it was all in practice of the real ceremony, but the acting official had been for real, and the ceremony had been authentic down to the letter. They’d even made it to the binding kiss, and now, she was indeed his for the remainder of their lives.
He’d already decided they would leave Dubai and head inland to their desert estate deeper inside Arabia. If he had to lock her behind a fortress wall for the rest of her life, that was what he intended to do to keep her safe. She was his heart, and without her he wasn’t certain he would wish to continue on living. The infidels need only kill her to do the same to him in his heart. He would surely perish without her and fo
r that fact he was certain.
His family had already been flown home to the desert estate fortress, and his plans were to join them as soon as Armand was cleared of the ICU. He continued to pace and think. Plotting and planning his next move. His phone rang and he was informed that two of the men responsible for the penetration had been captured. He turned to his third, a massive man who rarely spoke.
He ordered, “Retrieve both insurgents, remove them to the safe house—begin interrogations.”
The man gave Omar one curt nod and turned to leave. Omar called him back, “Do not hesitate to exact any reprisal you see fit and use it as a means to getting answers. I want the names of every soul involved in this jihad, down to the wives and children. Leave no stone unturned. We will destroy them all.”
Omar felt slightly better after that, but continued to pace and plot. The Doctor appeared and his expression was grim. He informed Omar, “He will make it, but his recovery will be slow. He will need to stay here, in intensive care at least another week. Nerves were severed and the artery was decimated. He will need rehabilitation before he can use that arm or hand, and be prepared that he might never regain full movement. You’re Highness, it was a very near thing. Very near.”
CHAPTER FORTEEN
Omar woke me up when he crawled into bed. I’d not gotten up and had pretty much been in and out of a restless sleep all day. It was the middle of the night now and I knew he’d just taken a shower because he smelled divine. I groggily welcomed him and snuggled into his embrace. He kissed my forehead and then my lips.
He whispered, “I am so sorry. It seems that is all I can say now days. You were the most stunning bride I’ve ever witnessed my love. You stole my breath and broke my heart anew with your beauty today. When you declared yourself as mine, in my language, I felt torn asunder with emotions I’d never comprehended. I love you to my marrow, Anna. Tomorrow I am flying you to the desert home, it is a fortress and you will remain there until I return. You will be safe there.”
I couldn’t see his face, but I knew where his mouth was and I kissed him before stealing myself. I had to tell him I wanted to return to the states for a while, and not stay in Arabia at all, and not with him for the time being. I knew he would blow a gasket at my decision, and I didn’t know how to break it to him.
He kissed me and held me and stroked his big hands over my bottom, pulling me closer to his still steamy skin. He didn’t get hard though, a first for him, but not at all surprising given how much adrenaline he must have pumped during the day. I was not feeling at all into sex, but the intimacy and being held did help me settle yet another notch.
“Omar? I need to tell you something.”
“Yes princess, my wife. You are now Mrs. Khalid.” He said with pride.
“Not really Omar, I mean, it was all in practice right?”
“In my mind, you are officially now mine. You are mine Anna—that will never change.”
I didn’t really understand that he was speaking literally. I thought it was all part of his dominant and commanding attitude about everything he considered his, and in his mind, we’d performed the ceremony and said the words, so that had made it official, in his mind. “Um, okay, I guess. I do love you Omar, but, but, um—I need to tell you something.”
“Anything love.”
I blurted, “I want to go home.”
“You are home.”
“No Omar, I’m so sorry, but I need to go home-home. Back to the states. At least for a little while. You know, finish my credits at school, and be safe across the ocean. Away from all this.”
“Away from me?” He asked and his voice held part dejection and part indignation.
“What if you came with me? What if we both lived in the states for a while? If we officially marry in America, you could stay as long as you wanted.” I plead with him.
I felt him shake his head and then he rolled away from me and onto his back, “Oh Anna, do not do this to me right now. I can keep you safe. I kept you safe today. I alone protected you. It breaks my heart you do not trust me.”
I was now crying and weeping at hearing his anguish, “Omar, it isn’t you. You have done everything in your power to keep me safe, but even with all that, look what has happened in less than two months. I don’t want to live through a third assassination attempt. You aren’t safe either. Why don’t you get that? Do you realize what it would do to me if you were killed?”
He made a sound of anger, and his voice grew louder, “Anna, I must deal with this insurgence. I must stay and rule my people and protect my country from this rebellion. I cannot flee with my tail between my legs. I must stand and meet this threat. I must quash this uprising before it gains any more momentum.” He rolled back towards me and his voice seemed really loud, “Anna, you will be safe in the desert with my family. You will go there as I’ve planned. End of subject.”
I was silent as I thought about it, trying to reconcile my need to go home with Omar’s needs and wishes. I tried for a more assured tone, but I fear I failed miserably.
“Omar, I would really like to go home, I’m sorry. Just for a few months? Maybe just until you’ve dealt with the rebels. Please?”
He growled and threw the covers off and left the bed. I didn’t have time to say another word before he’d left the room entirely and had slammed the door loudly in his wake. I went fetal then, curling into a tight ball with my head under the covers, and I cried myself back to sleep.
The next morning he was not in the penthouse and he’d left no note. I padded down to the kitchen in bare feet and found my nurse making me a tray. I told her I’d take it out by the pool. Once I was settled out there, I discovered a note in Omar’s handwriting:
Anna, you will remain in the penthouse today. When I return tonight, we will discuss the travel plans to remove you to the desert fortress. O
It was so lacking emotions I wondered at his state of mind. It wasn’t unusual for him to arrogantly command like this, but the formality of the note left me cold. I called my mom who’d I’d obviously woke up and I apologized for calling her in the middle of the night.
“Its fine darling, I love hearing your voice. How did the rehearsal dinner go?” I was silent too long and she asked, “Anna, you still there?”
“Um, yeah mom. Sorry.” I began crying again.
“Oh no darling! What happened?”
I couldn’t really tell her the whole story, I didn’t have enough air in my lungs to even talk, but I choked out, “Mommy, I need to come home.”
Without missing a beat she agreed, “Of course sweetheart. I can get you a ticket home this instant. Can you get to the airport on your own? I’m sure your father knows someone over there that can help you.”
I heard her frantically typing on her laptop and I continued to sniff and gasp as my chest tightened down into a knot. “I have to tell Omar mom, I can’t just leave. He will get me to the airport.”
“No darling, there’s no time to wait on him to agree. Here, I can get you on a flight that leaves Dubai in three hours. It’s direct to San Fran and then there is a connecting flight to Boston. With the time change you could be back here by tonight. I can pick you up at the airport. Just sit there darling. I’m calling your father right now. I’ll call you back in a couple minutes with the flight number. Do you know where your passport is? Hopefully you have it?”
I didn’t have the strength to argue. I told her I would check while she talked to dad and then she hung up. I didn’t know if I should follow her lead and just leave, without telling Omar, or if I should stay and beat my head against the brick wall of his demands. I went to where I’d put my passport, and it wasn’t there. I buzzed Yasmin and she appeared quickly, but she didn’t know where it was either.
After tearing through all my stuff and bags that had been stashed in the closet room, I gave up. Omar must have taken it. It was brilliant on his part. It effectively stranded me here in Dubai. Initially I understood, but then I began to get angry with him for
imprisoning me that way. Suddenly the thought of being his captive scared me and the thought of playing Queen to a nation of rebels wishing to kill me, sent me into a hysterical fit.
The anger cemented my desire to leave and I texted Omar: You can’t hold me this way Omar. Taking my passport? I am going to the American consult in half an hour and I am leaving Dubai in three. With or without your permission. A
I grabbed my duffle and threw in just a few things from my drawers and clothing. All my stuff that I’d originally brought with me. I didn’t take one item he’d given me, and I removed the sapphire ring and engagement ring, leaving them sitting in a velvet lined tray on top of the bureau of drawers, and I went back downstairs.
My mom called back and I told her I needed to go to the consulate first. She said dad was already in contact with them and they were sending a car to the building. That was all I needed to know. We hung up with the intent to talk as soon as I got to the airport. I knew the servants were keeping an eye on me, so I pretended to go to the bathroom. When I silently crept to the elevator, I ducked into doorways whenever I heard someone. There was nothing I could do about the dinging of the lift, but I did manage to get to it and inside, with my thumb on the close button as Yasmin appeared at the entrance to the foyer.
“Anna! No! He will have my head if you leave!”
As the doors slid shut I said, “He knows where I am. Tell him to come and get me when he’s dealt with this mess.”
On my way down, Omar texted me back:
Omar: If you leave I will never forgive the disobedience. Anna, you will not leave!
Anna: Too late. I’m gone. When you cool off, come and find me. You know where I’ll be.
Omar: I will not grovel to a female, Anna. Do not test me in this way.
The Sheikh's Virgin Mistress 3 (Jatar Sheikh Series Book 3) Page 5