“Yeah, I did.” He pointed to the ground on his right side. “Watch your step. There’s some scat.”
Avoiding the brown lumps of feces from a large animal, she continued, “But if they were a drug cartel, why were we there—my cousins and I and the other women?”
He glanced over his shoulder with a grimace. “Because drugs aren’t the only crimes bastards like that deal in to line their pockets—drugs, human trafficking, child pornography, guns, and anything else that they can make money on. Nothing is off limits to most of them. Although, every once in a while, we come across a crime boss with scruples, but it’s rare.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Darius asked, “Princess, did you really mean what you said earlier? About being ostracized if it’s revealed what happened to you?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at his back. “Yes! Please, Darius, you cannot tell anyone—”
“Shh, Tahira. I’m not going to tell anyone. That’s your secret, and I will take it to the grave if I have to.”
Relief filled her. “Thank you.”
A few moments passed before he spoke again. “What if you married, your secret was not revealed, and somewhere down the line, you got a divorce? Would you be able to marry again? Is divorce even allowed in Timasur?”
“Yes, divorce is allowed in my country, but it is not as easily done as it is in the United States. I would be allowed to marry again, and my lack of virginity would not be a problem. Why do you ask?”
Darius stopped short and spun around. “What if you and I got married?”
The words continued to tumble out of Darius’s mouth before he could stop them. “I would keep your secret, and we could divorce a few months later. Then you’d be free to marry a man you fall in love with and not have to worry about not being a virgin.”
Tahira’s jaw dropped as she stared at him as if he had five heads and was speaking in tongues. Her eyes were even bugging out. Yeah, he’d shocked the shit out of her. Well, that was only fair since he’d shocked the shit out of himself too.
Ever since she’d cried herself to sleep in his arms, his mind had been spinning out of control. He cared for her. Somewhere during the time he’d first been assigned to be her occasional bodyguard, she’d become more than a client or an asset. She’d become a friend, and Darius would do anything to help a friend in need. But suggesting marriage? Yup, that was definitely a first for him. He’d never come close to asking a woman to marry him, not even Sara Ainsley who he’d dated for over eighteen months five years ago, and here he was proposing to Tahira—sort of. It was probably far from the “down on one knee” proposal she’d dreamed of having all her life, but from where he stood, she truly believed that would never happen now anyway.
He had to be insane. There was no way she would agree to this, and it was probably just making things worse for her and super awkward between them. Still, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from continuing. “Look, I know it sounds crazy, but think about it. No one would ever have to know it’s a marriage of convenience and that we never had sex. We could stay in Clearwater Beach. After a few months, we’ll say that we made a mistake and we’re getting a divorce but staying friends. Then when you want to get married for real, you’re covered. Your husband will know going in that you’ve been married before, so he’ll know not to expect to be . . . to be taking your virginity.”
When her fingers covered her mouth, he finally stopped rambling and waited for her to say something.
She shook her head. “Why? Why would you even suggest that? Why would you do that for me?”
At first, he thought she’d been offended by his unexpected offer, but then he saw a mixture of disbelief and gratitude in her watery eyes.
Closing the distance between them, he gently cupped her cheek and thumbed away a tear that had fallen. “Why? Because you’ve experienced something no woman on Earth should ever have to, Princess. I can’t imagine what’s going through that pretty head of yours and how you’ll deal with the aftermath of what happened to you. But if I could do this one thing to help you heal and have the happy life you deserve with a man you love someday, then I’m willing to do it. It’s one less thing you have to worry about.”
“But—but, I do not . . . I do not understand. What—what would you get out of it?”
“I said no sex, and I meant it, sweetheart. I wouldn’t expect that from you. Not after what you’ve been through. You save that for the man you fall in love with. As for what I would get out of it—I’d know I did the right thing to help a friend. That I helped save her from the anguish she would be facing if the truth came out or it was assumed you lost your virginity by choice just to have some selfish bastard tell that to the world. I can’t put you through that, and I can’t have you believing you’ll never get married for real. Let me help you, Princess,” he pleaded.
Darius knew they needed to get moving again, but this was important. The more he stared into her glistening eyes, the more he knew this was the right thing to do. Despite his earlier uncertainty about the plan, he didn’t want her to say no.
“You are not dating anyone? There is no one who will be heartbroken if you do this for me?”
He smiled. “No, I’m not dating anyone, and there’s no one out there pining for me. Someday I might get married for real, but probably after I retire from Trident. For now, I want to do this for you, okay? Will you let me?”
Seconds ticked by before Tahira took a long, shaky breath, before slowly letting it out. Rising on her tiptoes, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Darius. You do not know how much this means to me. If you are really certain about it, then, yes, I will accept your help. Just promise me that if you change your mind, you will let me know.”
Leaning down, Darius brushed his lips across her forehead. “Then it’s settled. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”
17
Darius leaned against the wall in the sitting room down the hall from Tahira’s hospital room in a secluded and guarded wing of the hospital. When she’d fallen asleep from exhaustion on the Trident jet, he’d asked Lindsey to watch over her while he jumped into the onboard shower. Once there, he’d stripped out of his wet and dirty clothes, cleaned up, shaved, and put on a clean pair of BDUs, a black tank top, and fleece pullover he’d borrowed from McCabe. There at the hospital, though, it was too warm for the heavier shirt, so he’d removed it a few minutes ago and hung it on the back of a chair.
After Tahira had agreed to his half-baked plan to marry her, they’d trudged through the woods for another two miles or so, before they’d heard ATV motors getting louder as they approached. At first, Darius had grabbed Tahira and hid them both behind some thick foliage, but when he spotted Romeo and Tristian on the first vehicles to pass them, he ran out and flagged down Lindsey and Amar on the next two. Within two hours they’d all rendezvoused with the rest of the team at the orphanage and hightailed it to a private airport to get the hell out of Dodge.
Now, members of both Alpha and Omega teams were scattered about the room, finally giving him some space and solitude after he’d responded with short, terse answers to all their questions since he’d left Tahira’s room. King Rajeemh, Queen Azhar, Ian, and Amar were in with the princess, talking about God only knew what. At least he knew what they wouldn’t be talking about.
The doctor who’d examined Tahira had been sworn to secrecy about her rape. In addition to being a practicing physician at Tampa General Hospital, the gray-haired man was also on the government’s payroll for when patients required covert treatment. In the past, he’d seen numerous members of the FBI, the CIA, Deimos, and other agencies, and high-profile dignitaries who, due to the nature of their injury or illness, and how it’d been obtained, needed to be treated “off the record.”
When Dr. René Moreau had arrived in Tahira’s private room, minutes after she’d been admitted, the princess had insisted Darius stay with her for the interview and exam, while everyone else had left to give them
privacy. Once the three of them were alone, Tahira had given Darius permission to fill the physician in about her assault and the fact she didn’t recall much of it.
“From what I understand, Doctor, you’ll be able to keep all references to the . . . attack from Her Royal Highness’s record.” Darius used her title as he’d been instructed to do while in public during his previous stints as her bodyguard. After saying it the first time in a conversation, it was proper to drop the middle word for ease. “If anyone finds out, it will not only have devastating effects on Her Highness and her family but will also cause an international uproar.”
The bespectacled man frowned. “I can certainly keep it quiet, but who else knows?”
“Her Highness, me, you, and the bastard who did it. Since I sent him to Hell, just us three know now. I expect you’ll keep it that way. It didn’t happen on US soil, either, and where it did occur, the authorities have no clue what happened and never will, so there won’t be any investigation that Her Highness will be drawn into.”
“So, we don’t have to worry about a trial then. Fine—my lips are sealed. I’ll have to test for STDs, but I’ll do the pathology myself, so no one else needs to be involved. I’ll also come back with a dose of Levonorgestrel—the morning-after pill to prevent any pregnancy . . .” His gaze shifted to his patient. “. . . that is, if that’s what you want, Your Highness.”
Still looking overwhelmed, Tahira blinked several times before answering. “Forgive me, Doctor, but I was not paying full attention. What did you say?”
Instead of letting the physician respond, Darius stepped closer to Tahira and took her small hand in his large one. His gaze met hers, silently telling her he’d support whatever decision she made. “There’s a medication he can give you—a pill. If there’s even the slightest chance you could be pregnant . . . the medication would stop it.”
“N-no!” Her eyes went wide, horror filling her voice. “You are talking about an—an abortion. I—I cannot, Darius. It is against our religion. Please understand . . . I cannot. Please.”
With the doctor behind him, Darius sighed and placed his other hand on her forehead, smoothing her hair back in a calming motion. He lowered his voice so the other man wouldn’t overhear him. “Shh. It’s okay, Tahira. It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” He paused, then said, “I know this is personal, but where are you in your monthly cycle?”
As she thought about it, her gaze had flickered away for a moment, then returned to his face. A splash of pink had appeared on her pale cheeks, giving them a livelier color that’d been absent the past few days. “That . . . that time of the month, as your American women say, is due in a few days. ”
“Okay.” He quickly did the calculations, trying to remember if that was good or bad, then glanced at the doctor for confirmation, but his words were directed at Tahira. “So that means you have about another two weeks or so before you ovulate again?” The doctor shrugged and moved his outstretched hand back and forth in front of him in a more-or-less gesture. Darius decided to go with the “more” option and turned back to Tahira. “That means there’s a very, very slim chance you’re pregnant. But if you are, we’ll deal with it, okay? I promise. One step at a time.”
Her eyes welled up, causing his gut to clench. “I—I am so sorry, Darius.
He shook his head. “Shh. It’s okay, Princess. This is not your fault. I don’t want you to worry about anything but healing and getting your strength back.”
Moments after the physician had finished his exam, the king and queen of Timasur had hurried in to see their only daughter. Darius had excused himself to give them time alone, but before he could leave the room, King Rajeemh had embraced him and kissed Darius’s cheek and then the other, thanking him profusely for saving Tahira.
A few minutes after Darius had joined the two teams in the waiting room, the king had requested Ian and Amar to meet with him in Tahira’s room. Darius knew the shit was going to hit the fan soon, and he was going to have to lie through his teeth to his bosses and teammates. He’d sworn to Tahira he wouldn’t tell a soul the truth, other than the doctor, and he couldn’t, wouldn’t, break that vow. He’d follow through with the nuptials, then when it was safe for her to do so, they’d get a divorce. He cared about Tahira, and if this sham marriage helped her avoid the scandal and stigma that awaited her if anyone found out she was not a virgin on her wedding night, then he’d go through with it. Darius had no immediate plans to get married and settle down. Yeah, he’d figured someday down the road he’d look for a woman who would put up with him for three or four decades, if he lived that long. At thirty-eight, he probably had seven to ten years left with Trident, unless, God forbid, an injury pulled him out of the field. While many of his friends now had kids—hell, some of those kids were already teenagers—Darius had always been fine with not having any of his own. His parents should’ve divorced long before they had. They’d stayed together “for the children,” when, in reality, they all would’ve been far better off if the two had gone their separate ways. Darius never wanted to put any children in that position—either dealing with divorced parents or ones that should be but weren’t. A wife was one thing, kids were a whole other ballgame.
From where Darius stood, he could see straight down the hallway, and it was impossible to miss when Ian stormed out of Tahira’s room and headed right for him, rage etched on every inch of his taut face. Oh, shit. He’d never seen Ian Sawyer this pissed before—not even on missions with their SEAL team. Darius almost expected to see steam coming from the man’s ears. His long legs ate up the distance as he marched into the room and tossed aside a plastic and metal chair from a small dinette table, almost hitting McCabe who barked in surprise, “Hey! What the—?
Ian paid no attention to anyone else in the room, his sharp, blue eyes throwing daggers at his target. Darius straightened but saw the fist coming at him too late to avoid it. Pain exploded in his jaw as Ian kept him from hitting the floor by grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him against the wall. Darius grasped Ian’s wrists, his own anger peaking, but he knew the worst thing he could do right now was to fight back. He’d expected this, but it didn’t mean he was going to stand there and get his ass kicked. If Ian took another swing at him, Darius would counterattack with one of his own.
Around them, there were low-volume shouts of “What the fuck?” and “Boss-man, what’re you doing?”
Ignoring all of them, Ian growled. While he kept the volume of his voice down, the intensity was loud and clear. “Everybody but Devon get out—shut the door behind you.”
From the corner of his eye, Darius could see the bewildered looks on everyone’s faces. Jake Donovan was the only one brave enough—or crazy enough—to step forward, cautiously, as if trying to soothe a wild animal poised to attack. “Boss-man, ease up. Whatever—”
“I said, get the fuck out! Now!”
With obvious confusion and reluctance, everyone but Devon filed out of the room. Jake and Nick were the last to leave, and after one last glance back at the three men, they stepped outside and closed the door. Devon stood nearby in silence, his gaze shifting back and forth between his brother and teammate, clearly trying to figure out what in the hell was going on.
As soon as he heard the door click shut, Darius said, “Ian, look, I—”
Ian shoved against his chest, pinning him harder against the wall. “What the fuck happened out there? You couldn’t keep it in your fucking pants? Is that it?”
“That’s not what happened—”
“Well, something fucking happened! You want to tell me why Tahira just told her parents you two are engaged?”
Devon’s eyes bulged, and his mouth dropped before his head dropped back on his shoulders and he groaned. “Oh, shit.”
Finally letting go of Darius’s shirt, Ian stepped back, rage still painted on his face. “‘Oh, shit’s right, brother.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Darius. “Less than twenty-four h
ours in the forest, and you what? Fell madly in love with her? I don’t fucking buy it. What I can buy is that adrenaline caused things to get out of hand and now she thinks you’re getting married.”
Swallowing hard, his gaze never leaving Ian’s, Darius let a moment pass before he dropped the bomb. “We are.”
Ian’s nostrils flared. “You are, what?”
“Getting married.”
“Shit,” Devon murmured again as he and his brother stared at Darius in shock.
He waited, expecting to block another punch, but then Ian just shook his head in disgust. “I hope your fling was worth it because you’re fired.”
His stomach dropped as the man he respected the hell out of turned on his heel, strode to the door, and flung it open hard enough for it to bounce off the wall. Ian stopped in front of Cain and Tristan who were waiting just outside the room. “Get all his equipment, IDs, and shit from him—he no longer works for Trident.”
Dumbfounded, everyone split their attention from the pissed-off man stalking back toward Tahira’s room and the other man whose career with them had just ended. As Darius slouched against the wall, Devon ran a hand down his face, then shook his head. “Batman . . . Jesus, you fucked up big time, but I’ll talk to him. Go home for now and get some shut-eye—we’ll work this out tomorrow, after he’s had time to calm down.”
With his jaw and fists clenched, Darius nodded and grabbed the discarded sweatshirt before taking off for the elevator, not saying a word to any of his teammates . . . former teammates. God damn it!
18
“You what?” Angie screeched, making Ian’s headache pound even harder as he sat down on the couch with Beau at his feet. “How could you friggin’ fire Darius?” It seemed his pregnant wife was doing a much better job at curbing her cursing than he was as their first child’s due date approached. “What the heck did he do?”
Forty Days & One Knight: Trident Security Omega Team Book 2 Page 11