Damn, he was going to need his second or third—he’d lost count—cold shower of the day after this.
Timasur: Forty-eight hours before the royal wedding . . .
“There you are!”
Tahira glanced over her shoulder at Darius’s exasperated tone and grinned. He’d been getting lost in the palace over the past two days, complaining about needing breadcrumbs to find his way—after all there were five floors, eighty rooms, about half as many corridors, multiple staircases, and two elevators in the place. Add in a few secret passageways she’d loved to play in as a child, and still did on occasion, it was the ultimate place to play hide and seek, if one desired.
The palace sat on twenty-five acres of manicured lawns and maze-like gardens. It was gorgeous, but Tahira had always preferred the vacation home nestled in the mountains two hours north of Diado, Timasur’s capital city. It was there she’d felt more like the average person—there’d been a lot less bowing and catering to the royal family there. Her parents were more relaxed there too. Tahira could recall having campouts and climbing trees with her brother and cousins.
Darius stopped next to her and threw up his hands in frustration. “I seriously need a map for this place. I’m military, Tahira. Maps and GPSs are standard equipment for me. Who do I see to get the floor plans of this place? I’m not averse to bribery at this point.”
Laughing, she linked their arms together and led him toward the nearest staircase. “I was just on my way to see my bridesmaids getting their last fittings, but that can wait a few minutes. So, come with me. Amar keeps copies in the security office. I am certain you will qualify as a person who can be trusted not to publicize them.”
“Cross my heart. Your secrets are safe with me.”
Despite his joking manner, it was true. Her secrets would always be safe with Darius. He was an honorable man, and she trusted him with all her heart.
The palace staff was busier than it had been in a long time. Last minute preparations were being made for the weekend’s festivities. Friday would be the traditional, ethnic wedding, held in the gardens behind the palace, while Saturday’s nuptials would take place at the city’s main cathedral. The public and press would be lining the streets to catch a glimpse of Tahira on her way to be married and then again when the couple left the cathedral to attend the reception, at a nearby venue. Many of the over four hundred guests were royal family members and politicians from European and African countries. If this had been the full-scale celebration Tahira had fought against, the number of attendees would’ve crested the one thousand mark.
Even though the guest list had been carefully culled, Tahira’s and Darius’s friends and family would all be in attendance. Some had flown in from the United States yesterday and this morning, while a few more were scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Although, Ian had insisted Angie get her obstetrician’s permission to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in Trident’s private jet, five weeks before her due date. Tahira had assured the couple the best doctors in the city would be on call in case, God forbid, the woman went into premature labor. Ian had been showing signs of stress until Brody had pointed out that if “Little Bit” was born in Timasur, he or she would have dual citizenship. For some reason, the expectant father had gotten a kick out of that and seemed more at ease ever since.
After leaving Darius in good hands with the security staff, Tahira returned to the second floor and located the sitting room where her bridesmaids were being fitted in their dresses for both ceremonies. She found the staff of seamstresses making sure each woman would look beautiful on her special day. Lahana, who didn’t look happy to be there, Nala, Barrie, and two of Tahira’s other cousins, Shani and Abena, were all in one of their two custom-made dresses, as the designer and seamstresses checked their fittings and prepared to make any needed adjustments. Meanwhile, the Trident Security women, Kristen, Angie, Kat, Harper, Fancy, Lindsey, Jenn, Ian’s goddaughter, and Dakota, who was engaged to Darius’s teammate Logan Reese, sat on the comfortable couches and chairs around the room. They were relaxing and enjoying the fruit, finger sandwiches, and sparkling water the kitchen staff had prepared for them.
Laughter and chatter filled the room, but Tahira noticed one person was not having a good time. Lahana was frowning at her, her face taut with anger and envy. Tahira wished her cousin wouldn’t blame her. It hadn’t been their fault that Lahana, Tahira, and the other women had been sexually assaulted, but since Tahira had kept her own rape from her family, friends, and the rest of the world, Lahana didn’t know she’d suffered as well. Maybe it was time to change that. Only a handful of trusted people knew Lahana had been raped. They’d kept that out of the press, and she didn’t talk about it to anyone except Nala and a therapist her mother had insisted on. Tahira’s secret would be safe with her cousin.
Making her decision, Tahira would find some time to get Lahana alone later today and talk to her. They could support each other, and hopefully become friends again. Tahira didn’t want the huge elephant in the room to come between them.
“Princess Tahira! It’s about time you joined us. Come sit.” Jenn patted an empty spot on the sofa next to her. While she’d asked the Trident women to call her by her first name in private, with the staff present, they were using her title.
Tahira took the proffered seat and thanked a staff member when the young woman handed her a glass of sparkling water with a lime wedge. She glanced around the group. In various stages of pregnancy, Angie, Fancy, and Harper, who’d recently announced she and Marco were expecting their second child, had been given rocking recliners for comfort. “Are you all having a good time? Do you need anything?”
There were a chorus of yeses to the first question, and then a round of nos to the second.
“Everything is perfect,” Fancy gushed. “And the palace and grounds are gorgeous. The landscaping is stunning. We’ll have to join the men out in the gardens later.”
“Is that where they have gathered?” Tahira had been with her own staff going over the last-minute details, so she was wondering where they’d disappeared to. Raj had told her he’d take care of the TS men while the women were busy with whatever they would be doing.
“Yup, in the gaming area,” responded Kristen. “Devon and Marco are taking advantage of the nannies you arranged for JD and Mara, so they’re all out there playing Cornhole and taking bets on who is the best archer. Our men and bows and arrows—it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them ended up being shot in the butt.”
Everyone laughed—except Lahana. Without saying a word, she stormed into the attached powder room and slammed the door. An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a moment, but then the women tried to act like nothing had happened. Two minutes later, Lahana came back out, threw her dress at one of the seamstresses, then stalked out of the room.
Tahira’s gaze met Nala’s, and the younger woman shrugged and shook her head. Sighing, Tahira turned back to her guests. “I apologize for my cousin’s behavior. She has not been herself since . . . since . . .” While she trusted the TS women, there were staff members around. Discussing the kidnapping in their presence was not an option.
Angie held up her hand. “Say no more. We understand, and it’s fine.”
“Thank you.” Pasting on a smile she didn’t completely feel, Tahira answered the women’s questions about the wedding ceremonies. But after fifteen minutes or so, she couldn’t stand it any longer. The guilt she felt for lying to Lahana was eating a hole in her gut. Tahira had to find her and tell her she knew what the other woman was going through and that they would find a way to heal—together. “I am sorry, but if you will excuse me, I need to go speak to my cousin.”
She hurried out to the hallway and glanced in both directions. She hadn’t seen which way Lahana had gone. Thinking she’d returned to the guest suite she always stayed in on the third floor, Tahira headed for the stairs.
One flight up, two maids were finishing their duties, cleaning the guest bedrooms and bathrooms, and bowe
d as she walked by. “Good day, Your Highness.”
Giving them a quick, distracted smile and wishing them a pleasant day as well, Tahira continued down the hall and stopped in front of Lahana’s door. She knocked, then waited. Seconds ticked by with no response. She was about to give up, thinking she’d been wrong in her assumption, when the door swung open. Lahana frowned at her from behind sunglasses. “What do you want?”
Surprised at the venom in Lahana’s voice, Tahira stuttered. “I—I wanted to talk to you, cousin.”
“We have nothing to talk about.”
When the door began to close, Tahira used a hand and foot to stop it. “I think we do. May I come in? Please?”
A few moments passed before Lahana sighed and stepped back. Tahira followed her inside and shut the door behind them. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, then gestured to a small sitting area. “Can we sit down? There’s something I need to tell you.”
37
With a map of the palace and grounds tucked into the back pocket of his Dockers, Darius managed to find his way out to the gaming area of the gardens. A small bar had been set up, and his brother and friends were enjoying a few pints of Guinness with Prince Raj and some of his male cousins. Several of them were shooting arrows at targets with hay bales behind them, while others tossed bean bags at the slanted Cornhole boards, trying to sink them in the small, round opening to score the most points. So far, neither Farid nor Diallo had shown their face, although they were both supposed to be attending the ceremonies, and that was fine with Darius—as long as they stayed out of his face. Unfortunately, the king’s weasel of a chief of staff, Sebak had been driving him nuts about this or that protocol, all the while making his disdain for the princess’s fiancée clear with subtle digs. Darius didn’t give a crap, though, and assumed nothing he could ever do would win the man over.
Both TS teams had flown over for the celebration, leaving Doug Henderson and Tiny Daultry in charge. Nathan was manning the computer systems, while the office manager, Colleen, was taking care of everything else. Ian had even passed a mission or two over to Chase Dixon’s Blackhawk Security so everyone on the Alpha and Omega teams could be in Timasur.
Levi was the first one to spot Darius as he approached. “Hey, the groom’s here! It’s about time you joined us, bro. Grab yourself a pint. This place is awesome!”
After getting a glass of Guinness from the bartender, Darius watched the activities in amusement for a few minutes. The betting between Marco and Brody was getting interesting as usual. They finally settled on what the loser of an archery challenge would have to do—dress up in drag—heels, wig, and all—on the first day back to work next week, when members of Tampa PD’s SWAT would be at the compound for a joint training session. Darius would have to have someone take lots of photos for him since he’d be on his honeymoon. Oddly enough, that word didn’t scare him as much as it used to.
While the two men geared up with their bows and arrows, the other men took monetary bets on who would win. Darius joined them, and when all was said and done, he was a few hundred dollars richer when Brody was declared the winner, which didn’t happen often in these contests. Now Darius definitely needed someone to take photos—Marco in drag? That was going to be hysterical, without a doubt.
“Walk with me, twatopotomus.”
Rolling his eyes, Darius swallowed a mouthful of Guinness and fell into step beside Ian, who strolled toward the entrance of a maze created by tall shrubs. “What’s up, Boss-man?”
Ian took a sip of his dark drink and waited until they were within the elaborate labyrinth before speaking again. “Last chance to back out of this.”
That was not what he’d expected to hear from his employer, teammate, and friend, even though Ian knew the reasoning behind Darius’s upcoming marriage. “You still think I’m making a mistake?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth.” He took a right turn as if he knew exactly where he was going. Darius followed, mentally calculating how to get back out of the maze when he needed to. “It doesn’t matter if I think you’re making a mistake, the question is do you? Is this going to backfire on both of you?”
“No, it’s not.”
“See, that’s where I think you’re wrong.”
Darius stopped short. “You just said it doesn’t matter what you think.”
Turning around to face him, Ian shrugged. “I lied—sue me.” He crossed his arms and spread his legs. Darius knew the man was settling in for one of his “you’re being a dipshit” talks. Darius had been on the opposite side of several of them during his time in the SEALs and, again, while working for Trident. There was nothing he could do but stand there and listen. “You know, the only way this will work between you two is if you admit to yourself and her that you’re in love with her.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m not blind, Batman. Neither is my wife, and she’s looking forward to you and Tahira having many beautiful babies, as the princess would say. She loves kids, by the way, if you haven’t figured that out yet.”
Pivoting, Darius paced up and down the aisle the shrubs made, running a hand down his face. “I’m not good enough for her. We’re from two different lifestyles—hell, we’re from two different worlds. I can’t give her a place like this.” He lifted his hands and gestured to their surroundings.
“Did she ask you for a place like this?” Ian mimicked Darius’s hand motions, but with an obnoxious flare. “I’ll bet she never asked you for anything, because you’ve already been providing her with everything she wants and needs. Don’t you know that a marriage means joining your lives and finances and all that other shit together—it’s no longer yours and mine; it’s ours. They even made a movie or two out of that saying. You deserve an ass kicking if you can’t see what’s right in front of you, Batman—some superhero you are. This thing between you two may have started because of your sense of honor and duty—because your suppressed Dom-ness decided to finally come out of hiding. But somewhere along the line, it turned into the real thing . . . for both of you. Don’t you see the way she looks at you? Like you’re her whole world and nothing else matters?”
“She’s got a case of hero-worship. That’s all.”
Ian glared at him. “If I didn’t know it would ruin the wedding pictures and put me on my wife’s, the queen’s, and Tahira’s shit lists, I’d deck you right now. That woman does not have a case of hero-worship. She’s in love . . . with you, you jackass.” He threw his hands in the air. “God, why are men such idiots when the one shows up in their life? And, yes, that’s a rhetorical question because I was an idiot with my Angel in the beginning. Thankfully, I wised up fast and now we’re procreating. Scary thing, yes, but there it is.”
Ignoring his boss’s sarcasm, Darius zeroed in on the one thing that’d made a small kernel of hope spring to life deep within him. Was it true? Tahira loved him? And if she did, would it be enough to bind them together forever? He wasn’t sure. “So, what if Tahira decides living in Tampa isn’t what she wants? Visiting this place I can deal with, but living here full time? That’s not me, Boss-man. What if she decides she wants this grand lifestyle she’s known all her life that I can’t give her?”
“Then tie her ass up and show her the lifestyle you can give her—the one that includes you being her Dom and just fucking loving her. You know, there are two types of women—the ones who are social climbers and marry for money, and the others who marry for love. I honestly believe if Tahira hadn’t fallen in love with you, we wouldn’t be here today. She would have set you free and come up with a different way to deal with the aftermath of what happened to her. So, the question is, are you going to continue to be an idiot, or are you going to grab hold of her with both hands and never let her go?”
Tilting his head back and thinking about his answer, Darius spun on the ball of his foot toward the rear façade of the palace. Over the tops of the shrubs, movement on one of the balconies caught his eye and had hi
s heart stopping in his chest. “Shit!” Throwing his glass of ale to the ground, he took off at a dead run, praying he was going the right way.
With a sigh, Tahira followed Lahana as she passed the suite’s sitting area and strode out to the balcony where a half-filled pitcher of lemonade and several glasses waited on a small table. An umbrella provided some pleasant shade. Her cousin sat down on one of the two available chairs, picked up her drink, and took a long sip. Staring out over the gardens, she asked, “So, what do you want, Tahira?”
Again, that venomous tone bothered Tahira—her cousin and she had always gotten along, but since the rescue, they seemed worlds apart. Taking the other seat, she poured herself a glass of the pink refreshment. “I was hoping we could talk about . . . about Argentina.”
“What about it? It’s a god-forsaken country with too many insects.”
“You know what I mean, cousin.” Tahira brought the glass to her lips, but the moment the cool liquid hit her tongue, she coughed and sputtered. “Wh-what’s in this?”
Lahana sniffled and rubbed her nose, her movements jerky. “Haven’t you ever had gin and lemonade before? It’s quite delicious.”
As Tahira studied the other woman, she could see her current drink wasn’t the first one of the day. “I—I know you’re having a hard time dealing with what that bastard did to you.” Lahana snorted, and Tahira dropped her gaze to her lap. “He—he raped a lot of those girls. He—”
“Ha! Oh, Tahira, Tahira, Tahira—the naïve little princess. He didn’t rape me.”
She shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean? Of course—”
“Oh, please. I like it rough, and Felix knew that.”
Felix? Darius had told her Secada’s first name at some point, but until now, Tahira had forgotten it. How did Lahana know it? Had Amar told her? And what did she mean when she said he hadn’t raped her?
Forty Days & One Knight: Trident Security Omega Team Book 2 Page 24