He pressed his lips into a grim line. “I’m not going to shoot you.”
The boy’s face crumpled. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
Efraim dropped his gaze to the floor. Witnessing the kid’s fear and guilt and now his relief cut like a sharp blade. He’d done so many stupid things in the past day and a half. So many things of which he was ashamed. He only hoped he could fix things. With Callie. With her family. He only hoped he could make up for some of the hurt he’d caused. “I’m sorry, too.”
Efraim sensed Russ move past him, slip an arm around his younger brother, offer comfort, usher him through the utility room and out of the barn. He didn’t move. Couldn’t move. For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do next.
“Efraim.”
Her voice moved over his skin as light as a caress. He swallowed into a parched throat. “Did you hear?”
“Yes.” She stepped into the aisle.
He didn’t look up. Couldn’t look up. “Did you know?”
“That it was Timmy? That he was protecting me?”
He didn’t know why it was so important to him, but he needed her answer. “Did you know when you came to my suite?”
“No.” Her voice hitched, and he could hear she was crying. “I just knew Russ was hiding something. I had no idea it was Timmy he was protecting. I should have. Looking back, I should have figured it out. I think I probably just didn’t want to know.”
He looked up and met her eyes.
They were still the color of the sea, still swirled with emotion and hope and optimism. Still saw things he was only beginning to see. “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you, that I didn’t wait.”
She nodded. She took a step toward him. Then another. Then she was in his arms, the length of her body pressed against him, her head resting on his chest.
He pulled in a deep breath of her. She still smelled of jasmine. “I love you, Callie.” As soon as the words left his lips, he knew they were true. It was impossible. Ridiculous. They’d known each other only a couple of weeks. Had only really spoken about more than policy issues for a little over a day. Yet it felt as if he’d known her for much longer.
He felt as if he understood her heart.
“I love you, too, Efraim.”
Her words were muffled against his chest, but they were the most beautiful he’d ever heard.
She looked up at him, her eyes wet, her lips slightly parted.
He brought his mouth down on hers and she opened to him, took him in, honest and true. And when their kiss ended, he could feel tears wet his own cheeks, and he didn’t brush them away. “I want to start over with your family, if they’ll let me.”
Her lips curved upward in a smile. “I’d like that.”
“And America. I want you to show me your country. The places, the customs, the people. I want to see it through your eyes. I want to see the world through your eyes.”
“And I want to see it through yours.”
He smiled. He felt as if he was beaming.
“What about Nadar? I want to see more of your country, too.”
“And you will.”
“Do you think your people… Will they accept me?”
He hadn’t thought about his country’s reaction to seeing their prince in love with an American. He’d been more focused on her country’s reaction to him. “I don’t know. But I have a feeling they’ll come around. In time. I’ll see to it. They’ll come to love you as much as I do.”
She hugged him again.
He could hardly believe he’d found this woman. And now that he had, the world seemed to stretch before him with endless promise and possibility. But before he could claim it, there was much to handle. “Go, talk to your brother. He needs you now.”
Callie’s eyes welled with tears. “Thank you.”
And before he let her go, they kissed again, long and deep. And Efraim knew that no matter what happened from here on out, they would figure things out.
Together.
CALLIE WAS STILL coming to terms with all that had happened. Her heart ached for Timmy, for her family, for herself. And although she’d be grateful forever to her youngest brother for saving her life, she was heartbroken that his act had to cost him so dearly.
Jake Wolf had arrived at the ranch about the time Brent and her dad had returned from stringing fence. They had all gone to Dumont, following Jake’s sheriff SUV. They had sat at the jail and waited while Tim was booked. And the moment bail was set, they’d taken him home. She wasn’t sure what would happen to her brother, but Jake confided that all the evidence he’d found so far suggested Timmy’s story was true, and that he would probably do no time.
Efraim had his own family tragedy to come to terms with. Fahad had been closer to him than his own brother. It was a horrible shock for him to learn Fahad was working with the forces responsible for the car bomb that was designed to kill all the royals, and might have succeeded in killing Amir. She’d felt horrible when she’d shown Efraim the text message about the car bomb and plan B. But Efraim had faced the betrayal head-on. He had done a little more digging and now was displaying what he’d found on an internet file-sharing website and explaining how it all fit together to the COIN leaders ringing the long conference table.
Efraim pointed to the projection of his laptop display on the resort boardroom’s retractable screen. “This is where Fahad was getting his orders and making his reports. It’s a file-sharing website. He would upload his message or receive his orders, like the last one here, the text about the car bomb and plan B that he then relayed to Jane’s colleague. Anyone could access the information. But only Fahad and the person giving him orders would know what it meant.” He looked down at the COIN leaders sitting in the leather chairs around the long table. Jane Cameron and Callie sat among them.
Jane frowned. “So can we find out who is giving him the orders? The one he’s reporting to?”
“I’m afraid not. That’s the idea behind these file-sharing sites. As long as the person posting uses some precautions, it’s virtually impossible to trace who has posted to it or viewed it.”
“So we’ve hit a dead end,” Antoine said.
“Not exactly.” Efraim hit a few keys on his computer. Another image came up. The website again, but this time it was the message he’d discovered. “I captured this earlier. It has since been taken down.”
Everyone sitting at the table read the message.
Witness to car explosion. Might be able to locate A.K. Will resolve.
Sebastian sat forward in his chair. “A witness?”
“At first I believed Fahad discovered news of the witness from this website, but I was wrong. He uploaded this message. Somehow he learned there was a witness. And he aimed to take care of him or her.”
“You mean kill him or her,” Antoine said.
Efraim nodded. “I believe so. There is also a chance they will first use the witness to find Amir. Obviously we need to stop both of these things from happening.”
“I’ll come up with something,” Sebastian volunteered. “I’ll find this witness. Leave it to me.”
Callie gave him a smile. Both of the twin sheiks of Barajas seemed resourceful, but Sebastian particularly struck her as protective. She had only to remember the way he’d rushed her to the ranch. As it happened, she hadn’t had to stop Efraim from doing something rash, but she’d needed to be there. To witness what a good heart he had. To help Tim explain what had really happened to his dad and older brothers and Jake Wolf. To help pick up the pieces and begin to heal the wounds.
“I will keep monitoring this bulletin board. Whoever Fahad hoped would see this message might not be aware that he is dead.” Efraim’s voice hitched a little when speaking his cousin’s name.
Callie’s stomach clenched. She knew his cousin’s betrayal had struck Efraim particularly hard. All along they’d believed he was a victim of the plot to destroy COIN. It was a shock to learn he’d
been part of the plot all along—a very important part it seemed—and Efraim was still reeling from it.
She was sure it would take a long time for him to recover from that blow.
At least he had the people gathered here to help him. She glanced at Stefan and Jane, Antoine and Sebastian. Efraim hadn’t been particularly close to any of them before this nightmare had begun. Not like he was with Amir. But she could see COIN growing tighter with each day that passed. And now even Darek might be coming around. The opposition to COIN might actually be making it stronger.
At least she could hope.
Stefan cleared his throat and focused on Callie. “I’ve heard the Russians are gone. Disappeared. Is this true?”
She nodded. “That is what I’ve heard from the FBI. They have Tanya’s description, but she and the men Efraim and I saw at the diner have yet to turn up.”
“I think we should keep a look out, as well,” Stefan said. “I doubt we’ve heard the last of them. One thing we’ve learned through all this is that we need more answers, and the only people we can rely on to get them are ourselves.”
The men exchanged glances and nods.
“I suggest we keep our plans confined to the people in this room whenever possible.” This time it was Antoine speaking. “And we take a close look at all those in our employ, including the workers at the resort.”
Another murmur of agreement and the meeting ended. Each person set off to do his part, leaving Efraim and Callie alone.
Efraim closed the door behind them and took Callie in his arms. “Is everything okay at the ranch?”
“As okay as possible.”
“And with you?”
Her throat felt thick. She nodded, uncertain her voice would function.
“Good. Because now that you’re here with me, every thing is okay with me, too.”
“I’m glad.”
“I’m more than glad.” He smiled. “I’m in love.”
She rose on tiptoe, wanting him to kiss her and hold her and make her feel as if things might one day be okay.
He granted her wish, bringing his lips to hers. And as they kissed, such love welled within her, she dared believe it was enough to heal the world.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Ann Voss Peterson for her contribution to the Cowboys Royale series.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8503-7
SEIZED BY THE SHEIK
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