Fire and Desire (Arabesque)

by Jackson, Brenda

  “What do you mean you’ve been reviewing highly classified data? That’s against the law. How did you get access to them?”

  “CIA.”

  Joshua was stunned. “You’re with the CIA?”

  “Every day.” Drake instantaneously dismissed Joshua and turned to Trevor. “I have an idea where they’ve taken her, Trev. Come on, we don’t have time to waste. We’re going to D.C. I’ll update you on the plane.”

  Trevor looked at Drake and Ashton clearly surprised. “What do you mean Armond Thetas had nothing to do with that terrorists’ attack in Rio?”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Drake answered smoothly. “He’s far from being a choirboy, but he’s innocent of any terrorists’ activities. He’s been too busy planning the assassination of Argentina’s chief of police. That’s why he’s here in this country now. He thinks he’s meeting with a hit man. Unfortunately for him, the person he’ll be talking with is an undercover agent for the FBI. Hopefully, we’ll have Thetas behind bars before the night is over.”

  Trevor shook his head, trying to clear it. “Well, if he wasn’t the person behind it, who was? Why would they want Corinthians now? And why was she taken to Washington?”

  Drake knew he had to choose his next words carefully. “There have been two men trying to kidnap Corinthians for different reasons. One for the help she could provide to his country and the other because he wants her.”

  Trevor frowned. “What do you mean because he wants her?”

  Ashton looked pointedly at Trevor. “Drake means just what he says. He wants her.”

  Trevor’s eyes became hard and cold. The gaze that held Drake and Ashton within their scope was fiery, penetrating. “Who are these two men?”

  Drake provided Trevor the names of the two men.

  “Do you know which one of them has her?”

  “No, but we’ll soon find out. So buckle up. It’s time for takeoff.”

  Corinthians couldn’t help it—she was sick. The plane flight had shaken her up quite a bit and her stomach was reacting violently to it.

  “Do you think it was the plane ride that made her ill?” one of the men asked the other with concern in his voice.

  “How would I know? All I know is that he’s going to be angry if he thinks we didn’t take proper care of her. He gave us specific instructions.”

  Corinthians frowned. She was still in the dark as to who “he” was. She didn’t know who the person was who had ordered her kidnapping or what he wanted with her. The two men weren’t saying any names. They had removed her blindfold earlier and she didn’t recognize either of them. But from her travels abroad, she knew they were both from the Middle East.

  “I am an American citizen, and I demand that you let me go.”

  They looked at her as if her words meant nothing to them. After mumbling a few more sentences to themselves, this time in their native tongue, they left her in the small, cramped room, locking the door behind them.

  Where am I? she wondered to herself. Because of the plane ride, she knew she was no longer in Austin. So where was she? She yawned, feeling tired. She had to believe that no matter where she was, Trevor would eventually come for her. She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep with that very thought in her mind and that belief in her heart.

  Rasheed looked around the darkened lot before slipping unnoticed through the chain-link fence. He had not been able to locate his father, so he had given Santini explicit instructions to find him.

  He removed his shoes so that he would not make a sound as he walked on the gravel. When he heard voices, he lowered his body behind a row of crates. When it was quiet again, he stood and began making his way across the yard once more.

  Santini’s men had told him that Corinthians had been taken to this empty warehouse. He intended to get her out.

  He paused when he came to the room where he knew Corinthians was being held. A key was hanging just above the door. Looking around, he made his way toward the room and using the key, he unlocked the door, slid back the handle and eased inside. It was dark and he couldn’t see a thing.

  He was about to call out softly to Corinthians when suddenly the door swung open and before he had time to react, a sharp pain went through him and he fell to the floor.

  “What do you mean Trevor isn’t here?”

  Joshua stared at the three men who stood in the doorway, none of whom he recognized. All three wore serious expressions on their faces. The man who had asked the question appeared somewhat intimidating. Well, as far as Joshua was concerned, he’d had enough intimidation for one night and didn’t intend to put up with any more. His father was in the study using the phone, and his mother was in the shower. He’d been in the kitchen about to make a sandwich when these three had shown up.

  “I meant just what I said. Trevor Grant isn’t here,” Joshua replied curtly.

  The frown on Dex Madaris’s face deepened. “Doesn’t Corinthians Avery live here?”

  “Yes.”

  “So where’s Trevor?”

  “You like asking a lot of questions don’t you?” Joshua asked smartly, then realized his mistake when the man took a step toward him.

  “Dex, stop!” Justin Madaris’s sharp voice cut through the air.

  Clayton Madaris chuckled as he leaned against the doorjamb. “I don’t know, Justin. Maybe it’ll be a good idea if he went ahead. I have a feeling Trevor would probably appreciate it.”

  Justin shot his youngest brother a warning stare before turning his attention back to the man at the door. “We apologize for arriving so late, Senator, but we thought Trevor was here.”

  Clayton and Dex raised their eyes to the ceiling. Justin was way too nice at times.

  “I’m Justin Madaris, and these are my brothers, Clayton and Dex.”

  Joshua recognized the Madaris name immediately. He had spoken to Dex Madaris on the telephone when he’d gotten the news that Corinthians had managed to escape into the South American jungle with Trevor. Dex Madaris had been rude to him then, but Joshua had dismissed his rudeness. After all, he was Jake Madaris’s nephew. And any politician from Texas knew not to get on Jake Madaris’s bad side. That could be political suicide.

  To save face, he bestowed upon them his biggest politician smile. “Madaris? Oh, why didn’t you say so? Come right on in,” Joshua said, opening the door wider.

  No one moved.

  “Just tell us where Trevor is,” Dex said with agitation in his voice.

  “He’s in Washington, D.C.”

  Clayton straightened his stance, frowning. “Washington? What’s he doing in Washington?”

  Joshua shrugged. “Two of his military friends showed up and convinced him Corinthians has been taken to Washington.”

  Justin lifted a dark brow. “I take it you don’t believe it.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to know what I believe.”

  “You’re right,” Dex said coldly. “We don’t want to know.”

  Without saying anything else, the three brothers turned and walked away. Joshua had a funny feeling he had not made a good first impression.

  Two FBI agents met Drake, Ashton and Trevor at the airport when their plane landed.

  “Have you been able to locate either of the Valdemons?” Drake asked one of the agents after they had gotten into the car.

  “No, but we’ve brought Raul Santini in for questioning. He’s trying to pull that political immunity crap on us. I think he’s trying to protect Rasheed Valdemon.”

  “So you still don’t have any idea where they’ve taken my fiancée?” Trevor asked. His tone reflected his worry.

  “No, unfortunately we don’t. But for some reason I think by the time we get back to the office, Raul Santini will have talked.”

  Trevor nodded. He hoped so.

  Rasheed slowly came to. The first face he looked into after gaining consciousness was his father’s. The second was that of Corinthians Avery. Like him, they were bound in their chairs with their hands tied
behind their backs. One look into his father’s face and he knew he had been drugged. Corinthians Avery looked frightened, but physically, she appeared all right.

  He looked up into the cold eyes of the man who had masterminded everything. “You disappoint me, Yasir.”

  “Disappointments are a part of life, young prince. You should have learned that by now.”

  “Why, Yasir? After all your talk of how we should do anything to keep peace with the United States, why this? Father trusted you. He believed in you. Why have you been drugging him for the past three months, setting him up and making me believe he’s been the one with the lust-crazed appetite for all those women, when it was you all along?”

  Yasir’s laughter was blood-chilling. “I got tired of your father getting credit for all I did. Those were my negotiation policies that were presented to OPEC. But because of the circumstances surrounding my birth, I am nothing but someone who has to serve and do his bidding.”

  Rasheed frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, didn’t your father ever tell you that we are brothers? He thought he was doing me a favor by making me a part of his staff when he discovered I was the illegitimate son of the old sheikh. Amin made sure I was educated and taken care of. But as far as I am concerned, that wasn’t enough. He was not able to give me the love that was due me from the man who had sired me. The old sheikh even resented my presence in the palace.”

  Yasir laughed again, and it was just as blood-chilling as before. “But it doesn’t matter now. Unlike your father, who prefers one woman, I prefer many. I knew I wanted Miss Avery the moment I saw her when she attended that dinner party with you a few months ago. I’ve been planning to have her ever since.”

  Corinthians felt cold fear move up her spine. There was no doubt in her mind that the man was crazy. While waiting for Rasheed to gain consciousness, Yasir Bedouins had told her how the young prince had tried kidnapping her, too, but for totally different reasons. He had amusingly shared with her how Rasheed had had this silly notion that she could help his people by finding oil on their land. Her talents, Yasir had told her, would be used exclusively to please him. He did not care about the people. They could starve to death for all he cared. She had known then that he was a cruel and heartless man. On the other hand, she knew that although Rasheed had gone about it the wrong way, he was a man who truly loved his country and wanted to help his people. He would be a good sheikh for Mowaiti one day.

  “Let her go, Yasir. Don’t get yourself in any more trouble than you’re already in. Santini knows all about you. It’s in the report he’s going to give to an official at the State Department. Araque spilled his guts before he died.”

  Yasir’s face hardened at the thought of his old friend dying. Araque had served him well on a number of secret dealings. “You lie, young prince! If Santini knew the truth, I would have been arrested long ago.”

  “I’m telling the truth. He waited until I returned from Mowaiti to talk to me first. Then it was important to me that my father was safe. When I went to his home earlier today, he wasn’t there. Santini had strict orders to turn that report over to the authorities if I had not returned more than an hour ago. Make it easy on yourself and turn yourself in.”

  The look on Yasir’s face became strange, almost deranged. “I will never turn myself in. I’ll go somewhere where I can’t be found.”

  He went over to the chair where Corinthians was sitting and began untying her. “You’re coming with me,” he snarled, pulling her forcibly from the chair.

  Corinthians tried to resist him, but his hold was too strong. It was as if he had some sort of superhuman strength.

  “Let her go, Yasir. Think of your honor and let her go,” Rasheed was yelling at the top of his voice. But his words didn’t do any good. The man didn’t intend to let Corinthians go. However, he made the mistake of dragging her past Rasheed’s chair while making his escape. In one quick movement, Rasheed kicked his leg out, tripping Yasir and making him loosen his hold on Corinthians.

  “Run, Corinthians, run!” Rasheed shouted out to her.

  Corinthians tried to free herself completely from Yasir’s hold, but the man’s hand caught hold of the hem of her dress and she felt herself falling with him.

  Then suddenly, she heard a deep human snarl, and the next thing she knew she was being pulled from Yasir’s grasp by big, strong arms. They were arms she recognized immediately.

  Trevor!

  After placing her safely out of the way, Trevor turned his fury on the man who’d had the nerve to take his woman. All the anger he’d felt since finding Corinthians missing came back full-force with every punch and every blow he gave Yasir. The man didn’t stand a chance against his fury. Somehow, through his rage, he heard Corinthians calling his name, pleading for him to stop. Giving Yasir one last punishing blow, he dropped him to the ground.

  He turned around. The federal authorities had arrived. Agents were everywhere. Rasheed Valdemon was being untied and his father, Sheikh Amin Valdemon, was being cared for by a group of paramedics. Trevor didn’t give any of them a second thought. His mind was on his woman. He quickly glanced around for her.

  “Trevor!”

  He turned toward the sound of her voice and caught her in a fierce, crushing embrace when she came racing toward him. He smothered her lips at first with demanding intensity, then slowly his mouth became softer, tender. He showered kisses around her lips and around her jaw, before taking her mouth again. He couldn’t get enough of the woman he had come so close to losing. She was his desire, his heart, his love.

  Corinthians’s body quivered at the sweet tenderness of Trevor’s kiss. She devoured his fiery possession. His kiss was fire, burning her mouth and sending pleasure radiating through her body. He was her fire, her hero, the love of her life.

  Trevor felt someone tap him on the back. He broke off the kiss long enough to check out the intrusion. Frowning, he turned to look up into Ashton’s smiling face. “The two of you are in the way here, Captain. Some of us have work to do.”

  Trevor laughed. “Anything you say, Colonel.” He gathered Corinthians into his arms and began walking back toward the parked car. He stopped when he thought of someone and turned around.

  “Sir Drake,” he called out to the man who was helping to put a badly bruised Yasir in the car.

  When Drake looked in his direction, Trevor gave him a thumbs-up, wondering when would be the next time he saw his friend again. Drake Warren was a man on the run from a painful past.

  Grinning, Drake returned Trevor’s thumbs-up before getting into a car with a group of federal agents.

  “Trevor?”

  Trevor looked down at Corinthians, thinking he had never seen anything so beautiful. He placed her on her feet then pulled her into his arms and held her close to him. He had no intentions of leaving her again or letting her leave him. Trouble seemed to always nip at his woman’s heels.

  “We’re getting married as soon as we get back to Austin and it can be arranged. We’re not waiting any longer. We’ll make plans to have a huge reception to make up for it. You got that?” Trevor asked her.

  Corinthians looked up at him, smiling. Through it all, somehow she had known her man would come for her. “Yes, I got it. Now, how about you getting this.” She reached up, pulled his mouth down to hers and fitted her body snugly to his. The kiss she gave him was a kiss for hearts and souls to entwine. All Trevor could do was succumb to the divine ecstasy he felt as she pressed her open lips to his and mated hotly with his mouth.

  When Corinthians released his mouth, her lips curved into a sultry smile. “I think I still need to perfect that a little.”

  Trevor thought if she perfected it any more, he wouldn’t be able to live to tell about it. He took her hand in his. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go home. We have a quick wedding to plan.”

  Corinthians smiled. “Tell me honestly now, when you caught that garter at Clayton’s and Syneda’s wedding, did you have any i
dea that you would actually be the next one to be getting married?”

  Trevor shook his head, grinning. “No. What about you? When you caught the bridal bouquet, did you actually think you’d be next?”

  “No. Marrying anyone was the last thing on my mind, and definitely not getting married to you. We couldn’t stand each other, and you used to deliberately annoy me every chance you got.”

  Trevor gave her a smooth smile, one that was without shame. “Yeah, I enjoyed getting a rise out of you,” he admitted.

  Corinthians wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her body close to his. She was so close, she could feel his hardness pressed against her middle. Her lips began placing intimate kisses along the curve of his lips. “And I’m going to enjoy getting a rise out of you,” she whispered lightly against his lips. “But it will be a different kind of rise than the one you got out of me. This is the kind I’m going to enjoy getting out of you,” she said, feeling his body harden against her even more. She heard Trevor’s sharp intake of breath when she slid her hand down past his stomach and thigh to cup that very heated part of him in her hand.

  “Think you’ll be able to handle it, Trevor Grant?”

  Trevor was glad a number of parked cars shielded them from curious eyes. He swung Corinthians into his arms. He smiled down at her. “I plan to die trying.”

  Chapter 29

  Two weeks later

  Trevor Grant stood, leaning a shoulder against the wall, holding a half-filled champagne glass in his hand. As he looked around the crowded ballroom, he felt a moment of déjà vu. The last wedding reception he had attended had been for his friend, Clayton Madaris. Now here he was, less than three months later, attending his own. He smiled, happy for himself.

  He and Corinthians had gotten married within days of returning to Austin, just enough time to assemble their families and close friends. Now tonight, two weeks later, both sets of parents had joined forces to host this gala event. After the reception, he and Corinthians would fly out of Houston to begin their honeymoon in the Cayman Islands, compliments of Senator Joshua Avery, who was still wiping egg off his face.