“Promise,” he said, his attention focused on her despite his leg antics for his son. “I promise I’ll tell you a lot of things when this is all over. All of them good.”
He bent to kiss her. She hadn’t expected that and she didn’t pull away and couldn’t as his lips parted hers and she only wanted to melt into him. But he’d always had that effect on her.
She took a step back.
“No, Talib. Not now.” What was she saying? Not ever. But she wasn’t so sure about that. She wanted Talib. She always had and that was where the problems had all begun.
“Leave the bags. They’ll be picked up and loaded before we get downstairs,” Talib assured her.
She looked at him and one thought seemed to overwhelm her. The return date on her airline ticket was burned into her memory, but Everett didn’t have to go home. It was unthinkable and yet he’d be safe. She turned away as tears burned her eyes.
“Sara.” He had his hands on her shoulders as he turned her to look at him. “It will be all right. I’ll find the bugger and he’ll pay. No one will hurt you again.”
She clung to his last statement and hoped against hope that the “no one” he referred to included himself. And she never told him the other fear, the dread that ran deep and aching through her being. It was nothing she could fix and something she had to learn to live with—life without Everett.
Talib picked up Everett and said something that made the boy laugh. A bellhop waited with a cart to take their bags and within minutes they were in the main lobby. The lobby had returned to calm elegance. The chaos of the earlier alarm had been quickly swept away and only cultured sophistication remained.
“I’m going to miss it here,” Sara said with a laugh. “My last stay in high-end luxury. Wave goodbye, Ev,” she said, but pain clutched her heart at the thought that it was more than likely not her son’s last stay in such luxury. For him, it was only beginning. And while it made her happy to know he’d have opportunities she’d never know, it was the thought of letting him go so he had that chance that was killing her.
“You may be surprised,” Talib said dryly.
“Are you suggesting more luxury?” she said with a teasing note in her voice despite her pain.
“Much more,” he replied.
Five minutes later they were making their way through Marrakech. The hotel had been on the edge of the Medina. It was where the tourists flocked for a taste of exotica, to barter in the souks and soak up the culture. It was where the locals came to get the necessities of day-to-day life. Within minutes, they were on a busy freeway. High-rise buildings, both commercial property and penthouse apartments, bordered the freeway. To her, Marrakech was just another city and she’d seen too many in recent months.
She looked back where Everett was secured into a brand-new car seat. She glanced at Talib. His attention was on the road, but there was a small quirk to his full lips, like he was smiling.
“You’re happy?”
“Relieved,” he said and he glanced at her before returning his attention to the road. “The two of you are safe and I can focus on getting this threat behind bars.”
Again, guilt washed over her. It had been her stubbornness, her need to have her son to herself and her fear that had drawn this out longer than it ever needed to be. She should have told Talib the truth months ago.
“I’m sorry this happened while you were under my protection. I should have been there...”
“You were investigating, finding the threat. Who else would do that if not you?” To her, the question was only proof that no apology was necessary.
“Still, it was my fault, if I had been there—”
“No, it was mine,” she insisted. “If anyone broadsided anyone, it was me with the news of Everett. You weren’t on your game and it was my fault. I’m sorry. If I hadn’t overwhelmed you, you might have been more prepared, and the attacker wouldn’t have injured you like he did.”
“Ouch,” he said. “You’re also psychic?”
“I didn’t mean that in a derogatory way,” she said softly. “You’re everything I’ve always known you to be and more. I wouldn’t have come here otherwise. There’s no one more qualified to protect our son.”
He looked at her with surprise in his eyes and something seemed to soften in his face. But he didn’t say anything about her pronouncement. Instead he returned his attention to the road as a comfortable silence settled between them.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble. You’ll be relieved when we leave.”
“Leave...” The word trailed off as if he’d never considered the possibility.
“Our flight home,” she replied, dodging her earlier thoughts about leaving her son. It was a consideration that no mother wanted to contemplate and not one she wanted to admit yet. “It seems trouble has only followed us here. We may be safer at home now with Tad gone.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Definitely not,” he said.
And they drove the rest of the way in silence, both of them deep in their own thoughts.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sara was glad for her son’s silence. It gave her a chance to take in the full effect of the Al-Nassar estate, to let the opulence sink into her reality. It was majestic. The grounds alone were overwhelming. She could only imagine the mansion, which sprawled in the distance. Palm trees lined the drive and on the left she could see the beginning of a glistening infinity pool. The city of Marrakech seemed to have faded into the background, even though Talib had assured her that the compound was well within city limits.
“It’s huge,” she breathed. They’d just passed through a security check, a one-roomed stucco cabin that was just at the entrance. At that gate, Talib conversed with a middle-aged man with a rock-hard physique and an equally intimidating AK-47 over his shoulder. The conversation ended and the iron gates opened and they moved on.
“Five acres,” he replied. “We’ve beefed up security. There are cameras 24/7.”
“Everywhere?” she said in a voice that sounded small.
“Inside and out.”
“You expect trouble?” she asked and her voice sounded worried even to her.
“We upped the security for exactly the opposite reason. To prevent trouble,” he said. “You’re safe here. Safer than the hotel and definitely safer than on your own in the States. There are sensors in the wall monitoring activity on either side of the wall.”
Her eyes followed the sweep of his arm, where a cream-colored masonry fence surrounded the entire complex. She knew about some of the high-profile cases Nassar Security handled from what Talib had told her when they were dating. Between that and the family wealth, security was a priority. Ironically, it was security that they’d founded their business on.
She nodded. She could only hope that he was right. But she’d placed her trust in him and so far, despite the threats, he’d done just that—protect them. But seeing this, his family’s home, only confirmed what she already knew. He was out of her league. He proved that now and he’d proved it before. And he always had been. Maybe that was why the romance had faded, at least for him.
Their lives were polar opposites. This was the life that Everett would inherit. This world wasn’t hers. Things would change, she knew that. She’d have to learn, at worst, to share Everett. He was no longer a secret and deep in her heart she knew that he never should have been. But she wasn’t ready to admit that, not now—possibly never.
Because of Everett they had to find common ground to make him a home where their differences equated only to a shared love for him. It was a lot to think about for a woman who’d only celebrated her quarter-century birthday three months ago. But since she’d become pregnant with Everett, she’d grown up fast. She’d set her mind with the same dedication she had to her career, to
parenting her son.
She looked around, admiring the grounds as if she was a tourist dropped into an opulent resort. His world. So very different from hers. They’d just passed four men with guns strapped across their backs. Now they were passing a more bucolic scene.
No guns, no Tad to worry about, just a peaceful and luxurious landscape. The endless sweep of emerald-green lawn, the elegant curve of the drive all fronted the massive home in front of them. She couldn’t believe it was almost over. In her mind it was, it was only Talib that wanted to make extra sure.
She folded her hands together, glanced back at Everett, saw that his attention was caught by something and relaxed. He was safe and a good part of the trouble had shifted to Talib’s shoulders. She felt guilty at the relief that ran through her, but she’d carried the load alone for so long. She also felt guilty about being relieved about a man’s death. But that’s all she felt about the demise of Tad. In fact, knowing he was gone almost made her smile. That was so wrong and yet her world now felt so right. She had Everett and Talib together, at least for a time. It was heaven. Or at least she could pretend it was so. She glanced over at Talib. She didn’t delude herself, what she felt for him wasn’t what he felt for her. She knew that. She loved him, she always had.
Talib braked for a peacock that strolled across the road. “Darn, I wish they’d keep those things contained.” He glanced over at her. “Tara’s idea,” he said. “We have three of them. Noisier than hell at odd times of the day.”
“Beautiful,” she said with a smile. The bird’s vibrant feathers were folded in as he moved along the side of the road and over to where a hedge was manicured into the shape of a small pyramid.
“The hedges?” she asked, wondering which of his siblings had come up with the idea and knowing it wasn’t Talib.
“Emir’s idea,” he said. “Seems my siblings are turning this place into the Al-Nassar Disneyland.”
She smiled.
Two minutes later, they got out of the car at the entrance of the mansion that stretched out on either side of them. The white tiled entrance gleamed. Soaring white columns rose on either side of a massive, arched set of doors. It was opulence on a level she’d never seen.
Inside was every bit as awe-inspiring as the outside. Twenty-foot-high ceilings stretched out on either side. White columns like those outside, only slimmer, more elegant, ran the length of the hall. The ivory-colored, tiled floor seemed to wink in the well-lit vastness that stretched endlessly in front of them. She’d never seen anything like this. Even Everett was quiet as if he, too, was overwhelmed by the size and scale of everything.
The pictures of ancestors dating back generations, lined one part of the expansive wall. All of it was luxury like she had only glimpsed at the hotel. This was so much more. This was a side of Talib she hadn’t known. She knew that he was wealthy. She knew that he had the resources to save their son, but she’d never quantified what exactly that might mean.
Ten minutes later they stood outside one of the largest doors she’d ever seen in the interior of any home. A heart insignia made from what looked like gold was on the panel of each door.
He looked back at her with an impish smile. “The old harem quarters.”
“Talib,” she giggled, and for the first time there was a lighthearted humor between them like there had been when they first dated.
“Tara’s apartment,” he said with a smile. “She got a laugh out of living in the harem, but she’s done it all up so it doesn’t look anything like the old days.”
“I think I’d like your sister,” she said quietly.
“She’ll be here in a few months for a break.”
In a few months she herself would be long gone, she thought, and wondered if he’d just realized the same.
“It’s where you’ll be safest,” he said as he turned to look at her. “Tara no longer stays here much. You’ll be secure here and there’s a suite just over there.” He pointed just behind them and to her left, where a smaller door was almost hidden. “Servants used to stay there,” he said with a grin. “I’ll be staying there. It’s not far away from your suite. In fact it’s just out the door and to your right. You’ll be safe.”
She skated over the safe part, caught on the luxury he was showing her. “Me?” She stopped in the middle of the doorway. “Here?”
* * *
“YOU,” HE SAID CONFIDENTLY. “Like I said, I’ll be nearby. I’m not leaving you alone. Not again.” He looked at her in a way that made her want to melt. “It’s safe here and until this thing is resolved, I won’t be leaving you for any length of time. Estate security will be on extra alert.”
He turned his back to her as he entered the code and the majestic doors opened in effortless silence.
“State-of-the-art electronics,” Talib said with a shrug. He pulled a key out of his pocket as a smaller door was revealed.
“Extra security,” he said as he unlocked it the old-fashioned way.
Inside, the apartment was sleek and modern, like the penthouse apartments she’d seen on television.
The ivory tile that had been in the hallway continued into the suite.
She walked through the gleaming kitchen to a sitting area that looked out onto the expansive infinity pool. Palm trees moved gently in a breeze that had come up as the afternoon waned.
“Wow.” It was all she could think to say.
She moved around the kitchen to where a sitting area with a wall-length bookcase was offset by a soft leather yellow sofa. She thought of Everett and grimaced. To her left was a teak desk that looked well-worn and loved.
“There’s plenty to keep me entertained anyway,” she said. She scanned the eclectic collection of books, including a row of children’s books, from picture books to classics. She wondered if that had been a new addition, put there for Everett.
He looked at Sara. “You’ll be safe here,” he said. “That’s the important thing.”
His phone beeped.
“I need to take this.” He held up his hand. “Just a minute.”
* * *
“CAN YOU MEET me at my office?” Ian said. “The maid who returned Sara Elliott’s son is scheduled to work this evening.”
“And you think she’ll show up?” He realized there was a big chunk of information that Ian didn’t know and he wasn’t about to fill him in. At least not yet.
“Fifteen minutes. Can you be here?”
“I won’t miss it,” he said dryly as he thought of the bouts of bad luck he’d had with the other suspects.
“Listen, sweetheart,” he said a few minutes later as he held both of Sara’s hands in his. “I’ve got a lead on getting this resolved. I won’t be gone long. You’ll be safe here and if you need anything just buzz. There’s an army of servants and a security team that would make your White House proud. Don’t leave the apartment.”
She laughed and squeezed his hands. “We’ll be fine. Ev is napping and I’ll just read a book.”
Ten minutes later he was in Ian’s office and a minute after that they had confirmation that the maid had shown up. They weren’t the only ones waiting for her—a plainclothes police office was also on site waiting to interview the woman.
In fact, it was the police officer who escorted the frightened woman into their office. It wasn’t very long before it was clear that other than a description of the man who’d contracted her, there wasn’t much she could tell them.
But from the description it was clear, at least to Talib, that the suspect who was in collusion with her was not Habib nor was it the man he had disabled a few hours ago.
In the end, the maid told them not much more than they already knew. That aside, she wasn’t free to leave, either. She was still an accessory to an attempted kidnapping and was taken into custody. Talib felt for her, but even his influence c
ouldn’t change the course of justice.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Talib made sure that the estate was locked down and that Sara and the boy had everything they needed before retiring to his own suite of rooms.
He’d returned early enough to order their supper and give Sara a rundown on how things worked. He had to smile at how blown away she was at the idea of having three servants at her beck and call. And by the fact that she didn’t need to prepare a single meal, despite a kitchen that any chef would die for.
But that bit of lightheartedness aside, his thoughts were on more life-and-death things. He’d thought of arming Sara, just in case, but when he mentioned that alternative her face had turned white. He’d immediately backpedaled on that suggestion. He hadn’t realized what a pacifist she was. The subject had never come up while they were dating.
There were many things he hadn’t realized about her, but he was learning quickly. His ex-girlfriend, the mother of his son, was deeper than he’d ever imagined in those long ago days of going out. Then it had only been about the fun and the passion. Now it was about reality and a threat that should be part of no one’s reality. But all Al-Nassars were familiar with threats. Wealth was a siren call that attracted the opportunists, a double-edged sword that the family had wrestled with over the years.
He’d told Sara to stay inside for the next day at least, as at the hotel, and she’d agreed. Unlike the hotel, this time he was sure she’d follow up on her promise. She’d learned the hard truth of safety breach consequences. He’d assured her that it wouldn’t be for long. There were upgrades to the security that needed to be done and he planned to get them done by the end of the next day.
Sara.
She was exceptional. He couldn’t ask for a better mother for his son. Yet, a streak of anger and even of hurt ran through him at the thought that only desperation had allowed her to trust him. Only desperation had given him his son.
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