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I first saw the shocked look in the sheikh’s eyes before he ducked.
As expected, the firefight broke out after that. I took out my 9mm pistol and fired at the sheikh’s right-hand man trying to take the sheikh to safety.
Another reverberating shot rang loudly in the air as I was about to make another move. There was smoke and the terrific scent of gunpowder shuffling through the air when I felt the first tinge that struck my chest.
More bullets came flying in my direction then, and I had to dodge. The zooming sound of a revving engine fired up in the air. While the CIA men fired at the moving vehicle, I tried to get in the van and chase after that alongside Jim.
I pulled the door open with force and was about to get in when another sting came at my side. This time a blotch of red stained the lower side of my shirt, and I groaned before managing to get in the car and start the engine.
Jim was already calling off the rest of the men through his radio as I drove off. The sheikh had managed to escape, but not all his men did.
“You know what this means?” I said to Jim as I struggled to catch my breath. He didn’t need to ask what I was talking about. I knew he understood perfectly. Not arresting the sheikh tonight meant only one thing.
He’s coming for us.
“I’ve got to get Nina out of that house before he hurts her,” I said as the cold clamp of terror gripped my heart.
“I’m on it,” Jim answered, then began dialing another number.
Chapter Thirteen
Nina
Themansionwastooquiet for me, and I wondered where everyone was. The shay kaha dipped into the pool again, and this time she stayed submerged for a long time before she re-surfaced and smiled at me.
“Are you enjoying the water?” she asked as her dazzling smile reached me again.
I nodded, then wiped the water off my face and swam towards her. The blue bikini she wore matched the shade of the water, and when she combed her fingers through her hair, I saw some curls bounce off.
Liliana was a beautiful woman. With curves in the right places and charm. I wondered why she was married to the sheikh. Not that I thought it was bad, but it seemed like she must have had her choice of men at some point.
Liliana caught me staring because the smile on her lips turned sideways and she laughed. “All right, come on, ask what’s on your mind, dear.”
Her laugh was more like a ring in the air, and I wondered if it was because she was genuinely amused, or if she just laughed to clear the tension in the air. I coughed and shrugged. “Nothing much,” I lied, then followed her out of the pool so we could sit on the lounge chairs there.
Liliana crossed her legs in front of her, and I took one good look at her abs before smiling and looking at her again. “I’m just wondering how you ended up in the Middle East, married to a sheikh.”
Another laugh left her lips, and she tilted her head to one side. “I fell in love,” she answered.
Honestly?I regarded her closely as she continued. “When I first met Zayed, I was in Paris working as an au pair. I thought that was the dream for me. Living in a romantic city like Paris and enjoying the culture … Zayed showed me that there was more to enjoy than what Europe had to offer, and he made me a one-year deal … we travel the world together for a year, and if I don’t like it, then I can be an au pair, but if I do, then I must be his wife.”
“And a year later you were married?” I asked.
She nodded. “You got it. We find love in different ways.”
Liliana was silent for some time, then she looked at me again. “I think Jack does love you very much. His gaze never leaves you, and I know that look far too well.”
“I love him too,” I replied while ignoring the heat that flushed my cheeks and neck. Jack and I were not real and even though we were navigating through the sparks forming between us, I was still aware that it was nothing but a ticking time bomb.
Once we left Jeddah, there would be nothing left of it.
But not for me.
I dragged in a deep breath, and Liliana asked a question that made me freeze. “How did you know you loved him? Jack, I mean … he seems like a nice man and the sheikh speaks highly of him. It’s their first time doing business, and I hope they can continue and form a relationship.”
“I hope so too.”
I turned my head sharply to look at her, and her gaze stayed on mine while her smile stayed expectant. She blinked twice, and I could easily tell she was the kind of woman who never took no for an answer.
