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A tall, stooped man with dark hair and sharp eyes swept past the guard. “Cyrus Ahmadi. I believe we’ve met before, Mr. Khan.”
“Your nose met my fist,” Omar told him. “Do they need to get reacquainted?”
Ahmadi pushed his way into the room, brushing against Omar’s shoulder in the process.
Trent employed the same move Jake had just used on him to restrain Omar. “Maybe Andrews should have just shot him,” he said in a low voice as he rested his big paw on Omar’s arm.
Cyrus Ahmadi ignored the banter and his men, who were growling and snarling, in their chairs. He turned his attention first to Leilah and Olivia. “Ms. Khan, Ms. Santos.” He bowed slightly in their direction, then turned to Jake. “Mr. West, my apologies for interrupting. May I have a private word with your corporate attorney?”
Jake raised one eyebrow and looked at Ryan.
“Sure,” Ryan said. “Let’s talk in the hall.”
Leilah popped to her feet. “Not without me, you don’t.”
Ahmadi hesitated.
“This involves her, too,” Ryan told the man. “She comes or we don’t talk.”
After a moment, Ahmadi acquiesced. “If you insist.”
15
The hallway wascold and bright, and Leilah wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection. She stood close to Ryan and gazed impassively at Cyrus Ahmadi. She willed herself not to let her revulsion for the man show on her face as he studied her with his bright, dark eyes. Like a bird’s eyes, she thought.
Reveal nothing.Disgust was as good as excitement to a stalker. Omar had told her that any reaction would reinforce Ahmadi’s behavior and would encourage him to continue to bother her.
He continued to stare at her, and she inched closer to Ryan.
“Mr. Ahmadi, it’s been a long day. I’m tired. Why don’t you say what you have to say, then take your men and leave?” Ryan’s tone was just barely polite.
Ahmadi didn’t break eye contact with her while responding to him. “I was saddened to hear of your troubles today, Mr. Hayes. And I regret that my team’s efforts to help were misinterpreted.”
“About that. How did you know we had your men here? Nobody called you.”
“No, nobody called,” he agreed.
Ryan clicked his tongue impatiently. Finally, Ahmadi turned and looked at him.
“The gentlemen you’ve detained are not my only resources, of course.”
“Of course.”
“I had a second team in position nearby. They saw the caravan returning from Harrisonburg and alerted me when you reached the campus.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re paid to do so. Why else?” He cocked his head as if he was puzzled by Ryan’s question.
“No. I mean why are you having the campus watched?”
“Ah. I see.” Ahmadi clasped his hands together behind his back. “I find Ms. Khan quite extraordinary. Exquisite, even. Despite her brute of a brother’s physical battery, I can’t seem to stay away. I’m captivated.”
Leilah suppressed a shudder. Ryan’s nostrils flared.
“Leilah’s made it clear the feeling isn’t mutual.”
“Ah, I suppose she has. But I’ve learned that nothing is truly off-limits to a sufficiently ambitious man. My actions caused no harm. But because I was having her home and place of work monitored, I could recognize the danger she was in. You should thank me.”
