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Brock straightened. “Weren’t you listening when PJ explained how those pendants work?”
Shira poked her head around her husband’s side. “Of course. Never take it off. Hold it tightly in your hand and squeeze hard if you ever need help and can’t call for it.”
Glancing around, Keira realized they’d just created the perfect diversion. “Erin,” she said, her throat tight. She bolted for the sheikh’s rooms. They were down the hall. It took her fifteen seconds, with her heart thudding hard. She slammed into the royal apartment, gun lifted.
12
Sheikh Kamal looked up from his desk. He had a computer laptop open in front of him and a gun in his hand. Keira guessed he was backing up sensitive information, just in case those alarms had signaled an intruder alert. She straightened.
“Your Majesty, I’m sorry for the intrusion, but where is your wife?”
He lifted one dark eyebrow. “I assume this is necessary. She is waiting in the bathroom.”
Keira headed there, her heart thudding.Please be here.She opened the door and stared into an empty room. Behind her, she could feel the heat of the sheikh as he stepped closer. He let out a breath that brushed over her shoulder.
“This is not possible.” His words came out in a rush, as if someone had punched him just as he’d spoken. Keira glanced over her shoulder at him. His face had paled, and he leaned one hand against the doorjamb. He glanced at Keira, his eyes burning. “Find her!”
Keira turned. “Was Erin feeling unwell tonight?”
The sheikh’s eyes flattened. Keira suddenly remembered this man’s ancestors had fought their way to power with sword and blades. “Find her now.”
She swallowed, muttered a quiet, “Yes, Your Majesty,” and fled the room.
Outside, she almost bumped into Brock. “Erin’s gone. She went into the bathroom and didn’t come out.”
He stared at her. “That’s not possible.” He started to turn, but Keira put a hand on his arm and he shook her off. “You need to stand down,” he told her.
“You need to stop and think. Unless you want to spend the next two months taking this place apart with an ax, which I don’t think is good for Erin or anyone else, we need a plan.” Brock stopped and stared at her. “This is my op. Are you willing to listen to me?” Her voice rose as she spoke but that didn’t stop him from gripping her arm.
* * *
Brock escorted Keira down to the car waiting in the courtyard. She had her lips pressed tight, and anger radiated off her, almost burning the fingers he had wrapped around her upper arm.
“Uh…boss?” Trent said, the words hesitant. He glanced from Brock to Keira.
“Stay out of this,” Brock said, his tone flat and low.
Trent swapped a glance with Travis, but both men backed down. PJ started to move forward, but Talib held her back.Smart man, Brock thought. Dammit, he did not like this—he hated it. He was pretty sure this was going to end up costing him—maybe even more than the SEALs had cost him Tayra. But he didn’t see a choice here. They needed to move on this fast to get Erin back.
In the courtyard, Keira yanked out of his grip. “I’m going to complain to Slade.”
“Great. You can do that from the airport. The plane’s waiting for you.”
In the moonlight and the glare of the courtyard lights, her face paled. The palace was lit up like a Christmas tree right now, and a room-to-room search was going on. Brock didn’t expect it to turn anything up, but it kept the sheikh’s guards occupied.
He saw her throat work. Her fists bunched at her sides. Her eyes filled with tears. The strong urge to take her in his arms increased—but he couldn’t. He stepped back. “Get in the car, Keira.” She glared at him, anger vibrating off her, but thankfully, she followed his order, and the car took off.
Heart tight in his chest and stomach churning, Brock watched the car drive away, taking Keira from him. “You’d better be safe,” he muttered to the night. If she wasn’t, he’d never forgive himself.
* * *
Keira sat in the back of the limo, her breathing fast. She popped open a water, gulped it down, and tried to steady herself. Wow—she was a better actress than she’d thought. She was still pissed at Brock for his high-handedness in front of the others—well, almost.
She reached for the gun she’d tucked into a concealed holster at her back. A card came out with it, and she glanced at it. A joker. Brock had handed it to her when they were getting dressed.
She smiled. Jokers were wild tonight, and that was her job. To be the wild card. She tapped on the driver’s shoulder. “Stop here.” He pulled over. “Keep going to the airport. As far as you’re concerned, you dropped me off and saw me walk into the terminal,” she told him and slipped from the car.
The moon was setting, leaving the night black and the stars icy shards overhead. Keira hiked back to the palace perimeter wall. She had no problem slipping over it. Alarms had been turned off so that the grounds could be searched.
