AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We need to assume that is the case. Miss Malone would do anything to protect her child, including letting herself be taken across the border. Even in the short time she has spent with Sheikh Kamal, she would know that he would move all the sand in the desert to find her. I, for one, do not intend to let her down. Bring your team back in.”
Talib watched her give the order for the security contractors to return to the trucks. PJ was the only female among the Jawharans and Americans, and he was impressed with her ability to command men who had much more experience than she did. How had she come to be in charge of this mission? It was obvious that there were much more experienced operatives among her fellow team members.
Shrugging and cracking his neck, he tabled that thought for later. He quickly briefed the palace guards as to what was happening and ordered half to return to the palace at once. The entire palace was to be placed on lockdown, and as soon as Khalil arrived with Shira, they would be escorted directly to the palace under heavy guard. Talib would not risk another kidnapping. The remaining guards would maintain vigilance around the refugee camp to make sure that there wasn’t anyone else within the camp intent on harming the royal family.
As they dispersed, he turned to watch PJ still consulting with the small American force. While Talib did not know any of the men personally, he knew Slade, and Slade only hired the best. His guess was that most of the men were former Special Forces who, for whatever reason, had chosen not to remain in the military.
The only person he was unsure of was PJ. She wasn’t Special Forces. To his knowledge, no women had passed the grueling requirements in any division of the American military. But she carried herself with the confidence that only came with military training, so he had no doubt she’d served in some capacity. He watched her, wondering how she came to work for Slade Security.
PJ must have felt his eyes on her because she shrugged before turning to meet his stare. “What?”
Talib quirked a brow at the defensive tone he heard in her voice. “Easy there. I was just wondering how you came to join Slade Security.”
PJ’s mouth turned up, and she laughed. “Slade is one of the best. He served with my brother over in Iraq.” Her smile dimmed at the mention of her brother, but she held onto as much of it as she could.
“So, your brother works for Slade as well?” Talib asked.
PJ shook her head sadly. “No. He never made it home. He died over there, and at the funeral, Slade promised to do everything he could to help me out. Tony was all the family I had after our parents were killed by a drunk driver. I had just finished college and was so messed up…”
Her voice trailed off, and Talib laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to continue, if you don’t want to.”
PJ closed her eyes. “No, it happened a while ago.” Taking a breath, she continued. “Anyway, I enlisted and served my four years and then told Slade I was taking him up on his offer.”
“You asked him for a job?”
“Yeah. I was an MP in the military. The thought of sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life didn’t hold any appeal. Slade took me in, and the guys have been great about helping me learn what I didn’t know and improve in areas I was weak in.”
Talib watched her before asking, “So how does that translate to you being in charge of this particular mission?”
“That’s easy. Your boss hired us to watch his fiancée. Somehow the fact that she’s pregnant got lost, but, nevertheless, Slade thought it might be easier to ensure her safety if I was on point. I can go places the men can’t.”
Talib nodded. “Yes, that is true. You seem to like this type of work.”
“I do. But it’s become more than work; it’s kind of like a second family now.” PJ shook her head and then turned the conversation to him. “So what’s your story?”
Talib smiled at her, allowing her to change the subject. “My mother was sister to the former sheikha. Sheikh Kamal and his brother are my cousins.”
“So, you’re part of the royal, but you work for them?” PJ asked. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“It is different here. All children born to the sheikh are considered royal, but only male heirs can inherit. Since I am only related to the royal family by the marriage of my aunt, I am not considered royal. Nor would I want to be. I am very content managing the security for my cousins.
“I had the benefit of being born only a few months before Khalil, Sheikh Kamal’s younger brother. I attended the same schools they did growing up and was given all the same training, but I don’t have the responsibility that comes with the title. I like things the way they are.”
PJ nodded. “I can see that. So,” she paused, “are we going after Miss Malone?”
“Yes. Assemble your team while I procure a map of the area. We need to put together a plan, and then I will call the palace. I assume you have brought along an assortment of gadgets that might be useful.”
PJ grinned and nodded. “You know it! Slade sent along a bit of everything. I’m sure we can find plenty of things to play with while we look for the missing bride-to-be.”
Talib laughed at her. “Good! Get to it!” He watched her call the American contractors back over, pleased to see the way they interacted with her, treating her as an equal while respecting the fact that she was a woman. A difficult task for most men, but Slade’s team handled themselves expertly. A fact that made Talib very happy indeed. He had enough on his plate without having to defend PJ’s honor.
4
KAMAL
Kamal paced the sitting area in the palace, anxious for word from Talib about Erin.
I should never have let her go this morning! When I get her back, I’m going to lock her up and throw away the key!
