Bartered to the Sheikh: Honour, duty, marriage ... and passionate desert nights Page 12

  “What else was I meant to do? I could hardly get her out of the palace in the front seat of the car.”

  Her head was so thick. Her eyes were stinging, and her throat was dryer than the desert.

  There was the sound of footsteps. Were they coming towards her? Or moving away? She strained to hear, only the sound stopped too quickly.

  Sally stretched her legs but they connected with something hard and firm. Her hands reached out, and met resistance on all sides.

  She was in the trunk.

  The knowledge of confinement made breathing impossible. It occurred to her briefly to stay still and quiet. But she discounted the notion almost immediately. After all, whoever had slugged her into the boot of a car knew she was there. They were standing over her, talking.

  Memories cracked in her mind, like pieces of glass. Kaman.

  What had happened?

  Was that Kaman’s voice?

  Was she dreaming?

  She ground her teeth together and banged her palm against the roof above her. “Get me out of here,” she said, in her most regal tone. It was no mean feat, given the nature of her entrapment.

  The boot clicked, and she tried not to let the fear take over.

  The light was blinding. It was somewhere in the middle of the day and the sun was high overhead, set against a glistening blue sky. Kaman’s face was unreadable as he moved to block her eyes from the brightness.

  She was obliged to take the hand he extended only to help her out of the tight boot space. But the moment her feet hit the ground, she lashed out, slapping him hard across the face. The effort cost her dearly, for she was still woozy. “What the hell is going on?” She demanded, bracing herself against the side of the black car.

  “What does it look like?” It was Kaman. He sounded as he always had. And yet he wasn’t. There was more to him; a side she hadn’t understood before. He ran his fingers over the flesh she’d marked pink with her touch.

  “You’ve kidnapped me. But why?” She swallowed. Her throat was lined with sharp blades. “And I need some water to drink.”

  He nodded. “This way.”

  She blinked, and focussed on her surroundings, and for the first time noticed a small dwelling. They were at the foothills of a mountain. The desert was their garden, and the house itself was small and old. It looked to be made of mud, with a thatched roof. There was an old hammock strung between two trees, and someone had planted edible vegetables in a box by the door.

  Sally felt like she was about to pass out again, but she sought strength from an unknown inner-reserve. She stopped walking, besieged by sense. It was an odd situation she had found herself in, but she was not a fool. To go into this house with a man who had drugged her (for surely that was the only explanation?) and kidnapped her would be incredibly foolish. Wouldn’t it?

  Then again, there was nothing and no one for miles. Whether she was in the house or the desert, no one would hear her scream

  She took a step backwards, her mind gradually slugging into gear. “Why did you bring me here?” It hurt to speak, but not as much as the sense that was finally being made of her situation. Irrationally, an aching sense of sorrow for Kaman’s betrayal of Khalid was her strongest emotion.

  Kaman’s expression was gentle, his manner appeasing. “Come inside and I will explain it to you.”

  “No.” Her hands were shaking. She held them behind her back. Ice cold fear began to trickle down her spine. What had Khalid said, the night before? It was a conversation she should have been able to recall, but it had been swamped by the overwhelming feelings she’d experienced beneath the star-lit sky. Kaman had been very unhappy for a time. Khalid had gone out of his way to emphasise that his cousin had never resented him, and yet now Sally found that difficult to believe. “I want to go back to the palace.”

  “Impossible,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “Why? Why can’t I go back?”

  “Because you have run away.”

  “Run away?” She fumbled with her necklace. “Kaman, what have you done?” She thought of Khalid and his determination to keep her safe. He had sworn to protect her. Allowing the same fate to befall her as had Tashana was something he couldn’t contemplate. “Khalid will be desperate with worry,” she pleaded, hoping that some vestige of the affection between the two remained.

  “Khalid will be angry with you, but not worried.”

  “Why angry with me? And why wouldn’t he be worried?”

  Kaman’s smile was soft. “You have left a note. It will assuage his concerns.”

  “A note?” She shook her head in confusion. Was it the drug he’d used? Nothing seemed to make sense. “I didn’t leave a note.”

  “You did. It explained that you have realised you can’t marry someone like Khalid. I am not a monster, Sally. I do not want my cousin thinking he has lost yet another bride to death.”

  It confirmed her worst fears. He did not intend for her to go back. But beyond that, blinding clarity made her eyes ache. “You killed Tasha.”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Yes. Why would you even try to deny it? You’ve kidnapped me. You’ve drugged me. Of course you killed Tasha. We knew it was someone inside the palace. I just never thought it could have been you!”

  She felt a burst of rage. Fierce and uncontained. “How dare you? Khal loves you! He thinks the world of you! He speaks of you as though you are a gift from God! And you have done this to him!”

  Her heart was sagging. “And as for Tashana …” Her voice cracked. The thought of this man – this man she had thought she liked – having killed her cousin in a fiery explosion was anathema. “Why did you do it?”

  He put a hand out, gently taking hold of her arm.

  But she shook free fiercely. Her head burst with pain as whatever drug he’d used to sedate her reacted to the swift movement.

  “No!” She was screaming now, half-crazy from the heat and fear and pharmaceuticals.

  “Saaliyah, calm down,” he was urging desperately. “Let me explain.”

  “Explain!” She shrieked, pummelling his chest, her hair flying wildly around her face. “Explain? Explain what? You killed her! You killed her!”

  “He did not kill me, Sal. No one did.”

  The voice from the entrance to the dwelling came to her as if from a dream. She stilled instantly, her eyes seeking its source.

  “You must be a ghost,” she whispered, blinking, then running her hand over her eyes. For there, framed perfectly by the doorway, stood Tashana. Beautiful, tall, and very much alive.

  * * *

  This was a mistake. I thought I could do it, but I can’t. I never intended to cause you inconvenience, and I am sorry for it. But it is surely better to put an end to this ‘marriage’ now, before it is too late. With well wishes for your future, Saaliyah.

  He stared at the note, as he had been for the past hour. The neat writing gave nothing away. Had she been calm when she’d written it? Or so upset by his rejection of her love that she had penned it out of hurt and malice?

  His gut clenched with a thousand different feelings, and he couldn’t have identified any of them.

  So he clung to anger, because he presumed it to be what he should have primarily been feeling.

  “What would you say if I told you that I think I’m falling in love with you?” It was as though she was standing in front of him again. His memory of that moment was so real that he almost reached out to pad his thumb across her full lower lip, as he’d wanted to the previous night.

  “I would say you’re mistaking lust for love. I do not want the complication of having a wife who loves me. Put it out of your head.”

  His words came back to haunt him now.

  He didn’t want the complication of a wife who loved him. And she did love him. How could she not?

  Oh, he wasn’t quite so arrogant as to believe he deserved her love. Only to see clearly that she was designed with a heart that was too huge. She was affe
ctionate and kind. Their obvious chemistry had laid the foundation, but that didn’t make her love any less real.

  Yes, she’d fallen in love with him, and he’d made it apparent that he couldn’t tolerate that.

  Instead of lying about her feelings, she’d given him what she believed he wanted. She’d left him, and freed him from the ‘complication’ of having a wife who loved him.

  The anger was directed solely at himself.

  He alone had ruined this marriage.

  But what could he have done differently? Pretended to return her feelings? Pretended that this was not simply a political union with unexpected benefits?

  He scowled. It wasn’t as simple as that. Nothing was as black and white as he wished it to be. With Tashana, he had known he was marrying a name alone. Someone he found passably interesting and attractive. Certainly nothing about her had offended him.

  Their marriage would have been simple, and it would have been delineated by clear boundaries.

  But Sally? Nothing was simple. Nothing was easy to box away.

  While he didn’t want the complication of a wife who loved him, nor did he want any wife other than Saaliyah.

  He wrenched his door open, catching the attention of one of his attendants. “Get me Kaman. Now.”

  The guard lowered his gaze deferentially. “I’m sorry, sir, he’s been called away on an urgent matter.”

  “An urgent matter?” More urgent than this? Khalid compressed his lips. “Fine. Fadi then. Get me Fadi.”

  She arrived almost instantly, her face pale, her eyes not quite meeting his.

  “Tell me what you know.”

  His words were dragged from the depths of his soul. They both understood. He was pleading. He was desperate.

  Fadi shook her head. She had no idea what to say.

  “The Emira has gone. Somewhere. Where would she go?”

  But what could Fadi say? Without revealing her part in the whole sordid tale, and risking penalties that didn’t bear contemplation?

  She stared at her cousin, and felt the gulping chasm of all the wrongs she’d committed.

  When Fadi didn’t speak, he continued. “You were the last person to see her. How did she seem to you? Was she unhappy?”

  Fadi squeezed her eyes shut on a wave of emotion. “No.”

  “No?” He prompted, hope flaring in his chest.

  “She was … distracted this morning. A little quiet, I suppose. I put it down to nervousness. Marrying someone like you is hardly an everyday occurrence.”

  “But in general?” He asked with a resolute insistence.

  “She was very happy. I believed her to be truly excited about the marriage.”

  “She is a guest in my Kingdom. Her safety is my duty. Where could she possibly have gone?” Then, he dragged a hand through his hair and stared at the wide, open space beyond. “But there are many who claim ties to the old Ibarra name.” He thought of the old woman at the Haranathi-al. Had he misunderstood? Had the woman been offering Saaliyah an escape? And had Sally agreed to it before he’d interrupted?

  Why would she need to run away?

  Surely she knew that Khalid would have freed her from her obligations if she’d expressed a desire to leave?

  There was a loud noise from outside his door, followed by it banging inwards. A guard was attempting to restrain a furious Abigail.

  “What have you done to her?” She shouted, spittle forming at the corner of her mouth. “Where is she?”

  “Abigail,” he employed the same voice he might have used to tame a wild horse. “I am attempting to find her. I assure you, I have done nothing to her.”

  I do not want the complication of having a wife who loves me.

  What had he done to her?

  Had his rejection comes even an hour after he’d taken her innocence?

  He banked down on the wave of regret. What good was such self-indulgence in that moment? It was done, and he needed to fix it. Not to obsess over details he could never alter.

  “She would not run away. I know Sally better than anyone. She would never break a promise like this. She would never leave a note and disappear. Trust me, please.” Abigail’s eyes were enormous, her face lined with worry and fear. “Something’s happened to her, Khalid. Something’s wrong.”

  His gaze flew to Abigail’s. The idea of someone else’s involvement had never occurred to him. Now, fear shifted over him, like the sands of the desert dancing across its face. “Why do you say that? How can you be certain?”

  Abigail saw that he was listening to her, and it calmed her slightly. She shook free of the guard and took in a deep breath. “She was committed to this marriage. If you know anything about Sally, you will know that she had determination made of iron. She did not come to Tari’ell to consider her options. She came to marry you, to play her role in bringing peace to the country. I have not seen anything in her behaviour that would make me think that has changed.”

  “Did you think she was happy?” He asked, hating that he was looking for reassurance at such a crucial moment.

  Abigail’s eyes narrowed. “I think she was determined to marry you. For the sake of Tari’ell.”

  Even in the midst of grave worry, he felt a hint of amusement for Abigail’s truculent observation. She was certainly not prepared to give him any quarter. And he regrettably had to agree with her; he deserved no such kindness.

  “Fadi, I need to speak to Nemen,” he said urgently, naming his chief of security.

  Fadi didn’t move. She was immobilised by fear, held still by self-interest.

  But self-interest was giving way to decency, slowly and surely.

  “Khal, I think I might know something.” She turned away from him. The look of silent probing was far worse than anything he could have said.

  “What do you know?” Abigail demanded urgently. She wrapped her hands around Fadi’s arms; her desperation was tangible for she loved Saaliyah as much as any mother could love a child.

  Fadi could not meet the older woman’s eyes and so she stared at the top button of her dress. “I suspect Kaman has taken her.”

  “Kaman?” Khalid had the strangest sense that something inside of him was shifting a gear. “Why in the world would you say such a thing?”

  Fadi closed her eyes. “Because I know he did it. Just like I know he was responsible for what happened to Tashana.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sally could hardly speak. Not just from physical pain, but from shock. She was rendered completely mute for a full minute.

  Then, on legs that were hardly steady, she moved slowly towards her cousin.

  “Are you real?” She whispered, putting a hand out to feel Tashana for herself.

  Tears pricked at Tashana’s eyes. “Oh, Sal. I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around her cousin, breathing in her nearness.

  “I don’t understand,” Sally was crying. She was tired. And she still felt distinctly queasy from the drug Kaman had given her.

  “No, of course you don’t.” Tasha linked arms with Sally and led her into the house. Inside, it was sparsely decorated, and yet it was somehow homely.

  “Please, sit,” she said, indicating a worn armchair.

  Sally did. Not because she wanted to seem obliging, but because she was afraid she might fall if she didn’t rest.

  Tashana poured water from a jug into a silver cup. She handed it to Sally.

  “Is it drugged?” Sally enquired with silky rapprochement.

  Kaman had followed them inside. He crouched before Sally now. “It was the only way to be sure I could get you out of the palace.”

  “But why?” Her eyes flew to Tasha’s face. “I don’t understand.”

  Tasha came to kneel beside Kaman. “I couldn’t have you marrying Khalid because of me. I had no idea you would take my place, Sal. I had no idea you would pick up the terms of this contract.”

  “But Tasha, you wanted this. You wanted to marry Khalid. You wanted to try to bring peace to our l
and.”

  She nodded. “I know. But that was before.”

  “Before what?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” She sounded like a record on repeat. “You died. I saw photographs of the crash. The driver was paid off. Someone arranged your death.”

  “No.” Tasha swallowed, her cheeks flushed with an emotion Sally hoped to be guilt.

  “Please tell me what the hell I’m missing.”

  “I fell in love.”

  “With Khalid?” Her own guilt was searing her soul.

  “No.” Kaman flashed a lopsided smile. “With me.”

  Sally stared from one to the other in complete surprise. “You what?”

  “Yes. We fell in love.”

  “I hardly saw Khalid, Sal. I barely knew him.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You made him a promise!”

  “Yes, and I fell in love with Kaman.”

  “Then you should have talked to Khalid. You should have told him.” She turned her face to Kaman. “I know he would do anything for you. He would have freed Tashana from her obligation if you had spoken to him.”

  “We were going to,” Kaman agreed quietly.

  “So what happened? Why go to these lengths?” She stared at Tasha. “Have you been living here since then?”

  She nodded. “You get used to it.”

  Sally looked around the living space with renewed interest. It was a far cry from the world Tashana had existed in previously, but that wasn’t to say it couldn’t make her happy.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Sally’s eyes flew to Tasha’s face. “The baby is …?”

  “Kaman’s, of course. I told you, I barely knew Khalid.”

  Sally swore in an uncharacteristic indication of her frustration. She stood up from the chair. “You’re pregnant. You and Kaman got involved behind Khalid’s back, while you were engaged to marry him. Then you faked your own death, rather than be honest with him about your situation.” She whipped around, shocked by the full force of her rage. Rage on behalf of her own self, and also Khalid. “You put him, me, anyone who knows and loves you, through the grief of your apparent death, all because you could not own up to the consequences of your actions?”