Captive of the Desert King Read online

  “Not really,” Sarah said sweetly. “I can’t believe many people like you, Nashemia.”

  “You did. Until I gassed you.” The other’s woman smile tightened into a thin line. “Ramon was a simple man. All he wanted was for his daughter to live a better life than he and his brother had. I guess you could say that most fathers promise their daughters a kingdom. Mine gave me one.”

  Jarek froze. “Ramon was your father?”

  “Oh, he was much more than that,” Nashemia admitted. “He was your mother’s lover, Jarek. Your mother had an affair with Ramon before she’d been promised in marriage to the new King of Taer. Bari had just abdicated, so Makrad needed to marry, soon, to ensure the royal line.

  “I am your big sister, Jarek,” Nashemia purred. “I have the DNA to prove it. Of course, I didn’t find out until after Sandra Haddad diagnosed my father with cancer. I guess facing death makes people reevaluate their life, now doesn’t it?”

  “You are not royal, Nashemia.” Jarek’s laugh was little more than shards of glass against his vocal cords. “Not if you are my mother’s daughter. My father held the royal bloodline.”

  “Who will protest my bid for the crown? You? My sweet little nephew, Rashid?” Nashemia tsked. “My legitimacy will not matter, considering those who have legitimate blood ties will be dead. With the exception maybe of Bari. But he is an old man now. I have few worries about his interference.”

  “And Bash?”

  “Yes, Bash. Poor Bash,” she mocked. “That was sad, was it not?”

  “You killed him.” Sarah made the statement.

  “No, I liked him, actually. Oruk killed him,” Nashemia corrected. “Or at least put him out of his misery. That bomb was a nasty business. It was meant for Jarek, of course. I actually went to see Bash, just so I could imagine the King of Taer lying there with half the skin burned off his body.”

  “That’s why you were there that day?” Sarah stated. “But the tears—”

  “Simple frustration,” Nashemia answered and glanced at Jarek. “I never expected that you would be so hard to kill, brother.”

  “Bash just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Oruk inserted, coming up behind Nashemia. He curved a possessive arm around her waist. “I followed Sarah to the hospital that night.” His eyes flickered to Sarah. “You have no idea how close you came to death, too. I would say a knife blade away.”

  “You can thank me for that, Miss Kwong. I called Oruk just before he was going to slice your throat,” Nashemia countered. “I felt Roldo’s death was a slight miscalculation on our part and your death would just bring more…attention. We decided we needed a diversion from the investigation. Nothing big, you understand. Just enough to give us another day or two.”

  “Oruk decided to use your lover as bait, Your Majesty,” Murad added. “It was brilliant, actually.”

  “I never suspected Sarah of murdering Bash,” Jarek commented.

  “Oh, the bait wasn’t for the murder,” Nashemia corrected. “Servants talk. Even in a well-run palace such as your own. It was pretty obvious to your staff that you and Sarah were developing feelings for one another.”

  “That in itself gave us some additional leverage,” Oruk inserted. “Love is always a distraction. Good or bad. I think you would have moved swifter with the investigation if Sarah hadn’t been a distraction. We relied on your own prejudices from your experience with Saree to do the rest.”

  “Once burned, twice stupid,” Nashemia joked.

  “Of course, we had intended to kidnap the prince. But we couldn’t find him in his bedroom. Lucky for us he decided to save your lady.” When Nashemia went to ruffle Rashid’s hair, he jerked his head away. Angry, she grabbed a handful and held him in place. Rashid made no sound.

  “Brave, aren’t you?” She let go of his hair. “Be polite, little prince or I’ll make your last few minutes with your dad very painful.”

  Nashemia waved her hand. “Kidnapping Miss Kwong served a duel purpose for us. With her ties to America and your being lovers—”

  Sarah stiffened.

  “Oh,” Nashemia remarked with false surprise. “You didn’t think anybody knew, did you?”

  Murad stepped up. “All right. Enough of the conversation. We have very little time before sunrise to accomplish our plans.”

  “One more thing before we start.” Oruk glanced at Nashemia, then leveled his pistol at Murad. “We’ve decided, three partners is one too many. Right, Nashemia?”

  “Right, lover.” Nashemia walked over to Oruk and briefly kissed him full on the mouth.

  Suddenly, her gun exploded between them. Oruk dropped his pistol and stumbled back. “You bitch!” He grabbed for her, but lost his balance and went to one knee. Nashemia leveled the gun and fired again.

  Oruk fell to the ground, his body unmoving.

  “Remind me, darling,” Murad commented, his tone bland. “Not to turn my back on you.”

  “No worries, Murad. He had the manpower, but you have the money.” Nashemia stepped past Oruk. “Isn’t it time?”

  “Yes,” Murad agreed. “The train is ready to take us back. Oruk must have been wrong about Quamar.”

  She turned the gun on Jarek, then glanced down at Oruk. “It’s too bad you shot their leader, Jarek, before we could stop you.”

  “They won’t be happy,” Murad scoffed.

  “I suppose you would like to die with your son and lover?”

  Jarek said nothing.

  Suddenly explosions hit the drilling grounds. One after another they ripped across the site in a semi circle of flash and fire. Some men screamed as their robes caught the flames, while others tumbled over the ridge surrounding the site.

  “I think you have my answer,” Jarek replied, his eyes pinning Murad with contempt.

  “What is it?” Nashemia shrieked. “What’s happening?”

  Booker rose from the dirt, a knife in his hand. “Looks like an Al Asheera weenie roast to me.”

  Without warning, men crested the dunes, brandishing curved blades, wearing indigo scarves.

  “Bari’s men,” Nashemia yelled as the swell of fighting soldiers swallowed her whole. “Stop them!”

  Moments later, Quamar and Ian, then Cain and Jordan formed a circle surrounding Jarek, Sarah and Rashid. The four men fought back to back protecting those in the center.

  “Ian,” Jarek ordered, then raised his bound wrists. With a swipe of the sword, Ian severed the plastic.

  Quamar tossed him a knife. Quickly, Jarek freed Sarah and Rashid’s bindings.

  “Get Rashid out of here.” Jarek grabbed his son and pushed him toward Sarah. “Take him somewhere safe.”

  “But Papa—”

  “Now!”

  “Rashid.” Sarah grabbed his arm. “We must do as your father says!”

  Rashid stood, his fist tight at his sides. “I love you, Papa. Even if you had to kill my mama.”

  Jarek froze, his eyes found Sarah’s. When she nodded, he grabbed Rashid and hugged him. “I love you, too. Don’t ever forget that.”

  Jarek let his son go. “Stay with Sarah.”

  “Keep yourself safe, too,” he warned as he pushed the boy toward Sarah. Jarek grasped her nape and pulled her close for a quick, hard kiss.

  Booker yelled a warning. Sarah and Jarek turned just in time to see Booker shove a sword in the back of an Al Asheera soldier. As the man fell to the ground, Booker looked at Jarek. “We could use some help, Your Majesty.”

  “Booker?” Sarah shook her head confused. “How did you—”

  “I work for Cain.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  When they reached the train, Sarah started checking the crevices and windows to make sure no soldiers were hidden.

  “Are we safe, Sarah?”

  “For now—”

  Pain exploded in Sarah’s head. She stumbled back onto the ground.

  “Not safe enough.” Nashemia jumped from the steps of the passenger car. “Nothing like a
quick kick to the head for a reality check.”

  “Run, Rashid.” Sarah grasped a handful of sand and stood.

  “No. I won’t leave you, Sarah.”

  “Do as you’re told,” Sarah snapped. “Keep your promise.”

  Crying, Rashid nodded, then scrambled under the train.

  “He won’t get far,” Nashemia promised. “Murad’s out there somewhere.”

  “He’s the least of your concerns,” Sarah warned.

  Nashemia reached in her boot and pulled out a long knife. She waved her fingers to Sarah. “Come and get me,” she purred.

  Sarah stepped in and let the sand fly from her hands.

  Nashemia shrieked and grabbed for her eyes.

  Sarah charged, knocking the knife from the other woman’s hand and slammed her into the train.

  “You bitch!” Nashemia screamed and backhanded Sarah. Pain exploded through Sarah’s cheek, causing her to loosen her hold.

  Nashemia gripped Sarah’s throat and squeezed. “Now you die.”

  Choking, Sarah grasped Nashemia’s wrists. Oxygen locked in her chest. Blindly, she reached out and snagged Nashemia’s hair and yanked.

  Nashemia cried out and grabbed her head as chunks of hair broke free in Sarah’s fists.

  Sarah stumbled back, dragging air back into her lungs.

  “We’re not done yet.” Nashemia stood a few feet away. Blood oozed from a bald spot on her head, trickled down to her forehead.

  Sarah dropped the hair from her hands. “That must have hurt.”

  The other woman wiped the blood from her face, looked at it on her hand. “Not as much as this will.” Nashemia snagged the knife from the ground and raised her hand.

  Suddenly, a gun exploded from behind Sarah. Nashemia screamed and fell back against the train. She dropped the knife and gripped her chest.

  Sarah swung around in time to see Oruk fall to one knee. Blood covered his chest, dripped down his arms.

  “Goodbye, lover.” The gun dropped from his hand as he fell sideways in the sand. Dead.

  Sarah ran over to Nashemia and kicked the knife away. It didn’t matter, the woman lay propped against the train. She too was dead.

  A scream ricocheted down the tracks. Sarah’s blood chilled with realization. “Rashid!”

  “Help me, Sarah!”

  SARAH RACED DOWN THE TRACKS, her heart beating wildly when she saw Murad holding Rashid.

  “At the risk of sounding cliché, I think here is where we get off.” Murad placed his pistol against the little boy’s temple and waved her forward with his free hand.

  He then pulled ties from his pocket and threw them at her feet. “There is a bar up in the engine room. You’re going to tie Rashid to it.” Murad shoved the boy at her. “Now,” he demanded. “Or watch him die from a bullet through his head.”

  Rashid hugged Sarah’s waist, his body sobbing with fear. “It’s all right, honey.”

  Sarah took his hand and led him up the stairs to a narrow corridor. The engineer lay dead on the floor.

  “He had objection with me holding a gun on the boy, too,” Murad commented. “Go!” He waved them down the narrow corridor to a steel pole at the front of the control panel.

  “We’re going to be okay, Rashid.” Sarah placed the little boy’s hands around the pole, then tied his wrists with the plastic.

  “Now you.”

  Sarah placed hers by Rashid and Murad looped the zip tie around her wrists and pulled it tight.

  “Now, just to make sure…” Murad yanked the plastic on Rashid’s wrist, tightening them.

  Rashid cried out and tugged on the bonds. Murad smiled and shoved the pistol into the waistband of his pants.

  “Don’t worry, if you’re lucky you’ll die in the explosion. And maybe not burn to death.”

  “You’ll die, too,” Sarah pointed out, tugging on her ties.

  “I’ll take my chances. I’m probably dead already,” Murad reasoned, his tone bitter, his movements furious.

  He disengaged the brake lever, then pushed the throttle up one notch. “Do you think Jarek and his friends won’t hunt me down?”

  Slowly the train picked up speed. Murad pushed the throttle forward three more notches.

  Rashid glanced past her shoulder. “Sarah?”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart.” But Sarah caught the apprehension in the young boy’s eyes. Instantly, she knew Jarek was at the end of the corridor.

  She forced herself not to look. “If Jarek doesn’t come after you, Jon Mercer will.”

  “Oh, I’m not worried.” Murad slammed the throttle all the way forward and smiled when the engine picked up speed. He locked the throttle in place, then took conductor’s keys from the control panel.

  “Looks like we’re all set.” Murad dropped the keys in his vest pocket.

  The train jolted, sending Rashid and Sarah crashing back. Murad looked up and swore. He grabbed his gun and aimed it down the corridor.

  “Jarek!” Sarah tried to gain her balance as Murad fired six rounds. She glanced up, sighing in relief.

  Jarek grabbed the engineer for protection, using the dead man as a shield.

  Sarah kicked out at Murad, catching his arm and knocking the gun down under the control panel. “You bitch!” He slapped her across the cheek.

  He slid open a side emergency door that led to a small ledge. “This is where I get off.”

  “The hell you do.” Unable to fire his gun and risk shooting his son or Sarah, Jarek charged down the corridor. He threw himself at Murad and both of the men bounced off the wall of the engine compartment. Murad kicked out at Jarek, then scrambled out of the door.

  Jarek went to the control panel and tried to bring the throttle back.

  “He’s got the key in his vest pocket,” Sarah told Jarek. “You need to get it or the train will hit the dead end.”

  “I’ll get it.” Jarek took out his pistol and followed Murad up onto the roof of the train.

  “Come and get me, Your Majesty,” Murad yelled. Then, while Jarek watched, he jumped from the engine car to the first passenger car.

  Jarek followed him, unable to fire his pistol. If Murad fell off the train, he’d take the key with him.

  “Murad!” Jarek ran across the cars, jumping against the movement of the train.

  The other man paused between the last passenger car and the first oil tanker. He glanced up the tracks. “You’ve got about three miles before we hit the barrier. I think we should just wait it out, Your Majesty.” Murad patted his vest pocket. “Or would you rather wrestle for these?”

  The train heaved, taking a curve too hard. Murad stumbled, tried to catch his balance, then screamed as he slid over to the side.

  Jarek threw himself to the edge and caught Murad’s wrist, but the man’s momentum took him halfway over the side also.

  “Give me the key!” Jarek struggled for leverage against the weight of the other man.

  Laughing, Murad fought him, swinging wildly by one arm. “Let me go and I’ll think about it.”

  “Not yet.” Suddenly, Jarek released his grip with one hand and grabbed Murad by his tie. Murad struggled as the material tightened on his throat, fighting Jarek’s grip with his free hand.

  Jarek yanked harder, watching as Murad slowly strangled, gasping for his last breath.

  Jarek pulled the body halfway up onto the car roof. He reached into the pocket and grabbed the key.

  Without a thought, he let go and shoved the key in his pants pocket. Murad’s body fell over the side, but Jarek didn’t see. For the first time in a long time, he ran toward Sarah and Rashid. This time, Jarek hoped to save all three of them.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sarah met the men in front of the palace.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling at Cain. “Although I really don’t need a three-man escort back to the States, Cain.”

  “It’s all part of the package, ma’am,” Ian quipped as he tossed her small luggage
bag into the back of the black SUV. “Besides, you have a tendency to get in trouble when we aren’t looking and I promised Lara I’d bring you back safe.”

  Sarah couldn’t argue with the trouble part. It had been little more than twenty-four hours since Jarek had saved Rashid and her from the train.

  She found out later that Quamar had sent word to Bari once they’d discovered she’d been kidnapped. Then Quamar, Ian, Cain and Jordan overtook some of the Al Asheera at the airstrip and killed them. Then they’d dressed in the dead men’s robes and infiltrated the drilling site.

  Quamar and Jordan brought in Jarek, while Ian—or Blue Eyes, as she’d dubbed him at the site—and Jordan stayed with her and Rashid.

  “Do I have time to say my goodbyes?” Tears threatened to fill her eyes, so she slipped the sunglasses from on top of her head onto her nose.

  “Absolutely,” Cain answered and gave her a quick hug. “We’ll leave when you are ready.”

  “I’ll only be a moment, I promise.” Any longer and Sarah knew she’d fall apart. And that is the last thing she wanted to do.

  Quamar, Booker and Rashid waited for her near the drive.

  “Where is Jarek?” she asked quietly.

  “Gone.” Jordan answered the question. “Never would have believed he was the type to cut and run.”

  “He isn’t,” Quamar noted as she approached. “Jarek felt it better to make the goodbye less…eventful, Sarah.”

  She nodded, but the hurt stabbed just under her heart. Yesterday, after they had returned from the drilling site, Jarek arranged for a contingent of guards to escort her and Rashid back to the palace. She hadn’t seen Jarek since.

  “I decided to leave most of the clothes for Anna, Quamar. Thank her for me when she gets back.”

  Quamar looked at her knowingly. “You would not accept them because Jarek gave them as a gift.”

  “Yes.”

  Quamar grabbed her into his big arms. “You will have to come back soon.”

  One of the hardest things she had to do was step out of the giant’s arms. But she managed it. Barely. “The next time you are in Nevada, come visit.” She set her shoulders, forced a smile on her face. They both knew she was never going to come back to Taer.