figure it out. I won’t stop.”
“He’s serious,” Law explained. “He’s pissed off now. He’ll never
quit. It’s why Dominic sent us out here. We’re going to go through some of the
palace records. Some of them are kept on paper.”
Riley shuddered. “That’s barbaric, but I have to examine
those records.”
“Are you suggesting someone at the palace was behind the
atrocity?” Tal asked, clearly horrified by the prospect.
“We have to rule out every possibility,” Riley said without
a hint of apology in his voice. “I’ve already checked on everyone Princess Alea
knew in New York, including all the employees at the embassy. I suspect that
whoever is behind her abduction is someone she knows.”
“Will they try again?” a soft, shaky voice asked from the
shadowed doorway.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Alea walked into the light and stood like a gorgeous statue in her gown, her
hair caught in a soft chignon that Coop wanted to run his hands through until
all that midnight softness flowed around her shoulders. Her face was a tense
mask. She had obviously heard far more than they wanted her to.
Dane touched the comm device that rested in his ear. “Lan,
you’re missing your charge, buddy.”
“No, I’m not.” Lan stepped up behind her. His face was
closed off as though he was just waiting for Dane’s brutal judgment to fall
down on his head. “It’s her life. She has the right to know.”
Coop winced. Hell, there was going to be a throw down now.
He would be lucky if he managed to keep the ballsy Texan from losing his life,
much less his job.
Alea walked into the room, her head held high. “I caught
wind of this little meeting and I threatened Landon. He didn’t have a choice.”
Dane’s face had turned a spectacular shade of red. “What
exactly did you threaten him with, Princess? Were you going to use your nail
file on him? Maybe you were going to throw one of your high heels at him.”
“Don’t be condescending. I threatened to tell my cousins
that he’d made a pass at me and have him fired if he didn’t cooperate.” Alea
stood her ground even as Dane rose and stalked toward her.
Coop stood, too, because this could get out of hand very
quickly. “Now, Dane. Hold up. We should listen.”
Dane towered over her. Her crazy-hot, four-inch heels were
no match for his six and a half feet of pure muscle. Alea tilted her head back
to look him in the eyes. “I didn’t give him a choice, so if you have a problem
with me being here, you really should talk to me.”
Lan shook his head, and Coop knew he was about to do
something stupid. “She didn’t threaten me. Besides, everyone knows I hit on her
all the time. I haven’t gotten fired yet.”
“That’s not going to be a problem anymore, Nix. Consider
yourself officially fired. You can pack your bags and be out of here by
morning.” Dane turned to the rest of the room. “Gentlemen, I think we have
everything we need. I’m sure the sheikh will cooperate fully with the
investigation.”
Tal was sitting back in his chair, watching the drama unfold
with curious eyes. “Naturally, I will help in any way I can.”
Alea wasn’t through with Dane. She stomped one of those
designer shoes as she followed him. “You can’t fire Landon. I won’t allow it.
Tal, tell him.”
The sheikh shrugged negligently. “Dane is in charge of
security. He can hire and fire as he likes. But he might want to remember that
there are more important things at stake than whether Landon followed orders.”
Dane turned and glared at Lan, seemingly trying to
intimidate the younger man and waiting for him to break, to ask for
forgiveness.
And Alea was now looking through one of the folders, her
skin turning pale as she caught sight of the pictures taken of her in the
hospital after her rescue. That frail, gaunt creature looked nothing like the
stunning beauty standing before him
“He’s serious,” Law explained. “He’s pissed off now. He’ll never
quit. It’s why Dominic sent us out here. We’re going to go through some of the
palace records. Some of them are kept on paper.”
Riley shuddered. “That’s barbaric, but I have to examine
those records.”
“Are you suggesting someone at the palace was behind the
atrocity?” Tal asked, clearly horrified by the prospect.
“We have to rule out every possibility,” Riley said without
a hint of apology in his voice. “I’ve already checked on everyone Princess Alea
knew in New York, including all the employees at the embassy. I suspect that
whoever is behind her abduction is someone she knows.”
“Will they try again?” a soft, shaky voice asked from the
shadowed doorway.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Alea walked into the light and stood like a gorgeous statue in her gown, her
hair caught in a soft chignon that Coop wanted to run his hands through until
all that midnight softness flowed around her shoulders. Her face was a tense
mask. She had obviously heard far more than they wanted her to.
Dane touched the comm device that rested in his ear. “Lan,
you’re missing your charge, buddy.”
“No, I’m not.” Lan stepped up behind her. His face was
closed off as though he was just waiting for Dane’s brutal judgment to fall
down on his head. “It’s her life. She has the right to know.”
Coop winced. Hell, there was going to be a throw down now.
He would be lucky if he managed to keep the ballsy Texan from losing his life,
much less his job.
Alea walked into the room, her head held high. “I caught
wind of this little meeting and I threatened Landon. He didn’t have a choice.”
Dane’s face had turned a spectacular shade of red. “What
exactly did you threaten him with, Princess? Were you going to use your nail
file on him? Maybe you were going to throw one of your high heels at him.”
“Don’t be condescending. I threatened to tell my cousins
that he’d made a pass at me and have him fired if he didn’t cooperate.” Alea
stood her ground even as Dane rose and stalked toward her.
Coop stood, too, because this could get out of hand very
quickly. “Now, Dane. Hold up. We should listen.”
Dane towered over her. Her crazy-hot, four-inch heels were
no match for his six and a half feet of pure muscle. Alea tilted her head back
to look him in the eyes. “I didn’t give him a choice, so if you have a problem
with me being here, you really should talk to me.”
Lan shook his head, and Coop knew he was about to do
something stupid. “She didn’t threaten me. Besides, everyone knows I hit on her
all the time. I haven’t gotten fired yet.”
“That’s not going to be a problem anymore, Nix. Consider
yourself officially fired. You can pack your bags and be out of here by
morning.” Dane turned to the rest of the room. “Gentlemen, I think we have
everything we need. I’m sure the sheikh will cooperate fully with the
investigation.”
Tal was sitting back in his chair, watching the drama unfold
with curious eyes. “Naturally, I will help in any way I can.”
Alea wasn’t through with Dane. She stomped one of those
designer shoes as she followed him. “You can’t fire Landon. I won’t allow it.
Tal, tell him.”
The sheikh shrugged negligently. “Dane is in charge of
security. He can hire and fire as he likes. But he might want to remember that
there are more important things at stake than whether Landon followed orders.”
Dane turned and glared at Lan, seemingly trying to
intimidate the younger man and waiting for him to break, to ask for
forgiveness.
And Alea was now looking through one of the folders, her
skin turning pale as she caught sight of the pictures taken of her in the
hospital after her rescue. That frail, gaunt creature looked nothing like the
stunning beauty standing before him
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