The Sheikh's Marriage Proclamation by Annie West

Author:Annie West
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-11-23T13:44:56+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

RAIF DIDN’T DRAW a full breath till he had Tara back at the oasis. Her attackers were under armed escort, heading for the capital.

Used to taking charge, being the one people looked to in a crisis, he’d projected an aura of calm when dealing with the gunmen and townspeople. Yet inside he was a mess. Seeing those men threatening the defenceless women, threatening Tara...

He never wanted to face anything like it again.

Despite his show of arrogant certainty, he’d been worried his intervention wouldn’t end the potentially deadly hostage drama. But he’d had to try. His gut clenched as he imagined the bloodshed if they’d tried to force their way out.

The drive to camp was silent and, though Tara hadn’t dissolved into tears, her silence worried him. The sooner he got her back to the palace the better.

‘We’ll have you back in the city soon,’ he said as they reached their tents. ‘I’ve ordered a helicopter. We’ll be back at the palace before sunset.’ His own chopper had been diverted to bring in a medical emergency from an outlying area to the city and other nearby helicopters were either in use or undergoing repairs. Raif firmed his mouth. Waiting was tough but medical emergencies took priority, even now.

‘I don’t need to go to the city.’

Raif surveyed her pale features. ‘You’ll feel better somewhere safe, away from a reminder of what happened today.’

Her eyes grew huge in her face and he cursed himself for scaring her. ‘You mean there’s still danger?’

‘No. Everything’s fine.’ He resisted the urge to take her hand again. Unaccountably he’d felt better with it firmly clasped in his. ‘Forces have been deployed on the border and elsewhere through the province. But initial enquiries make it seem certain those two acted alone. There’s no sign of anyone else.’

Raif paused, listening to the chatter of a tiny bird in the trees, feeling a tiny breeze ruffle his clothes. It was peaceful here and he knew specialists were already busy, searching out every detail on the two prisoners and how they had crossed the border.

‘I’m sorry, Tara. I never guessed Fuad would make such a drastic attempt. I shouldn’t have brought you.’ Bile rose as he thought of how close she’d come to being taken.

‘Don’t apologise. You’re the man that saved me, remember? Besides, you couldn’t have known Fuad would try anything like this, an attempt under your very nose and in your own territory! It’s outrageous. Almost...unhinged.’

Raif read the fear and outrage in Tara’s face and the stew of fury in his belly stirred hotter. He’d known Fuad was ruthless, but this showed him to be obsessive, willing to risk an international incident.

‘Presumably he thought a couple of men might succeed where a larger force couldn’t.’

Her lovely mouth tilted up in a crooked smile that carved a hollow in his belly. ‘He reckoned without considering you. I’ve never seen anything so brave. Thank you, Raif. I can’t begin to thank you enough.’

Horrified, he raised his hand to stop her words.

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