The Sheik's Baby Surprise (16 page)

When there was only silence, she looked up at Malik.  He was staring at her with a strange look to his eyes.  “What’s wrong?” she asked softly. 

Malik jerked out of his trance, shaking his head.  Sitting down across from the two of them so that he had a better view, he asked, “Tell me about her,” he commanded. 

Jina smiled slightly.  This was the Malik she remembered.  All alpha male and demanding.  When they’d first met, he’d tried order her around, expecting her to be enthralled by his attention.  But she’d just thought he was a handsome, arrogant jerk. 

She looked at Lika who had one foot on each of Jina’s knees, trying to stand.  “You tried that tone of voice with me before.  Remember how far that got you?” 

Malik chuckled and leaned back in the chair.  “I remember that you were eventually in my bed, screaming out your pleasure,” he came right back. 

Jina leaned back against the soft cushions, her mind instantly going back to that time and she rejected the allure.  She couldn’t go there!  She had to make him safe!  This man was…everything.  And she couldn’t have him.  She had to be cautious and maybe, eventually, the threat would go away.

“Don’t do that,” Malik commanded, taking her hands and gently squeezing them to reassure her.  “We’re going to talk about this and figure out what is going on.”

Jina shook her head.  “No, Malik.  We can’t.  I can’t be here with you.  I have to…”

“Aaron!” Malik called, interrupting whatever she’d been about to say. 

The head of security instantly stepped into the room, walking towards his boss.  He looked at Jina, his eyes intent.  “Tell me whatever you can about the incident,” the big, burly man said as he stood at the end of both sofas and looked ready to go into battle. 

Jina opened and closed her mouth, not sure if she could trust this man.  Her blue eyes slashed over to Malik and he nodded his head.

Shifting Lika on her lap, she compressed her lips.  “Malik, why won’t you trust me?  I can…”

He raised his hand, stopping her from whatever she’d been about to say.  “Because you want to run from this.  I don’t agree with that path.  From what I can gather, someone has threatened my life.  We have to confront people like this.  If we let them threaten our lives, then we lose and I’m not willing to lose.”  He paused to let those words sink in.  “Are you willing to lose me, Jina?  Again?”

Her hands were rubbing Lika’s back, trying to figure out the best thing to do, the best way to handle this.  “Malik…”

“Tell me about the day, Jina.  What was going on?”

She sighed.  Malik had the tenacity of a pit bull.  He wouldn’t let this go.  He would poke and poke until she told him everything.  Taking a deep breath, she explained what had happened that day, about the pictures, the voice, everything. 

When she was finished, Lika was sleeping on her chest and she looked at Malik, begging him to understand.  “So, you see?  I can’t really…”

Malik shook his head.  “Jina, you are my wife now.  You will be returning with me to Sarkit and we will announce our marriage.”  He turned to Aaron.  “Do you have enough?  At least for now?”

Aaron nodded his head.  “I have several ideas.”

Jina’s eyes widened with the other man’s words.  “You’re not going to…”

Aaron quickly shook his head.  “No.  This will be done quietly.  I will handle the details of the investigation myself.”  He turned to Jina and bowed.  “I will also personally oversee the selection of your personal guards, Your Highness.  And we will be extremely careful in the selection of someone to help with the care of Lika.  She will not be harmed.”  With that, he bowed and walked out of the room. 

Jina stared at the man, stunned that he’d bowed and at the way he’d addressed her a moment ago.  “Why did he…?”

Malik watched the woman with his adorable daughter, smiling as Lika slept despite the tension in the room.  “Because you are my wife now, Jina.  He addressed you with the formality that your title requires.”

Jina shook her head.  “That’s crazy.”

He raised a dark eyebrow.  “No, Jina.  That is protocol.  Get used to it.”

He stood up.  “Aaron is making arrangements for us to return to Sarkit.  I was supposed to be back already.  You and Lika will be with me this time.”

Jina’s heart was pounding hard.  “No!  Please, you can’t…”

He wasn’t going to listen to her protests.  Not this time!  And he would ensure her safety on this trip.  No one would get close to her or his daughter!  “It is done, Jina.  I will not abandon my family.”

A knock sounded on the door and Jina’s eyes slashed in that direction.  Aaron stepped in front of the doorway, spoke softly, then nodded as he was handed a large, black box.  He locked the door again and walked over to Malik.  He opened the box and Jina gasped.  The sparkles that were shining out of that box were nothing short of astounding! 

“What is that for?” she asked, shifting Lika, who was now sound asleep for her afternoon nap, in front of her as if the tiny child could somehow protect her from the diamonds.  Or more specifically, what the diamonds implied.  “I can’t…”

Malik ignored her protests and lifted a diamond ring up, examining the stone carefully.  He nodded his head then set it aside.  Looking again, he examined the other rings and found another that looked more like a wedding band but was covered in diamonds.  Carrying both, he moved over to Jina and took her hand, ignoring her protests and holding her hand firmly when she tried to pull away. 

With little effort, he slid both rings onto her slender fingers and Jina stared down at the sparkling weight.  The rings were stunningly beautiful and she swallowed painfully.  This wasn’t happening!  After all she’d done over the past year to protect him, to protect Lika, this couldn’t be happening!  She’d left her last engagement ring back at the palace when she’d left.  This one was larger, more beautiful and she had to fight back the tears that threatened once again. 

Malik saw the emotions in her beautiful blue eyes and touched her cheek.  “Stop,” he said softly, closing her fingers around the bands.  “It will be okay.  Trust me.”

Five days later…

Malik looked at the picture that had been stuffed into one of the contracts he was reviewing and felt as if someone had stabbed him.  Whoever had sent the picture was going to die!  It showed a knife laying right next to his precious Lika!  Impossible!  How could someone have gotten close enough to his daughter? 

“Aaron!” he roared, laying the picture down on his desk because he couldn’t handle touching it any longer. 

The head of security came rushing into the office, gun drawn and looking for the threat.  When he didn’t see anything, he lowered his weapon just as the other guards came rushing through the door. 

With only one look from Malik, the head of security understood that something else had happened.  Something that wasn’t good. 

Malik glared at the other guards.  “Get them out,” he told Aaron.

The men immediately filed out, closing the door behind them. Aaron walked over to Malik’s desk, still not sure what was going on. 

“Your Highness?” he prompted.

Malik leaned over, bracing his hands on the desk.  He took in several breaths, then turned the picture around. 

He heard Aaron’s sharp intake of breath as well. 

Malik was so angry, he was shaking with his fury.  “I’m calling in help.”

Aaron’s teeth ground together.  “I’ll find out how this happened.”

Malik’s whole body was tense, ready to fight, ready to do battle but he didn’t have an enemy to attack and it made him furious. 

He lifted his phone and dialed a number.  “I need help.”  That was all he needed to say and Aaron understood. 

“I’ll get her ready.”

Malik rubbed his face.  “Don’t let her know.  And because we must keep her in ignorance, she will be furious.  She’ll be hurt beyond belief.”  He bowed his head.  “I’ll send her to…” he thought frantically, not sure where to hide his family. 

Thousands of miles away, four other men were canceling meetings and jumping into limousines while their private jets were fueled, preparing for the flight.  One man was calling a woman who immediately scrambled to follow his request for help, calling in favors, stuffing boxes with the items she would need and conferring with several experts.  When it was all packed, ready to go, she rushed out the door, calling her current clients to let them know that their projects would be delayed due to a family emergency. 

Jina stared at the head of security, not sure what he was telling her.  “I’m sorry, but could you repeat that?”

“You have to go,” Aaron said, “and it has to be fast.”  His eyes tried to convey a silent message but he obviously wasn’t getting through. 

Jina continued to stare at the man, still not sure what he was saying to her. “Explain to me what’s going on.”

Aaron shook his head. “Just get your stuff, grab the baby, and we’re getting out of here.”

Jina’s heartbeat tripled in time. Something was wrong, and no one was telling her what was going on. “Tell me that Malik is okay.”

Aaron hesitated for just a moment but it was enough that Jina caught it. It was the very first time that this man had ever hesitated in her presence, and that terrified her. The fact that he had hesitated, even for a moment, showed how flustered Aaron was. This man was never flustered. The fact that he was now, well, that really terrified her.

Calm, she told herself.  She had to remain calm and figure this out, once and for all.  “Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to tell me what’s going on. And you will tell me now. I’m not leaving, because something is going on and my husband is in jeopardy.”

Aaron realized his mistake and was determined to do whatever it took to keep this woman safe.  He shook his head after her words, ready to get her to safety any way he could. “No, Your Highness, I’m only here to help you leave the palace. His Highness says that he doesn’t want you anymore. I’m only here to do his dirty work.”

Jina ignored that statement, knowing that it was a complete fabrication. She continued to stare at the head of security, knowing that Malik didn’t trust anyone more than he trusted this man. Malik was no coward. If he wanted her gone, he would be right here, sending her on her way. Malik could be one of the most heartless men she’d ever met in her life. Of course, with her, he was one of the most tender, gentle and loving men that she’d ever known. He would never do this to her. He might lie and tell her that something was…

Her blue eyes flashed up to Aaron’s, quickly understanding what was happening.  “He’s in trouble isn’t he?” Jina reached behind her and grabbed the chair, holding on for support because her knees were no longer able to hold her up. “The voice,” she said, her own voice becoming horse as she figured out what was going on. “Someone got to him, didn’t they?”

Aaron shook his head. “Your Highness, please,” his voice went lower as the urgency came through in his tone, “just get your stuff and let’s get out of here.”

Jina glanced over at her daughter who was sleeping in the small crib. “Take care of my daughter!”

Jina didn’t wait for Aaron to agree or disagree. She sprinted out of the room, knowing that something was wrong.

As she raced down the hallway, her mind started racing as well. She tried to imagine what was going on, why Malik was pushing her away. Obviously, he was trying to hide her away from some sort of danger. Jina wasn’t going to allow that. Malik and her daughter were her life now.  She’d been stupid to run the first time. She should have been honest with Malik, taken the initial pictures to him and demand that he fix the problem, keep them safe.  Keep himself safe! 

She wasn’t going to run this time.  Jina was going to figure this out. No more hiding, no more running, no more allowing someone else to destroy her family. This was going to end!

Tonight was supposed to be a special night between the two of them.  She’d already spoken to the palace chef and they were busy preparing a meal for just the two of them.  Aaron had agreed to watch Lika and she was going to make love to her husband.  It had been way too long since she’d held him in her arms. 

She hadn’t wanted to come back here until the culprit had been caught, but Malik had insisted.  So now he was going to deal with it and he wasn’t going to do it alone!  She was with him the whole time now. 

Out of breath and trembling, she stopped running before she came to the administrative offices, not wanting to alert anyone in Malik’s office if they were the ones doing this horrible thing to her family. 

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself down, she put a hand to her chest and concentrated.   This was too important to mess up. She had to look normal. She had to act as if there was nothing wrong, like her entire world was not about to be destroyed by some horrible individual with an agenda that didn’t mesh with her husband’s.

She forced her lips into a smile as she greeted the other guards standing sentry outside of her husband’s office. “Is he in there?” She asked softly.

Both men hesitated, but they moved away. Thankfully, she hadn’t been back long enough for protocol to be established for her visits so they didn’t stand in her way when she wanted to see her husband. 

Jina stepped through the heavy door and closed it behind her, gripping the doorknob tightly. Slowly, ever so slowly, Malik lifted his head. Before his eyes lit upon the intruder, he was about to bark out in order. In his current state of mind, whoever had dared to enter his office might have been imprisoned. But there she was, his beautiful wife, standing there trembling. For a moment, he just looked at her, staring at her beautiful features one by one, memorizing all of her.

And then he remembered the photograph. Hiding all of his love for this woman, he forced his lips to sneer.  “So, you’ve come for one last quickie?” He said snidely, bracing himself when he noticed her body cringe.

Jina stared at the man she loved more than life itself. “What did you just say?”

Completely sober now, Malik stood up and walked around the edge of his desk, allowing his eyes to move up and down her body, pretending as if he wasn’t interested. He took in a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry Jina, but I’m just not in the mood.” And he turned around. Closing his eyes, he refused to allow himself to turn and take her into his arms. He had to get her out of here. Fast.  His friends were on their way and he’d quickly be able to sort this out.  Until then…

Jina couldn’t believe what he had just said, neither of his statements. None of this was making any sense. “Yes, I’m here for a quickie.” She watched carefully, trying to discern what he was saying to her.

Malik turned around and looked at her, shaking his head. “Sorry honey, I’m not interested anymore.”

Jina tried to ignore the crushing feeling that surrounded her heart. This wasn’t right! Malik was not like this! “You have never said anything like that to me before. In fact, I would wager that you’ve never said anything like that to any woman.”

Malik chuckled. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.” He pulled a stack of papers closer to him and sat down in his large leather chair, stacking his feet up on his desk “Was there anything else?” And he shifted some papers.

Jina’s hands were fisted at her sides as she listened to the horrible words.  “Stop it! Just shut up!  I know something is wrong and I’m going to figure it out!”

Jina spun around and swung open the door, rushing through and ignoring the guards that watched her abrupt departure.

This wasn’t happening!  Not again!

She ran down the hallway back to their private suite of rooms. No, Malik was not doing this to her. To them.

Aaron stood holding Lika.  “Are you ready?” he asked. He was standing amidst a pile of luggage, obviously some of hers and also some of her daughter’s.  Jina didn’t stop to wonder how she’d accumulated so much luggage in the short time since Malik had re-discovered her.  There were more important things to deal with. 

Jina ignored the man and started pacing back and forth, biting the tip of her thumb as her mind sorted through the information she had. Something was going on. This couldn’t be happening.

She stopped moving, because something just occurred to her. Malik had never actually said that he loved her. He’d said that he wanted her. He’d told her in so many ways that they were sexually compatible. But had he ever actually said the words?

Jina realized that she’d only been assuming that he loved her. Malik had never said the words. This infuriated her, and it hurt. More than she wanted to admit.

Okay, so he didn’t love her. But did he really have to push her away like this?

“We have to leave.” Aaron didn’t wait for an answer anymore.  He was carrying the infant in his arms. Five servants appeared almost immediately and lifted the suitcases. All of them immediately followed Aaron out of the room, leaving Jina just standing there, her heart aching and her body trembling as the realization that Malik was pushing her out of his life. 

No, no, no, no, no, no!

Jina shook her head, this was not happening!

The plane was taxing down the runway and a moment later, they were flying through the air, speeding away from the man that she loved. Looking down at Lika, Jina wasn’t sure about anything. She suddenly realized that she didn’t even know where the plane was going, why it was leaving, why Malik had pushed her away. Nothing made sense.

She stood up and started pacing the length of the plane. Thankfully, this was a very large, well-appointed private jet and she had plenty of space to walk back and forth. Biting the end of her thumb, she walked back and forth, her mind going over every detail. She thought about the events of the night, the morning, everything that it happened since she’d woken up this morning.

Shaking her head, she just didn’t understand any of this.

The only thing that made sense…