Chapter 8—Sheiks IX by CJ
Rafee leaned on the white fence railing watching Kess ride on the back of the well mannered black and white pony Tara had found for them. Kess was beaming, the pony was gentle and its fuzzy coat and long tail were ruffling in the cool winter breeze. Tara held the pony on a lunge-line and was giving Kess simple riding instructions. Rafee felt his heart fill with pride at his daughter’s abilities. Not even three yet and she already sat a pony like a pro.
“Oh, isn’t Kess adorable?” Shawna asked as she approached and halted next to Rafee at the gate. “Tara found a perfect pony, didn’t she?”
Shawna hadn’t seen the pony last night as they had arrived home late. She’d been nursing Alexi and looking too weary to trek down to the stables in the cold night air to see the animal. But this morning, bright and early, Kess had hauled Rafee out of bed and Shawna had promised to join them later. She too had a proud grin upon her face as she watched their daughter.
“He’s a great little animal,” Rafee agreed. “Only had one previous owner and they used him for their children. He’s gentle, he’s well trained and he’s not too big for Kess to handle.”
“And he’s cute as can be. Black and white and fuzzy. What more could a little girl ask for?”
Rafee smiled, again looking at his daughter, and then heard Alexi gurgle in Shawna’s arms.
“I’ll take him,” he offered and tenderly cradled his son in one arm. Alexi squealed with delight, as he always did when Rafee picked him up, and Rafee laughed.
“He’s a fan of yours already,” Shawna insisted, looking away from the paddock and focusing on Rafee and the baby. “I’m glad. I hope you two are close.”
“I’ll always be close with my children, Shawna. I couldn’t live any other way.”
She smiled at him that pretty smile he loved.
“I knew I adored you for a reason, Raf.” She then looked at her boy and kissed his little nose. “And I knew there was a reason I loved you too, Alexi.”
It was then that Abra’s question from a few weeks earlier entered his mind. Alexi Rafee. Where had the name come from?
“Tell me something, Shawna,” Rafee began gaining his wife’s attention with his serious tone. “Where did you get the name Alexi from?”
Shawna turned her eyes away and he thought she paled some. He couldn’t be certain for she quickly placed a hand on her forehead in the ruse of shading her eyes from the sun.
“Are you going to check on the construction today, Rafee? I never got down there yesterday while you were gone. Nik said he walked over there once and that things looked fine to him. But you really should check.”
Knowing her stalling tactics all too well, Rafee reached out and gently took her hand away from her face and tugged her close. With Alexi in one arm, Rafee used his other to bring Shawna against his side.
“Hey,” he whispered against her hair. “I won’t get mad. I just want to know.”
“Alexi was Marcus’s middle name. I thought…at the time…I mean…Marcus and I had planned on him being Alexis’s father. I wanted my baby’s name to be a reflection of both men who…who had meant so much to me. Alexi for Marcus and Rafee for you. I knew he’d grow up to be brave and strong then. He wouldn’t have any other choice.”
When she turned her head to look up at him, she was shedding light tears. She swatted them away and smiled sheepishly. Rafee kissed her head and told her, “I just wanted to know. And I’m honored for him to carry Marcus’s name. It’s a strong name.”
“It is.” Shawna leaned in against Rafee and said nothing else. They just watched their child ride, listened to the little baby gurgling happily and relished in how they were back together again. Nothing so simple as a child’s name could drive a wedge between them. Not now.
**
“Senator, you said you wanted to be informed should this person ever enter the country.” John Banes’s aide, Andrew Curry, entered the large stately office in a brisk walk. His face, as always, was set in a grave, humorless expression, and his efficient movements placed a confidential memo in front of the Senator.
John glanced down at the paper and sighed. He knew sooner or later Emir Sabet would land on American soil. He had just hoped it would be later, after he had gained Jenny’s trust. Right now, he talked to her on the phone whenever he could, and though she was polite, she was never overly warm or trusting. He had known it would take time to win her to his side, but now that Emir Sabet had landed, John felt he had no time.
Obviously sensing his boss’s disappointment, Andrew pointed out, “He is only staying a week the report says. Tourist visa.”
“A week is certainly enough to do damage I don’t want to have done,” John drawled.
“Shall I report him to the Department of Homeland Security? Is he a risk?”
“Oh, he’s a risk all right. But…no…I don’t want this to go any further right now. Instead, get me back to California before tomorrow night. I want to be around for my daughter’s eighteenth birthday.”
**
Nikash was frowning over a cup of coffee when Rafee returned to the house. He had returned his family to the mansion, was planning on grabbing something to eat and then head over to his construction site when he stumbled upon his brother. There was a storm brewing in Nikash’s brown eyes and Rafee wondered why.
“Worrisome news from home?” Rafee inquired and Nikash shook his head and stood, dumping the contents of his coffee mug down the drain.
“No, worrisome news from Palo Alto.”
Rafee halted his inspection of the refrigerator’s contents and stared at his brother.
“Jenny?” he inquired.
“Emir Sabet,” Nikash answered and his brother needed to add no more for Rafee to understand.
“I’m going with you,” Rafee insisted.
**
Emir was used to getting little sleep. He was used to sleeping in less than desirable conditions. But something about traveling half-way around the world had messed him up and he had slept harder and felt groggier than ever before.
There was banging in the kitchen and women’s voices. The morning air was cold and he pulled the thin blanket he’d borrowed around his shoulders and rolled over. His face smashed into a giant gray fur-ball and it hissed angrily at him. He yanked his head back, fell off the couch and watched as the cat bounded from the living room.
He cursed, kicked the blanket away and pushed to his feet. He should have taken Jenny up on her offer to sleep with her in her bed, but he hadn’t wanted to tempt himself further. For hours they’d sat on the couch together, talking, laughing and petting heavier than ever. If he had followed her upstairs to her bed last night, he would have regretted things this morning.
“Hey, you’re up,” came Jenny’s soft voice from behind and Emir looked back at her. She laughed at him, moved closer and ruffled his hair. “Up and looking awfully ornery.”
“Only because of that blasted cat that greeted me this morning,” he mumbled.
“Oh, just ignore Mr. Jones, he’s never in a good mood. He’s Kylie’s cat.”
“Mr. Jones?” Emir drawled. “I won’t even ask.”
Jenny smiled radiantly at him and pointed up the stairs. “I put all your stuff in my room. We’re making breakfast. It’ll be ready in fifteen minutes. Why don’t you shower, shave, get dressed and come back down?”
She turned away and Emir refolded the blanket and picked up his shoes before he mounted the stairs. Just as he did, a tattooed male figure exited one of the upstairs bedrooms in his boxer shorts, ran his hands through his already tousled hair and passed Emir on the stairs.
“Dude,” the man grunted as he passed and Emir stood, speechless, and watched as the man entered through the swinging door to the kitchen.
“
He returned feeling more awake after a shower and change of clothes. And he was glad his mind wasn’t so fuzzy, for the breakfast scene was still a bit confusing for him. Jenny was putting out food on the large oak table, June with her black make-up and hair was drinking an alcoholic beverage and the tattooed man had donned a ratty-looking stripped robe and had Kylie planted firmly on his lap as he ate around her.
“So this dude at the party was like ‘step back’ and I was like ‘take a hike, bro’ and he swung and I ducked and…” the man’s words trailed off as Emir halted at the table. “Dude,” the man said again in greeting and Emir returned with, “Good morning.”
“Morning? Bro, it’s nearly noon.”
Emir looked at his watch and was shocked. Never did he sleep so long! His surprise must have registered on his face for Jenny immediately said, “Its called jet lag. You’ll just start getting used to our time and then have to return home and get used to yours again.”
She put food on his plate. Some he recognized like the eggs and toasted bread, others he did not.
“So, where are you from, bro?” the man asked and Emir dropped the flat, heavy feeling bread item Jenny had placed on his plate and answered, “Johar.”
“Jo-where?” the man replied.
Kylie shook her head sadly. “Emmy, you’ll have to excuse Isaac. He works nights, rarely watches the news, and has never traveled any place further than Tijuana,
“Johar, Isaac,” June explained as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. “You know…where they fight wars.”
“Just one war recently,” Jenny defended.
“War is war,” June argued as she snuffed out her match. “War kills people.” She turned her dark-painted eyes to Emir. “You kill people, Emir?”
“I was a soldier. I killed people,” he answered honestly.
June laughed mirthlessly. “At least you’re honest about it.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked back. “It was an honor to serve in the military where I came from. Is it not the same here?”
“Yes,” Jenny immediately answered and June shrugged saying, “Sure, if you come from one of those backward thinking, gung-ho, NRA, let’s kill the world type of families.”
Emir furrowed his brow. Only half of what June had said made any sense to him, but he had a feeling this girl was one of those arrogant-sounding, slightly spoiled kids Anika had warned him about.
“I do not wish to offend you,” Emir began diplomatically, “but I think you should reserve judgment about what went on in Johar if you weren’t there yourself.”
“Why would being there make it any different? You had an evil dictator for a king, people like you defended him, he killed, you killed, and now that dictator’s brother is at the helm. I think I know exactly what I should and shouldn’t judge,” June drawled as she puffed out smoke from her cigarette.
Jenny shook her head sadly at her friend. “June, I adore you, but really, you have no idea what it was like in Johar. It was…horrible. King Jabbar was ruthless, yes. He killed, he tortured. He kidnapped. He kidnapped me and used me against Emir.”
“Jenny…no,” Emir said, trying to stop her. He didn’t want her to have to relive that time just to defend him. He could defend himself just fine, but Jenny wouldn’t halt her words.
“He killed so many…he killed Emir’s parents even. He threatened to kill Emir’s grandmother and I had to go into hiding while Emir fought in a rebel group against Jabbar’s forces. They lived in caves while they fought. They had little food, fewer weapons and still, they fought for justice. And Razi, King Abdul, he’s their justice. He is nothing like Jabbar. Nothing at all.”
June’s eyes shifted away, Emir noticed, but she still wouldn’t allow the guise of arrogance to dissipate.
“If this King Abdul is so good, why won’t he institute immediate democracy? That’s what our press is reporting. They’re saying that he just wants the power his brother had,” June said.
“King Abdul does not want power at all,” Emir spoke up, knowing how reluctantly it was that Razi led his country. “But an infant cannot run until it learns to walk. King Abdul is teaching Johar how to walk. He is creating a parliament and trying to jump-start our economy, as well as, rebuild relations with countries around us. He is working with his own two hands everyday on the streets to gain the trust of the people.”
June scoffed at his words. “Yeah, that’s just what he wants you to think, Emir.”
“No,” Emir argued gently, “it is the truth. I work next to him on those streets everyday. I see his sister in the hospitals doing humanitarian work. They are my cousins and besides my grandmother, they are my only living family. They are doing the best they can with what they have. So please, June, do not judge my country until you have lived what they have lived. You can’t possibly understand otherwise.”
He could sense that deep down this girl was not unfeeling. After several long seconds of silence, she snuffed out her cigarette and announced, “Hell, Emmy, perhaps you’re right. What do I know? I wasn’t there. No hard feelings?”
He didn’t know what that meant, but he shook his head because he had a feeling that’s what her request had called for.
“All is well, June,” he told her and she laughed with some sarcasm, looked at Jenny and insisted, “He’s a good one, Jen. Keep him around,” before she walked out the front door.
There was silence as everyone watched the front door close, then Isaac spoke up. “Dude, you know a king?”
Emir nodded solemnly and Isaac smiled. “Cool.”
They returned to their breakfast and Isaac’s story about his fight at a party and no more was spoken of war or Johar.
**
Jenny strolled hand-in-hand with Emir across the college campus. She had picked up her class schedule, bought her books and was now showing Emir around. They were silent, as they had been all morning since June had left, and it was Jenny who finally broke that silence.
“You think my friends hate you, don’t you?” she inquired.
“No,” he answered. “I think they just don’t understand where I come from.”
Jenny halted and moved in front of him, looking him in the eye. “Just like you don’t understand this place. I’m sorry, Emir. I never wanted any visit to
He smiled at her and touched her cheek lovingly. “It’s never awkward as long as you are around. But it does make me worry…make me wonder just how and where you and I will live once we get married.”
“Perhaps you’ll understand
“Or perhaps Johar will be a suitable place for you to live by then,” he added.
“Perhaps,” Jenny said with a shrug. Then she watched as a group of girls walked by, giggling and staring at Emir, whispering, no doubt, that he was attractive. She watched Emir blush some. “You’ll never get used to being ogled.”
“They do it so blatantly here,” he said lightly. “I think it’s the men in this country who need to keep covered, not the women.”
Jenny grabbed his hand again and tugged him along. “Take it as a compliment. That’s what it’s meant to be. Besides, you are hot, might as well admit it.” She giggled then said, “We’re done here. Let me give you the tour of San Francisco.”
“I’d like that,” he said and Jenny had a feeling he genuinely meant it.
**
“So, what do we do with them?” Kylie whispered to June as they stood in the kitchen, fixing the drinks they’d promised the men sitting in the living room.
“I don’t know, but that one with the scar is awfully hot,” June replied.
“And scary. And Jenny’s brother-in-law, I met him the other day, but now he looks pissed. Wonder why.”
“Maybe because Jenny didn’t take her cell phone with her and is out with her boyfriend. Do you think they knew Emir was here?”
Kylie shrugged. “Not sure. But I’m not going to mention it. And don’t you dare, June.”
“I won’t,” she swore.
“And don’t you dare pull another stunt like you did this morning. That was rude how you accused Emir of being a no-good murderer.”
“I know, but I wanted to see what he was made of. He’s a good guy. He never got mad, he stood his ground. He has hope for his country. Jenny could do much worse.”
Kylie smiled at her friend. “Yeah, she sure could. Come on, let’s see exactly what these guys want.”
**
Nik had met Kylie when he moved Jenny into the town-home. He had not met her friend who looked like a Halloween ghoul. But the darkly made-up girl seemed nice enough. As for the pierced, tattooed, shaved-headed young man sitting across from Nik in the recliner, however, Nik wasn’t so sure.
“Dudes, nice car,” the young man had said when Nik and Rafee had entered the town-home. Nik had been coolly polite, Rafee had pushed past the young man and scanned the entire house for Jenny and Emir before standing and glaring at everyone in the house, awaiting an answer.
“So, you all must be lookin’ for Jenny and Emir, huh?” the young man asked as Kylie and her friend June exited the kitchen with iced tea in hand.
Nik watched as Kylie chastised her boyfriend with a harsh glare but Nik quickly said, “I know Emir is in town. We just came by to see him. It’s been some time since we last saw Emir in Johar. We’re surprised he made it out here for Jenny’s birthday.”
“Pleasantly surprised?” June asked with suspicion as she sat down closely to Nik on the couch and handed him a glass of iced tea.
Nik gave her a smile that gave nothing away and then answered her question with the statement of, “Rafee is very anxious to see Emir again. They fought together in the Johar war.”
June turned her eyes toward Rafee who was standing by the brick mantel, his elbow propped on it and when he glared at her, she quickly turned her eyes away.
“Yes, I can see how your brother would have made a fine soldier,” June assessed and said no more.
“Did Jenny tell you her plans for today?” Nik then inquired of Jenny’s roommate, Kylie.
“Just that she had to go to the campus for books and such and that they might tour the city. I don’t baby-sit her.”
“No, I don’t suppose you do,” Nik drawled.
When he had dropped Jenny off with Kylie he had felt very secure in her staying here with her friend instead of at the college dorms. Now, after meeting June and Kylie’s dumber-than-dirt boyfriend, Nik was having second thoughts. Not to mention, living here alone made it very easy for Emir Sabet to fly into town whenever he wanted, without warning. If it hadn’t been for John Banes’s heads-up, Nik never would have known Emir was even in town.
Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence and after five minutes, Kylie’s boyfriend stood, announced, “I gotta jet, man,” and reached out to shake Nik’s hand. “Nice to meet you, prince or king or whatever you are.”
The man moved toward Rafee and held up his hand for a slap. Rafee merely glared and the boyfriend shrugged saying, “Take care, all,” and was out the door. The girls looked doubly uncomfortable.
“If you have something better to do, you can leave us,” Nik suggested with his calm, polite air that he knew always put people at ease. “We are simply going to sit here and wait.”
Kylie visibly hesitated. Her eyes darted to Rafee and she shuddered.
“Uh, not if you have any designs on going after Emir,” Kylie bravely spoke up. “I like him. He’s a good guy.”
“He is,” Rafee suddenly added and his voice gave both the girls a start.
Nik knew Rafee was along for the ride more for Emir than he was for Nik’s sake. Rafee and Emir had bonded in the Johar war and there was no way Rafee would desert his brother-in-arms. Of course, it was also hard to gage whether or not Rafee would ever consider abandoning his allegiance to Nik either. So Nik had a feeling Rafee would play in the middle and keep things reasonable.
That was a change! It wasn’t often Rafee was the one to keep things from escalating. Usually, he loved to intensify a situation, to see how far he could push someone. If physical violence erupted, he relished it. But this…no, Nik was positive Rafee would not taunt or prod anyone. He would reason with Nik and he would reason with Emir.
The girls didn’t have a chance to leave for the front door opened and Jenny and Emir walked in. If either were surprised to see Nik or Rafee, they didn’t show it on their faces. Instead, Jenny smiled warmly, moved to the living room and gave Nik a hug as Emir and Rafee embraced with camaraderie and began speaking rapidly in their native tongue. Nik waited for their reunion to end, then smiled tightly as Emir turned to Nik with an outstretched hand.
“Prince Nikash,” Emir said politely and the two men shook hands.
“Captain Sabet,” Nik returned. “Or, did you relinquish your commission in the Johar army?”
“No, I still hold rank, sir,” Emir replied. “I am working directly for King Abdul and General Bishr.”
“How is Razi these days?” Nik then inquired.
“Doing well and working very hard.”
“And our cousin?” Rafee added.
Emir’s smile widened. “Anika is wonderful.”
“And giving Razi a hell of a time, no doubt?” Rafee asked.
“Actually, she is key in rebuilding our economic structure. She’s brilliant.”
There was a heavy pause in the air as the small talk died out and then Jenny moved forward and asked, “Nik, why are you really here?”
With his practiced smile he declared, “Why, to ask you and Emir to come stay with us at Villa Serena for the next few days. Your party, after all, is tomorrow night. Let us take you back to the estate now.”
**
Jenny angrily threw things into a small bag and grumbled, “He didn’t come here to invite us anywhere, Emir. He came to order us to Villa Serena like I’m some sort of child still.”
“No, he did it because he doesn’t trust me,” Emir insisted from his vantage on the edge of her bed.
“Why shouldn’t he trust you?” Jenny asked with true confusion. “I mean…you’re a war hero. Rafee trusts you, why doesn’t Nik?”
“Because, Jenny,” Emir said with a sarcastic smile as he stood and pulled her into his embrace, “Rafee isn’t like a father to you. Nik is. And any man who might just want to take you away, he’s going to try and run off.”
“He never tried to run off my first boyfriend,” Jenny argued.
“Were you ever as serious about him as you are about me?”
Jenny shook his head. “I was much younger…just a teen.” She gave a self-depreciating laugh. “I suppose I’m still a teen, technically. But, I’ll be eighteen tomorrow…an adult by
“He may not see it that way,” Emir warned. “Besides, he loves you, Jenny, he helped raise you. Don’t do anything to ruin your relationship with him.”
Jenny had to admire Emir for his sound advice. His wisdom was much older than his years, then again, he had lived more in his twenty-five years than most humans ever did in an entire lifetime.
“I won’t. But he and I are going to have a long, long talk about my future,” she said with finality before pulling away from his grasp and grabbing up her bag. Emir took it from her and together they left for Villa Serena with Rafee and Nik following closely behind in the Range Rover.
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The Sheiks of Kumar IX: Family Reunion – Chapter 9