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| The Sheiks Of Kumar - Part One The Crown Prince By CJ |
| Chapter 12 Tara was almost finished crying by the time Shawna returned to the house that evening. Her friend was wearing her beach towel wrapped around her waist and a baggy men’s sweatshirt. The emotional look upon Shawna’s face almost mirrored that of Tara’s as she slammed the door upon her entrance. “Tara, what’s wrong?” Shawna asked as she moved next to Tara on the couch, losing her enraged face for her friend. Tara hated crying, but after all that had happened to her, she was powerless to control her emotions. Especially after what had transpired between she and Nik this afternoon. “Shawna, this whole scheme of ours is blowing up in our faces,” Tara said. Then she looked around and asked, “Where’s Jenny? I thought she was going to the pool with you.” “She went to dinner with Omar and that Dev person,” Shawna informed her. “I assumed it was all right.” Tara nodded. “Its fine. Where have you been?” “Held hostage by the sheik’s brother, Raf or Rafee. Whatever his name is,” Shawna snapped. “What is with their sudden return?” Tara stood and shrugged. “I have no idea. I assumed whatever business Nik had in Kumar would keep him there longer.” “Well, he’s back. What happened?” Tara sighed as she again thought about the scene in the barn. “It was a mess. Gabe was there and I couldn’t pretend to be happy to see Nik, so I had to end it with him.” “Tara, you didn’t!” Shawna said, shocked. “This wasn’t supposed to interfere with your relationship with Nik. We had it all planned.” “Of course we did, but now that he’s back, what am I supposed to do? Tell Gabe to go to hell and then lose any chance of finding out what happened to my father’s money?” Shawna shook her head and her dark blonde hair swung with the movement. She looked disheveled and her cheeks were peaked with pink. “No,” Shawna agreed, “you can’t do that. But maybe you should ask Nik for help. I mean, I met him. He’s very kind, very sincere. Now his brother on the other hand…” “Yes, I know Rafee can rub people the wrong way. And I’m sorry you were stuck with him this afternoon. As for Nik…he is very kind and sincere. But I think it was just best that I ended things today. Like I told you before, he and I come from different worlds.” “You do,” Shawna said, “but you both live in this world now. The man is crazy about you. Can’t you tell?” Tara sobered and again sat on the couch. Her legs felt as though they would give out each time she replayed the scene in the barn through her mind. “He told me he loved me today. He said he wanted to marry me,” Tara admitted. “And?” Shawna asked with enthusiasm. “And…Gabe was right there, I had to tell him I was considering Gabe’s proposal.” Shawna groaned and Tara felt like doing the same. “Tara, I am so sorry I hatched this plan. I never wanted to hurt your relationship with Nik. But you can explain it to him. I’ll bet he’ll understand.” Tara shrugged, so much going through her mind. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.” She started for her room and said, “If Gabe calls, tell him I’m sleeping. I’ll call him tomorrow.” “I’d rather tell him where to go,” Shawna professed. “So would I, but lets wait. Okay? We’ve come this far, I’m sure I’ll be able to find something on him eventually. He can’t hide it from me forever.” ** Nik paced and paced in his study. Occasionally, he would try and pick up a book or a memo to occupy his mind, only to toss it back on his desk or on the floor. He even went as far as to crank the stereo to some American rock station in the hopes of taking his mind off Tara. But all was to no avail. He could not concentrate and he could not understand what had happened today in the barn. What had happened? Had Tara “dumped” him? He was pretty sure that was the term Americans used when they wanted to free themselves of a lover. Or, had she been putting on some sort of play? The way she had kissed him, then quickly changed her tune had him thinking that things were not as they should be with her. What was it? What was it that had happened? He stood in his study, hands on his hips and stared out the window. It overlooked Tara’s cottage at the bottom of the rise. The lights were on and he could see his black Mercedes stopping at its front door. Devesh ushered Jenny inside and then the car resumed its trek up to the house. Now that Jenny was home, he would have to wait another night until he could talk to Tara. “Damn it!” he cursed and swept his arm across his desk, sending papers and binders flying. Even the wild ride on Raja had not cooled his rage and the thought of waiting an entire night drove him to the edge of his sanity. He turned and looked down at his brother. Rafee was asleep on the couch, his head propped on the arm, one foot on the far armrest the other on the floor. His arms were crossed over his chest and Nik’s curse and desk bombardment had not even stirred him. Rafee, Nik reminded himself, had slept through Desert Storm when he’d assisted the British military. This was certainly nothing that would interrupt his brother’s slumber. Though Rafee slept like an ox, he also had a keen sense of knowing when to wake up. And when Devesh stood in the doorway, Rafee’s eyes blinked open. “Nikash, I have returned Jenny to her home,” Devesh announced. “I saw from the window. How is she?” “She appears fine. She was very excited that we were all home.” Nik nodded. “Good. And Tara, was she home?” “Her friend said she was sleeping,” Devesh explained. Nik was certain that was the case for he had been at this window since his return and had not seen Tara’s car leave. “Will you need anything else, Nikash?” Devesh inquired. “No, thank you,” Nik said. Devesh hesitated. “Is something the matter?” Nik inquired. “I was wondering…did you hear from anyone in Kumar this evening?” he asked. “Yes, Taj called to check in with us. There is no news.” “And no one else called?” Devesh questioned. “No, were you expecting a call?” His assistant smiled and gave a small shrug. “Perhaps.” He said his goodnights and left. Nik stared after the door then asked his brother, “What call was Dev expecting?” Rafee sighed and pushed to a seated position. “Apparently he and our cousin have become fast friends.” “Ali? But they’ve been friends since boyhood.” “No,” Rafee corrected, “Anika.” “Anika? I never noticed.” “Of course not, they only talk privately and admire one another from afar in front of family.” Shocked by this latest revelation that he had not noticed, Nik asked, “Really? I never would have guessed.” “That’s because your job is not to notice such things—but mine is,” Rafee said with his trademark confidence. “Well, its nice to know that someone around here is happy in romance,” Nik surmised. “I never said they were happy,” Rafee argued. “I merely said they admire one another. Dev, I’m afraid, fears Uncle Laxman.” Nik laughed. It was good to know that he was not the only one suffering the woes of love and he mentioned as much to this brother. Rafee frowned furiously and retorted, “If you would all stop falling in love in the first place, your lives would not hold such suffering.” “You are too pessimistic, my brother,” Nik declared. With a crooked grin, Rafee asked, “You are just now figuring that out?” Nik shook his head because no matter how different they were, Rafee could always put a smile on his face. “Now that I have you relaxed, get some sleep.” Rafee laid back down on the couch. “You have not slept in nearly two days.” “I cannot sleep,” Nik insisted. “Not until I talk with Tara again.” “Nikash, its night, she turned you away already. Sleep on it, would you?” “No, Rafee, because I do not believe all is right.” Nik sat on the arm of the leather chair near the couch and looked earnestly at his brother. “You are the man who professes to being the security expert. You have to act like a detective—so help me out. What happened?” “She doesn’t like you?” Rafee offered with a sarcastic note in his voice. Nik frowned. “Right, all the women like you,” Rafee amended then stood. “Well, since you don’t want to sleep and won’t allow me to sleep, lets try and figure out what happened. Start from the beginning and do not skip a single detail.” So Nik took the next hour telling his brother about Tara and how their relationship had progressed during the months. He spoke of his immediate attraction to her beauty and sincerity and how she always seemed to be holding something back from him. And then he finished with a detailed description of what had transpired in the barn. “You’re certain she was not herself?” Rafee inquired. “Not at all.” “Perhaps it was just your sudden return?” Rafee posed. Nik shook his head. “No. She was shocked over my return, that is certain, but there was something else wrong with her.” Rafee paced, his arms crossed over his chest, one hand on his chin in thought. “Tell me about Mr. Bryant.” Nik took another half-hour discussing the lawyer whom he was positive was at the root of Tara’s mood. Rafee listened, intently, his light eyes fixating on some point in the room as he took everything in. And when Nik was finished, he quickly requested, “Let me see the paperwork Mr. Bryant prepared for you.” It took Nik a few minutes to locate the paperwork for the estate. He’d created a mess in his office and he finally found the papers in a folder under his desk. “Here, I have not read them myself. Taj prepared everything,” Nik explained to his brother. “And who filed them?” Rafee asked with sarcasm as Nik stood from under the desk. “Since they were under my desk, it appears as if I did,” Nik quipped as he surveyed his office. Devesh and he had a lot of work in the morning to reorganize all that he had messed up this evening. Rafee moved away and his eyes scanned the documents for several minutes. Finally, he turned back to his brother and said, “This is precisely why I am glad I do not have your job in the company. You have too many people doing your work for you, brother, and because of that, you have missed a very important detail.” “And that is?” Nik inquired, not in the mood for one of Rafee’s lectures. But Rafee did not answer him immediately, instead, he said, “If you had read these papers yourself, you would have saved yourself an awful lot of heartache.” “Rafee,” Nik chastised. Tossing the papers at his brother, Rafee announced, “Villa Serena’s former owner was none other than Ms. Tara Malone.” Nik caught the papers and his eyes quickly searched to see for himself if what his brother was saying was true. “She owned the house, the land, the winery, and all the horse stock,” Rafee added. “Did she ever tell you that?” “No,” Nik said, feeling his voice lose its power. “Of course not, because she was more than likely using you to get back what she had lost!” Rafee snapped. Nik wasn’t sure how to feel about discovering that Villa Serena had been Tara’s. Part of him was angry that she had hid that information from him. She should have told him, it was only fair that he knew. Yet, he had paperwork with her name and signature on it. If he had bothered to look at the documents himself, he would have known. He sighed and folded the papers back into their envelope and placed them in the folder. What he mostly felt, however, was grief. Suddenly so much made sense. Tara and Jenny’s distress was all because of him, all because he had bought their estate. He wondered suddenly how he would feel if someone else owned the family palace in Kumar and he was relegated to working the stables there. How would his people view him? It would surely be a humbling experience. And that was exactly what had happened to both Tara and Jenny. “Tara would not do that,” Nik insisted. “Are you certain?” Rafee questioned. “After all, you were sure Tara would not leave you for Gabe Bryant either.” Nik again thought about his conversation with Gabe in the barn. The lawyer had insisted that Nik’s only draw was Villa Serena and that he should have kept the estate for himself. Could it be true, then, that Tara’s heart lay only with this estate, only with this land? Nik failed to answer his brother and instead turned for the door. The only way he would get an answer to his question was to talk with Tara himself. “Nikash!” Rafee called to him. “I must speak with Tara,” Nik said and quickly ran from the study. He could hear his brother’s curse follow him down the hall, but no footsteps. Rafee may not agree with Nik’s course of action, but as always, he would not interfere. ** She’d fallen asleep on top of her bed wearing jeans and a fleece sweatshirt. Apparently Jenny had returned home at some point in the evening, but Tara was oblivious as to the time. Her room was dark and she wanted it that way so she could feel the pain that was engulfing her without any distractions. She wanted to agonize alone and not have to think about how she was going to solve her troubles. There was a banging on her front door, however, that brought her out of her revere. The knocks were loud and demanding as they reached her ears. She remained atop her bed, unwilling to move, and was certain Shawna would answer the call. And when the knocks finally ended, a man’s voice reached her from inside the house. “Tara,” the voice called. It belonged to Nik. Tara was not surprised that Nik had come, but she was shocked at his timing. She knew he’d want to talk with her eventually, but certainly not this late at night. And as for that demanding entrance, well, that was certainly more Jamaal or Rafee’s style, not Nik’s. “Tara, come out here,” he demanded rather than asked at her closed door. She heard Shawna trying to deter him in his pursuit, but to no avail. A few seconds later, Nik was knocking on her bedroom door. “Tara, I must speak with you.” Tara was unsure whether Nik was angry or anxious. The tone in his voice left her wondering for it was rare that Nik spoke in any loud or demanding way. When he continued to insist he see her, Tara finally gave. She was unable to resist Nik. From the first moment she had laid eyes upon him, her resolve had crumbled. And today, well, her heart had been torn in half when she’d had to turn him away to cover her tracks with Gabe. She had no choice but to answer his call and leave the darkness of her bedroom. When she entered the living room, she found that room was not much brighter. Shawna was dressed in jeans and that same men’s sweatshirt from earlier and her hair appeared tousled as if her slumber on the couch had been disrupted because of their late night visitor. As for Nik, there was a rage in his brown eyes and he looked serious despite his casual appearance in jeans and a T-shirt. “Tara,” he repeated upon laying eyes on her. “I must speak with you.” “What about, Nik? I thought we said all we had to say today,” Tara answered. “No, we did not. You told me nothing that was the truth.” Tara balked at his words for they were so ambiguous. “Really?” she asked back, feigning anger. “Because I thought I spoke my mind clearly. What did I say that wasn’t true?” “That’s what I came to find out.” Nik slapped an envelope down upon the endtable that stood next to her. He pointed to it and added, “What else have you lied about, Tara?” Tara stared at the envelope then carefully opened it. What she found made her gasp. The paperwork that had sealed the deal on Villa Serena awaited her. She saw her name as the seller and understood that Nik had discovered one of her secrets. “You owned this estate. You sold it to me,” Nik said harshly. “And yet you have pretended for months that you were nothing but an employee.” “I was nothing but an employee,” Tara argued. “Why does it matter that I once owned this land?” “Because to me, it sounds like you’re playing some game. Some game that involves this estate, myself and Gabe Bryant.” Tara took a deep, shuddering breath. Yes, she was playing a game, but not with Nik. She had kept the information about Villa Serena from him because she had not wanted to hurt his kind and generous heart. And now, she was only playing a game with Gabe Bryant to try and discover what had become of her precious fortune. She had no intention of hurting Nik, but now that this was all coming to light, perhaps it would be best that Nik wrote her off, for their lives would never connect beyond what they had already shared. It was impossible. “If that’s what you want to think,” Tara said. Suddenly Jenny burst out of her room. Her face was streaked with tears and she jumped in between them, placing her hands upon Nik’s arms. “Nik, please don’t be mad at Tara,” Jenny pleaded. “We owned Villa Serena, but we lost it. We lost all our money and it wasn’t Tara’s fault. It just happened. Don’t be mad at her, please.” The child cried as she clutched Nik and being the kind man he was, Nik’s face softened and he immediately wrapped Jenny in his arms. Soothingly he told her, “Its all right, Jenny. Don’t cry over this. Tara and I just have a few things to settle, that’s all.” Tara wished Nik wasn’t so kind, wasn’t so perfect. Arguing with him had given her the strength to try and turn him away again. But after seeing this, after seeing how careful he was with Jenny, Tara wanted nothing more than to join Jenny in his strong embrace. A wild neigh from the barn, however, drew her attention away and she moved to the front window to ensure everything was fine. What she was met with, was a strange orange glow. “Oh, god,” she blurted out. “Nik, the barn’s on fire!” Quickly he joined her at the window. “The horses,” he said then ran for the front door. Instinctively, Tara screamed, “Nik, don’t! You’ll get yourself killed.” He hesitated, looked at her and instructed, “Watch Jenny and call for help.” He disappeared out the door. Smoke billowed from the barn and Tara’s hand shook on the number pad of the phone as she watched Nik race toward the barn entrance, yelling up toward the mansion and waving his arm to get attention from the people up the hill. Jenny was crying in the doorway, obviously distraught by all that had happened in the past few minutes and Tara wondered if their night could get any worse than this. Yes, it could get worse, she told herself. Nik could get hurt, the horses could perish in the fire. It could most definitely get much worse. After explaining things to the 911 operator, Tara hung up the phone and started out the door with the intentions of helping Nik. Shawna, however, caught her and insisted, “Take care of Jenny. She’s hysterical. Who knows what she might do. I’ll help Nik.” Shawna was a brave, stubborn woman, and Tara was not about to argue with her for one look at Jenny told Tara the teen could easily bolt into the barn or foolishly hurt herself during this crisis. Obediently, Tara remained behind, hugged Jenny to her and watched as Shawna sprinted toward the barn at the same time Nik’s brother, Rafee, arrived. Nik shouted something to his brother just as Rafee caught Shawna around the waist and flung her in the direction of the paddock, pointing toward the gate as he did. Shawna changed her course and a moment later, the thick black smoke from the barn had swallowed up Nik and his brother as they raced inside. Tara sucked in a deep breath and prayed silently that Nik, Rafee and her precious horses made it out alive. If they didn’t survive, if something happened to Nik especially, Tara would never forgive herself. She had turned him away today when he had spoken words of love and just seconds before the fire she had been poised to chase him off again. What had she been thinking? What had been in her mind when she had done that? For now, picturing his demise, she was becoming nearly as unglued as Jenny at the thought. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Crown Prince - Chapter 13 |