| The Sheiks Of Kumar - Part II The Warrior By CJ |
| Chapter 4 It was now 4:00 in the morning and Shawna was rubbing her eyes as she stared at the computer screen. She and Rafee were alone in Tara’s small house, both sitting in front of the computer and fighting for elbowroom. Rafee was controlling the mouse and Shawna hated that. She wanted to be the one calling the shots on the computer but he had refused. “You have already read through the documents. Allow me to, please,” he’d said to her when they’d started. So Shawna had obliged and showed him the archived email, which proved that Mr. Malone had cashed out his stocks just prior to any downturn in the market. The email also proved that he had sent those monies to overseas accounts. However, when Tara had met with Gabe Bryant right after her father’s death, she had been told that Walter Malone’s investments had gone bad and that he had not cashed out in time. There was also the accounting program, which showed that the winery and the estate were all in order. There should be a surplus of money, not a debt that again Gabe Bryant had convinced Tara of. And the final piece to the puzzle was the cyber-journal. Just a few months prior to his death Mr. Malone had left a diary of sorts on his computer hinting that he no longer trusted Gabe Bryant and had disbanded his power of attorney with the man prior to making his monetary transactions. He also made the comment that he was aware Gabe had affections for Tara and that he prayed nothing came of them with his daughter. And the last entry also talked about how he planned to leave everything for Tara and Jenny and that there was plenty of money for them to spend the rest of their lives on Villa Serena in comfort. “So, what do you think?” Shawna inquired as she returned from the kitchen with two glasses of orange juice. She handed one to Rafee and watched as he closed out the word processing program files. “I think Mr. Bryant stole Tara and Jenny’s money,” Rafee said. “Its quite obvious.” He turned from the computer and asked, “You are certain this is not enough information to hand over to the authorities?” “No. It’s a good start. But I wouldn’t trust the cops around here. Gabe Bryant could very easily have them in his pocket—small towns can work that way and Gabe has been winning powerful friends lately among the winery owners. We have to have solid proof that can’t be refuted.” “Such as?” “That’s what I’ve been thinking about. I was really hoping Gabe would leave some sort of clue when Tara was spending time with him last week. But all he did was fawn all over her. She did, however, get his email password.” Rafee’s eyes, which were looking more tired than her own, suddenly lit up. “Really?” he inquired with relish. “Yes, but I already tried to access his email once, he has it protected. And I’m not good enough with computer hacking to beat his protections,” Shawna admitted. “I am,” Rafee insisted. Shawna gazed at him for a long moment. He was an interesting man. In the past few hours she’d seen how intense and focused he became on cases and now she was discovering he had a vast amount of talents…such as computer hacking. “You are?” “Yes. I’ll have Dev bring my laptop down from the house. There’s a program on there that will assist us.” He moved to the phone and began dialing up to the house. “Think you could teach me your tricks?” Shawna asked. With the phone to his ear, Rafee turned and looked at her with a smug expression. “Perhaps.” Not only was he talented, he was also sickeningly aware of it, Shawna surmised. Otherwise he wouldn’t be looking at her with such arrogance. But she ignored it for she was too exhausted to berate him and listened as he gave his poor assistant instructions to bring his laptop and cellular phone. “Poor Devesh,” Shawna said when Rafee hung up. “We could have just walked up there, you know.” “I am too exhausted to make the trip,” Rafee told her as he began unplugging the modem line from Tara’s computer and hooking it up to the phone line. “Besides, Devesh owes me. I am keeping his secret for him.” “And that is?” Rafee turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “If I told you, it would no longer be a secret, now would it?” She frowned at him because she was angry that she had been forced to tell him everything about her case and Tara’s problems, but he couldn’t be bothered to tell her one small tidbit. But he didn’t trust her, she knew that. And he didn’t like her. So it was just as well that he didn’t tell her anything. Devesh delivered the items and he frowned the entire time. Rafee had said something to him in their native tongue and it sounded almost like a taunt. It had only caused Devesh to frown more as he left. They cleared everything off the coffee table and Rafee hooked his computer up to the phone line. Then he asked Shawna for her laptop and he connected them with a cable. While his modem began dialing onto the phone lines, Rafee explained, “My computer will stay online waiting for Mr. Bryant to log on. Once he’s on to gather his email, I can download all his information onto your computer. I could do it all with just my computer, but its faster with two.” “And you’re positive his system won’t catch us?” Shawna asked worriedly. “I mean, his protections can trace the modem number.” “His protections can trace all they want. What this program that I have does is send his protections on a long chase around the world. Now, granted, Tara is going to have one large phone bill when we are done, but we will not be detected. I doubt Mr. Bryant has sophisticated enough software to do that. Only government agencies and multi-million dollar companies like my own spend money on such securities.” The computers were running and Rafee’s program was looping around the world from country to country. Everything was set, all they had to do was wait. Looking at his watch, Rafee said, “Now, we wait until Mr. Bryant logs onto his email program.” “I’m sure he doesn’t open his office until at least 8:00,” Shawna said. Rafee laid down on the couch and closed his eyes. “Then we sleep until 8:00.” The gray sofa was L-shaped and Rafee was sprawled across the longest end. Seeing how tired he was and remembering how this afternoon he had thrown a blanket over her while she’d slept, Shawna tugged the afghan from the back of the couch and spread it over his body. She stood for a moment, looking at him while he slept and was again reminded of her dream this afternoon. How strange that she had dreamt of kissing him when all they had done was bicker. Yet tonight they had worked so quickly and efficiently together that she wondered if maybe they weren’t coming to some sort of new understanding. “Devesh is in love with my cousin, Anika,” Rafee suddenly said. “What?” Shawna asked, snapping her eyes to his face. His eyes were opened and he was gazing up at her, but then they quickly closed. “You asked what secret Devesh had that I was holding. That is it. He wants no one to know, for he is afraid of my uncle Laxman,” Rafee continued with closed eyes. “And you are holding that over him? That’s cruel,” Shawna remarked. “I only taunt him about it. I would never reveal his secret. But he is a fool for falling in love.” Though his words were soft and he was obviously close to sleep, there was a disappointment to them. Rafee was serious in his belief that Devesh was foolish for falling in love. She wondered what it was about this man that caused him to think that way. It was obvious he came from a close family and he’d been well educated. He’d been given everything in life and yet he taunted those who found happiness in love. Shawna moved away and sat on the opposite side of the couch leaning her head against the armrest and curling her feet underneath her. She watched Rafee sleep for a moment before she too drifted off. He was indeed an enigma. ** Shawna awoke to the sounds of someone rummaging around in the kitchen. The morning light was bright as it filtered in from the lace-covered windows. She squinted and allowed her eyes to adjust to the brightness then sat up and looked down at herself covered in the afghan she’d given Rafee the night before. She was alone on the couch, so that meant Rafee was surely the person banging around in the kitchen. “Why are you making so much noise?” Shawna asked loudly to be heard in the kitchen. Rafee’s voice returned from the kitchen though Shawna could not see him from her vantage on the couch. “Because I cannot find anything,” he answered. “Then look quietly,” she demanded, “I’m trying to sleep.” The banging stopped and suddenly he was standing behind the couch, his hair tousled and light stubble on his face. “It is already 8:00. Wake up,” he insisted. He disappeared back into the kitchen and the banging resumed. Shawna pushed herself from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She found the items he’d been looking for and fixed them a quick breakfast without speaking. Her mind was still too foggy to concentrate and all she kept thinking about was going back to sleep. “How’d you wake up without an alarm?” Shawna finally inquired as they sat back down on the couch, fruit, bagels and juice in front of them. “Jenny and Omar returned early this morning. Jenny needed to get ready for school,” he explained. “Omar thought it only polite to awaken me. I have been up for over an hour.” “Aren’t you tired?” she asked, knowing that she was still beat. “I have survived with much less sleep before. I will manage.” “I don’t doubt that, but I just don’t want you any grumpier than you already are,” Shawna quipped. Rafee frowned at her. He’d been so caught up in trying to solve this new mystery he’d been thrown into that he had not said a rude word to her in several hours. In fact, he had even been pleasant this morning upon her waking. Now she was the one beginning conflict. “If I am curt today, it will be entirely of your doing,” he snapped. “Now there’s the man I know and hate,” she returned. He frowned again. Just when he was thinking that perhaps he had misjudged her the day before, that perhaps she was more appealing than he had allowed himself to notice yesterday, she snaps at him as though he were a commoner. Not one to be bested in insults, Rafee shot out, “And there’s the woman I met yesterday. I almost forgot how sharp your tongue is. Such a change from your beauty while you slept.” And he had noticed her peaceful beauty this morning as she’d slept quietly on the far end of the couch. In fact, he had even covered her with the blanket, feeling selfish for having had it to himself for most of the morning. But now that she was again lashing out at him with cruel words, he was reminded that not all American women had personalities that matched their beauty. Shawna was all poised for a comeback until he uttered that last phrase. Had he just called her beautiful? In a round about way, he had! She sat and stared at him, awestricken, but he ignored her. Apparently he had said his peace and was now finished. Shawna needed to step back to reassess this situation. One moment they were hating each other, the next Rafee was throwing out reminders that he noticed her womanly qualities. What was this man up to and why did he get under her skin so easily? Whatever it was, she didn’t want to sit there and analyze it further. She stood quickly and announced, “I’ll be in the shower. Holler if Bryant comes online.” She left and never looked back to see if Rafee noticed her departure. Rafee thought her abrupt departure strange, but he made no comment. It was best if she was gone for a few minutes, for her attitude this morning had been nothing but grating. And though he enjoyed friction and tension at times, this morning he was looking for neither. He kept his eyes pealed to the computer screen, awaiting his program to notify him that Gabe Bryant was logging onto his email system. He stared at the screen for a long while, then suddenly a window popped up and informed him that user “Gbryant” was online. “All right,” he mumbled to himself, then called, “Shawna! We have him!” Shawna burst out of one of the bedrooms, her hair damp and brushed away from her face, her body covered in little other than a thin yellow tank-top and matching satin panties. Rafee had seen her in her bathing suit, which covered even less, but the thought of her in underwear intrigued him. In fact, he was so taken by the sight that he stared for a moment longer than he had planned. “He’s online? Really?” Shawna inquired as she sat next to him on the couch. She sat so close that her bare thigh pushed against his denim clad one. “Uh…yes. See the program indicator?” Rafee spat out. Shawna’s eyes were scanning his computer screen while his were scanning her. Had it been so long that he had been out with an attractive woman that he was noticing this one? He was sure that was the only logical explanation for no other reason would prompt him to practically ogle Shawna. They were too different aside from their jobs and abilities. And the worst selling point was that she was American, just like his first love. “What do we do now?” Shawna inquired. When no response came, she asked, “Rafee? What now?” Rafee shook his thoughts from his head and answered, “We let the program do its work then when it indicates it has gathered all accessible email files, it will ask where to save them. We’ll save them to drive F which is your computer.” Shawna was so in awe of his computer hacking program and so excited that they were moving that much closer to nabbing Gabe Bryant, that she failed to notice she had slapped her hand down upon Rafee’s leg. “This is just great,” she said with much enthusiasm. “Where on earth did you get this program?” Shawna’s touch was easy to feel all the way through his jeans and he wanted to move away. But he was just about to begin downloading files and he was trapped. “I have computer people who work on my staff,” he said evasively. “So this isn’t for sale at your local computer store, huh?” “No, I’m afraid it is not.” Shawna balled her hand into a fist and unknowingly rubbed it higher up his leg. He almost jumped at the movement. “God, I can’t wait to nail this slimeball,” she said with a smile. “Especially after all that he has done to Tara.” Those words told Rafee more about Shawna than he had wanted to know. It was obvious she was aggressive at her work and also loyal to her friends. He didn’t want to admire those qualities, but he had to, for they were things he cherished in his own life. The program began its downloading and within minutes, they had acquired every current and archived email message saved upon Gabe’s hard drive. “It is done,” Rafee said as he leaned forward and disconnected the program and modem line. Shawna’s hand moved from his leg to his back. She was now kneeling on the couch next to him, unable to control her excitement over what they had just accomplished. “This is so great, Rafee,” Shawna exclaimed as she patted him on the back. “I knew you were good for something.” He could have taken offense to her words, but they were said lightly with humor and he was glad they were now one step closer to proving Gabe’s crime. “In fact, if I could actually stand you for longer than two minutes, I’d kiss you right now,” Shawna added. Rafee looked back over his shoulder and was sorry he did. His eyes leveled on that tight-fitting shirt of hers and her skimpy underwear that showed off all her curves and toned flesh. He too could kiss her…if circumstances were different. “There is no need for that, Shawna. Lets see what the email messages say first,” Rafee insisted as he leaned back. He had politely refused her, but he had not insulted her either, Shawna realized. Although saying she could kiss him had only been a reaction, and as she stared down at him, so handsome and disheveled in the morning, she could have acted on her reaction. He stared at her for a long moment, and Shawna wondered if maybe he had taken her words seriously. There was a strange, foreign look in his eyes and she couldn’t tell if he was thinking she was insane or thinking she was right. Her hand still rested upon his shoulder and as she noticed and began to pull it away, Rafee caught it in his grasp. His hold was not harsh like the day before, but rather soft and gentle. That caused Shawna to hesitate for it meant he was not going to berate her about something. “You’ve done a good job so far of helping me,” Shawna forced out. Rafee said nothing, but his gold eyes burrowed into hers. “What’s…uh, what’s our next move?” she asked, only realizing it was the wrong thing to ask in such a situation after it was out of her mouth. A crooked grin grew upon his mouth and it was obvious he found humor in her question as well. “I won’t answer that,” he said softly. “Why not?” With that same expression, he answered, “Because I am again at a disadvantage with you dressed so scantily.” Shawna felt her face heat. For the first time, she blushed around Rafee. She was suddenly aware that she was wearing very little, but she had not noticed when he had called to her while she’d been in the midst of dressing. There was a heated tension and Shawna felt it growing with each second. She wasn’t sure what would come of it or how it had been created in the first place, but she enjoyed it. That is, until the front door opened and Tara walked inside. Rafee released her hand and jumped to his feet at the same time Shawna darted to the far end of the couch. Their hurried movements only resulted in making them look guilty and Tara halted in her entrance through the door and stared at them with wonder. “Did I…uh, is something going on?” she finally asked. “No,” both Rafee and Shawna said at the same time. “We were just breaking into Gabe’s email,” Shawna explained. “You know, the usual illegal things two people do at 8:00 in the morning.” “I see,” Tara said with some amusement. “Did you find anything interesting?” “We haven’t read the mail yet. We just downloaded it,” Shawna answered. “But we will. Right, Rafee?” “Yes, we will. But later,” he said, taking his cell phone and heading for the door. “Much later.” He rushed out the door so quickly he left his computer behind. Tara’s eyes followed Rafee out the door then landed on Shawna. Shawna had the blanket wrapped around her waist and was walking toward the bedroom. “Shawna?” Tara questioned. “I, uh, have to take a nap. We’ll talk later, Tara,” Shawna said and closed the door behind her in a rush. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. Her heart was racing and her hand tingled from Rafee’s touch. If it hadn’t been clear to her before it was now—she was in big trouble. ** Shawna studied the email messages for the rest of the day. She’d even copied them to Rafee’s computer and sent it up to him via Tara with a note telling him to read everything over and get back to her with his opinion. They could have read them together, but after the strange electricity that had sizzled between them this morning, Shawna wanted to keep her distance for a while. It was for the best to stay away from Rafee. He was too good looking, too arrogant and too insulting for his own good. And if she had acted on her impulses and kissed him when they were on the couch, he only would have taunted her ruthlessly for it later. Besides, she was inexperienced in the ways of men. Sure, she’d dated a few losers, but that had been all it was, dating. Her dates rarely turned into a second date and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually wanted to kiss any of those men. Rafee more than likely had a woman in every European country. And they were probably high class, cultured women who dressed only in designer clothes and wore diamonds to bed. Her clumsy, simple attempts would only make Rafee laugh. Thinking about Rafee was getting her nowhere, but reading Gabe’s email was very productive. In fact, she discovered so much that if this had been a legal gathering of information, there would be enough to put him away for a long time. But it had not been legal and so she was still faced with the dilemma of trying to find a legitimate way to implicate the man. She remained indoors for the entire day, studying the email carefully and wishing Rafee were around so she could bounce ideas off him. Just as that thought crossed her mind, the phone rang and she was shocked to find Rafee on the other end. “Have you read the email?” he inquired of her. “Yes, several times. I was just putting together a timeline of dates for comparison of transactions and whatnot,” Shawna answered. “Good. Come to the house, we should discuss this,” Rafee insisted. “I was just about to start making dinner for Tara and Jenny. How about later?” Tara and Jenny had been through so much that Shawna tried to take care of them by fixing meals and assisting with chores. Though Tara always argued against it, Shawna would not be dissuaded. “No, come now. I am eager to discuss this. You may dine with me. I will meet you on the patio.” Then Rafee hung up before Shawna could dispute his order. She stared at the phone for a long moment as if his order had been unreal, then slowly set the phone back in the cradle. Tara entered the house at that exact moment and asked, “What’s up?” “I’ve been summoned to the house,” Shawna said. “Apparently Rafee has chosen now to discuss the email we got off Gabe’s computer.” “What’s going on with you two?” Tara inquired. “An awful lot of arguing,” Shawna admitted. “But don’t worry, we’ll figure out this Gabe thing, Tara.” Self-consciously, Shawna ran a hand over her hair checking her ponytail and then glanced down at herself dressed in black jeans and a white chambray shirt. She was having dinner with Rafee and that made her nervous. Did they dress for dinner up at the main house or was everything casual because it was just a business dinner? “What’s wrong?” Tara inquired. Without thinking, Shawna asked, “Am I dressed all right? I’m having dinner up at the house. I mean, they’re not formal, are they?” Tara stared at her with confusion, then laughed. Shaking her head, she said, “Don’t worry, you’re fine.” “I wanted to fix you and Jenny dinner, but Rafee insisted otherwise.” “Good, you should get out. Besides, Nik’s coming down and we’re going to fix dinner for Jenny. We want to explain a few things to her tonight. I know she’s awfully confused right now with everything that’s been going on.” Shawna nodded, gathered her computer and Rafee’s borrowed sweatshirt and trekked up the hill to the main house. She walked along the brick path to the back of the house and found three men chatting around a barbecue. The level of testosterone was as high as when her brothers got together and she almost turned and fled back down to Tara’s. But Rafee’s keen eye caught her and he immediately waved her over to a glass patio table. “You came quickly,” Rafee observed. “I figured you would take your time just to spite me.” “The thought did cross my mind,” Shawna replied with a dryness to her tone. Rafee held a chair out for her and said, “Please, sit.” Shawna was wary, but she sat and set her computer down in front of her. “Can I get you something to drink?” he then asked. Sarcasm was brewing in her mind and she almost popped off that he could get her a shot of tequila for she would need to be less than sober to take all this in. But she figured he was only being polite because Devesh and Omar were both present. As soon as they were alone, the caustic adjectives would fly. “Sure, anything will be fine,” she decided to say instead. He disappeared into the house and she was relieved that the atmosphere was indeed casual. Rafee was dressed in khaki pants and a simple white shirt. Devesh and Omar were dressed similarly and that made Shawna breathe a sigh of relief. For some reason, she had expected a formal setting with tuxedos and servants. After all, these Armanjani men were sheiks of the desert. But Villa Serena, though it was beautiful, it was neither pretentious nor ostentatious and it gave one the sense of informality, not stuffy snobbery. They ate dinner before they discussed the email and that too shocked Shawna for she had been given the impression by Rafee’s phone call that he was in a hurry to talk. But there was no hurry during dinner and Shawna talked amicably with the three men as they sat around the pool in the growing darkness. As Devesh and Omar cleared the dishes from the table, the casual air that had been there all night disappeared and Rafee sat up straight in his chair and said, “I have read all of Mr. Bryant’s email. It is quite obvious that he had the money transferred electronically from Mr. Malone’s account to his own just about a month prior to Mr. Malone’s death.” “Yes,” Shawna agreed pulling a sheet of paper from her computer case that she had prepared during the day. “And he did it after Mr. Malone canceled the power of attorney.” She handed the paper to Rafee and pointed to the pertinent dates. “Then we must figure out how he did that,” Rafee stated. “And that’s going to be a problem,” Shawna said with a sigh. Each time they hit a break in this case, a new obstacle was placed before them. “Could we not turn this new information over to authorities now?” Rafee inquired. Shawna laughed for a moment and watched as Rafee stared at her strangely. “Rafee, there is something called the Fifth Amendment in this country. We seized that evidence illegally, without a search warrant by the proper authorities. The only people who would get in trouble would be us,” Shawna explained. Rafee continued to gaze at her, for her laugh had been so sincere. In fact, everything about this woman was sincere, he noticed. She held nothing back and that confused him for he had it set in his mind that all Americans were shallow and contemptuous. “Yes, I suppose that would be a problem. I forgot about your many laws and amendments,” he replied. “That’s only because you refuse to spend any time in this country,” she reminded him. “Our laws are quite different than many around the world.” “I know and though I have already told you that I do not care for your country, I do happen to think your laws interesting. The Constitution is a magnificent piece of legal work.” Shawna smiled at him and asked mockingly, “Why, Rafee, are we converting you to our side?” He realized he had grown awfully soft since this morning when he’d thought about kissing her. In fact, he’d been entirely too casual during dinner and even now. He was supposed to be working on a case for his brother, and then hurrying back to Kumar to assist his family. There could be danger in Kumar and he felt helpless by remaining in California. And the longer he sat here and exchanged pleasantries with Shawna, the longer it would take to make it home. Quickly, he stood and snapped, “No, you are not! Just because I admire one thing about your country, it does not mean I want to sell out like my brother. My home is in Kumar and though my father may have had us educated in the ways of Western Culture, it does not mean I will forget my own traditions and culture.” Shawna stood too, not liking to be confronted while in the disadvantage of sitting down. “No one’s asking you to forget your own country. But does it mean you have to hate everything about ours?” “Yes, it does,” he growled. “Why? It makes no sense,” Shawna said. “It makes perfect sense,” Rafee replied, remembering again that American debutante he’d fallen for. He’d been only twenty and too young to know what he was doing when that girl had entered his life. She was beautiful and he could still remember her fine features and long brunette hair. He’d been so infatuated with her beauty and refinement that he had failed to see that her only interest in him lay in his title. She’d been more concerned with his royalty and when he’d confronted her about it, he remembered how she had cruelly informed him that the only thing that counted in America was status. And if he could not understand that, she’d said, then she wasn’t the woman for him. Of course, being a man full of pride, Rafee had quickly woken up and assured her that she was not the woman for him, nor would any American woman be the woman for him. And that memory was alive and well in his mind right now as he argued with Shawna. “America sucks the culture and history out of everything. The only important thing worth striving for here is status. You are not judged by your mind and ideas, but rather by your car and house and face,” Rafee continued. “Well, then based upon all of that, you should be right at the top of the pyramid here in America. After all, you have it all; money, a title, a handsome face,” Shawna said. Rafee did not immediately retort for Shawna had told him she found him handsome. He shouldn’t have clung to those words, but he did. “Then again, you know that, don’t you?” Shawna added, taking away any compliment he’d heard in her earlier words. “You have arrogance written all over you and that’s why you continue to treat me like some commoner not worthy of a civil conversation with you. Well, let me tell you something, Raf. I may be just a hard working American gal, but at least I don’t care what car you drive or what your title is. In fact, I wish you were just some simple security guard because you might be a lot easier to deal with then. Instead, you’re an over-inflated oil sheik with a huge chip on your shoulder.” If he had been listening closely, he might have realized that Shawna was far different than his conceited college love. But all he heard were her harsh words and again felt a loss of control coming on. This woman could push his buttons like none other and Rafee quickly turned and walked away, afraid he might say something that could never be taken back and would tarnish his family name. He was adept at handing out insults and confronting people with his words. But there was a line he never crossed and he felt like crossing that with Shawna. He was angered by her words and he wanted to anger her in return. Yet he had opted to leave, for it was the most prudent course of action. Rafee met his brother on the stairs and Nik immediately halted him. “Rafee, did I hear raised voices?” Nik inquired in their native language. Nikash’s Arabic surprised Rafee for his brother often spoke only in English around the house. It was again proof that his brother wanted to assimilate completely into his new culture. “You did,” Rafee answered and started to walk by. Nik caught his arm and asked, “With whom were you arguing?” “I was arguing with Ms. Patrick,” he admitted. “And now, I must go pack. I will leave for Kumar in the morning, Nikash. Ms. Patrick no longer needs my assistance, nor does she want it.” “What on earth gave you that impression?” Smiling ruefully, Rafee explained, “Perhaps it was when she called me an over-inflated oil sheik that I got the hint. Excuse me.” Rafee continued up the stairs and Nik could see by the very controlled manner in which his brother was moving that Rafee had been pushed to the edge. Instead of going out the front door and heading for Tara’s as he had planned, Nik took a detour out to the patio and found Shawna packing her things together. Her pretty face looked close to tears and it was obvious her brother had wounded her as well. “Shawna,” Nik announced. Her eyes flew to him and she jumped with a start. “Nik, hello. I thought you were with Tara tonight?” “I will be in just a few moments,” he replied. “And I thought you were supposed to be with Rafee tonight?” “We just finished up,” Shawna said. “For good. Look, I can work on Tara’s case alone. I started it alone after all.” “I have faith that you will succeed alone, but you could move much faster with help,” Nik pointed out. “Not your brother’s help. All we do is fight.” Shawna paused, remembering how he’d downed her country and culture so quickly and hatefully. “What is wrong with him, anyhow? I mean, he has a polite streak in him, but it surfaces so rarely. And he talks about America as if it were hell itself.” “Rafee has an interesting history, Shawna, that I cannot divulge. It is nothing so alarming, but he harbors it deeply inside. And he is also, by nature, not a trusting person. He has warrior blood in him whereas I inherited all the politician blood.” Shawna laughed at Nik’s joke and asked, “So what you’re saying is, he knows how to fight and you know how to settle disputes?” “Yes, and I am very good at settling his disputes.” “Can you convince him that not all of us Americans are culture-sucking floozies?” she inquired. “I have tried,” Nik said. “But do not think that all his anger is because of America. Much is wrong in our homeland right now. Our family may be in danger, we are not sure. And he does not like being here because of that. I believe his emotions are raw and his temper sharp.” “Then maybe he should just fly back home and I’ll work on this case alone,” Shawna suggested. “If circumstances were different, I would agree,” Nik said. “But I talked with Lieutenant Jeff Moore from the Fire Department today. It is definite that our fire was not accidental last night. Someone made it look like a wiring problem, but in actuality, it was set on purpose. I do not know if this has to do with Mr. Bryant, or if our problems in Kumar have followed us. And because of that, I do not want my brother to leave. Our family in Kumar is well protected. We are vulnerable here at Villa Serena and I would like him to remain.” “Then you should go tell him, Nik,” Shawna said, slinging her computer case over her shoulder and handing Nik Rafee’s sweatshirt. “And give this to him as well.” Nik handed the sweatshirt back and requested, “Why don’t you give it to him, Shawna, and explain what’s going on? I happen to think you two make a good team and I would like you to finish the case for Tara together.” Shawna hesitated. It would certainly cause her less stress if she just declined and walked away. Yet Sheik Nikash had a way of persuading people with his kind manner, and Shawna found herself accepting and walking up the stairs toward Rafee’s room. His door was shut and Shawna knocked. He shouted something negative sounding in his native language but she pushed the door open anyhow and found him packing. “Is that Arabic for ‘come in?’” she questioned. He glared at her, but said nothing. “I guess so,” Shawna said and walked through the door. She tossed the sweatshirt on his garment bag and said, “Don’t forget this.” He immediately disappeared into the bathroom and returned with her bikini and towel. “And do not forget this on your way out,” he told her, tossing the items to the bed next to her. Slowly, Shawna picked them up and held the bikini top in her hand. “Yeah, baby blue’s just not your color.” “If you came here to mock me, leave now, Ms. Patrick,” Rafee warned. “I left you downstairs because you had said too much. I do not wish to hear more from you.” “I’m not mocking you,” she defended. “Its called humor. Maybe you’ve heard of it before?” “I have a sense of humor when I am in the right company,” he replied. “And I am not the right company, correct?” “Correct,” he said. “And I am not the right company for you either. Over-inflated oil sheiks make very bad company for American women I am told.” “I had to call you something,” Shawna explained. “After all, you had just insulted my entire country. I’m a patriot at heart.” They remained at a standoff, both eyeing each other, but not wanting to fight or insult further. Realizing Rafee was too proud to take the first step, Shawna swallowed some of her ego and offered, “I’m sorry if I insulted you. And I don’t think you should just run back home.” “Why not?” “Because Nik wants you here. He just told me he did.” “Then why isn’t he here to tell me that?” Rafee challenged. “Because he’s not the one who’s driving you away. It’s obvious it’s me. You don’t like me and I don’t blame you. But you’re not exactly Mr. Congeniality yourself.” “Are you calling me a ‘jerk’?” he questioned with a half smile. “Not exactly,” Shawna replied. Rafee felt the mood lightening, but then he remembered Kumar. Perhaps his entire outburst tonight toward Shawna had nothing to do with her and his old memories and everything to do with the stress he was feeling over Kumar. Things were getting so jumbled in his mind that he could not easily sort through them all. He was merely reacting to everything and losing control and that was very unlike him. Turning his back and throwing more clothes into his bag, he said, “I appreciate your apology, but I must leave. And do not think my leaving is entirely your fault.” He felt a hand land on his arm and he halted his work. Shawna’s smooth hand glided up and down his bare arm as she said softly, “I know there’s things going on in Kumar.” He turned, but her hand did not drop away. It remained fixed to his arm. “You know?” he questioned. “Yes, Nik just told me.” “That is family business,” he snapped. Reassuringly, Shawna said, “You told me Devesh’s secret, I can keep this one too.” He stared at her as if he didn’t believe her and Shawna looked away from his eyes. She allowed her gaze to roam over his solid chest and then down to where her hand touched his arm. She hadn’t meant for her hand to linger so long, but the taut, corded feel of his arm was too enticing to pull away from. And this may be the last time she ever touched the man for she doubted she could persuade him to stay. “That is very different,” he replied. “Devesh will survive his secret. My family may not survive this secret.” “You’re a pessimist, Rafee,” Shawna announced. “I’ll bet your family has plenty of people working on the situation back in Kumar. Am I right?” He nodded. “And Nik, he only has you,” Shawna pointed out. “He is safe here in America,” Rafee insisted. “Is he?” Shawna gripped his arm to make sure she had his attention. “Nik just told me that its official, the fire was set intentionally.” “What?” “Arson. It was definitely arson like they thought might have been the case last night.” Rafee stepped away from her and paced the room. He ran his hand over his arm to try and free his skin of the remaining effects of her touch. “But why?” he inquired, not having thought much about the fire last night. This official assessment had him worried. “I don’t know. It could be Gabe Bryant trying to get Tara’s attention, it could have been some lone psychopath or…” “Or what?” Rafee asked, growing cold at the tone she’d left hanging in the air. “Or, your situation in Kumar has followed you here and they’re trying to send a message.” Rafee closed his eyes and bit back an oath. He had been trying to avoid thinking about that, but thankfully Shawna had spelled it out for him. It wasn’t like him to avoid such thoughts, but when it came to his family, such possible threats cut deep. “What are my options?” he asked, more to himself than to Shawna. “Well, you could go home and take Nik and Dev and Omar with you while I stay here with Tara and finish her case. That would be the safest for all,” Shawna surmised. “After all, whatever is going on in Kumar has nothing to do with Jenny or Tara. They’d be fine here by themselves.” Rafee shook his head. “Nikash would never leave Tara behind. Not again.” “And Tara won’t leave here until I solve her case. Villa Serena means too much to her.” “Then I suppose I must stay. It is the best solution,” Rafee announced. “I will help you solve Tara’s case and then…” “Then,” Shawna said cutting him off. Moving in front of him with a smile she suggested, “Nik can take Tara and Jenny back with him to Kumar for a royal wedding and in return for your help, I will go with you to Kumar and help solve your mystery.” “My mystery is far more dangerous than yours,” he said. “Besides, I never invited you to Kumar.” “No, you didn’t. But you also told me just yesterday that I must create my own opportunities. Did you not?” He reluctantly nodded. “Well, I’m creating my opportunities, Sheik Rafee. I can’t miss Tara’s wedding. Besides, do you think I’m scared away by a little danger?” His gold eyes traveled across her face then surveyed her entire body for a moment as though he was assessing her for weaknesses. Finally he shook his head and replied, “No, I don’t suppose you are.” “Then we have a deal?” She held out her hand for a shake, Rafee took it and pulled her in front of him. Placing his hands on either side of her face and staring unyieldingly at her eyes, he asked, “No more name calling?” Shocked by his actions, but still in control of her faculties, Shawna countered, “No more culture bashing?” “Agreed,” he said. “Then I agree,” she replied. It was a tenuous agreement, for they had not agreed upon nixing the insults. But it was a starting point and Shawna wondered, as Rafee continued to hold her face, just what starting point they were at. Rafee gazed at Shawna’s face for longer than he had planned. She was beautiful and fiery and he was amazed by the fact that she had just volunteered to assist him in Kumar. He never remembered having met a woman who was so much like a soldier, like a warrior. She was tough and soft all at once and if they didn’t have a long road of work ahead of them, he would have kissed her. Yet it was best if they remained as friends, for romance would only interfere in their work. Quickly releasing her face, Rafee grabbed up her hand and said, “We must speak with Nikash and Tara. We need to formulate a plan that will get this case solved quickly.” He tugged her out the door and she followed along, amazed at how they had gone from fighting, to nearly kissing and now to plotting. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Warrior - Chapter 5 |