Forever Betrayed: Forever Bluegrass #3 (15 page)

“What I want is for you to give up on this nanotech lab. This summit is over. You are over.”

Zain kept his eyes in the window. He could barely make out the reflection of the man holding the gun. A ski mask covered his face, but he was shorter than Zain’s six-feet-two-inches by at least six inches. And this time, he knew it was definitely a man.

“Is that why you set out the spike strip? To prevent me from having the summit?”

“You just can’t take a hint, can you? So I’ll have to go with something more permanent.”

A soft knock sounded on the door and Zain saw the man move slightly to the right so he could turn and look at the door. Zain made his move. He’d trained his whole life with Ahmed, Nabi, and Abby. He slammed his elbow back and connected with the man’s ribs. The force was strong enough to fracture them. The man grunted and the gun dropped from his hand. Zain spun, but the man was already gone. The connecting door between his and his father’s office was open.

“Yo, Zain, your breakfast is here. Are you decent?” Deacon yelled through the door.

“Dammit!” Zain was already through the connecting door. Upon hearing his yell, the door flew open as the Rahmi guard and Deacon burst in. It was too late. The window behind his father’s desk was open and the man was gone.

The two guards rushed into the room with their guns drawn. “What is it?” Deacon asked as he scanned the room.

“I had a gun to my head ten seconds ago. Someone wants to stop the summit and my lab. They’ll kill me to see it done.”

“My, that sounds awfully dramatic.”

Zain turned and bit back another more colorful curse. Queen Suri stood at the connecting doors. “I came to have a talk with you and find out that not only was Prince Jamal assaulted this morning by your own guard, but that your life has now been threatened. My, things aren’t quite what they seem, are they?”

Zain stalked forward. “As if you didn’t have your hand in this. You probably ordered him to kill me.”

Queen Suri straightened, the amusement on her lips thinning. “You are accusing a queen of attempted regicide? You’d better think carefully of your next words, cousin.”

“Then how about this, Suri,” Zain said, purposefully dropping her title. “Let’s talk right now. End all of the nonsense and double-speak politicians are so fond of.”

“I think I’ll hold to our agreement from the other night. I’ll speak with you tomorrow after you’ve calmed down, or after we find out if you live until then. If you are assassinated, our discussion would be moot anyway. And when we talk, you’d better be ready to listen. I’ll not let you insult me again without repercussions.” The queen turned on her heel and left through Zain’s office door.

“Son!” Mo called from the hall as he ran into Zain’s office. “Are you all right? They told me someone attacked you.”

Zain hurried through the connecting door and Mo wrapped his son in a hug. “I know you’re a grown man, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you."

“I’m fine. Angry, but fine. He wants the summit and the nanotech lab stopped.” The room was quickly filling with people.

Mo looked around at Deacon, Ahmed, Dylan, Matt, and a slew of Rahmi guards. “Where’s Jamal?”

Zain shrugged. “He was in here changing, but he wasn’t here when the man slipped in through the window. When I chased after him, the room was empty.”

“Give my son and me a moment alone. Dylan and Ahmed, stay by the door. You’re watching Zain today. The rest of you, comb the area. Find Jamal and bring him to me. And see if you can find any clues about who was in here.”

The room emptied and Zain picked up his suit to get dressed. His gun had been on the floor with his discarded pants just feet away from the window. The sight of it angered him. If he had been wearing it . . .

“Who do you think is behind this?” his father asked.

“Someone on the inside. They have to be familiar around here to be able to move so freely. I accused Suri of it. She didn’t take that too well, but she didn’t exactly deny it either. Between the riots in Rahmi, Jamal being an ass, and now this, I don’t think we’ll get much cooperation from Surman. Although I still think she’s in on it. She knows things right after they happen. And here I thought Tahjad would be the hard neighbor to deal with.”

“If Suri knows things so quickly, she must have a spy in our camp,” Mo said as he took a seat.

“Then we can only trust our friends from Keeneston. They would never betray us.”

Mo nodded. “I’ll have Nabi make a formal request to Ryan for help from the FBI. My friends can come on as extra support. Miles, Marshall, Cade, and Cy will help us have more eyes and ears to ferret out the traitor. And I have to say this—could Mila be in on it?”

Zain stiffened. “Excuse me?” he asked, his voice hard.

“I know you like her, son. But these things didn’t start happening until she arrived. She gets close to you and suddenly someone tries to kill you. Twice. You have to acknowledge the coincidence,” Mo said, not backing down either.

“It’s not Mila. She has no motive.”

Mo’s lips frowned. “You don’t know that. I’ve asked Nabi to look into her.”

“You did what?” Zain exploded. His father didn’t flinch as the door softly opened and Dylan stuck his head in.

“You okay, Zain?”

“Get out, Dylan,” Mo said with royal command.

“No offense, Mo, but I don’t work for you. My friend hired me, and I’m asking him if he’s okay. Because right now, he doesn’t look so good.”

“Excellent. They’re done.” Veronica said a second before sweeping into the room with her face buried in a tablet. “You have three minutes to get to your meeting with the prime minister—” she looked up and froze. “I’m guessing you will be late?”

Zain shook his head. “No, I’m ready.”

“Wait,” his father said softly. “Don’t you want to know what Nabi found? And where Mila has been recently? Or maybe I should say, with whom?”

Without looking at his father, Zain strode from the room. Only when he was in the hall with Ahmed and Dylan following quietly behind did he breathe again.

“Ahmed,” Zain said softly.

Ahmed didn’t answer, just stepped up even with Zain as he walked upstairs to the meeting room.

“Did you know about this? And don’t pretend to not know what I’m talking about.”

“I never pretend. And yes.”

“Do you help my father look into Mila?”

Ahmed didn’t say anything.

“So, that’s how it’s going to be? You’re my godfather,” Zain said, hiding the hurt.

“And I’m your father’s best friend. I swore to look out for you. I’m going to do just that.”

“No, you’re not. You’re fired,” Zain said as he reached the door. Dylan coughed quietly and shook his head. “Ahmed, Abby can replace you, but you will no longer be my bodyguard. If my father hired you, then you can watch him.”

Zain shut the door on any protest, not that Ahmed would protest anyway. Now he was already running late to see Mila and the only thing he could think of was what his father said about her. He refused for it to be true. But he wasn’t going to wonder. He was just going to ask.

“Hello, Prime Minister. What can I do for you this morning?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mila walked back into the hall to find Ryan talking softly with his brother. Jackson saw her instantly and hushed his brother. “How are you?” Jackson asked as soon as the chancellor’s assistant scurried into the room Mila had just vacated.

“Well, I’m sort of fired,” Mila said, taking a seat next to Jackson.

“Damn that Nikki,” Jackson cursed.

“What does
sort of fired
mean?” Ryan asked.

“It means I would have been fired immediately but they couldn’t find a replacement. I’ll be finishing out the conference but then will be out of a job. He’s also having me fired from my job at the embassy in Washington.” Mila turned her head away from the brothers and swiped at the tears slowly rolling down her face. She was a professional. She wasn’t going to cry over her whole career being over. She would pick herself up and dust herself off. She would find something even better to do with her life.

“Mila, I’m so sorry,” Jackson said softly as he and Ryan suddenly looked uncomfortable at the first hint of tears.

“It’s okay. I knew better. This is what I get for becoming visible again,” she sniffed. “You’ve been so kind. Thank you. But I think I’m going to gather myself before I have to spend the day by the chancellor’s side.”

“Of course. I’ll be around if you need an escape. After all, you’re fired. You don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to,” Jackson said as he patted her shoulder awkwardly.

Mila shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that to Zain. He needs this nanotech lab to succeed.” She looked down at her watch. She had thirty minutes. Maybe he was waiting for her right now. There was nothing Mila wanted more than the comfort of being in Zain’s embrace right now.

“I can check with the FBI. We’re always using interpreters. But take a moment to regroup and then let us know if we can help,” Ryan said as Mila stood up.

“Thank you, both.” She gave them a weak smile and headed for the library. She kept her head down as she walked down the hallway. She didn’t want to stop and talk. And she didn’t want anyone to see the tears in her eyes.

She looked up and down the hall and when she didn’t see anyone, she slipped into the library. She grabbed a handful of truffles placed on the table for the dignitaries and headed for the secret door. Mila pulled back the curtain and froze at the sound of the heavy library door opening and closing.

“Is anyone here?” she heard a whispered voice ask in Arabic.

A second later, a second voice answered in a hushed tone, “No. It’s clear.”

“I take it from the lack of police activity you failed in your job to kill the prince?”

Mila stopped breathing.

“Someone came to the door. I had the gun to his head. I don’t know when I will get another opportunity. I was just informed that the prince has pulled all of the Rahmi guards from his detail and replaced them with his friends from Keeneston.” She could tell it was a male voice, but the other spoke very softly. She strained to be able to learn more about the speaker.

“That should make things easier, won’t it?”

“No. You don’t know this town. I’ve looked into it. These men aren’t your average farmers, and they are fiercely loyal.”

“Then we go after his family. It doesn’t have to be Zain who dies. We up the disruption to Rahmi and target his family.”

“What about the women? They can’t rule Rahmi, so they aren’t a threat.”

“I don’t give a shit if they’re a threat or not. Take them out. Nothing cripples a man more than seeing the woman he loves bleeding. These dumb bastards all love their wives.”

Mila gasped and then slammed her mouth shut.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, check it out.”

Mila moved quickly. She pushed in the small button and slid sideways into the dark room. “Close, close, close,” she chanted to herself as she heard the man moving closer to the curtain. As his footsteps stopped on the other side of the curtain, the door silently slid shut.

“I don’t see anything,” he heard a muffled voice say from the other side of the door. And then everything was quiet. Her body shook as she stood in the dark staring at what was probably the back of the door. She didn’t dare move. She didn’t dare cry. She didn’t dare turn on the light. She didn’t know if they were still on the other side of the door or not. She didn’t know if they would be able to hear her or to see the light.

Mila didn’t know how long she stayed there, but she finally took the chance to pull out her cell phone. The screen lit up and hurt her eyes. No signal. She used the glow of her phone to find the landline and picked it up. She was relieved when she heard the dial tone. Mila scrolled down her contacts and dialed Zain’s number. She had to warn him. She had to warn everyone—his mother, his sister, his father. They were all in danger.

Tears rolled harder as the phone went to voicemail. “Zain, you’re not safe,” Mila whispered. “You have to call me back.”

She hung up the phone and then called Abby. Voicemail. Panic was clawing at her. Mila had to get hold of someone, but first she had to get out of there. She hung up the phone and took a chance to turn on the light. She looked around the small room and opened all the drawers of the desk. She almost cried out in joy at the sight of an ancient telephone book. She looked up a number and dialed.

“Blossom Café, this is Zinnia.”

“Zinnia, this is Mila Thiessen, and I desperately need Anton’s phone number.”

“Sure thing, hon. But he’s actually here. I can get him for you if you need.”

“Yes, please,” Mila said as her breath came quickly.

“Are you okay, hon?” Zinnia asked quietly. “You sound as if you’re in trouble.”

“I just need Anton,” Mila said as she struggled to keep it together.

“Hold on, hon.” She heard the phone being covered by Zinnia’s hand. After what seemed a lifetime, Anton’s French-accented voice came on over the phone.

“Mila? What is it, dear?”

“They’re going to kill Zain and the royal family,” Mila blurted out before tears overtook her.

“Where are you?”

“I’m stuck in the secret room in the library. I overheard them. They’re even going to go after the women in the family, too.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t know if they’re still in the library. I tried to call Zain, but he didn’t answer. And I tried Abby; she didn’t answer either. Help me,” Mila pleaded.

“Don’t move. I’m coming, dear. Boys, I need you.” And then the line went dead. Mila moved to the couch and kept her hand pressed against her mouth to prevent the sobs from being heard. What could boys do to help her? Anton was going to walk in on the plotters and be killed. It was going to be all her fault.

She didn’t know how long she sat there straining to hear anything. But then suddenly the door slid open. Mila shrieked but then Anton’s kindly old face peered in. “You’re safe,
ma chérie
. Come on out.”

Mila stood on wobbly legs and took Anton’s hand. She stepped cautiously out into the library and found it full of young men. The door to the library was closed and the key was in the lock.

“
Ma chérie
, these boys are here to help. Kale has gone to get Abigail. They will meet us here shortly,” Anton explained as he kept patting her hand.

Mila looked at the five young men, all in their early twenties. Two looked similar.

“Mila, meet the boys.” Anton waved his hand and the men stepped closer. The one who looked the oldest stepped forward. He had kind hazel eyes and light brown hair. “I’m Jace Davies. It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Thank you. Who is your sibling?” Mila asked. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him.

“I believe you know my brother, Dylan.” He smiled when Mila’s eyes went round. That wasn’t who she was thinking about. Dylan was all muscled scariness. This man was broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped, and well, nice. “I get that a lot. You probably also saw my younger sister, Cassidy, at the café. Then my oldest sister, Piper, will be here tomorrow to talk about the nanotech lab.”

Mila nodded her head. “Yes, you and Cassidy have the same kind smile.”

“And we’re Porter and Parker Davies,” the twin who claimed to be Porter said. “Reagan and Riley are our sisters. Don’t hold that against us.” If Reagan and Riley took after their mother, then Porter and Parker must have taken after their father. They were tall and had muscled arms that looked as if they tossed bales of hay for fun. Instead of the red hair of their sisters, they had dark brown hair. Although it seemed most of these Davies had the same hazel eyes. Parker’s had a little more green than Porter's.

The other two boys stepped forward. They didn’t look alike and one looked a little older than the other. “Hi. I’m Colton Davies,” the man with dark, golden-brown hair who looked like a football player said. “And this is my younger brother, Landon.”

Landon stepped forward and shook her hand. His hair was lighter brown with deep red highlights. His eyes were deep green and surprisingly mature for someone so young. “What can we do to help you?”

Mila opened her mouth but let out a strangled squeak when there was a knock on the door. “It’s Abby,” came a harsh whisper as Jace went to unlock the door. Abby and Kale came barreling into the room. Abby look exhausted and pissed. “What the hell is going on? I wake up to a missed call from Mila and a demand from my father to meet him immediately. Then Kale is dragging me from bed and just about killed me when he narrowly missed hitting a horse at a hundred miles per hour to get me here.”

“That’s what we are here to find out. Mila called Anton and needs help,” Jace said calmly before turning and giving Mila an encouraging smile. “Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”

Mila took a deep breath and felt the tears start to press against her eyelids. She started at the beginning about how she was supposed to meet Zain in the library after the farm tour. She told them about Nikki, about being fired, and about overhearing the plot against the Ali Rahmans. She told them of her narrow escape into the secret room and how she tried to call Zain, but he didn’t answer. Same with Abby, and well, here they were.

The group was quiet for a moment, but it was Abby who broke the silence. “We need to warn them. Kale, stick to Dani like glue. Tell Mom. She’ll help. Porter and Parker, you two can climb anything. I want you to grab your hunting rifles and take positions on each side of the house as high up as you can get. I want to know every movement that’s made—who comes and who goes. I’ll email you the security package I have with everyone’s photo and title. Text me every time someone is outside. Colton and Landon, raid your parents’ not-so-secret gunroom and watch Mila here. Zain loves her, and if they know that, then Mila’s in danger, too. Jace, find your brother and fill him in and then help out wherever you’re needed. I’m going to call Ariana and get her to one of the embassies in Switzerland.”

“Switzerland? Zain’s sister is in Switzerland?” Mila asked as she grabbed Abby’s arm.

“Yes. Just for this week, though. Then she’s off to another country.”

“Wait. Whoever I heard was speaking Arabic. They could be from Rahmi, Saudi Arabia, Surman, or Tahjad. I’ve heard the guards talk and it seems all the dialects from the countries are similar variants of Arabic. Right?” When Abby nodded, Mila continued. “So, if they’re after her, then they would post someone at the Rahmi embassy and which other one?” Mila asked as a plan developed.

“The United States,” Landon said.

“So she needs to go somewhere else, but who would take her in?” Parker asked.

“Germany will,” Mila smiled.

“I’m pretty sure we’re on unsteady terms with Germany right now. At least that’s what it sounds like from what you told us,” Colton said.

“But it’s not Germany who will protect her. It’s my father. My father is the German deputy ambassador in Switzerland. And as a friend of the family, she can stay there with the full protection of Germany with very few questions.”

Abby smiled. “I like it. Call your father. Can someone get hold of Gabe?”

“I’ll call him on the way to my parents,” Landon said. “Colton, you stay with Mila. I’ll be back soon.”

“We have a plan. It’s very possible Surman is behind this. Keep your eyes on the queen and your ears open at all times. Text if anything seems off. I’ll call Ariana and then go talk to my dad to get him up to speed.”