Page 39 of Dangerous Protocol

Nadim had sat on the edge of the bed and leaned his ear close to his father’s mouth.

“Promise me you will avenge Zahir’s death.” These were the last words he ever spoke.

He vowed he would, then his father’s eyes drooped shut and he released his last, rattling breath.

Three days later, Nadim took his place upon the throne.

His father had a blind spot where his youngest son was concerned and never could accept that the rumors about Zahir weren’t rumors at all.

His youngest brother had always been a problem child. From the moment he was able to walk, he would find a way to get into places he had no business being. At the age of five, he’d nearly drowned in one of their pools after wandering outside alone. Quick thinking on the part of one of their gardeners was the only reason he survived.

Not much changed after he became an adult. His favorite haunts were whorehouses and gambling dens. Both of which were strictly forbidden. And trouble followed his youngest brother everywhere. The kind of trouble only their father, as the king, could make disappear. That, too, had taken a toll on their father’s health.

Nadim had conflicting emotions about his brother’s death. On the one hand, an incomprehensible anger burned inside him—no one killed a member of the royal family and lived. On the other hand, his brother’s deatheliminated a lot of headaches for Nadim, the royal family, and his country.

He would honor the vow he’d made to his father, and once the Corbett woman was dealt with, he would figure out what to do with her offspring. Because he had no intention of releasing the girl.

Ping.

He sat forward and picked his cell phone up from his desk.Adnan. He tapped the screen to take the call and put it on speaker.

“Yes, my friend.” He finished the last of the bourbon in his glass.

“It is not appropriate for me to see the female child without her abaya.” The click of his heels on the marble floors could be heard through the phone. “Therefore, I have asked Halima to meet me in the girl’s room. She will prepare her.”

“Whatever you decide, just have her ready at the appropriate time.” His friend could be such a puritanical prude sometimes. “Once your sister has her ready, restart the video camera.”

After sending the first video to Maya, they’d sent in a woman from the household staff to check on the girl and turn off the camera.

“Nadim … Your Majesty, are you sur—”

“Do as you are instructed, Adnan.” He added a bite to his words, as it was important to remind him of the boundaries between them.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Jeffrey shadowed Andi, withWolf and Mason close behind. Feet silent on the shiny marble floor, weapons raised, they continually scanned their surroundings, prepared for any threat. They hurried in a crouch toward a wide foyer area with elevator doors. Centered in the wide space was a round, pedestal-style table with a massive floral bouquet perched atop it.

They carefully avoided the table, and at the end of the corridor, Andi risked a quick peek around the corner to the left, then raised a fist for them to stop. She held up two fingers and pointed them in the direction of the door.

Guards.

Mason nodded once, drew a dart gun from his thigh holster, and squatted down. He checked it was loaded, took aim, and fired.Thwip.Because the gun utilized pressurized gas, the sound was somewhat negligible. He quickly loaded another dart and took his second shot.Thwip.

There were some grunts, thumps against the wall, then the sound of bodies dropping to the floor.

Mason gave them the heads-up and stood.

Andi led them down the hall, stopped, and pointed at the fourth door. Wolf took out his trusty lockpick tool and went to work disengaging the lock. She watched for company while Mason and Jeffrey dragged the two guards out of the way and shoved them in the corner at the far end of the hallway.

Wolf shifted to take up position next to Andi on the left side of the door, and they put their backs to the wall. Jeffrey and Mason did the same on the right side. Jeffrey dipped his chin, reached down with his left hand to grab the knob, and froze at the sound of a man’s voice.

“It is not appropriate for me to see the female child without her abaya.” His footsteps suddenly stopped. “Therefore, I have asked Halima to meet me in the girl’s room. She will prepare her.”

“Whatever you decide, just have her ready at the appropriate time.” Nadim Al-Mansoori’s voice came through the speaker. “Once your sister has her ready, restart the video camera.”

Hopefully, that meant no one was watching Isla. And what the hell did that asshole mean by “prepare her”?

“Nadim … Your Majesty, are you sur—”