Page 29 of Passion and Deception

Then he turned to his deputy. “Call Dash Phillips in Nevada. Tell him to get his people out to this address,” he sent the information via text, “until we can get our people out there. It has to happen in the next five minutes.”

The deputy turned and rushed from the room.

Ramit breathed a sigh of momentary relief, gripping the counter in the center of the security office. “Thank you!”

Turning, he strode out of the office and headed for his own. Hamud was there, waiting for him with a worried expression in his eyes.

“You heard?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied, adding a small bow.

“Does everyone know?”

“No, Sire. There are very few people who know and I will contain the gossip.”

“Thank you.” He paced his office, running his hands through his hair.

Hamud stood there, watching silently for a moment, then he offered, “Perhaps I should cancel your other appointments today, Your Highness.”

Ramit swung around, staring at the man for a moment as the words slowly processed. When he was able to make sense of what the man had suggested, Ramit nodded. “Yes. Thank you, that’s probably for the best.” He started pacing again, as his frustration grew. Then he stopped abruptly and called out, “Have my plane prepped. I’m going to Philadelphia to wait for confirmation.”

Hamud paused for a startled moment, then nodded and bowed. “I’ll have that arranged immediately.” And then he left, leaving Ramit to simmer in his confusion and fury.

Chapter 21

“Oh, so you are awake and trying to give me a few more minutes of sleep, eh?” Maggie cooed as she stepped into her daughter’s bedroom. Bending over the crib, she scooped Nadia into her arms. The tiny girl wiggled with delight, blowing spit bubbles in anticipation of her breakfast. “Are you going to be impatient while we change your diaper? Or are you going to live up to your name and let me do the deed as quickly as…”

Nadia squealed with anger as soon as Maggie laid her down on the changing table. “Ah, I see that you will not be cooperative, my little lady.” She tickled Nadia’s tummy, which only eased the squealing for a moment, then little arms and legs resumed their wiggling in protest.

Maggie had become quite adept at changing Nadia’s diaper, but her daughter’s morning impatience was still a challenge. Thankfully, today wasn’t too bad. With a clean diaper efficiently strapped on, Maggie carried Nadia over to the chair near the corner. “Okay, we’re ready now. And yes, I know you’re hungry. I know,” she whispered, adjusting her clothing and the ugly maternity bra to reveal her breast. Immediately, Nadia latched on and started suckling, eager to fill her belly.

The doorbell rang and Maggie looked through the small window in Nadia’s room, then down at her daughter. “I know that you’re not finished, love. Do you think the person at the front door is more important?”

In response, Nadia’s dark eyes stared back up at Maggie but there was no cessation of her breakfast.

Maggie smiled softly, madly in love with her little girl. Especially after a full five hours of sleep. Before Nadia’s birth, only five hours of sleep a night would have made Maggie feel like a zombie. Post birth, five hours of sleep was equivalent to winning the lottery.

“Apparently, no one is more important than your next meal. And it’s probably Ms. Iverson next door checking in. No one else would come this early in the morning.” Maggie ran a finger down over Nadia’s soft cheek, smiling at her daughter. Her friends at the club as well as the overly generous owners, Levi, Sean and Matteo, were constantly sending her care packages. Sometimes, it was a package of diapers, and other times new toys or clothes. “Aunt Emily and Aunt Ann are coming for a visit today. Are you looking forward to seeing them?”

The pounding on the door was more emphatic this time.

“Goodness, someone is impatient!” she whispered, but didn’t bother to pull her daughter away. Nadia wasn’t silent when denied a meal. “Whoever is out there can just wait, right?”

Thankfully, there was no more knocking on the door and Maggie relaxed against the cushions of the rocking chair, assuming that whoever had been knocking had gone. “We only have a few more days alone together and I’m not letting anyone interrupt us before I have to go back to work.”

Chapter 22

Ramit stood back, waiting for his bodyguards to give the okay that the residence was safe. They were currently surrounding the small house, and Ramit wanted to rush inside and find Maggie and his daughter!

Nadia. What a beautiful name. Would she look like him? Or did she have soft, pale skin like Maggie?

“There’s no answer, Your Highness.”

Ramit turned to look at one of his other guards. The man nodded confirmation before adding, “There’s a car in the garage, Sire.” He cupped his hands around his face as he peered in through one of the windows. “And there are stacks of baby supplies.” The man turned around, looking strange. “I think there are enough diapers in that garage for three or four babies, Your Highness.”

Ramit clenched his teeth, trying to figure out where Maggie might be. “Can you get inside? Maybe we can find out where she is. It’s essential that my daughter be protected.” And yes, he knew that the baby girl was his daughter. The DNA evidence proved that Nadia was his child.

He was a father! That thought kept echoing through his head. He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the reality that he had a daughter.

---