Page 27 of Death and Desire

“Curiosity can be a noble trait, but it can lead to things better left hidden.”

“What are you hiding, Khalid?”

His dark eyes flashed in the moonlight. “What makes you think I’m hiding anything?”

“You never talk about yourself.”

“There’s nothing to say.”

“Your protests only make me wish to uncover your mysteries more.”

He tensed beneath her fingertips at her soft chuckle.

“Just one secret, and I shall be satisfied.”

“I doubt that.”

“Do you?”

“Very much.” He spun her around before catching her in a dip. His gaze fixed on hers. “It would be wise not to pry where you will most certainly find disappointment.” He returned her to her feet once more.

Dazed, she frowned. “What do you mean?”

Khalid lifted her wrist to his lips. His eyes drifted closed as he inhaled. The action felt intimate...sensual...almost forbidden. He sighed on his exhale, lowering her hand and stepping away. She shivered at the loss of contact.

“I am not the man you wish me to be, little thief.”

With those words, he turned, abandoning her to the night and the distant sound of music and flowing water.

A riot of emotions assailed her. Disappointment, rage, confusion, and shame mingled in a storm building in the pit of her stomach. How could he be so cold and distant when she felt the heat of his touch, the desire pulsing between them?

Mystery be damned. Khalid was a labyrinth of secrets locked in a vault more secure than the Tower of London. She cursed her inability to unravel his twisted words, to discover the man behind the impenetrable mask. He treated her with kindness, but his stoic, calculated demeanor made her question whether he truly enjoyed her company.

Damn him!She scuffed her shoe on the deck before returning to the rail. Leaning against it, she inhaled deeply, a desperate attempt to clear her mind.

Why was she here? What brought her to Egypt? Her mother’s memory. Her promise to show Violet the wonders she’d experienced.

Or was it something more? Her dreams. The man within them.

Khalid.

Darkness enveloped her as a thick cloth sack was draped over her head, knocking her off balance. She swayed, and her arm slammed into the railing. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound emerged as she gasped for air. Rough hands grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her.

Desperate, she slammed her heeled shoe into the assailant’s shin. A man swore. The pressure on her arms tightened.

Violet threw her weight back, catching him unaware.

He cursed when she broke free.

Blindly, she ran, only to catch the railing against her stomach and pitch forward over it. Down she tumbled, a scream lodged in her throat.

It died when she hit the water with a splash, and the bag covering her head soaked up liquid, pulling her into the depths of the Nile, stealing life as her scream dissipated in the black water surrounding her.

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