Page 18 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

“And that means…?” Khal asked, leaving the question hanging.

Silence.

It was Khal that finally spoke. “If this is just some ass trying to get a reaction, then we’ll need to act fast.”

“It could also be someone testing out the local law enforcements’ reaction time,” Raj offered.

Everyone looked at him. “Tell me more,” Khal suggested.

Raj looked at each of them, including Tasha. “Well, we’ve tentatively ruled out financial or political motivation. And there weren’t a lot of serious injuries and the damage wasn’t significant. The main reaction was chaos and confusion.”

“Right,” Joran said, nodding. “You’re thinking that perhaps the explosion was just a way to find out what our response would be to a bomb?”

Raj nodded and Khal rubbed his chin, contemplating the possibilities. “You think that this was just a test? That someone is trying to find out what I would do if an explosion like this happened?”

Raj shrugged, leaning back again. “It’s possible. Maybe it has nothing to do with your reaction. Maybe the person who created the explosion just wanted to find out how quickly the police would arrive at a specific destination.”

The room suddenly went cold.

“You think this explosion was just a practice run,” Joran filled in, saying the words that no one wanted to say out loud.

“I don’t know,” Raj continued. “It’s possible. I’m just putting that out as a possibility.”

“Who would do something like that?” Khal rasped angrily, his body tight with fury.

“Someone who likes chaos,” Tasha whispered, forgetting that she’d promised to stay silent during these meetings. When she lifted her eyes, all three men were staring at her. “Sorry!” she said, lifting a hand to apologize.

“Don’t be sorry,” Joran replied. “Your analysis was spot on. If you hadn’t looked at the explosion from a different angle, we might not be prepared for what could come next.”

“I don’t think we even have laws in place for something like this,” Raj added.

“If we do,” Khal continued, “I don’t think that the punishment would be adequate.”

“What’s an adequate punishment for wounding and maiming a large group of people just for kicks and giggles?”

Tasha was already picturing the punishment. And in her head she pictured the image of Nathan King, being sprayed with hot oil, then strapped to a tree, his tiny penis dangling between his pasty white thighs, a big red X spray painted on his pathetic chest while his constituents used a paint ball gun to shoot at whatever body part they deemed responsible for the mess he’d created in American politics.

Chapter 16

Khal heard Tasha mutter about paint balls and how badly they stung when they hit a body. “A naked body would be worse!” she grumbled. “It would sting and leave a massive bruise, not to mention, the colors would splatter all over his pathetic, pasty chest and obnoxious face!” Another pause. He and his brothers watched in horror as the pretty woman tapped her fingernails against the conference table. “And there would be nothing he could do to stop it! Everyone who was hurt by his actions should get a turn with the paint ball gun! Over and over again, they’d get to shoot paint balls at him for as long as it took to ease the pain that he’d caused. If it took a hundred paint balls, they get to shoot him a hundred times! Because men like that need to feel the pain they’ve caused!”

Khal looked at her hands and almost burst out laughing when he realized she was about to tear the tablet apart.

She wasn’t finished though. “And if his ugly, tiny, pathetic penis became the target most women shot at, more’s the pity! He shouldn’t have been such a misogynist bastard. He shouldn’t have attacked so many women! He shouldn’t have…!”

Tasha stopped abruptly, looking around, suddenly realizing that she had been speaking out loud. Her mouth fell open and Khal followed her gaze. Both Joran and Raj had pulled their papers closer, covering their groins, and they both looked slightly pale.

Khal, on the other hand, was sporting one of the hardest, most painful erections he’d ever had in his life. Scooting closer to the table, he cleared his throat. Why was he so turned on by Tasha expressing her desire for retribution against the nameless bastard who had hurt her? And apparently, many other women!

But it was true. He was hot for her!

It was even adorable when she realized what she’d just said and snapped her mouth closed, pressing her lips together. It was obvious that she’d thought she’d only been thinking the thoughts. If ever there was an expression that screamed, “Please tell me I didn’t say all of that out loud,” it was there on Tasha’s lovely features.

And she’d never looked more beautiful! Her cheeks were pink with either anger or embarrassment and her chocolate eyes sparkled with an inner flame.

Khal wanted to capture that heat. No, not capture it. He wanted to fan those flames. He wanted to increase the heat within her and give her the power to follow through on every damn fantasy she had!

Okay, maybe not the paintball thing. But yeah, he wanted to give her the power to crush the man who had hurt her so badly.

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