Page 34 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

“First of all, I know Khal has been asking me how to talk to you. He’s worried about you.”

That brought the girl’s eyes up, but then she looked down at her fingers again, tugging at a hangnail on her thumb. “No, he’s not.”

“Did you know that he stopped by this morning to have breakfast with you?”

The girl’s head jerked upwards. “No, he didn’t!”

Tasha nodded. She hesitated to tell this wounded child the truth, but in the end, suspected that the truth might help. The girl needed to know that she wasn’t just needed, she was understood. “He did. In fact, he also knew where you’d been last night.”

She snorted at that statement. Even laughing. “No he didn’t. I snuck out of the palace and…”

“Went to a dance club. You met three very nice men, didn’t you?’

Marianna’s suspicious eyes lifted to glare at Tasha. “Yeah. How the hell did you know that?” she demanded.

“Because your brother knows you’re in pain. And you’re lashing out in any way you can. He protected you from the others in the club.”

Marianna’s mouth fell open with that bit of information. “How?”

“You have been surrounded by bodyguards every moment you ‘snuck’ out of the palace. Everyone that you danced with, every man who bought you a drink was a palace guard.”

Marianna jumped up, outraged as she tossed the pillow to the floor. “That’s…that’s…!” she stopped, floundering. A moment later, her silence was broken by a teary reply. “That’s actually kind of sweet,” she whispered, bowing her head. Marianna turned and peeked over her shoulder at Tasha. “Did he really do that?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed, nodding for emphasis. “He’s worried about you, but he doesn’t know how to help you. So, he did what he does best; he protected you while he waited for you to work it out on your own.”

Marianna’s shoulders shook with her tears now. Tasha jumped up and wrapped her arms around the girl, knowing exactly how pain could lash at one’s soul.

“Why wasn’t he here to meet me that first day?”

Tasha hugged her closer. “He doesn’t have the right to do what he wants, honey,” she whispered softly. “Khal rarely has personal time. As his assistant, I would know. I’m the one that controls his schedule.” The girl started to pull away and Tasha let her, looking into her eyes. “The day of your arrival, there was an explosion at a power plant in a small village. He was literally walking out the door to join Raj and Joran, heading to the palace entrance to greet you when word of the explosion came in.”

The girl lifted teary, kohl-stained eyes to Tasha. “He chose the explosion.”

Tasha wasn’t sure what the girl was thinking, but continued. “You know how you weren’t given a choice to come here to Lativa?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Khal isnevergiven a choice about his day. He was born into this family and was never given a choice about his career. He went to university and studied business. He probably would have started his own business if he’d had the freedom to do what he wanted with his life. But his father was suddenly killed in a plane crash. Without any warning, Khal was shoved into the role of ruling a very complicated country.”

“No way!” she hissed, captivated by the story.

“Way,” Tasha confirmed with a nod. “He wasn’t even allowed to attend his graduation from university. He was brought here to the palace and forced to deal with an entire country that was confused and terrified of the future. He hadno idea what he was doing. He stood in front of the crowds on the upper balcony and told everyone that they would be safe and protected. That their world wasn’t coming to an end.”

“That’s…rough!” Marianna whispered, listening intently.

“I suspect it was horrible,” she replied, remembering the videos of that day. “From the moment your oldest brother wakes up in the morning, until the moment he closes his door, usually around midnight, Khal’s life is usurped by obligations and meetings, and he’s forced to make life and death decisions. Sometimes literally. He has no privacy. No time to just relax. Even his meals are absorbed by his duties.” She smiled gently. “So, yeah. He really does know the kind of pain you’re dealing with, Marianna. If you’d give him and your other brothers a chance, I suspect that you might…maybe…find some comfort in talking with them.”

Chapter 29

Khal leaned his head against the wall, listening to Tasha explain his life to a young, terrified girl. Thankfully, Marianna seemed to be listening. He closed his eyes, telling himself that he should leave. He should just walk away and give them some privacy.

But he couldn’t.

Khal heard a noise, then noticed Raj and Joran standing in front of him, wearing matching stunned expressions.

“Is that true?” Raj demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

“How the hell do you deal with all of it?’ Joran hissed. “This is…!”

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