Page 5 of A City of Hearts and Feathers

Kerem squeezed her shoulder. "Go and settle in, Zoe. I know that it was cleaned for your arrival and the apartment upstairs organized. Call me tomorrow, and we can settle the legal side of things."

Zoe nodded and offered him a tight smile. "Thank you, Kerem. Um, good night, I guess?"

"Happy birthday, Zoe." Kerem smiled warmly at her. "Welcome home."

CHAPTER THREE

Across the street, Kahil sat in the cafe, drinking his second pot of strong black tea of the afternoon. He had been there for an hour, watching the store and waiting to catch his first glimpse of Oman's daughter. She had no idea what was about to land on her head, and Kahil was curious to see if she had the backbone to handle it.

A black Mercedes pulled up in front of the bookstore, and Kerem got out of the car. His dark eyes found Kahil, noting his presence straight away. Those in the Order could always sense each other when they were close by, their heightened senses tuning into each other's energy.

Behind his aviators, Kahil watched as Kerem opened the door of the car, and Zoe Kartal stepped out. Kahil had only met Oman's daughter once, the night of his murder. She still had the same bright bronze hair that shone golden in the afternoon sun. She looked strained and upset, but that didn't take away from how attractive she was. She had full lips and a curving figure to match. Damn, things just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

Kahil grinned into his tea, feeling sorry for Kerem, who would be forced to see the girl as his goddaughter. He and Omanhad been such good friends that he would be feeling more than a little paternal towards Zoe, even if she didn't remember him.

Kahil's nose twitched as the breeze off the Bosporus brought the scents of the sea and car exhaust. On top of that was Zoe's sweet perfume of bergamot and ylang ylang. Wine. Coffee. Sadness.

Kahil frowned. It was her birthday; it wasn't right for her to be so sad. It was an old grief, not a fresh one, he noted. Maybe it was a bad idea to push the shop onto her. He lifted his cup to drink his tea and breathed in the tannin to clear his senses.

Once the girl had disappeared into the bookstore, Kerem crossed the street. His usual pristine clothes looked rumpled around the edges after a full day of travel.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" Kerem greeted him.

Kahil shrugged. "Duty is duty. How is she handling her inheritance?"

"She's upset. Pissed off. Hurt. She was so worked up on the plane, she was giving me heartburn," Kerem replied, rubbing at his chest. He helped himself to Kahil's pot of tea. "Anita wasn't there to cause a scene, but she still yelled at me over the phone like I was some asshole trying to kidnap her daughter."

"She wasn't there for Zoe's birthday?" Kahil asked and wondered why it annoyed him so much.

"Anita never is apparently. Zoe doesn't even know who her father really was. She has no clue about the Order either. This is going to be more complicated than we thought," Kerem complained. He looked up at the bookstore, dark eyes calculating and sad. "She didn't recognize me at all. Not even a glimmer of a smile for old Uncle Kerem."

"She was only a kid when she was here last, brother. She's going to be thrown into our world quick enough once word gets out that the bookstore is occupied again," Kahil replied. It wasgoing to be a nightmare, which was why he was sitting outside the damn store to begin with. Arslan was worried for Zoe's safety and was going to ensure that they shadowed her.

Kerem hummed. "With any luck, Zoe won't remember you either. She is already asking questions about the Order. She's smart and knows there's something else going on. I have no doubt she will find out hard and fast."

"Smart and pretty, that's a dangerous combination for a woman," Kahil teased.

Kerem glared at him. "So you noticed she was pretty already?"

"I have eyes," he replied, running a hand through his dark hair to pull it back from his face. "See? Two of them that work perfectly fine."

"Eyes that I will cheerfully remove if you get lascivious thoughts about my goddaughter."

Kahil smiled sweetly just because he knew it would piss Kerem off more. "Now, now, old friend, save that overprotectiveness for when she's actually threatened."

"Arslan sent you to watch her for the night?" Kerem asked, shifting the subject.

Kahil nodded. "He thinks it will be best if we have eyes on her while she's in the city. The old man is more unsettled than usual."

"I should report in and tell him how it went." Kerem drained his tea and stood. "Don't fail in your duties to protect her, Kahil."

Kahil fought not to flinch. Kerem didn't have to add, 'Like you did her father.'It was still there unspoken. It had been a wedge between them for decades.

"I won't let anyone come near her. I'll protect her with my life. I promise," he answered solemnly.

Kerem looked towards the shop again. "She's upset. I can hear her crying, and it's killing me. Maybe I should?—"

"No. You shouldn't. It's natural for her to be grieving in a situation like this. Go and speak with Arslan. I'll call in the cavalry to look after her." Kahil pulled out his phone and started texting.

---