Page 37 of The Forbidden Sheik
“We’re going to find Aunt Marianna,” he declared, then rushed over to grab Joran’s hand when he walked into the office, tugging him along behind Khal like a little duckling. “You were in the military, Uncle Joran. You can help too.”
Raj stepped into the scene, rolling his eyes while clearly trying—and failing—to smother his amusement. It wasn’t easy when you had four tiny kids charging ahead, determined to save the day. They all piled into Khal’s office, with Joran and the rest of the group following behind.
Fifteen minutes later, Khal was still nodding as the four little ones took turns blurting out the places they’d looked for Marianna, the clues they’d figured out, the wrong turns, their frustration and their successes. He smiled at the chaos, feeling a warm sense of pride.
Thankfully, in that moment, he looked over at one of the bodyguards. The man nodded, silently signaling that Marianna was back home and “in place”.
“Okay, it sounds like you’ve all done a very thorough search of the palace,” Joran said, stepping forward and placing a heavy hand on Rafi’s shoulders, who was so small, it looked like Joran was about to crush him. Helen, Tasha, and Tila stood in the back, snickering behind their hands, clearly trying to hold in their laughter.
Raj, ever the practical one, stepped forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He placed a quickly drawn map on the coffee table, then pointed to a closet near the end of the “trail.” “With all the clues you’ve described, I think they all lead here,” he said. “Maybe all of your clues brought you to this place.”
The four tiny heads leaned closer to examine the “map” with expressions of pure concentration. It was hard to take them seriously when they looked so cute, but Khal managed to keep his face straight.
“We didn’t look there,” Angela whispered, her eyes wide as she glanced at Zayn, then Laith and Rafi. “Is he right?”
Zayn, now the self-proclaimed leader, sighed deeply, looking like he was about to deliver a profound piece of wisdom. Instead, he let out a dramatic sound that wasperfectlyimitated from his father’s own, then nodded with a seriousness that could only belong to a six-year-old. “We should look there,” he confirmed, giving his best "I told you so" look.
Laith and Rafi, always eager to succeed, nodded in agreement. “That’s a good idea. Thanks, Uncle Raj,” they said, their little voices filled with gratitude.
And just like that, all four of them were off—a blur of tiny sneakers and determined faces, tearing down the hallway faster than Khal could blink. Their aunts, uncles, and parents followed behind, but the kids didn’t even notice. Their focus was clear: Find Aunt Marianna. Nothing else mattered.
Khal couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he watched them go, feeling a sense of joy and relief. His little warriors were on a mission, and there was no stopping them now.
The four little heroes made a beeline for the closet Raj had pointed out, their tiny feet pattering like a swarm of excited bees. Zayn stopped in front of the door, one hand resting on the knob, looking at his co-conspirators. With a glance at the others, all three of them nodded like a perfectly coordinated team. Then, with a flourish, Zayn opened the door.
Sure enough, there was Marianna, her hands and feet bound, a gag over her mouth. The moment she saw them, she let out a muffled “yell,” which sounded like more of a relieved sigh than anything else.
“We found you!” Angela squealed, her voice high with excitement. Without waiting for Marianna to react, the little darling dove into Marianna’s body, completely unconcerned that Marianna couldn’t catch her. Zayn quickly got to work on the loose knots around Marianna’s feet while Laith untied her hands. Rafi, ever the problem-solver, was the first to tackle the gag, yanking it free with determination.
Finally, Marianna was free. Before she could say a word, her arms wrapped around her four tiny saviors in a tight, joyful hug. She laughed and exhaled in disbelief. “You brilliant little darlings! You found me and saved me!” she exclaimed, planting kisses on their little heads.
Meanwhile, Sheik Amit, the “bastard,” stepped forward, blocking their little circle of happiness. Khal shot a glare at the man. Sure, Amit had saved his sister from the kidnapping attempt—that alone earned him some begrudging respect. But as Marianna looked up at him with those unmistakable heart-shaped eyes, the love in her gaze made Khal’s stomach twist. Damn it, she really loved the man.
With a resigned sigh, Khal turned around to find Joran and Raj wearing the same tortured expression. But as their wives...!
Helen, Tila, and Tasha were practically snickering in the background. Helen shook her head with a fond smile, walking over to wrap her arms around Raj, lifting onto her toes to kiss him and teasing, “You’ll get used to him.”
Tila, ever the romantic, grabbed Joran’s hand and laced their fingers together. Joran still looked a little disgruntled, but when Tila gently lifted his hand and kissed the back of it, he relented with a soft sigh and pulled her in close.
Tasha, however, stayed back, her expression more thoughtful. Khal glanced at her, seeing the love and admiration shining in her eyes, and something inside him softened. He walked over to her, his hand reaching out to pull her into his arms. He kissed her forehead gently and whispered, “I’ll behave.” She pressed her cheek to his chest in response, her smile warm and knowing.
He turned just in time to see the four little ones pulling at Marianna’s hand, their tiny hands tugging on her fingers in a coordinated dance of impatience. “You need to eat something, Aunt Marianna,” Zayn announced, his voice serious and determined as if Marianna hadn't eaten in years.
Angela, ever the little ball of energy, was behind Marianna, enthusiastically pushing at Marianna’s backside in an attempt to speed things up. “Come on! You’re coming with us to eat!” she insisted, clearly convinced that Marianna’s day of being tied up should end with a feast.
Marianna simply looked up at Amit, her eyes dancing with amusement as a silent message passed between them. The affection in that shared glance made Khal’s heart sink further.
Damn it, she really loved the bastard!
Epilogue
“Stop trying to distract me!” Marianna commanded, standing by the desk in her office.
Amit smiled and moved forward. His office was right next to hers. They needed to be close to each other in order to talk whenever the need arose.
“Distract you, my love?” he asked innocently, stepping into the office and closing the door behind him.
Immediately, Marianna’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. She pointed at the closed door. “Open that immediately!” she ordered, backing away.
