Page 50 of Forty Days and One Knight
With a sigh,Tahira followed Lahana as she passed the suite’s sitting area and strode out to the balcony where a half-filled pitcher of lemonade and several glasses waited on a small table. An umbrella provided some pleasant shade. Her cousin sat down on one of the two available chairs, picked up her drink, and took a long sip. Staring out over the gardens, she asked, “So, what do you want, Tahira?”
Again, that venomous tone bothered Tahira—her cousin and she had always gotten along, but since the rescue, they seemed worlds apart. Taking the other seat, she poured herself a glass of the pink refreshment. “I was hoping we could talk about ... about Argentina.”
“What about it? It’s a god-forsaken country with too many insects.”
“You know what I mean, cousin.” Tahira brought the glass to her lips, but the moment the cool liquid hit her tongue, she coughed and sputtered. “Wh-what’s in this?”
Lahana sniffled and rubbed her nose, her movements jerky. “Haven’t you ever had gin and lemonade before? It’s quite delicious.”
As Tahira studied the other woman, she could see her current drink wasn’t the first one of the day. “I—I know you’re having a hard time dealing with what that bastard did to you.” Lahana snorted, and Tahira dropped her gaze to her lap. “He—he raped a lot of those girls. He—”
“Ha! Oh, Tahira, Tahira, Tahira—the naïve little princess. He didn’t rape me.”
She shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean? Of course—”
“Oh, please. I like it rough, and Felix knew that.”
Felix?Darius had told her Secada’s first name at some point, but until now, Tahira had forgotten it. How did Lahana know it? Had Amar told her? And what did she mean when she said he hadn’t raped her?
Standing, Lahana sashayed over to the balcony’s railing and looked down. “As usual, there’ll be plenty of pomp and circumstance for the little princess. Whatever she wants, she gets. Although, I’m surprised a man as virile as Darius Knight is willing to marry a virgin, when a woman like me has so much more to give him. Maybe I’ll offer him some action tonight before he gets tied down to you.”
More confused than ever, Tahira got to her feet and approached Lahana. “Cousin, what are you talking about?”
“Seriously, Tahira, you really should get out more. I can’t believe you’re still a freaking virgin.”
Lahana pulled a small vial from the front pocket of her capris. Opening it, she dipped the fingernail of her pinkie into a white powder, then brought it to her nose and sniffed. Tahira’s eyes widened when she realized her cousin was using cocaine. Hobnobbing with the rich and famous for years had exposed Tahira to drugs and alcohol, although she’d never partaken in the former and only imbibed on the latter in moderation.
“What are you doing? Stop!” She grabbed Lahana’s arm, causing her to drop the vial, spilling the white powder onto the concrete balcony.
Her eyes filled with fury, Lahana lunged at Tahira, her hands grasping her neck and squeezing. “You bitch!”
Stunned, Tahira stumbled backward, grabbed her cousin’s wrists, and tried to break free. Fueled by the drugs and rage, though, Lahana had the upper hand. She pushed Tahira against the hard, wrought-iron railing, and it dug into her back. “I should have had him rape you first. Then your hero wouldn’t have had time to save you. You would’ve been disgraced. But, no, the precious princess wins again.” Her face was red and sweaty as spittle shot from her mouth, hitting Tahira in the face. “Do you know how long I’ve had to live in your shadow? Everyone bowing to you, calling you ‘Your Royal Highness’ like you were something special? Well, you’re not. You’re just a naïve little prude. But you’re always first in line for everything and the rest of us are second best, right? Everywhere we go, men give you all the attention because they want to marry a princess. That’s why I planned Jamaica. You and Nala would’ve been out of my hair, and after my alleged escape, I would have been in the spotlight, getting all the attention I deserved!”
Gasping for air, Tahira clawed at Lahana’s hands, arms, and face. She twisted and struggled against the hold. She swung her fists, but they landed harmlessly. Her lungs burned for oxygen. Lifting her leg, she brought her heel down hard, hoping to hit Lahana’s toes that were exposed by her sandals. The other woman merely grunted in pain, but it had done the trick to distract her and loosen her hold just enough for Tahira to rotate her body. Bringing her arm up, she was able to elbow her cousin in the face, knocking her back a few steps.
Panting, she glanced toward the open French doors, wondering if she could make it inside before she was attacked again. She’d no idea Lahana hated her so much she would hatch a scheme to have her and Nala raped and sold as sex slaves. They’d grown up together. Traveled together. Shared secrets with each other. Sure, Lahana could be bitchy at times, but so could half the women Tahira knew.
One of the chairs was in her way, but she could toss it aside and run past. However, it was too late. With a roar, Lahana rushed her, but Tahira sidestepped toward the door and shoved the other woman away. Too her horror, Lahana’s momentum flipped her over the railing. She flailed her hands, trying to grab something ... anything to stop her descent. Her screams were deafening as she fell thirty feet to the ground below.
Shouts and screeches came from the garden area, but nothing could drown out the sound of Lahana’s body landing on the stone terrace below with a heavy thud. In shock, Tahira stood there, staring at where she’d seen her cousin last, shaking and unable to go to the railing and look down. The blood had drained from her face, leaving her lightheaded, and she wavered on her feet.
Behind her, the bedroom door flew open, banging against the wall, and suddenly Darius was there. “Tahira!”
His strong arms scooped her up and carried her inside, as she slammed her eyes shut, trying to erase the image of Lahana falling. Several people entered the room, but the only other voices she recognized were Ian’s and Amar’s. From their hushed tones, it was obvious her cousin was dead.
Darius sat down on something, settling her on his lap, and holding her trembling body. She clutched his shirt and buried her face into his neck as tears poured down her cheeks. His heart was pounding in his chest as fast as hers was. He rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. “Shh ... it’s over, sweetheart. I’ve got you. Shh ... I’ve got you and I’m never letting you go. I love you.”
38
Three Weeks Later - Florida ...
In the penthouse of the Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, Tahira’s nerves had butterflies taking flight in her stomach. She stared at her reflection in the mirror in the master bath, as her wedding dress hung from a hook on the closed door. She’d pulled her hair down from its fancy updo and put on the elegant, white peignoir set her mother had given her for this special evening. Tonight was when Tahira would give herself to her new husband in every way. Their wedding had been postponed several weeks, due to Lahana’s death. Not willing to bring shame to the family of the king’s brother, the palace had released a statement saying the young woman had fallen to her death in a horrible accident. As a result, the wedding would be rescheduled so the engaged couple could mourn their loss with the rest of the royal family.
The only witnesses to what’d really happened had been Darius, Ian, and a few other men from Trident Security. By the time those in the gaming area had realized what was happening, most had only seen Lahana’s fall, not what had preceded it. When questioned by Amar and Darius, Diallo had admitted Lahana had often borrowed his phone when they were out together, saying she’d either forgotten hers or its battery was dead. He’d never thought anything of it, and they’d believed him.
They were still trying to track down how Lahana and Secada had met each other. The woman had often traveled to various cities around the world, partying with Diallo and Farid or several girlfriends, so there were many possibilities. Darius had said he suspected it was during one of the several trips to Dubai Lahana had taken during the past two years. As one of the biggest party cities in the world, it catered to anyone with money—whether it was legally obtained or not.
Tahira still couldn’t believe how Lahana had turned on her. The woman had obviously been good at hiding her jealousy and hatred. Who knew how long she’d harbored them? Tahira and her family would be dealing with their grief and hurt from the betrayal for a long time. Lahana had not been the sweet, fun girl Tahira had grown up with, but that was how she wished to remember her.
