Page 22 of Hayes
“That was quite a back slap. Are you trying to kill me?” smirked Luke. The man laughed, shaking his head.
“Don’t attempt to flatter me. Nothing I do physically to your body will harm you. You are better than a cat. You have at least twenty lives that I’m aware of.”
“You look well, my friend.”
“So do you,” he smiled at Luke. “I see you brought many of my favorite people. Cam, Eric, Mo, Hoot, I love that name so much. Hello, gentlemen.” They all waved, smiling at the man.
“But wait. Who is this beauty in your midst?” he smiled.
“Sir, this is my daughter, Victoria,” said Mo. Victoria stepped forward, blushing as the man held her hand between both of his.
“You are very lovely. I have many sons. Are you single?” he asked.
“No, sir,” she smiled. “Although it would have been the greatest honor to be considered for one of your sons.” Omar laughed, shaking his head.
“She has been taught well. Beauty, grace, charm, and I suspect great intelligence in those beautiful eyes. Come. Come, all of you. You will be guests in one of my private residences.”
“Omar, we appreciate that, but there are more than twenty of us here,” said Luke.
“I can count, Luke,” he smirked. “This is a palatial residence.”
Omar wasn’t wrong. The mega-mansion had thirteen bedrooms, twenty-two bathrooms, two swimming pools, and four kitchens. If anyone got lost, they’d have to use trackers to find them.
“This is stunning,” said Victoria, staring at the residence.
“Thank you, my child. Come, my staff will place your things in the rooms. Tell me why you are here.”
“Khalil Aamari,” said Hayes. He was sweating, pale, and definitely losing strength.
“Is he well? I can have a physician here immediately,” said Omar.
“A physician would be welcome,” said Cruz. “I tried to convince him to go home, but he refused until this is done. I’ve set his bones, but he’s struggling.”
Omar immediately ordered for the physicians to come, bringing portable equipment. He knew the men wouldn’t want to be in public at a hospital. Then he told the staff to prepare a meal for the team.
Within moments, tea, flavored waters, sodas, coffee, sandwiches, and sweets were laid out before them. Trays of fruits, dates, almonds, and other things were arranged in front of them, and the men dug in.
“Khalil Aamari. What has he done?” frowned Omar.
“He killed my entire team and attempted to kidnap me,” said Hayes. Omar stared at the young man, understanding all of the undertones not spoken.
“He is creating quite a problem in the region. He’s determined to rule all of Kuwait and beyond. He would have to kill many leaders above him to do that, but he thinks he has something that others need.”
“Maybe it was you,” said Hoot, staring at his son.
“Could be,” nodded Hayes.
“Another brilliant warrior?” asked Omar. Luke gave one quick nod, and Omar knew. “We have a few of those ourselves, and they are a treasure to our country. Having men who are fearless and brilliant is especially a blessing. I can see that you have women with those qualities as well.”
“Me?” asked Victoria with surprise. “No, sir. I’m not a warrior at all. Up until all of this, I was an absolute coward, not wanting to leave my home out of fear.” Omar smiled at her, touching her cheek with a fatherly gesture.
“My dear, fear is a sign of courage. Never, ever trust a man who is not afraid of something. He’s a liar.”
“I’ll try to remember that,” she smiled. “Sir? Is there somewhere I can get some clean clothing? I left in a bit of a hurry and didn’t get what I needed. I wasn’t myself.”
The men all laughed at her, shaking their heads.
“I could use some clothes as well,” said Hayes.
