The Sheik’s Captive Bride

  The Jawhara Sheiks Series Book 3

  By Leslie North

  Thank you for downloading ‘The Sheik’s Captive Bride’.

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  Dedications

  I dedicate this book to you, my loyal readers. Thank you for all the lovely e-mails, reviews and support. Without you, this wouldn't be possible.

  The Jawhara Men Series

  The Sheik’s Pregnant Bride

  The Sheik’s Troublesome Bride

  The Sheik’s Captive Bride (August 2014)

  Contents

  The Sheik’s Captive Bride

  Dedications

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Erin Malone, future Sheikha of Jawhara, took another shallow breath, trying to stave off the horrible nausea that had become increasingly worse over the last hour and a half. The oppressive desert heat was starting to make itself known and she tried to calculate how much time had passed since she went missing.

  Her humanitarian mission to the refugee camp along Jawhara’s western border had seemed like such a good idea to begin with. The people had been without adequate water or food and, at her insistence, Kamal had ordered the situation fixed. The fact that he had allowed her to visit the refugee camp one last time had been a small miracle. Sheikh Kamal Mehalel El-Jawhara was very possessive, even more so now that Erin was carrying the future heir to the empire.

  God, Kam is going to kill me – that is, if I make it out of this situation intact. And then he’s going to kill the man who did this to me! She took yet another shallow breath, wishing her hands were free so she could move the heavy stale cloth covering her face away. Her feet and hands had been bound as soon as she entered the small tent, the rough hemp already starting to abrade her wrists beyond what was comfortable.

  She had only meant to help the refugees until they were allowed to return to their own country. She had never dreamed that she would be endangering her life or that of her unborn child by trying to help. And that one of the palace guards was a traitor!

  The young guard had only been employed for a few weeks at the palace and Erin had been given no reason to suspect that he meant her harm. Until they had made the trek out to the refugee camp, he had not been part of her normal security detail. When he had informed her an elderly woman was asking to speak to her personally, she had ignored her misgivings and followed him several rows of tents back. I’ll never distrust my intuition again! Why didn’t I listen to Kam’s warnings?

  Hearing footsteps approach, she held herself still, waiting for her kidnapper to address her and hopefully uncover her face. When the heavy cloth was pulled away, she blinked into the dim light, trying to gain a better understanding of her surroundings while she could. Taking a breath of fresh air, she swallowed convulsively for a moment, trying to hold the nausea at bay.

  “We’re leaving,” said the young man who had identified himself as Amir Bashai.

  “Where are we going?” Erin asked, not liking the fact that he intended to remove her from the refugee camp. She knew the palace guards and American private security personnel Kamal had hired were probably already looking for her, and leaving the camp would only hinder their ability to rescue her.

  “That is not important. You will come with me quietly, or I will personally see to it that the future heir to the Jawharan throne dies this day.” The young man sneered at her, spitting the words out and leaving Erin with no doubt that he meant them.

  Erin tried not to grimace as he pulled her roughly to a sitting position and then pulled her to her feet. He untied her hands and feet, and the older woman – someone she assumed to be his mother, helped dress her in the black burqa the Islamic extremists seemed so fond of.

  The garment was stifling and covered her from head to toe. The headdress, or niqab, included a piece of mesh screen, which covered her eyes, allowing her to see out, but preventing anyone from seeing in. She had been pleasantly surprised upon arriving in Jawhara at how modern the men and women dressed. Many of the older women still wore the colorful gowns and veils of their ancestors, but just as many people wore conservative western clothing.

  The older woman spoke rapidly to Amir in a language Erin couldn’t understand and was most definitely not the common Arabic dialect heard in Jawhara. Erin had been trying to learn the language of her future husband, but only knew a few words, and then only if they were spoken slowly. Amir seemed to be upset by the conversation, but eventually he nodded his head before turning to her.

  Lifting the veil so he could meet her eyes, he told her, “My mother is worried that you will draw attention to yourself. She has suggested I gag you beneath the veil.” Seeing Erin blanch at that possibility and start to shake her head, he nodded and continued, “I have assured her that you will do no such thing. I do not wish to harm you; it is your Sheikh who must be stopped from working with the infidels who have taken over my country.” He dropped the fabric back over her face, enclosing her in the material once again.

  Erin bit her lip beneath the heavy veil, trying desperately to come up with anything that would help defuse the situation. Nothing came to mind. Her experience, working with the Charity Foundation back in Washington D.C., had given her many opportunities to work with distraught people facing domestic or psychological problems. But dealing with someone who was motivated by a strong religious belief was new territory for her and she was at a loss.

  “I wish you could help me understand what the problems in your country are. Maybe I could speak to the Sheikh and another solution could be…,” she began, only to be cut off rudely.

  “The only problem,” Amir spat, “is the influence your country has forced upon us. Your western ideas go against everything we believe, and must be eradicated from our society. Only then will we be able to live our lives in peace once again.”

  Eradicated? Erin was still mulling over this statement when he continued, “My country has lived in harmony with Jawhara for hundreds of years without incident. We’ve shared the border, each people respecting the beliefs and religious practices of the other. But since Sheikh Kamal came back from university in your country, Jawhara has become much more progressive and adopted many western ideals.

  “Our young people have become enamored of these new ideas. These things are an abomination to Islam and have no place in our society. Those that have forced their way into power in my country must be stopped before the entire nation becomes corrupted.”

  “Not all change is bad,” Erin started to explain only to be cut off as Amir laughed without humor.

  “That is the problem with you westerners. You all think that change is necessary. Islam has been our guide for hundreds of centuries and will continue to do so long after your so called ‘democracy’ is destroyed.”

  Spoken like a true extremist! “What about tolerance?” Erin asked. “Doesn’t the Qur’an teach tolerance and peace…”

  “Enough! Do not think to lecture me about the Qur’an! I don’t have time to debate my actions with you anymore. Now, do I have your promise that you will come quietly with me, or do I kill you and your unborn child right now?”

  Erin looked at the wicked looking knife Amir pulled from the sheath at his side and tried not to shiver in fear. “I’ll come with you, but know this, Kamal will send men after me, and they won’t stop until I’m found. Why not just let me go and I’ll arrange for you to meet with him and discuss your concerns…”

  “Talking is useless! Now is the time for action! Come,” Amir grabbed her arm and pulled her through the flap at the back of the tent. He paused briefly before leading her to a donkey and almost throwing her on its back. Taking the reins, he carefully made his way among the tents, keeping an eye out for the guards that had begun searching through the tents once again.

  As soon as the coast was clear, he urged the donkey to a faster walk and quickly led them over the small rise of a nearby sand dune and down the other side.

  Erin turned and looked back just before they reached the top, alarmed when she realized that within a few moments, there would be no Brock of their escape being seen. Kamal, please – come find me.

  As Amir continued to lead the donkey further and further away from the refugee camp, Erin let her thoughts turn from ones of hope to ones of despair. Her parents should have arrived at the palace by now courtesy of Talib, and Shira would be returning with Khalil any day.

  She was to have been married in three days’ time, but the chances of that happening were starting to look impossible now. Please, let someone come find me. What I wouldn’t give to feel Kamal’s arms around me right now!

  Chapter 2

  PJ Williams pushed her hands through her shoulder length, blonde hair in frustration, “What are we missing here?” She stood on top of the Humvee looking out over the refugee camp, feeling completely useless and inadequate – neither feeling something she was used to dealing wi
th.

  While her statement had been said to no one in particular, the handsome man in charge of security in Jawhara answered her. “We will find her.” Talib had to believe that because to do otherwise would be failure and that was something he never did.

  Gesturing to her com unit, PJ looked at him and replied, “They just finished searching the last tent, and they found absolutely no sign of Miss Malone in any of them.”

  Talib nodded his head, “I received the same report. I’m pulling up the satellite feeds from the last two hours again.” Talib turned back to the small laptop he had braced upon his lap, “If Miss Malone’s not in the camp, she has to have been taken across the border. There’s no other place for them to hide her.”

  PJ turned and looked at the expanse of desert sand that stretched towards the neighboring country, “How far is the border?”

  “About twenty miles.”

  “Is it all flat like this?” PJ asked, indicating the current landscape, which was flat with only a few small dunes in the nearby distance. Her mind was already beginning to spin with renewed hope. If they had taken her from the camp on foot, they could easily be overtaken in vehicles.

  Talib shook his head and set his computer down before walking towards the vehicle. Climbing up, he joined her on the vehicle’s hood before physically turning her ninety degrees to the right. Pointing towards the north, “There are mountains that way, filled with caves and used most often by the nomadic peoples. To the west, there is nothing but sand and sun. Only a fool would venture off in that direction.”

  PJ quickly put the pieces together, “So, whoever took her is heading to the mountains.”

  “More than likely,” Talib replied, impressed with how quickly the young American’s mind worked.

  “So, why are we still standing around here? Why not go after them?” PJ turned, surprised at how close Talib was to her. Close enough she caught a whiff of his spicy cologne and could feel the heat coming off his side.

  Swallowing, she tipped her head back and met his eyes beneath her sunglasses, “If we know where they’re going, why not head them off?”

  Talib met her gaze, wondering what color her eyes were beneath the mirrored glasses she wore. Time enough to find out later! After you find Kamal’s bride! “It’s not that simple and you know it.”

  Talib jumped down from the vehicle before reaching up to assist her.

  PJ considered him and then nodded, “Yeah, I know it isn’t. I just wish it were. So, you’re the one with all the answers. What do we do now?” PJ allowed him to place his hands upon her waist and help her down from the hood of the Humvee, ignoring the way her body came to life at the mere touch of his hands. Get a hold of yourself! Sure, he’s exactly the type of guy that makes your mouth water, but this is neither the time nor the place! PJ smoothed her hands down her legs, refocusing her mind on the task at hand.

  Talib didn’t miss the snarky attitude and while he didn’t approve of it, he also had to give her marks for fighting to maintain control of the situation. “We look over the satellite feeds and hope we can pinpoint where they’re headed. We also hope they contact the palace soon with their demands.”

  PJ looked at him from the corner of her eye, “The Sheikh would negotiate with them?”

  Talib smirked at her, “To a point. He might appear to be cooperating, but only until he could assure himself of Miss Malone’s safety. After that, he’ll move heaven and earth to avenge himself. Any threat against the royal family, extended or otherwise, is punishable by death.”

  PJ swallowed before asking, “How?” Did they shoot them, or stone them to death? From what she’d seen, some parts of Jawhara still seemed pretty archaic to her.

  “Hanging. Public hanging is Sheikh Kamal’s preference.”

  PJ looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “Wow! Just like the Old West.”

  Talib cocked his head, “Old West?”

  PJ waved him off, “Sorry! During the early years of America, cowboys and settlers used hangings quite often.”

  Talib grinned, “Yes, I remember reading some of the literature from that time period. Very interesting how they meted out justice, although, I personally believe a bullet would have been much faster.”

  PJ grinned at him, “Funny, I’ve always thought the same thing myself. I believe they were aiming for the drama as a way to deter other would-be criminals from going down the same path.”

  Before Talib could reply, his laptop buzzed notifying him the satellite images were ready to be viewed. PJ stepped closer to him as he pulled up the images from the last two hours and began to scroll through them.

  She watched the images, scouring them for any signs that humans had travelled back across the border. When nothing showed up, she mentally cursed and huffed out a frustrated breath.

  Talib looked at the young woman standing close enough he could smell the scent of her shampoo – lemon and some herbal scent he couldn’t immediately identify. It smelled fresh and somehow seemed to fit with her image. Watching her, he waited for her to lift her head and meet his eyes before he spoke, “Do not give up. We will find her, we just haven’t looked in the right place as of yet.”

  Chapter 3

  Talib started manipulating the images and pretty soon PJ could see the edge of the refugee camp come into focus. As he started to scan through the images once again, PJ took another step closer, leaning her head down towards the small laptop screen to get a better view. She was practically leaning against his back in an effort to see the screen more clearly over his shoulder.

  “Stop! What is that?” PJ asked, pointing to the screen where a small dark shadow had appeared.

  Talib squinted his eyes as he focused on where her finger was pointing, “I don’t know.” He ignored the way his heart rate had sped up as her arm brushed against his shoulder and neck. Swallowing quickly, he moved the cursor to enlarge the image and advance the playback, grinning when the sight of a donkey with a rider and another human leading the animal appeared. When they moved farther away from the camp, dropping down over the nearest sand dune, and then continued to head towards the border, Talib smiled. We’ve found them!

  “That’s them, isn’t it?” PJ asked, excitement and energy evident in her voice. She pulled her arm back and straightened as Talib turned to face her.

  Talib nodded, “Yes. I believe that is the young man who has been posing as a palace guard for the last few weeks. I believe if the rider were disrobed, we would find Miss Malone.”

  “So now what? She doesn’t look like she’s being coerced to go with him.”

  “Remember that appearances are often misleading. She does not appear to be fighting him; however, I doubt she went with him willingly without some sort of threat being made against her or the child she carries.”

  PJ reared back a step. “What did you just say?” PJ asked, placing her hands upon her hips and narrowing her eyes at him.

  “Miss Malone is carrying the future heir of Jawhara. I believe she is only a few months pregnant. The news has not been made public in light of the fact that the wedding has yet to take place.”

  “Pregnant? Why wasn’t I told of this? Is there any Brock the guard who took her knows of her condition?” PJ was quickly reassessing the plans that had been forming in her brain. If the kidnapper knew she was pregnant, it made things that much harder because she would be less likely to risk an escape attempt. Damn it! Slade should have been told about this!

  Talib was asking himself the same question; he only wished he knew the answer. “The possibility is there. Many of the palace guards have been made aware of her condition as she has been very ill and has only recently begun to feel better. I have been away from the palace for the last two days, and have not yet received status reports since I came directly here upon my arrival. I don’t know what kind of information he might have obtained.”

  PJ shook her head; this situation just kept getting better and better. “So, maybe the guy who took her threatened to harm the baby?”

  “We need to assume that is the case. Miss Malone would do anything to protect her child, even let herself be taken across the border. She will expect Kamal to move all the sand in the desert to find her. I do not intend to let her down. Bring your men back in.”